April 14, 2021
She’s Been Cold…
for over a year. Not really physically cold, so much as missing the “chaleur humaine” – the human warmth of society…
So when she knew that she was going to finally go on vacation, this was her heart’s desire:
Dance Dance by Jacqueline Osborn
okay, just feel free to pause right here and go admire this artist’s work – I will forever be grateful to readers who send me links to new artists!
Earrings – Talbots; sailcloth linen-blend cardigan – L.L.Bean; tee shirt – Alex Mill; wool scarf – Treasure & Bond (sold out but she could have worn this one…); bracelet – Fierce Lynx Designs; espadrilles – Sam Edelman; pale sienna canvas pants – L.L.Bean
After a year of stress and tension, she’s determined to be in complete control of her travel wardrobe! She decides that a “one piece at a time” approach to packing will suit her just fine…
After she gets that essential 2nd top in her bag, she starts with the easiest of packing – a dress!
She knows that she will be warm when she gets there, so she plans accordingly:
She very specifically chose to highlight the yellow in her painting inspiration, so a yellow tee shirt makes a great deal of sense!
Many of us keep a cashmere cardigan on hand for the entire summer – some air conditioning can be THAT cold! And of course summer isn’t entirely scorching hot in some places…
Cropped pants are a natural for travel in warm weather – more modest than shorts, but a LOT cooler than fully long pants:
She pictures wearing her ivory cardigan almost constantly… but she knows that she will need to have something quite light under it some days!
Travel capsule wardrobes always need more tops! Who could resist this one…
How perfect is this skirt for a museum day, or a nice-ish dinner?
And one’s 13th garment in a travel capsule wardrobe should always be sort of an indulgent wild-card!
When she has it all in 1 place, almost ready to pack, she has to pause for a moment to make sure that she’s not gone off the rails somehow:
Does she have enough outfits? She feels that creeping stress… but that is quickly put to rest!
She’s already feeling warmer!
Should we accessorize her wardrobe for her?
love,
Janice
p.s. Four years ago I explained in detail my thinking about choosing 9 core Neutral Building Blocks for your wardrobe – this is useful as we prepare for the upcoming change of seasons!
p.p.s. If you haven’t traveled for a while, your toiletries kit may well need some attention! Things get dry, creams separate, over-the-counter medications expire. Visit yours today!
I cleaned out my toiletries travel kit, and found hair gel that had dehydrated until it resembled a large, fragrant gummy bear…
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Love this capsule!
Fabulous. The colour scheme is perfect for my colouring.
I’m not quite sure about the butter yellow – but it looks awesome with that skirt. My son’s girlfriend would look so lovely in this capsule. Going to take the plunge and wear my white graphic t-shirt today…
This wardrobe makes me happy! Just what I needed today.
This is wonderful – inspiring color edit and a great way to approach packing. Have never tried the “one piece at a time” approach … but will shortly for an upcoming trip. Yes, please accessorize!
What a striking painting and capsule! It’s so hard to put together a tonal beige capsule and this one is just perfect. Wish I wasn’t a cool-toned gal…..
I am cool-toned and have used a similar principle to create two tonal capsules in the spring and summer:
soft grey and heathered lilac/purple with touches of pink and orchid;
or shades of soft blues and grey with coral and shell pink.
My only additions are patterned tops or dresses that draw the neutrals and accents together.
That sounds absolutely lovely. I only recently started incorporating soft greys into my wardrobe. Not enough to have a full tonal look but perhaps by the end of year. I’m still experimenting with soft blues. Haven’t quite found the right shade but chambray is growing on me. summer is creeping into stores and vibrant colors are tempting me.
Great painting. There is do much unsaid about the couples and their relationships. The dance styles vary from slow dancing to jiving and the chap in the middle is possibly ‘taking liberties’. I looked up the artist and her paintings do capture moments in time. I’d love to see you use some more as inspiration.
Thanks for analysing your selections today which is always helpful. It’s nice to see a wardrobe with skirts and dresses. A long maxi or midi skirt or dress is my ‘dress up’ choice for summer. This could work for any holiday wardrobe or a blended capsule. Yes to accessories, please.
The look back is also helpful as a checklist for the summer wardrobe. My summer neutrals are grey, purple and dark blue/denim.
Lovely as always. Thank you for the link to the artist’s work. I enjoy getting lost in another time as well- through art and books, of course. Sometimes modern life just feels too modern. Have a fabulous day!
XO
This is lovely. However, I will note that I tend to shy away from dresses while on holiday, particularly when I am travelling by plane. For me, dresses require a pair of slip shorts as well as a regular slip (sometimes but not always, depends on the opacity of the dress) and it just feels like more things to pack. I can get behind a jumpsuit though as it doesn’t require as much underclothes. Maybe it’s just me…unless I’m going to a wedding, I don’t bother packing a dress.
I rarely wear slips – only in winter to add an extra layer. In summer, I prefer cotton half slips if I wear one at all. They are not as common as they used to be in lingere departments. My problem is finding them long enough for the midi and maxi skirts and dresses I wear. Sometimes a dress comes with a slip but they often finish at the knee, rather than being full length. A short slip with a long skirt or dress means that the slip is tight round the knees and often rides up too.
I love this decision-making approach. The thing you’ve so clearly shown us is that less really IS more when it comes to clothing- especially dresses. That off white dress is like a canvas, waiting for the color accents to create mood. Some necklaces, scarves, bracelets & belts are easy to pack and will turn one dress into several outfits. I could easily travel for two weeks with that wardrobe. (If climate and activities don’t diverge too greatly! My husband has a habit of planning trips that go from the wilderness to an elegant restaurant in a major city. :-) )
Thank you for the link to the artist’s work! I could live in a gallery decorated with her paintings. Sigh, so lovely.
Oh my goodness, do I like this capsule! It is perfect for my “soft autumn” coloring. So many shades are not gentle enough and appear harsh and overwhelming when I try them. And the clothes look so comfortable, too. Not quite sure about the last ivory dress– really lovely, but personally one might be tempted to look to something by Eileen Fisher or reminiscent of same–or something with a little more flow to echo the painting. That was something appealing, the way the dresses in the painting clearly had good movement and swish while dancing.
That would be lovely! I considered trying that, but finding the clothes in good photographs, at reasonable prices, was beyond me!
hugs,
Janice
I love the travel outfit with the ivory and that fascinating “sienna” color of pants. It’s perfectly accessorized and the ivory and sienna colors have a hint of coolness that I like quite a lot. After that, the colors are too warm for my taste, but it is a nice collection of dusty warm colored items. My brain just snags on seeing the sienna pants in the mix with the warmer colors. I wondered how they’d look with a pale blush pink, but they snag me there also. It’s one of those colors that, for me, look too cool with warm colors and too warm with cool colors. But I could understand if someone decided to buy those pants just to wear with ivory because it is a stunning combination.
I think that one would have to get those pants in hand and see for a fact just exactly what color they are! It’s hard to judge, sometimes, from a photograph…
hugs,
Janice
Thank you for the beautiful wardrobe! I wanted to add that as I turned 70 I thought it might not be appropriate for me to be walking around in shorts so I bought skorts – one from Beans, some from Kohls – I’m cool, but not scaring the public.
Janice,
If you had hand picked this wardrobe for me, you would have been right on target with the soft colors ! I am still working on some weight loss , or rather riddance, to be able to feel comfortable in a skirt or dress. Being bottom heavy makes dress finding a challenge ! Showing one piece selections at a time allows my brain to absorb your methodology, which takes me longer to sink in as I “ mature” !
Oh that retrospective on neutrals, I want to frame it ! Love, love, love ! And you leave it open for personal preferences, which is one of the many things that I love about your posts ! You really made my day again today, so thank you , and yes, accessories, please !
Sooo beautiful – not too dressy not casual, I think I will try to copy it for our first vacation. Don’t they say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery – so please feel flattered, your blog brings joy in difficult times.
OMG, the fragrant gummy bear comment made me laugh out loud. An excellent tip!
Janice
I really liked the formatting of your gradual additions to the wardrobe in this post.. with the new item captioned on the right, and the accumulated items on the left.
Helps my eyes to add in each new baby into the colour family.
I look forward to every new post. Thanks!
I totally agree on the formatting. I found this much easier to absorb.
I love this painting and these colors! I was literally just shopping my wardrobe and trying on cream and tan combinations before I sat down with a cup of coffee to enjoy your post. Yes, please accessorize! You have such inspiring ideas.
Love, love, love this painting and the colours. I love the way you formatted this post as you added one piece at a time. It was so easy to get my head around your clever thought process.
Bonus, all the pieces were new and all in stock. That never happens.
It was so nice to fantasize with you about that first vacation after such a long time.
In my younger days, my hair was auburn. I would have just ordered everything today!
Alas, now with white hair and blue eyes, I’d better stick with a cooler pallet. Or….dye my hair once again. You make it tempting.
Just lovely ;-). And I love, love, love the idea of using colors of pictures to create a wardrobe. I just tried it with this picture:
https://artsandculture.google.com/art-projector/JwGtBt3vfaoerQ?hl=de
(Caspar David Friedrich, Der Watzmann), one of my favorite painters. (Although one wants to put on something warmer after looking at the picture for some time).
Greetings from Germany!
You always inspire. What a great wardrobe. Love the styles and garments you have chosen. The colours are beautiful, perhaps a little too much on the warm side for me. I can certainly transpose them into colours more suitable for my complexion. I’d wear that collection in a heartbeat. Love your new format. Big yes to a post on accessories.
My dearest Janice,
I absolutely love this palate and the way you put this together – as one reader stated “the one garment at a time approach”. Not only is the art fabulous, but you have managed to choose colors that are perfect for my autumn colors for summer. I’m in the process of revamping my wardrobe and this is such a great place for me to start! For spring/summer, I would add in some shade of a light sage green or even a blue of some sort. Brava to you and thank you!!
Susan
Please add my vote to the ‘yes’ column for the new format. It makes it easier when the text and garment are side by side, and I don’t have to scroll down and then back up again (or vice versa) to look at the clothing and see how it fits with your vision of the wardrobe. That’s rather difficult to explain, I hope you understand what I’m trying to say! Thanks for another inspiring post.
I absolutely love this capsule and the colours – thank you! And thank you too for a truly “warm” wardrobe – it feels like one of very few that are all warm. COuld we have more of them,please? I know from the comments that probably a majority of your readers wear cooler colours – whenever you do an all-warm post there seems to be a raft of requests to go cooler. I should say that I love all your capsules and the way you blend and contrast colours (and I love the stories that go with them, too!). But while I am perfectly capable of substituting warm variations for the cooler colours in many of your posts, it is so nice not to always have to do so! This selection I could pack up tomorrow and go …. if only it were allowed to pack up and go …….
Ladies I really like the colors here but I would have a problem ith some of the fabric textures!
Thanks for sharing a warm collection. I’d like to see more of them! Yes to accessories please. I have a collection of beautiful broaches but always feel that they are a bit aging. Any tips on how to wear them? I’d like to see them in posts. Thank you!
I keep returning to this selection again and again. I have always liked the neutral colors that you have chosen and have been purposely moving away from the black uniform for women of a certain age… My husband loves orange but it is little loud for me to build a wardrobe around. I love these colors and they would also be pleasing to my husband. We went to HI twice and I felt underdressed for church services, since we were sponsored by the church, and was wishing I had that dress or skirt at the time. If we go again, I will be well prepared…. Thank you so much for your blog. I do look forward to it.