May 3, 2021
It’s starting to feel like summer clothes might actually be useful this year!
Earrings – Sterling Forever; dress – J.Crew; scarf – J.Crew; poplin shirt – J.Crew; sandals – 27 Edit
What we’re looking for this week is the “go-to” shirt for warm weather, to be worn either as a shirt on its own, or as a shirt-jacket over a more bare top:
Pink as a neutral is fun, because it looks like an accent color so often!
yes, this is the same black cardigan and pants that we saw last week; being able to wear clothes in lots of different combinations is sort of the point…
Hair clips – Tasha; necklace – SIRI USA; poplin shirt – J.Crew; cardigan – COS; loafers – Bandolino; ponte pants – Spanx
If you’re wearing a top that’s sleeveless and maybe scoop-necked, or open in the back, having a shirt to wear over is good sun protection, air-conditioning protection, and modesty protection!
Earrings – Kendra Scott; tank top – J.Crew; poplin shirt – J.Crew; bracelet – Saachi; denim shorts – L.L.Bean; espadrilles – Schutz
Maybe your light neutral is warm rather than cool? This color – they call it “flax” – goes with pretty much any warm color you can find:
It can be very utilitarian:
Sunglasses – Ray-Ban; linen shirt – J.Crew; baseball cap – L.L.Bean; watch – Timex; shorts – L.L.Bean; sandals – L.L.Bean
You can tie it at the waist over a sleeveless dress:
linen shirt – J.Crew; floral huggie earrings – Sterling Forever; scarf – Talbots; linen dress – Lands’ End; sandals – Olukai
Or you can wear it as a bit of neutral lightness over a darker color, with some print involved:
Earrings – Lonna & Lilly;linen shirt – J.Crew; tank top – Lands’ End; shorts – Lands’ End; tote – Talbots; sandals – Vince Camuto
Later today I need to pull out my summer shirts and do some ironing! I love to iron…
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago, our heroine finally decided to go to the beach house with the rest of the family, with a 3-dress travel capsule wardrobe…
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Good morning from London! Janice, your gorgeous capsule wardrobes have inspired me to try my own challenge. I am picking one colour a week and every day I have to include it somewhere in my outfit. The aim is to look at my wardrobe with fresh eyes, identify gaps and avoid wearing the same combinations over and over. The first two weeks were olive and burgundy which are easy peasy for me. Starting today it’s orange. I’ll see how I get on!
Also this morning I rediscovered this picture (I had cut it out of a calendar a few years ago) which has a smidge of every colour I love to wear (horrible long link sorry). It’s so busy and joyful but the colours all work so well together. I feel like if you look at any small section you have a colour palette to work with. I’ve put it up inside my wardrobe to make me smile.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9xH0j7NmOs/UVsYHDLLn2I/AAAAAAAAc70/4vQzrUNhETM/s1600/1895+Poster+for+Amants+-+Comdie+de+M.+Donnay+at+the+Theatre+de+la+Renaissance,+Paris+%C2%A9+Alphonse+Mucha+Estate-Artists+Rights+Society+(ARS),+New+York-ADAGP,+Paris.jpg
What a great way to inspire you, Bryony, and a fun way to get dressed. As the weather is so abysmal in South East England, are you still clinging on to your warmer clothes as I am? I’m finding it hard to think of Spring when it is cold, wet and windy. My only concession is to wear lighter colours but still long sleeves and warm jumpers. Last year we were basking in a heatwave on May Day!
Absolutely! All dresses are currently being worn with leggings. It hasn’t been an optimal Bank Holiday weekend has it?
Thank you, great post, I will be working on trading out my winter clothes and putting my summer clothes front and center. We are having a nice cool spring this year, so I have been procrastinating,,,,,,, so you helped me think about it.
Lovely clothes – Still too cool here to be thinking of summer clothes. I found your blog about a year ago and have been really enjoying it. Each month I eagerly wait the 6 scarves 12 outfits posts at the beginning of each month. I hope you are continuing those.
Oh, it will get here; I’m a little off schedule!
hugs,
Janice
I do like that flax linen shirt. I admit I don’t wear a buttoned up collared shirt much in warm weather. I like a flannel to layer when it’s chilly. And I alway hesitate over linen, thinking about laundry and wrinkles. But this shirt looks comfortable. And I do happen to have plenty of time these days if I need to iron.
I wondered which post I would see today WTW or Six Scarves…… Rolling up the sleeves of the long sleeved linen shirt I already bought will work for me. I have about four layers on today – which tells you what it’s like in Seattle :)
Great! All of your posts are inspiring. Making me rethink the sea of black in my closet.
Janice, I was plugging your blog on gransnet.com, a UK based forum. You may get some new followers! There was a chat about summer colours added to wardrobes, so I had to pipe in and sing your praises.
Love that linen shirt, but I think now that I have accepted my grey hair I need cooler colours. I have a similar shirt in a light blue stripe, but hadn’t really thought to use is as an over-shirt. Thanks again for ideas.
Flax and rust are not my colors, but I love the outfit. Nice to see a bit of print mixing here!
My favorite linen shirt for summer is what Lands End confusingly calls their linen short-sleeved t-shirt (I guess it’s a t-shirt replacement but it’s not stretchy at all; it’s just a shirt). It doesn’t have the versatility of a button up shirt to act as a top layer piece, but as a plus, no issue with buttons gaping in the front.
Since I’m still finishing up blogging April in my 6 scarves project, I don’t mind at all that the May post here is delayed a bit :D
Love the floral scarf. Please would consider using it to inspire an extended post for a Start with a Scarf?
Great look back too. I could work with a capsule based on dresses and skirts for summer. My only problem is footwear to wear with them if I’m expected to do lots of walking for sight seeing. I can’t wear slip-ons, ballet flats or sandals if lots of walking around is required. I’m only 5 foot tall so lace-up leisure shoes might be ‘on trend’ with dresses and skirts but I fear that they would make me look clumpy and dumpy. I also have very wide feet. I would appreciate ideas of different styles of closed toe shoes, I might consider for sight seeing in dresses or skirts?
Beth, I have troublesome feet, and need very comfortable shoes, especially for travel. I find that Ecco shoes work well and fit wide feet. But hands down the most reliably comfortable shoes I own are the Kirei mary jane style from Naot. They are NOT cheap, and won’t win any beauty contests, but they are worth their weight in gold for problem feet. With these, as with nearly every shoe I buy, I pull out their innersole and insert my own arches. Over the years I have collected them in several neutral colors, and they have traveled everywhere in the world with me! – nancyo
I have picky (and FLAT) feet. (narrow though). I agree with Nancyco – inserts are key. Having said that, inserts are difficult with summer shoes. I have found Cole Haan shoes are pretty decent with their inbuilt support for my feet- particularly good for the Anica sandals (although – do yourself a favor and get them re-soled. I was SO excited to find comfy, cute sandals that I could walk 2 miles in… they wore out in a month. What I learned: I adore synthetic soles.)
Good luck in your hunt – it is never ending. Mary Janes are cute for closed toe with dresses. So are sneakers that look more like loafers/ pointier toe (Naturalizer made some great ones a decade ago…sorry i’m not more current) Or Keds style – shouldnt make you look “clumpy and dumpy” (although i’m sure you look lovely no matter what)
sorry for the ramble.
I am much taller than you at 5’1″, that was a joke, with wide feet and a bad case of neuropathy. I live in Birkenstocks. They work wiht skirts, pants, shorts, everything, and even have styles that are not so clunky. Very comfortable after break in period. Give them some thought.
Hi Janice and Everyone: well >smh< it makes complete sense to wear short sleeved shirts as 'jackets' or cover-ups. Thank you For the idea.