November 1, 2021
This was good timing – after being out for a couple of lunch dates last week, I was seriously thinking that my next “Chic Sighting” would be blazer-sweaters!
I’m curious – those of you who are back in your offices, or are back in business environments – are you seeing people more dressed up than before the pandemic? My limited view of what’s going on in Chicago suggests that we are taking advantage of the chance to look a little bit nicer, and wear those lovely things that have been hanging in our closets for months (and months and months…).
Heather khaki sweater-blazer – J.Crew; amber hoop earrings – Talbots; hedgehog brooch – Fable England; striped tee – L.L.Bean; knit cords – L.L.Bean; loafers – Talbots
I saw a LOT of this kind of look, when I was out last week. It was dressier than I was used to seeing – lapels do a great deal to elevate an outfit! And why not wear something that gives you a chance to wear a whimsical brooch?
This particular sweater-blazer (of which I own TWO!) also comes in that brown we are always trying to find:
I couldn’t resist keeping the same plaid shirt and ivory cords from last week, and then changing the 2nd layer and the accessories… A dormouse brooch! I’m tempted to make all sorts of uncharacteristic cute noises….
Grey sweater-blazer – J.Crew; leaf earrings – Ross-Simons; dormouse brooch – Fable England; ivory corduroy pants – J.Crew; rich steel flannel shirt – Lands’ End; loafers – Talbots
The great joy of having one of these cardigan-blazers in your dark neutral is that you can dress up – somewhat – in a heartbeat. Change your bedroom slippers for a pair of posh loafers, pull on your 2nd layer – maybe take a second to pin on a brooch. Suddenly, you’re dressed for lunch! Or brunch. Or cocktails…
Black sweater-blazer – J.Crew; earrings – Argento Vivo; blue tit brooch – Fable England; black tee – L.L.Bean; jeans – L.L.Bean; velvet loafers – Banana Republic
There is also a robin brooch, a barn owl brooch, a rabbit brooch…
As soon as I saw the brown sweater-blazer, I knew that I wanted to try to assemble a brown and autumn-colored wardrobe. Imagine having this packed for a leaf-peeping trip. Or just for those 2 or 3 days a week that you have to go somewhere and look like an adult….
Dusty ivory, deep chocolate tee shirts – J.Crew; leopard print tee – Lands’ End; splitneck waffle tee – L.L.Bean; deep chocolate velour sweatshirt – J.Crew; camel wool sweater – J.Crew; Fair Isle sweater – Lauren Ralph Lauren; plaid shirt – Treasure & Bond; heather walnut sweater-blazer – J.Crew; English saddle wool skirt – J.Crew; ivory jeans – Lands’ End; pale mocha corduroy pants – J.Crew
You could almost get dressed blindfolded with this wardrobe:
Wednesday will, of course, be our November installment of “6 Scarves, 12 Outfits.” But tell me if you would like to see accessories for this brown and ivory wardrobe – I think it could be amazing!
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, I made my last visit to Dantis Amor by Rossetti – with a heroine who was pulling out all the stops for a Thanksgiving trip to New York City! One of our most extravagant wardrobes…
p.p.s. ECHO is having a sample sale! Get thee to their site (echonewyork.com) and see what’s there!
I saw a bit of a preview – all of these are silk… I don’t have links to specific scarves (yet) but I thought I would share my favorites…
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Everything is just lovely – those brooches are amazing! I love the backyard critters. Looking forward to Wednesday’s post.
Yes! Accessories for the brown and ivory! Love everything in this post. I did go down a bit of a rabbit hole at J Crew. I so prefer the styling of men’s sweaters. Any notion of who makes women’s sweaters that are less frufru and more like men’s? I suppose I could roll up the sleeves a bit. ? Anyway, fantastic post, Janice. Well, they all are but this one in particular spoke to me. ☺️
I have worked in my office throughout the pandemic, as many people in some areas of the country have done. The largest tenant of the building I’m in did have a lot of people working at home for almost a year, but they’ve all been back for most of 2021. I havent’ seen any difference in anyones clothes.
Also, I love that wardrobe and would do it in a heartbeat either in grays or navy.
Love this autumn wardrobe! I ordered the dark brown sweater blazer immediately. Please do the accessories. For years I have put myself in black or navy because I was “supposed to,” but I have always been happiest and most comfortable in brown.
I often wonder, if I started from scratch, how much brown I would wear. I have brown eyes, and brown/grey/purple hair…
Years ago when I had my colors “done” in Paris, I was told to wear brown, purple and light shades of green… I’m still struggling with that!
hugs,
Janice
I forgot to comment on change in what people are wearing? Last year, when we came back to school in April, most staff were still dressed VERY casually. This year, its a mix. Some people are dressing as nicely as they did pre-pandemic, and some are so tired and stressed out they’re even more casual than ever (I work in a Middle School) I admit, though I’m usually one of the better dressed, there have been a few days when I’m just too tired (already) and I’ve worn the straight-legged sweats with a shirt or sweater. The morale in our school is low right now for a variety of reasons, and it’s showing in how some of them (not all ) are choosing to dress.
Not to take anything away from any other working groups, school staff must be exhausted. I honestly don’t know how you got through the past 18 months. I salute you and your dedication.
I would LOVE to see accessories for the brown wardrobe, especially if they include a brooch!
Yes please.
I would swap out the Ralph Lauren fair isle sweater for its long, belted cardigan version (same link). You’d then have one more outer layer and one less inner top. Yes, please to the accessories!
The Ralph Lauren fair isle cardigan has whoppage!
Ooooh … that brown sweater-blazer is beautiful. It’s a serious contender for my fall wardrobe.
Please do show accessories for the brown wardrobe. More goodies to add to my wardrobe!!!
I’ve been working in-office throughout most the pandemic. I’m in a health care environment so most of the staff wear scrubs. I love dressing up for work … I wear business casual but even with jeans I tend to accessorize with jacket/sweater, scarves, jewelry, etc.
Beautiful wardrobe!!! Not my colors, but I adore looking at them, they are so soothing to the eyes!!!
Re: office work. I’ve been part time onsite, part time WFH for the past… 16? months. As more people are coming back, I’m seeing a slight uptick in dressing. But it still seems pretty mixed – if someone was wearing jeans and tee-shirts, they will keep the jeans and go for a fancier top; or keep the tee-shirt and go for a trouser. Personally, I go for around the same as pre-pandemic, but sometimes more casual bottoms (cords!!!). But I’m finding I care less about variety and am happier to stick to a tighter palette (maybe because I don’t see the same people daily anymore?) WFH I’d happily wear the same outfit 3 days out of 5 as long as it felt/smelled clean.
I think that the pandemic taught a lot of us that we don’t need to wear a completely different outfit every day! I drastically reduced the amount of washing I did. Janice’s Whatever is Clean is a lesson for us all!
We are beginning to return to the office. What I have seen so far is that one single woman is dressing for the office. Everyone else is dressed very casually. I think that will change though as the feeling of normalcy returns.
Those brooches! ???????????????
Janice, I would be simple thrilled to see accessories for the Brown and Ivory Wardrobe!! I LOVED the paisley wrap you used on the Wardrobe from six years ago!! I so wish you would use one in our Brown and Ivory Accessory Wardrobe!!! Pleeease!!!
Yes!! Those brooches are fabulous!!!!
Yes to the accessories!! Love the brooches. I absolutely love the blazers but have yet to justify one with all the other things going on in my closet. The light grey tends to look super casual on me, but I wonder if a brooch may add enough whappage to transition into luxe casual for me.
Sweater blazers are a great option for a second layer. Thank you for highlighting them – I’ll have to watch for them and add one or two to my wardrobe.
Those brooches are full of whimsy and playfulness- love ‘em!
Travel-related question:
Has anyone had experience with reclaiming a lost item after travelling? Do you know how long the airlines keep items forgotten on an airplane?
I forgot a blazer on an Air Canada flight to Germany several weeks ago and I’m wondering if they might still have it. They charge $35 to submit a Lost & Found claim and there’s no guarantee that they have it.
Wendy, most airlines have a lost property warehouse and keep said items for up to 3 months before disposing of them. If your blazer is of value to you then it is worth submitting a claim – the fact that you have asked this question ‘several weeks’ after the event suggests that you want your blazer back. Good luck.
Thank you! Yes, i really like it and it’s a good quality piece. I just didn’t want to pay their fee if there wasn’t a reasonable chance of them still having it. I’m well under the three month limit so I’ll give it a whirl.
Yes, please! Accessories for brown and ivory.
If I were adding a blazer to my wardrobe, it would be a sweater-blazer, but I still have comfortable ponte knit blazers in excellent condition.
The woodland critter brooches are adorable! The dormouse and (of course) the rabbit, especially. I am not much of a brooch wearer because I don’t like the idea of sticking a pin through my clothing or scarf and leaving a hole. Any advice from brooch wearers on this?
Sally, that is the very reason I don’t wear brooches either. However, you can get magnetic brooches apparently. I’ve just done a quick google search and quite a few came up so I might have a look myself.
I wear mine on cashmere cardigans, and they don’t leave a hole in the knit. I’d avoid using them on blouses, though. And I’ve started putting a bit of felt on the back of the cardigan to pin through so the whole weight of the brooch doesn’t hang on the knit.
The men here are much more casual now, way less business suits. That might change next year. Women with less high heels, but that was trending before Covid.
I like those jackets, but I would love a button or two. I really don’t like the trend the last few years for cardigans and jackets without buttons. I find they fly away in the wind.
Like Maria, I also got lost down a rabbit hole this morning looking at the UK website of Fable England. Oh my – I could have bought a lot! ????
Fable England is a British brand. The company website is delightful – full of whimsy. The brooches in this post also have rings, necklaces, bangles and earrings. I did think of Sally in St Paul as these are right up her street.
The dormouse brooch is delightful. I am very tempted. It is probably based on the British native Hazel Dormouse which is endangered as habitat loss has decimated the population . These are small (6-9 cm), cute, sleepy and reasonably calm unlike the edible dormouse which are much bigger, vicious and voracious.
Beth T, oh they have necklaces too? Now I’ll have to check into it!
Worth checking the brand on Wolf & Badger However, I was using the Fable England UK website. I was curious about prices in sterling.
I love the brooches and the sweater blazers. I have a couple of them of them in the longer length because the proportions suit me better.
I’ve been back in the classroom since August 2020 with nearly full classes at my elementary school. To help our stress level, our principal said we could wear jeans everyday instead of just Fridays. This year she said we could again because we always looked professional even in our jeans and no one abused the policy. I still wear dresses a lot because I like to. I do like the option of being able to wear what a want. Also….sometimes, I’m just so exhausted I just need to wear some comfortable jeans. Right now, I’m in that exhausted jean wearing mode. Thank heavens I have that option!
Debra, with how heavily stress has fallen on school staff, I’m glad to hear that your principal relaxed the dress code and stuck with it after people showed that they could keep things professional in their jeans.
The J. Crew sweater blazers have become a wardrobe staple. Each season they offer new colors and styles. I think I have 4 different styles (Sophie, Juliette, Ella and a new one recently which that walnut you feature is an option)! They raise a casual outfit and are easy to pack and wrinkle -resistant for work travel!
I love the warm brown-based wardrobe and would like to add my vote for accessories for it, please. Actually, if I had my way, I’d love to see how you’d take it into the winter and through the following seasosn in a 12 month wardrobe, because browns and camels are my favourite neutrals. We’re heading towards summer down here in New Zealand but autumn and winter are my favourite clothing seasons… luscious wools, cuddlye corduroys, mmmmmm.
Janice, do you know of any sweater blazers that have a button or other fastener? With my big chest, I cannot wear open front sweaters. Help, pkease!
Talbot’s also has an attractive black sweater jacket. However, they have already sold out of XL.
I’m not a fan of blazers and cardigans without buttons. Sewing on press studs or toggles is a solution. There is also an increase in coats fastened with one button leaving it gaping open at the bottom.
I’m sure both are down to cheap manufacturing rather than a fashion trend. Buttons on cardigans need a buttonhole placket sewn on separately. Fewer buttons on coats need fewer button holes which have to be done with special buttonhole sewing foot on the machine.
I like jackets and blazers but I’m going to have to reconsider what I wear with them. Short jackets look better on me with a dress or skirt. I think I need a longer length jacket with trousers to cover my hips and thighs. I saw a lovely tweed jacket in Prussian blue but it cut me off in the wrong place with trousers. If it had been a tweed coat, I would have bought it as it was in a charity shop.
Like Beth T and other commenters, I also find that often the “right” length of blazers for me differs between skirts and pants/trousers. This does complicate the building of a capsule wardrobe! It would be interesting to see Janice address the proportion issue for tops (untucked) and toppers in a capsule that includes both pants and skirts. I admit that I often just wear combinations with slightly off proportions but I know that many people are more exacting about these proportions (which I totally understand).
I love that brown and ivory wardrobe! Throw in some green, and that’s basically me in the fall/winter. And those brooches are a fun find, too.
I love sweater jackets and long scarves too.
My first colour choice is dark denim blue, so wondered if your new scarves could have another blue scarf among them, for next year?
Regarding this year’s wardrobe I would like to see whatever you think is needed to accomplish a full wardrobe for each scarf.
Thanks for all your hard work so enjoy seeing what you have for us with each article.