October 17, 2022
scarf – Lost Pattern NYC
scarf – Lost Pattern NYC
Sometimes, It’s Hard to Decide…
It’s a trip that they make a few times a year – pick a city, pick a concert, or an art exhibit, or something interesting, and take a long weekend vacation!
But she’s struggling to pack – she knows that black is the neutral, but what is her accent color?
Earrings – Kendra Scott; scarf – Lost Pattern NYC; violet chalk tee shirt – L.L.Bean; amethyst bracelet – Ana Dyla; black cashmere cardigan – L.L.Bean; black corduroy jeans – J.Crew; socks – Le Bon Shoppe; duffle bag – Béis; boots – Easy Spirit
A close look at her current favorite scarf suggests to her that maybe she could pack more than 1 accent color. Maybe more than 2. Maybe MORE THAN THREE?
heart earrings – I’mmany London; blue patterned scarf – Otto & Spike; labradorite necklace – Banana Republic; black tee shirt – L.L.Bean; blue turtleneck – J.Crew; skirt – J.Crew; Hertha disc bracelet – Carved; onyx stud earrings – Effy; gold cardigan – Eleanoren; silk scarf – Elizabetta; black pants – L.L.Bean; blush bouquet scarf – Susi Bellamy; blush earrings – Talbots; coral cashmere sweater – Nordstrom; black loafers – Trotters; pumps – Easy Spirit
Honestly, why not? Once she has her core of black items, adding just 1 gold sweater isn’t a crime – so long as she has a plan for how to accessorize…
Her dream is always that some event will force them to stay for longer than 5 days… a volcano eruption would be okay…
She looks over what she’s wearing, along with what she’s packing, and realizes that (with a little bit of judiciously timed laundry) she is good for at least 10 days!
Have you ever been stranded somewhere?
I was once stuck in NYC during a full-on blizzard. Belovedest found me a hotel room – the MOST EXPENSIVE room in which I have ever stayed! I know when I walked in that hotel and they took my bag, they were under-impressed…
The next day I HAD to go to Eileen Fisher for a new sweater and scarf. You know how it goes, right?
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago, we looked at a wardrobe based on a cecropia moth…
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Could you kindly do a review of luggage please?
Thank you
Especially underseat luggage
Yes please, on under seat luggage!
I’m going to add my request in here regarding luggage. I’ve been on the lookout for a new carryon. It doesn’t necessarily have to fit under the seat; the overhead bins are good!
Re under seat or carry on luggage- Just before our last trip I got my husband this backpack. https://www.amazon.ca/Backpack-Approved-Overnight-Business-Weekender/dp/B0B1HW64XG/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2C00M5LGJGYF5&keywords=small+carry+on+backpack&qid=1666145674&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0Ljc3IiwicXNhIjoiMy40MSIsInFzcCI6IjEuMjUifQ%3D%3D&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A23944839011&rnid=23944828011&s=pc&sprefix=small+carryon+backpack%2Caps%2C152&sr=1-10
The reason is we fly out of a small regional airport and the Dash 8 aircraft that Air Canada uses have less than normal overhead space, and his other pack stuck out – still under 9” but too much for the overhead bin, and took up a lot of room under seat wise.
We’re used to seeing people with normal sized carryons having to gate check at our airport- stuff fits the size but not the Dash 8 sizes. Air Canada then puts the gate check stuff into the regular luggage so it often gets a bit of damage. Not ideal if you’re packing delicate machinery or electronics.
This works great- it packs like a suitcase and has ample padded room for all the laptop, iPads and accessories plus room for his CPAP and some clothes. Goes in the overhead bin, leaving his legroom. It also has buckles to tighten it up a cinch it in a bit.
The minuses- it needs a cross chest strap for comfort over any length of time but it has a great sleeve to slide over a trolley handle bigger suitcase and a regular suitcase handle which Dh liked for carrying it off the plane. He slings it over one shoulder thru the airport.
Love the scarf. I also really like the look back. For some reason I have been drawn to neutrals this year. Culling the closet and drawers. Got three sacks down to Goodwill yesterday, and another three ready to go. I think my closet and drawers are about where I want them to be. Unsurprisingly, what I have left are primarily things I bought using guidance from your articles. Go figure. Thank you Janice and happy Monday everyone!
Incredible Sheila – six sacks. Goodwill shall be pleased. I’m about to do my six month swap. However, as I’m hoping to lose weight (ha ha), I shall just put the clothes that don’t fit into the loft. I can be satisfied with a slimmer wardrobe of clothes that fit, though the reality of me slimming for real is a bit of a vain hope I know. However, I did it pre-Covid, so you never know… Even then, I wouldn’t throw out too big trousers and skirts. I did that in early 2020 and regretted it.
They were things I either hadn’t worn in years, or have worn so much I am sick to death of them and didn’t wear them this year!
Sheila, you are inspiring! While I don’t think I could get that much out of my smallish wardrobe, I do have a few things that would definitely be better off in someone else’s closet.
Beth T, I find it difficult to lose weight when winter sets in. Chicken pot pie sounds more appealing than grilled chicken salad, for some reason. Good luck to you.
You are so clever Janice! Here I am, at 7 in the morning, fishing out an old black pleated skirt from the back of my wardrobe that I have never worn, along with black jeans, tee and slacks. I have a core of navy and taupe, and don’t wear black much anymore, but this was such an inspiring way to quickly gather a cohesive little capsule. The only thing I am missing is a black cardigan, but I can see this grouping working with all of the accent colours I own. Now to sit down with a coffee, lol.
Well I love the blue, mauve and coral pink, though I would choose salmon pink or cameo rose pink. I would wear these with grey which is also in the painting. Perhaps if your heroine was able to extend her stay, grey would be a good second neutral with blush pink as a fourth accent?
I like the development of the look back as a principal for developing a wardrobe over several months from neutrals to accents, to accessories. Finding the right items can take time.
Knowing your style and the particular types of items that you would want to have in a wardrobe collection is important, as well as excluding the types of garments that you would not wear in a month of Sundays. Material and texture are key components as well.
I learned so much about my style options from the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe. Perhaps you could look at your group of four heroines, choose an individual scarf and build a WTW wardrobe that reflects their different styles and clothing preferences?
Fortunately, hotels these days are fortunately not as ‘starchy’ as they used to be. ⁷Before I found TVF, I always seemed to wear the ‘wrong clothes’ – either too dressed up or not dressed up enough. Looking effortlessly elegant or smart but casual were a struggle. I’m not sure that I get it right now. Some people could wear a sack and still look amazing – my daughter is one. Perhaps it’s because she is a few inches taller than me, slim, with an hour glass figure with perfect proportions. My husband is another who is tall and elegant. Whereas I’m five foot, overweight pear-shape with narrow shoulders and too short legs.
Having sorted my clothes for colour, fabric and fit, perhaps I should work on a my unique uniform style so whatever I wear is just me. It starts with disguising my short legs. Work in progress.
ah now, you’re too hard on yourself. it’s not the clothes that impress, it’s the confidence with which you wear them. never forget you’re fabulous! 😊 (from another 5’1 1/2 lady who most definitely doesn’t have a model-type figure either.)
Maybe I’ve lost my confidence a bit. However, I’ve had my hair cut the other week and several people have made complimentary remarks. I’ll use my six month switch to inject bit more life and variety into my wardrobe. I need to go back to creating some outfits with forethought. I noticed throughout the summer that I’ve worn things just to be dressed rather than intentionally creating an outfit for pleasure.
I have a floral dress in just this color combination — I’ve often wondered what a wardrobe based on these colors would look like. It’s so pretty! But I’m just not ready to move away from my favorite neutral browns….
I really don’t like the colors in this one, I guess they are not “my” sort of colors, but oddly that is very helpful! I can just imagine the black pieces with colors I do like and see how well this bare bones approach works. You could do all white and gray; jewel tones; ivory and camel — whatever!!
I am redoing my work wardrobe AGAIN, because I will take on a new role after the first of the year. I’ll be out more representing the non-profit I work for, and so I’m supposed to have our logo embroidered on my clothes.So I get new clothes–but I dont’ want to cost the non-profit much, because I know our budget! I’m trying to figure out what bare bones pieces I can have for the days I’ll be out and about. So far I’m thinking button-downs, polo shirts, a cardigan or two for winter and another for summer, maybe a fleece vest (it’s fairly casual, at least most of the time)… But how to get the most useful things that will match my existing wardrobe is a fun puzzle. When I have to use the non-profit’s money, suddenly I find I can make due with far fewer items…
Can you get a nice pin or two with nonprofit’s logo on it? That instantly converts your whole wardrobe…
You could also turn an embroidered logo patch into a brooch by attaching a pin to the back.
I love all the color options this wardrobe provides. I would swap out the black for navy, but this is the way I roll… several navy neutrals now (thanks Janice!) and then mix and match with my bright pops of color!
Hmm, I found this interesting, even though I don’t wear black, salmon or purple. Maybe I just like imagining how I would change the pieces to what I do wear. Love the comments today. Am hoping to get at least 1 bag for donation out this week. I realized yesterday that my work wardrobe will need to be upgraded slightly. My work station is getting moved again to yet another building where I will have to ‘look pretty.’ My new area will mean perfect hair, nails, makeup and clothes all while being able to pack file boxes or lug supplies. Ugh. No more dress down days when I feel bad or the weather is rotten. I’m glad that I can get inspiration from TVF and Janice.
And are the men in the office expected to dress to the nines with perfect hair and smart clothes whilst they pack boxes and lug supplies? I expect that most of the men you work with couldn’t give a fig about what they look like or they wear task appropriate work clothes.
I’m afraid I would rebel against such a double standard. Whenever you have to do mental and heavy tasks, make a show of putting on clean overalls or a large apron over your smart clothes. Wear gloves to protect your manicure and a headscarf or turban to protect your hair. Change your heels for steel toe capped boots just in case you drop something heavy on your feet. Then you will be ready for manual labour.
In the UK, employers can’t dictate what female employees wear, particularly footwear.
Be careful what you wish for! We once went to visit a volcano on an island (Stromboli), and did get stuck – because of storms, not an eruption. But an extra 24 hours in heavy rain that causes you to miss your flight home, isn’t necessarily the best way to end a trip. At that point, the only clothing I cared about was my rain jacket.
We were stuck for an extra week during a vacation in Taipei during a typhoon. I had overpacked, so that helped. I remember sitting in a military airport with my husband wanting to go home so bad that I was crying. They would board my husband but not me. A colonel very nicely gave me his seat.
Of course I ADORE the Wonderland vibes of this scarf…though they missed a trick with no rabbits ;) And this multiple accent color approach is the one that comes naturally to me. 4 scarves feels indulgent but they pack down so small, why not? With easy hand wash, fast dry layering tops to wear under the sweaters, you could go a while without doing serious laundry. I personally think the black bottoms + accent color top combination *can* look tired/uninspired, but with these thoughtful, gorgeous accessory options, the outfits are quite stylish and do not at all just look like the default women’s business casual formula.
Beth T, love the ideas, but we have dress codes and the leeway towards casual depends in which building you work. Currently, I am in an area where dark denim and sweaters are acceptable in cool weather, but dress down in the new is slacks. I’m not sure how an apron would go over. Imagine the commander would raise an eyebrow, but probably not reprimand me. Shoes, I may be able to do smart low heeled oxfords. Too much push back would have me sitting at HR with a reprimand for insubordination and a lecture on the dress code. I may not like the standards, but these people are the ones who pay me…