July 7, 2023
Three more heroines with unique wardrobes, and unique shopping goals!
When we last visited her wardrobe, our heroine had lovely colors, and some great clothes, BUT…
- She has no shorts! (yes, for some of us that isn’t a problem!)
- She only has 5 black garments, and black is supposed to be her core neutral, and
- she bought a lovely pink cardigan, and did NOT buy the matching vest… (please note, Alex Mill is having a sale! That’s not something they often do.)
So she shops! Black sandals and a black tote are logical items for her to have FOREVER, and a black bracelet with a heart that matches her heart earrings and necklace just plain makes sense.
pink sweater vest – Alex Mill; bracelet – Canvas Style; black tank – J.Crew; white shorts – Lands’ End; tote bag – J.Crew; sandals – Sam Edelman
Her updated wardrobe doesn’t really look different – just more filled-in!
She probably has all of the accessories that she needs, for right now…
Since her new purchases fit into her wardrobe so easily, one could assume that she can find ways to wear her new clothes with no problem. But it’s always wise to check when you get home, to make sure that you haven’t gone haywire somewhere!
After the brights and high contrast of the last wardrobe, this is VERY different:
After her June shopping, our heroine found her wardrobe thus:
Hmm… She loves what she owns, but she can identify holes in this wardrobe:
- She also doesn’t have a pair of shorts! She has a dress, and cropped pants, but this summer might be the tipping point for buying a pair of shorts!
- She really would like something else in green…
- She does NOT have a blue cardigan! Well, she has that great short-sleeved sweater from Lands’ End, but that’s not going to work over all of her shirts…
So she starts looking around:
Aquamarine earrings – Starfish Project; bracelet – Steff Jewellery; cardigan – Alex Mill; tank top – Lands’ End; shorts – Lands’ End; tote bag – Béis
With her new purchases integrated into her closet, she now has a wardrobe that looks like this:
Her accessories are so pretty!
But how will she wear her new clothes?
Our last heroine for the month of July is our very disciplined, focused lover of Rothko:
This is her “end of June” wardrobe – I think it might be possible to dress from this closet in the dark! Assuming that you don’t put on shorts with a quilted coat, of course…
So what is this heroine thinking about, this month?
- A lighter-weight pair of navy pants – it’s hot out there!
- a summer top in navy – her only sleeveless navy top is her sweater vest. Yes, it can be worn on days when the temperature is moderate, but when we’re in “swelter alert” a tank top might be better!
- And a dress! Holy moly, she doesn’t have a dress…
She starts looking:
Cypress leaf leather cord necklace – Carla Shaw; linen dress – J.Crew; tank top – Lands’ End; linen pants – J.Crew; sandals – Sarto by Franco Sarto; bag- Madewell
Her wardrobe doesn’t look different, just better for hot weather!
The warm leather accessories (including leather on her new necklace!) bring a nice warmth to this wardrobe:
She KNOWS that she can wear these new things in all kinds of ways, but she is smart enough (and disciplined enough) to double-check her purchases against her existing wardrobe, just to be sure that she hasn’t made a mistake…
So which wardrobe speaks to you this month? I’m still smitten with “Street, Berlin” – I may see if this can be replicated in my own closet!
love,
Janice
p.s. It wasn’t exactly 7 years ago, but close enough! Our heroine with insomnia goes to Paris…
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I love both 1 and 2.
I think heroine #3 is going to love her dress as the heat builds. On cooler days she might reach for that yellow hoody. Well, yellow is a neutral for some of us! In my part of the US, it’s so hot, reaching for a second layer and long pants in a medium to heavy fabric is unimaginable.
The accessories in all three wardrobes are delightful.
The grey with aqua outfits in the second wardrobe!!! The combination looks like it could lower these hot summer days a few degrees. Makes me very tempted to throw over my blush and brown wardrobe…
I am smitten with the Alex Mill blue cardigan. Sadly, I don’t look especially great in that color, nor would it really fit into my wardrobe. Or would it? And if I had a scarf next to my face with my better colors??? Ah, this is where I run into trouble. I really like what you’ve done with all of the wardrobes this month. Just awesome. Have a great weekend everyone!
Sheila, I so feel your comment. Being exposed to such pretty yet personally unsuitable things can create all kinds of mental gymnastics as we invent convenient rationalizations to make something fit in for us, can’t it? I think mastering the distinction between loving to look at something vs. loving to live in something is one of the hardest parts of building a wardrobe…and it’s one I myself certainly have not mastered!
One thing I like to do is distinguish between something I already own and something I do not own when considering the power of the flattering-color-scarf or the possibilities of alterations or other ways of salvaging an item I know isn’t really quite right for me but that I love. If I already own it, I can absolutely experiment freely (and re-purpose it or say goodbye if it doesn’t work out). But if I don’t already own it and am from the very beginning already struggling to figure out how to make it work…well, I lean into my laziness and my frugality to consider that I could spend $X and countless hours in an effort to adapt it to myself…or I could just…NOT. Ah, I feel less burdened already!
Well these look so well balanced. The Monet is my favourite of these three. Personally, I’d like to see a patterned top that ties the colours together and creates more possibilities for tops and bottoms.
Favourite? Street, Berlin sans the shorts! Maybe linen pants instead. Not a shorts person, they never looked right on me nor felt comfortable on. It’s not an age or body image thing ( my Mom wore shorts well into her eighties, varicose veins be damned!!) just not my style. The other paintings need some oomph. Maybe more pattern tops brought in? Garments and accessories are nice but all together very dull.
Yes all six wardrobes are delightful to look at and ponder. Not all are my colors but fun to look at and get ideas from. I loved the look back and got sucked down that rabbit hole! I’ve made notes for my November travel plans wardrobe. I don’t think one can start too soon to plan! As another reader said I think I have really mastered Packing 101 thanks to your sage advice. It’s how I found this blog years ago. I was packing for Alaska and a Google search sent me to TVF. Haven’t missed one since.
Ok. The Monet is Moi! I think I once mentioned my love of hoodies, jeans and silver shoes….and there we are!! After a medical appointment day today, I will get busy with this post and see what kind of damage I can do to my bank account. My own closet has this sea glass look. I could add a great grey coat, some pretty shirts, and more silver shoes. Will also check out the lovely hooded sweater. Thank. You. Janice!! (And I hope your wrists are better and all is calm in your medical world)
I’m still sleeping in braces on both arms, but I’m currently working without anything on them! It’s like a new world without having to type with 3 fingers on 1 hand!
hugs,
Janice
I’ve had wrist pain from something with a long French name. Once wore two braces, one over the other, to stabilize every muscle. I still get the brace out for night use if I feel the slightest twinge. 🙏
Here’s a fun find to go with the Monet wardrobe: high-topped running shoes printed with the painting! https://artloversboutique.com/products/arrival-of-the-normandy-train-by-monet-mens-high-top-shoe?variant=29053716922452
Janice, your skill in blending creativity, orderliness and human kindness have made this my favourite blog, year after year. Thank you!
THOSE ARE FABULOUS!!!
And thanks for the kind words – I work really hard to keep things here calm, beautiful, and friendly!
hugs,
Janice
The color variety in Street Berlin gets my vote of these three, though I think the Train wardrobe is a real contender with the lighter/brighter pieces in it to offset the monotony of the dominant medium muted tones. Looking to August, to round out the summer capsules, I’d like more purple for Street Berlin + more lighter/brighter pieces for Train…and all 3 of these wardrobes are really ready for some print garments!
I don’t think by the end of July I will be able to add many warm weather garments – things are getting harder and harder to find every day! But I would love to find more purple; I would ALWAYS want more purple!
hugs,
Janice
Hope you are well Janice. Missing your wonderful posts. It’s truly a pleasure to see the clothes you put together and your amazing stories.
Dear Naveena,
I’m not sure why you’re missing my posts – I have posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for quite a while! Are you not getting emails, or not seeing things on the website?
hugs,
Janice
Hello!
I love the denim blue Alex Mill sweater, but can’t seem to find it on their website. Help?!
It could be sold out – I know that they marked down a ton of things last week! Keep an eye on their site though – there could be more somewhere that will show up…
hugs,
Janice