This is called: “I have NO IDEA what the day, or date, is this month!” Please understand that I will NOT have another post tomorrow morning!
August 13, 2023
Hi! Someone made a great point in Friday’s comments, that I want to address. They pointed out that there are a LOT more ways to mix a neutral and an accent color than just “column of neutral + accent cardigan + accent scarf and shoes.”
Of COURSE there are! But I’ve tried to keep these outfits as similar as possible, with the only variable in the accent color, so we can focus on the effect of the color and not be distracted by things like necklines and drapes and lengths and all of the other dozens of variables in clothing.
I’m always more than happy to approach these projects from another direction – I think often of the idea of a “suit” – a matching jacket or cardigan with pants or skirt, and then an accent blouse, sweater, or other top.
And then there’s the matching 2 pieces above the waist – a twinset of sorts – with neutral pants. SO. MANY. POSSIBILITIES.
Let me know what interests you…
And now, let’s finish off our study of the navy column with some bright colors, and some other colors that I ran into in the course of my browsing.
I’m not daft about these loafers, because I always prefer a thinner sole and a more graceful profile, but these are the shoes that are EVERYWHERE right now…
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Artisan; bolero – Peraluna; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Treasure & Bond; loafers – Børn
Oh my! If you live in Chicago, and have to do something Chicago Bears related, this is a low-key way to participate. Buying specific clothes, scarves, and EARRINGS that are sports-themed isn’t a good use of money for most of us.
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Kris Nations; sweater-blazer – J.Crew; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Meisee; boots – Easy Street
I love this green, and the texture of the cardigan, and the snappy gold buttons…
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Gemondo; scarf – Jessie Zhao New York; chino pants – J.Crew; cardigan – J.Crew; loafers – Gabor
This is such a lovely, rich color. Not red, not rust – maybe russet?
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Kate Spade New York; blazer – Banana Republic; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Metiseko; loafers – Vionic
Yes, it’s another green. I chose to include this cardigan because so many people seem to be looking for a deep forest green. This cardigan, with the pretty pointelle sleeves, caught my eye…
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Tiara; cardigan – Boden; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Susi Bellamy; loafers – Birdie
I’m not necessarily sure that all of us would want to wear ALL of these accessories. Unless we decided that we DID want to… Some days you’re bold, some days you aren’t!
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Kate Spade New York; cardigan – Boden; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Susi Bellamy; loafers – Franco Sarto
Peacock! Or you may call it teal. Maybe petrol. At any rate, when I spotted THIS cardigan, I knew I would share it with you!
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Deepa Gurnani; cardigan – Neiman Marcus; chino pants – J.Crew; scarf – Nordstrom; flats – Birdies
For our very last navy outfit (for now), I had to share this lovely, bright and eye-catching cardigan. It’s certainly not something that just anybody would want to wear, but on the right woman, this would be stunning!
And yes, those loafers HAD to show up again…
Tee shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Dower And Hall; chino pants – J.Crew; cardigan – Süel Knitwear; tote – MSGM; loafers – Franco Sarto
Wednesday, you get to see the August Bracelet! It’s lovely…
love,
Janice
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I LOVE the emerald green cardi!!! I have 3 cardis that colour but not that style. The navy and peacock blue outfit I already have in my wardrobe. Never knew I could be in style at 65
This could have been published especially for me! As someone slightly less than 5′ I have dressed in ‘columns’ for a long, long time and navy is the mainstay of my wardrobe all year round. I never wear skirts and prefer the lengthening effect of pants, although I do wear dresses in the summer and have a couple of winter ones in case anything ‘formal’ should come up.
I have the smallest wardrobe but my weakness is accessories and oh my goodness how tempting are some of these! I haven’t worn red in decades, but that lovely rusty red is very tempting. Apart from the multi coloured cardigan – and those loafers which I think would look just ridiculous on my short body! – I would wear absolutely everything here. As ever, thank you for the inspiration.
What a nice surprise to wake up to this morning! I am most taken by the two greens and the purple. WOW. The accessories are amazing. Thank you!
Lovely surprise on a Sunday morning! Especially because we have a rug with navy and russet-y red in it that I’m trying to imitate, thank you for making that idea come to life here! Am now going to look for a “twinset”in that color to go with my navy pants and skirt. In the Banana Republic link it’s called “ red embers”, but sadly for me, only has fancy stuff in that shade. Looks so great with navy.
Love these combinations! I think using a neutral column of color is one of the most efficient ways to build a lean but lovely wardrobe. And it makes it so easy to get dressed in the morning.
I love formula dressing. It makes things easy and keeps me from buying yet another cardigan when I already have one in that color. Although fabric can still get me to buy it. I love the reds here. I loved yesterdays pastels the most because of my size and coloring. Pink is high on my list this year to wear with navy.
Yes, please, to some twinsets! I like them with print skirts, light pants, and then with just the cardigan over dresses.
So nice to see this spiffy post today! Especially that russet jacket with navy…Banana Republic calls it “burning embers”, pretty good name! but wish they had a twinset in that color, too bad. We have a rug that is predominantly dark blue and russet, with a few touches of ivory, teal and dark russet that I have been trying to dress like! And you have those perfect-color loafers in that same outfit! Mmmm, thank you!
I love column dressing so it was very nice to see these combinations. I can’t believe I’ve have never thought of mixing purple and navy!! Now I love it!!!! Thank you.
Oh, I think the dark green, the red ~ we call the color brick red and brown from Friday the most beautiful.
Janice,
I have enjoyed your posts for many years now, and even refer back to some of my favorites for inspiration!
I recently came across the concept of modular capsule wardrobes. Apparently it’s been around for a few years, although I think you may have pioneered it with your 4×4, 6 pack and whatever’s clean wardrobes. Anyways, it’s a different way to look at the same things. Curious about what your approach might be.
I love the way you do the outfits. So simple, so elegant and it’s easy to see how the colors flow with the exact same style of the pieces!!! Please don’t get too complicated.
Thank you.
I love the forest green, & the other green is also pretty darn nice. I would like the soles of those purple loafers if they were on a pair of boots. Maybe it’s just not being used to seeing such chunky soles on loafers. And what beautiful loafers they are! I can’t imagine wearing purple shoes, even though I have lavender as an accent colour, but they sure are pretty.
I am 5’0″ tall and not slim so I need a column or look ridiculous. The more I can keep the eye at my shoulders the better. Love all your ideas!
Thank you for highlighting navy over the last few posts. I especially love the various greens with it.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of posts. Column dressing is a new concept for me, and the examples have been especially helpful (and interesting). Several posters commented about how useful column dressing is if you are of shorter stature. I am fairly tall and have been wondering if I avoided column dressing in the past because on some level I imagined I needed to cut my body in half using different colors on top/bottom to minimize my height? That said, I am fascinated by these recent posts using a column of navy. I am going to experiment some as soon as the weather cools down. Thank you.
That dark lilac bolero is stunning. I prefer a shorter jacket and this one is ideal. And that color!!
Loved all these navy posts! Especially with cream/white, pinks, mint/ teal and what me and my mom would call “Joseph the dreamer’s” cardigan (BTW, your ensamble makes the ones in the website look so bad! To my taste at least).
My vote goes to the suit formula, which I tend to wear with ease. Ah! And some stripes pretty please! But will enjoy anything you throw next, I find these very visual color combos so practical in clarifying my preferences.
Cheers and blessings all!!
Ps. I didn’t got a chance to say how glad I am you got out of the wrist poke last week!! Keep pampering yourself and follow up your therapy routine ;)
I absolutely agree with your comment about the way the website styled the rainbow cardigan. I love how it looks with the navy as Janice did it, but I think their stylist was a little off, pairing it with cobalt and fuschia. The colors get muted and lost. At least put it over a column of black!
Joseph’s Cardigan of Many Colors! Do we know for a fact that it WASN’T a sweater????
love,
Janice
Laurie, exactly! And for me the all knit super fitted outfit is just a no-go.
Janice, we call that way any garment with multicolored thread or pattern. Usually knitted ones, I guess in our heads that seems more like the original one LOL!!
Well these are all just beautiful! The navy and orange would indeed be good for a Bear’s game or Illinois or UVA. Just not me as orange is not in my wheelhouse. I would happily wear those purple loafers, but I have always been a sucker for shoes that were different. The multi color cardigan would be awesome for travel! Just take different tees and toss it on. As always your choice of accessories is fantastic. Looking forward to Wednesday’s bracelet.
Until I started greying, a navy column worked well. Now I need lighter/brighter colors near my face and a scarf isn’t always enough. Changing my “uniform” gives me opportunities to go for a more modern look, like those shoes and a wider leg pant. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Janice! I have loved all of this series of column dressing. Navy with bright colours is definitely my jam.
I love all of these, but especially the fuschia (magenta?)! That wool/silk blend scarf is gorgeous and would be absolutely worth the price if I had it! I would totally rock the purple loafers (with the Suzi Bellamy scarf too, for that matter), and the navy Easy Street booties have just gone on my “To buy for fall” list. You’ve even made me willing to try red, if I can find something similar to this shade.
Those of us leaning toward a certain age will definitely have to pass on those stratospherically platformed loafers. After all, one could fall off the darn things. I used to think it was impossible to ruin certain classic items, but a designer determined to be “fresh” is all like, “Hold my beer….”
At the same time— brilliant exploration here!
I’m with you on those loafers – the only thing that convinced me to show them to you all was the PERFECTION of the color! Once, I saw a woman fall off of a pair of platforms, right in front of a cab, while crossing AGAINST the light… The cab stopped in time, got rear-ended by a bus, and the hapless pedestrian just walked away…
Poor cab driver! I hung around and vouched for his innocence!
hugs hugs hugs,
Janice
I’m not sure how you’d fall off these—they’re a one-inch lug sole, with 1.5 inch heel height, and look very comfortable! Thin soles are miserably hard on my feet, so I was glad to see a shoe with some padding here. Janice, you always have something for everyone!
I love a neutral column! My second pick is the twin set effect. Strangely, I’m not fond of the suit look, which often seems dull to me.
I do love these selections, especially the kelly, fuchsia, and orange.
My personal style challenge is living in a tropical climate. Most of the time it is way too hot to consider a third layer or even a scarf. I’m not really a dress person. I usually wear a bright and a neutral, and I always wear jewelry. I’d love to see a wardrobe based on two piece outfits.
Thank you for your wonderful wardrobe inspiration!
This really helped bring my feelings about navy and why I don’t tend to wear it into focus. I tend to prefer brighter/clearer colors, but I didn’t really like the way they combined with navy – the overall effect was too dark for me. I actually preferred the combinations of navy with pastels and navy with neutrals, but I don’t wear pastels or a full neutral outfit, generally. Therefore I can never find a way to wear navy that pleases me.
Also, I’ve heard the “suit” idea referred to as an “outer column” of color, and the central core as an “inner column”, in case that idea helps anyone.
Thank you for showing these amazin combinations! While navy isn’t one of my preferred nueutrals, it is lovely with so many colors, and it’s always useful knowing how each combination “feels” just in case I ever need to wear it.
Could I suggest you give us advice on how to choose brown pieces? I am loving the Degas wardrobe from the 12 months posts, and I am building my brown neutrals, but I don’t want to choose pieces that won’t look good together, since brown comes in so many different shades and “temperatures”. How could I make sure they look okay when combined? I know one key is to stock up in the same store, and I have also read about taking a sample piece of clothing, but if you have more advice, I’d love to read about it!
Thanks again for sharing!
Oh dear… the best advice I always have for matching colors is to have things in hand, and look at them under a few different lights. I struggle to matching things online until I put them on the same PowerPoint page and lean back in my chair and take it all in! With brown, I would suggest that you have a sense of how comfortable you are with the colors that range into the really “orangish” hues. Otherwise, experiment, try things on, be willing to make a mistake or two, and have fun!
love,
Janice
Yes, I will happily take one of each, please, except for the purple loafers (I can’t do those soles), the orange sweater-blazer (gorgeous but my worst color), and the yellow tote (it looks plastic-y). Oh, only one? Then without a doubt the emerald green! I would love it even without the amazing Jesse Zhao scarf (I always know it’s a JZ scarf because they have tapped into my brain to create one splendid and colorful zoological print that is *precisely my style* over and over again).
Thank you, Janice, for addressing the color combo vs. outfit formula aspects of this! I think that keeping the outfit formula the same while varying the accent colors totally makes sense. (I laughed when I realized I am wearing a variant on the presented outfit formula today myself: denim/chambray column, yellow-green cardigan, print scarf that bridges the colors, and navy striped ballet flats.) And obviously we can’t expect you to present every option, even if you cloned yourself 10,000 times and worked 28 hours a day! These posts are a great starting point, but each heroine will need to do her own work to figure out where her own preferences lie. I really get a lot of value from commenters chiming in on how they wear or don’t wear various color combinations. And I say YES to exploring some different ways of wearing the colors, including the suit and twin set options, the two-piece combos another commenter mentioned, and the color blocked version (i.e., all solid pieces) vs. the bridged version (i.e., with a print that ties the colors together).
Wow, loved all of the navy column posts as it is one of my core basics. I’d pass on the orange here because it is the one color i dislike intensely. Love the color in the purple loafers but I’m also not a fan of the sole. Dress shoes don’t appeal these days but casual slip on sneakers catch my eye. Is anyone else experiencing a frustration or boredom with their current wardrobe? I’m tired of my summer clothes and I’m looking forward to fall but fall is so far away. Janice, do you have any thoughts on how to bridge the seasons? I know you have prior posts that would cover this. I’m thinking of a six pack from way back. If your creative mind can infuse some spark into this in between season I’m sure it would be appreciated.
Oh yes indeed. My vote goes to sparkling up a wardrobe in between seasons also. Grand idea Elsie W!
My Boden Forest Green cardigan arrived yesterday and it is lovely! A perfect match for the black watch pants I bought last winter at JMcLaughlin. Thank you for the link!
Good to know – I haven’t ordered from them in quite a while, and I’m happy that their things are still nice enough for us to own! We are very special…
hugs,
Janice
I bought the Birdie loafers this past winter (at full price, sigh) so I HAVE to get the peacock cashmere cardigan to go with, right?
Well YEAH…
hugs,
Janice