September 18, 2023
True-Life Adventures of Wardrobe Planning!
She started here. She’s pretty smitten that this scarf is available in FOUR SIZES – if a scarf is truly perfect for your wardrobe, you can easily make the case for owning 2 sizes…
So these are the accents for her navy wardrobe, in her plan:
She knows exactly where she wants to start – she loves her navy cords, and her navy jacket. Her sparkly pink sweater with the ruffled neckline makes her smile…
Earrings – Swarovski; pink sweater – J.Crew; jacket – J.Crew; corduroy pants – Alex Mill; bag – Betsy & Floss; scarf – Simna LDN; socks – Falke; loafers – Franco Sarto
The obvious first garment to check for – a navy tee! It’s not the most riveting outfit in the world, but it’s an ideal base for beautiful accessories. She adds her pink scarf to the plan, too…
Next? Green, of course!
This may not have been what she had in mind for a pink cardigan, but she’s pretty smitten with the length, and the texture… And who could resist the necklace?
She knows she needs to have a skirt available, and she check her navy flats too, just to be certain that they’re good for another season!
Maybe a green tee shirt to wear under her green cardigan, or under her navy jacket…
And it dawns on her – she’s doing fine with navy, pink and green, but purple seems to be eluding her! And it’s not as if she hasn’t looked and looked (and looked!)…
She makes the tough decision that maybe – just for this season – she’s going to have to do without purple…
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT LESSON – you can’t force clothing companies to make what you want! And you can drive yourself nuts trying to find things that don’t exist. It’s just clothing – move on!
So her new plan looks more like this:
This is the time for her to fix herself a lovely beverage of choice and think about what else she wants/needs to add to her autumn wardrobe:
A guideline – not a “must have” list…
Navy chinos are always a good idea; chinos in your dark neutral will never go to waste!
And she finds a navy cardigan with (1) no synthetics and (2) a mostly cotton natural fiber blend!
She had hoped to find a floral tee shirt, or maybe dotted or striped, in a mix of her colors. Not to be, so she make the sensible choice to grab a rose tee shirt that blends perfectly with her pink cardigan:
When you’re looking for colors that seem to be elusive, it is a good idea to head back to wherever you found your existing wardrobe pieces, just on the off chance that they will have manufactured OTHER things in your colors! (plus, you save on shipping!)
For no really good reason, our heroine has targeted a 13-piece wardrobe. It’s sort of sensible for travel – you wear 3 and pack 10. Packing nice even numbers is satisfying to some of us…
So she just browses all of her favorite sources. Plugs in her 3 accent colors in the search bar, and scrolls and scrolls and SCROLLS…
And finds these:
The perfect color. Corduroy – which she loves. But she has NOTHING ELSE purple in her wardrobe…
Except her perfect scarf…
Some of us would walk away. Wardrobe orphans are a plague on efficiency.
Some of us would grab them, in the hope that J.Crew will make something else in Imperial Purple.
Some of us would accept that we’re going to wear them with navy, and love them!
Here’s where she is:
A few more accessories are in order!
Green earrings – Ann Taylor; multi-stone bracelet – Gosia Orlowska; amethyst earrings –Pompeii 3; rose quartz bracelet – Soul Journey; tassel scarf – Metiseko; navy tote – Sostter; socks – Shutterfly
NOW, she has a fall wardrobe. With an odd pair of pants. Which she loves…
Adopting the behavior of all wise heroines, she tries on outfits:
I could have easily gone back and just take the purple OUT of the original color palette…
I could have continued to look for another purple garment (although 2 hours for 1 piece is my “search time” limit!)
Or I could have just shared the inherent compromises of wardrobe building with you all!
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, our heroine started with a scarf, and finished with a weekend travel capsule wardrobe – she’s headed up to check on the cabin (and the Fish & Game Warden!) before winter…
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This whole post rings so true. The struggle to work in preplanned accent colors. The frustration with suppliers. All while trying to keep wardrobe size to moderate proportions. Great clothes here, by the way. I would pass on the purple pants, but that’s just me.
What fun to see my dream colour palette fleshed out! It’s crazy how hard it is to find purple clothes, especially when considering just how flattering it is for so many complexions.
Wardrobe orphans can be a breath of fresh air. Perhaps today’s heroine will buy a couple of white tops, patterned tops that include her purple or maybe find a friend who can knit/crochet her a purple vest, sweater, cape or ruanna.
Aside: I love wearing vests of the non-puffer variety; they are very useful and flattering. I wish more companies offered them.
Be bold! Pair the purple pants with the pink or green top 😊
I would absolutely wear those with the pink top! :D
Came to the comments to say just that.
I’d wear the long pink cardigan over a skirt in that shade of purple.
Yes, and the scarf makes it make sense. That’s what I now call my scarves when I use them to tie together colors – my Make It Make Sense scarf.
Glad to see I’m not alone! Would definitely do both ways.
I would have passed on the purple pants. Although I could wear them with a navy top and my purple ruana I bought a few years ago…… :) JCrew will usually add colors in same family, so there may be hope for more Imperial Purple. I picked up a purple blazer – a much more sedate purple – and printed top from Cabi this year, as well as a lavender plaid coat. Loved the 2nd pink scarf. No surprise there, its a Jessie Zhou.
This is off the current topic, but wondering – does anyone have/wear the LLBean perfect fit pants in either the knit or the navy? How are they? I have a hard time w/pants, but I do wear their perfect fit cords and they seem to be fine. Denim usually doesn’t do well with me- too heavy and stiff, but I would love to have one pair of denim pants.
Have a good day ladies – thank you Janice!
sorry – I didn’t mean navy in the perfect fit, I meant to type denim.
Funny you should ask this. I am considering a pair of the perfect fit pants, wanting something easier to wear than jeans. I used to wear them 10 or 15 years ago and they were great. Not “old lady”. No telling what they are like now. I’d be interested in other’s experiences, too.
I have the perfect fit knit pants in grey—two pairs, actually. Eventually they get baggy at the knees and seat, as any knit will, but when they’re new they look polished and feel comfortable.
The current offerings of denim Perfect Pants have large front pockets that add a bit of bulk and no back pockets — just like the regular perfect fit pants. They are very comfortable. They are great for casual, but dressing them up is harder.
I’m seriously considering having the pockets trimmed down.
As much as I adore purple, I’d pass on this particular shade and look for one a bit less bright. For ladies looking for purple clothes, check out Kettlewell Colours. There are tons of purples. Other than that, I love this wardrobe. It seems cohesive and functional. I also love Beth’s idea of non-puffer vests.
For Sheila: Also have a “hard time” with pants… tried a LL Bean jeans in the past, none fit really well bec I am pear-y. But! Last week I found a pair of Talbots Slim Ankle Jeans, which I got in brown. Phew, what a wonderful thing! I am trying to restrain myself from buying other colors, which I do not need, thank you, Janice; they do come in different shades of blue, yes, and they are 25% off right now.
Since we’re talking pants, can I put in a request for using bright red ones? No, I’m not a Dutch guy, but I did just make a pair of red velveteen ones that make me look forward, a little, to cold weather. Would love to see ideas beyond “black sweater”.
I wear red with brown a lot. Bright navy is also great. A cinnamon color is pretty with red. I own a purple & red scarf, so if you can find that combination with a scarf, then a purple top or jacket makes sense.
Loved I’m not a Dutch guy! I once had a pair of true red silk pants I wore with a pale pink top. The combo was very pretty. I also like cream with red.
I just love this column and the format you’ve created! So easy to create my own outfits! Thank you!
You make such a key point about not being able to force clothing companies to make what we want. On the other hand, if we consumers didn’t chase the trendy color of each year, we might get more of what WE want. You have counseled us in the past to be patient and that is an excellent strategy. The retailers eventually get back to certain color. Sometimes, it’s better to think of it a curating a wardrobe. From a patiently, and persistently, curated wardrobe, it’s possible to put together all kinds of travel capsules. I, personally, love shopping with the power of my 36-color House of Colour fan in my hand. It really helps to avoid wardrobe orphans, because the colors are meant to harmonize. I had one consultant give me a color chart that mixed warm & cool colors and that really can lead to closet chaos.
Hi Janice – Have you looked at Kettlewell for purple? They are a UK company which makes basics in a variety of colors and that are sorted into color palettes. Here are all the things they have purple: https://www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/us/products/all?pf-2000=10%7C5&pf-3000=5
Look at Kettlewell, a UK company for colors. Here are their purples: https://www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/us/products/all?pf-2000=10%7C5&pf-3000=5
Lands End has a lovely deep purple cashmere sweater, and I think Bean has a similar one. Both tend toward red-violet, rather than the bright bluish purple of the J. Crew cords and the shade in the scarf.
I’m another who would happily mix the green and pink, especially with the scarf to tie the outfit together. I’m betting Sally in St Paul would go for that as well!
You are spot on with your prediction, Dame Eleanor! Green + pink is a lot of fun.
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com
Hello,
I would keep the purple pants as clothes don’t have to be matchy matchy. I’d wear them with pink green and anything else in the wardrobe that didn’t look odd with them. It would give variety to the outfits. The purple would make a lively change from the darkness of the navy. I like the green contrast with the purple and the soft pink just tones in with purple and seems to make it appear less intense.
The purple dilemma is so interesting! I was shocked that J Crew didn’t have anything else in this Imperial Purple color – such a missed opportunity. So I did a search on their site for purple and it came up with 4 pages of options, in a range of purple tones (warm and cool, dark and light, some I’d call pink). I think their lighter Hampton Purple might be a nice color to blend with the Imperial Purple (thinking of you, Beth T, master of blending purples). They have a SS T, a LS Liberty print shirt (not otherwise in her palette but it’s pretty and would work with navy), a SS turtleneck, a lightweight pullover…several options. Buying one of them, assuming she likes the lighter shade, might get our heroine more wear out of those pants…particularly if she likes the inner column color formula.
It’s interesting that some retailers take the approach of having a more limited range of shades of a color but sell many different items in that color (though often for only a single year or season!) while others take this J Crew approach of having a lot of different shades of the color but relatively few items in each. I wonder what drives this decision for companies. I admit to liking the first approach with fewer shades and more items in those shades, where the offerings start to feel more like a collection than a random smattering of items, because it’s so much easier to get your various key pieces to coordinate.
My personal take on this purple in the wardrobe is that it feels awfully bright compared to the pink and teal accents. Is this really the purple that she wants, or is she feeling desperate for purple and compromised? Not that there is anything inherently wrong with compromising, but in such a small wardrobe, those pants are going to be worn a lot, so it’s good to be sure that she’ll actually wear it, rather than buying it to check something off her list.
As much as I love brightly colored pants, I think I would skip these one-off-purple cords. If it were a one-and-done dress/jumpsuit situation, my calculation might be different, but for pants, being able to wear only with navy on top feels limiting.
Both scarves and the plaid flannel shirt have some dark green/teal in them (to my eye/screen), so I would look for a pair of a dark green-teal pants – they would represent a deeper shade of the green-teal in the palette and would work with all the other colors too. In the meantime, I would absolutely add blue jeans to this capsule. Then continue the search for coordinating purples at leisure. Of course, it is inconceivable to me that I would have a wardrobe with such a tight color palette so this is a very theoretical suggestion :D
I envy those who can shop at Kettlewell. I was excited the first time I heard of them, but quickly was disillusioned by their lack of plus size options. I didn’t see petites offered there either.
Note: when I say “only wear with navy,” I took the example outfits as an indicator that our heroine is not adventurous about mixing accent colors (which seems typical of heroines on this site).
Sally, as a someway larger person myself, I’m happy to be able to tell you that Kettlewell just added another, larger, size in some items. There’s also quite a variation size between the different cuts. For example, I’m a size 20-24 depending on the brand, but I can happily wear the Imogen top, Aurelia cardigan, or any of the silkies (crew, scoop, etc.) in the new XL size and they’re not too snug.
Thanks for this information, Mary. I need to check it out!
I am in fact going heavy on purple pants for fall. I got a pair of dark purple jeans (thrift store) and
new plum pants from Talbots. I also got purple leggings for exercise and purple sweatpants for cold days. But these are tempting pants. I am using core gray clothing and some navy. I already had 3 purple tee shirts and 2 purple cardigans. I took a hint form here and bought 1 long sleeve gray tee with purple print and one long sleeve gray and navy stripe shirt.
So bring on the outfits with purple pants!
got them and wore them often in cooler weather
I love the purple pants. I notice that I dislike the look of them shown in the complete wardrobe – my brain screams “not cohesive!” But, when I look at them in individual outfits, it’s a different story. I’d wear them with the navy, the pink and the green, in this wardrobe. And in real life, with the ivory and grey neutrals in my wardrobe. I wouldn’t be completely happy with a wardrobe orphan though, assuming I am using that term correctly, so I’d knit a scarf, a vest and possibly a fair-isle cardigan that included the purple as one of the accent colours.
I LOVE the perfect fit pants! They fit me perfectly lol. I have the knit, denim, and cords in several colors, and they all fit pretty much exactly the same. Good luck! For reference, I am 5’5″, weigh 130 lbs and wear petite small.
Thank you so much!!
Well I love the purple pants but then I own a couple of one-off items just because. If this is a real life heroine may I suggest looking at the latest from J Jill. They have a purple V-neck cardigan and a few print or plaid tops. I admit it’s hard to tell from the monitor but they just might go. Worth carrying the jeans in to the store for a look. I like these colors a lot and could see my sister in the whole capsule.
The purple pants look out of whack with the wardrobe because they are a cooler,blue violet. The only top that will work is possibly the pink sweater because it’s a cooler pink than the rose T and the long cardigan. Having a warm toned party and inviting one cool kid isn’t fair! All the kids like her but she just doesn’t play well with them, well maybe with one or two. I’d forget the purple as an accent for this wardrobe. Go with dark teal or green cords that will tone up with the current green. They’ll work with these pinks, navy and greens so more options. Or just bring in a pair of jeans, they play well with everyone! Maybe she should wait to add the purple pants once she has a few more bottoms to do the heavy lifting in her wardrobe then she can invite Princess purple to the party simply because she’s so pretty to look at:)
but it is true to the original inspiration. I find the colors look well matched to the scarf. I wouldn’t choose this scarf though and I suspect neither would you.
Sheila, I can’t speak to the Bean pants, but can say that I wear a lot of Talbot pieces. My go to is a wide leg and or the curvy cut because of being pear shaped. I am a 4 or 6 in the barely boot jean, but a 6 in the stretch cords, and an 8 in a dress pant. Due to being short at 5′ 2″ the petite works great for length. I know the website has a good range of sizes for many pieces as they have misses, petites, womens and womens petites. Sorry I could not respond morning of posting…crazy day.
I really like how you presented today’s post! For some reason, the way it is set up, I can clearly see that my least favorite way of dressing is with the inner column of same color. I think it might be because I don’t wear scarves. It seems when there is an inner column of color and a different color topper, a scarf is needed to pull it all together. Whereas the other combinations seem fine without this “bridge”, to my eye at least.
This is a perfect guide for my next upcoming trip, though with by brighter fuschia and cyan. Those purple cords are the EXACT color of my tall purple suede boots. I may be checking those pants out very soon! It is still too hot to think about either corduroy or suede, but as you said, when you see it you’ve gotta buy it now!
Dear Janice,
I was looking at Lauren Ralph Lauren on the Macy’s website and saw several great looking, fairly affordable shoes in a lovely deep green and others in a very attractive olive. There is also a beautiful purple coat and two purple dresses under $200. Unfortunately, the clothing items don’t have any flat photos, but you might want to check them out for yourself.
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/lauren-ralph-lauren-womens-sleeveless-front-pleated-surplice-jersey-dress?ID=13733428&isDlp=true&isDlp=true&swatchColor=Purple%20Agate%20Purple
Just did a better search and Lauren Ralph Lauren has a TON of purple items now.
https://www.macys.com/shop/search/Gender/Women?keyword=lauren%20ralph%20lauren%20purple
Oh my….
hugs,
Janice
Love the scarf. Gorgeous!!
The purple cords are about to come back into heavy rotation in my wardrobe for fall. My other wardrobe colors are navy, blue, and gray. so it can stand a strong color