February 5, 2024
Three more heroines, working on three VERY different wardrobes! It’s worth considering – these people wear relatively similar styles of garments – classic jeans and pants, traditional tee shirts, shirts and sweaters. But because of their choices of color, their wardrobes end up looking so different that the similar styles aren’t a “thing.”
Timeless, but individual. A reasonable goal…
The most notable thing (to me!) about this wardrobe is the presence of both bright and muted pastel accent colors. Therefore, this heroine could dress in uninterrupted shades of beige, or shades of beige with a pastel accent, OR beige with a bright accent. That covers a pretty wide range of moods and occasions!
Coming into February, I felt that this heroine really wanted to find something in her lovely shade of gold, as well as a button-front shirt that could be layered under other things or worn over a tee shirt. She already has two great pairs of pants, so maybe a skirt or shorts? And a simple, but VERY pretty tee shirt…
Pearl bracelet – A Weathered Penny; yellow sweater – L.L.Bean; oxford shirt – J.Crew; shorts – L.L.Bean; ivory lace-trimmed tee – J.Crew; crossbody bag – Madewell; sneakers – Veja
I think this is a great spring wardrobe – so long as she’s not running into lots of rain!
One of the benefits of sticking with a favorite neutral – you can pretty much get dressed in the dark with this wardrobe!
Oh my! Thirty years ago, this is where you would have found me:
By the end of January shopping, our heroine had a lovely wardrobe, with texture, print, and color…
When she was shopping she ran into a LODE of red. Beautiful cashmere, and nice trousers, as well as a striped shirt that is pretty rare. But THREE red garments at once?
Well, she doesn’t have to wear them all together, right?
She rounds things out with a classic dress in neutral grey – a red dress might have been just a tad too much…
Earrings – Fierce Lynx Designs; striped shirt – Boden; red sweater – J.Crew; red pants – J.Crew; bag – Campo Marzo Roma 1933; grey dress – Lands’ End; ballet flats – Trotters
When everything is home and stored, it doesn’t look overwhelming; five red garments in a twelve-piece wardrobe isn’t excessive. Yes, her sweatshirt and her sweater look a LOT alike, but they’re such different fabrics that they play very different roles…
Let’s see how she can wear her lovely new red things without blinding all around her…
And finally, let’s check in with our heroine, who has this lovely muted painting as her inspiration:
At the end of January shopping, this was her wardrobe; yes, if I can find a rust tee shirt, she shall have it!
Well, there was no rust tee to be had! But some lovely camel is out there, as well as a black jacket that’s both traditional and unique – the best of both worlds!
Pearl earrings – A Weathered Penny; silk shirt – Orvis; camel cashmere sweater – J.Crew; scarf – Elizabetta; black denim jacket – Alex Mill; loafers – Seychelles; pants – L.L.Bean
Her wardrobe now has a LOT of possibilities – a black “suit,” a good core of four camel garments… She is going to have to keep her eyes peeled for rust – it’s not easy to find!
This is another one of those wardrobes in which you could hardly put a foot wrong, but let’s look at a few of her new possibilities, just to appreciate the options!
I must confess that I don’t have ANY favorite right now – I could envision wearing any of these wardrobes for a couple of weeks if it magically appeared in my closet or suitcase…
Although a couple of the colors might require me to find my (only) lipstick!
love,
Janice
Earlier posts in this series can be found here:
p.s. Ten years ago, I was packing for a 10th anniversary trip to Paris!
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I love number 2! Suits my cool tone and silver hair.
I like the accent options of the Klee, though the colours are not mine. I would swap the beige for grey or taupe and wear all the accents of a Soft Summer. These are mostly mid to dark in tone.
Grey is probably why I like the Georgia O’Keefe so much. I used to wear red a lot but my skin and hair have changed slightly so red can be a bit harsh. My reds need to be soft and muted now.
The red and gray is just outstanding. Would that I could. I do like the more neutral Denis wardrobe as well, but after experimenting last year with wearing neutrals I discovered they just aren’t my jam. I need color. I wanted to like the neutrals, I really did. I thought it would make getting dressed easier. However, I have since discovered that with navy as a core, shades of blue, lavender/periwinkle, and cool clear green making morning decisions is fun. I also went through earlier this year and hung my scarves in front of the tops I wear them with. Not only do I rotate them more often instead of grabbing same one over and over, but I have the outfit of the day ready made when I reach in the closet. I am really happy. And thank you Janice for all I have learned from you and your readers over the past mmmm 12 years? Maybe more. I was still at the high school when I discovered your blog. Have a great Monday everyone.
How did you hang your scarves in front of the top? Is it on the same hangar? Maybe you could include a photo? I’d like to try that idea.
Also, I don’t see a link to the tee shirts shown in multiple colors.
Thanks!
Mudra,
The heroine bought her first 2 t-shirts in December and the other 2 in January. Janice included the links to those articles above.
Janice,
Thank you for including the links at the bottom of the post this year. It makes it so much easier for looking back.
I bought these hangers. I just love them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKRP6QWV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Also many of the scarves go with multiple tops and vice versa, I just put them in front of the top I’m most likely to wear it with, or since I have my tops arranged by color, in front of the blue section or green section or whatever. But it really helps to have them out in the open when I can see them instead of piled on top of one another in a drawer.
When I get my clothing whittled down a bit in my closet, I need to start pulling out scarves and making them more visible than in a drawer.
I wore one of the Echo 100 scarves yesterday to the Art Institute: the Shepard Fairey scarf with a white shirt, black sweater vest and blue jeans. It was a perfect outfit for such an outing! Simple, classic, yet the scarf made so much difference… I tied the scarf sort of like a man’s tie: bias fold, a slip knot about a foot from one end of the scarf, and just stuffed the other end of the scarf through the knot…
hugs,
Janice
Hanging the scarves with their corresponding tops sounds like it’s working well! I do think it’s easy to reach for the same scarf over and over again, and this would definitely make it easier to quickly pick a different one that you know coordinates.
It’s so interesting to hear how people organize their closets; as with so many things, there doesn’t seem to be a single method that is superior for everyone but rather many options we can experiment with to see what works for us individually.
Another approach to scarf storing. Because of limited hanging space, my scarves and bandanas are still in a drawer and folded a la Marie Kondo. So when I open the drawer, I can see all of them organized in 3 columns – 37 total in a drawer that is 17w x 15d x 5h. (Out of curiosity, just counted and measured.) Except for 1 scarf and the bandanas, no pressing required. Or I should say steaming as I haven’t ironed in years which has saved time and space.
I also have the scarves in a drawer. The belts and small bags hang on a hanger with hooks.
I have all my clothes in my closet all year round. And I have them next to each other sorted by season. Now I also have my scarves, jewelry & jackets in the same row, and I have also photographed the capsules individually & accessories/scarves, matching shoes. Thanks Janice.
I can get dressed even faster.
Of this trio of wardrobes, the O’Keefe reds and cool greys is particularly appealing. That grey dress will come in handy in many settings and I really love the spotted? blouse.
I wish you well on finding clothes in that pretty shade of rust; at the very least, they will hopefully appear with the autumn collections.
I have several beautiful rust tees from Talbots; you might check there. Yes, I, too, love the gray and red.
I believe the tee shirts in the Denis are from Lands’ End. I have 6 of their ribbed long sleeved tees in 2 shades of blue, a white, pink, red and gray. I often wear them layered. The bottom tee will show 1-2 inches at the neckline. This adds interest and is often the perfect amount of warmth on not terribly chilly days. Our heroine could definitely layer her tees. I really like the idea of adding 4 items a month. I am trying to see if I can closely replicate the blue without many new purchases. All of the wardrobes are fantastic! I like the classic style of each.
I’m swooning over those red pants. If they had them at the Des Moines location, I’d get in the car right now. Alas, they don’t have that style there in any color so I’ll have to order them. All three wardrobes are looking beautiful today, but the red and gray one really makes my heart sing.
With the cheerful dramatic red pants added to the grey/red wardrobe, I think it may be my favorite capsule at the moment! The African bloodstone earrings are the perfect accessory for this wardrobe.
I love the variety of accent colors in Klee wardrobe, even though I would never wear all that beige personally. Concentrating the accent colors in the tops, while the rest of the pieces are in interchangeable beiges, does aid a “get dressed in the dark” approach, but that sameness in the beige pieces also can lead to repetitive outfits. It’s worth thinking about how one prioritizes the ease that comes from sameness vs. the interest that comes from difference. I can easily see how the trade-offs might differ in varying situations, too (for example, prioritizing ease/sameness more highly in a travel capsule than a full capsule).
I admire the Denis capsule more than I like it, if that makes sense! I think it is structured very well so far, offering a surprising amount of variety in few pieces, and is brilliant for the right heroine. I would need some color to liven up the neutrals and would nix the rust cardigan that I don’t care for at all (but might adore if I were an auburn-haired heroine who loved a bit of feminine romantic in my classic style).
I forgot to high-five Janice (and Fierce Lynx) for the earrings in the red and grey wardrobe. They have a heart at the top of the African bloodstone – a sweet addition to February’s wardrobe. ❤️
I don’t know what’s going on. I do love the Georgia O’Keefe, and for years have been wearing mostly those colors, black, grey, white, red. But I just looked out stuff to pack for a trip next week, and have decided on blue, brown/light beige, white and BURNT ORANGE, for Pete’s sake. But it may have to do with the fact that we’re going to Arizona. I have a really nice black and white shirt that I really wanted to bring…but have been influenced too much by your 4X4 wardrobe, Janice, so it will have to stay home. But so good to have much less to pack than usual, because everything goes with everything else!
Yay!
I used to wear so many things that would be perfect for the Denis wardrobe back before my old pennies colored hair started to get frosted around my face. My soft summer has become cooler in recent years though, and while I still love looking at these beautiful colors, I now am looking much better in shades of blue, lavender, pink and silver. With a few bluer greens thrown in because I still love them.
I also love the idea of four garments per month! It really allows one to thoughtfully plan out the wardrobe. I keep going back to all of the old posts on the weekly timeless wardrobes, the starting from scratch ones, the project 333, and the 4×4 wardrobes. More than anything else they have been my inspiration for rebuilding my wardrobe this last year after having had weight loss surgery.
It’s been such a wild ride in all ways. But reading your posts has really allowed me to evolve my own sense of style. I have my “rules”, my colors, and what things I know look good on me that I also like now. I’m so looking forward to expanding my little wardrobe! And knowing how to do that and make it harmonious, rather than the odd jumble that it always used to be is all thanks to you.
Last year I bought an apple green/beige coat followed by a jacket and scarf in the same colour mix. I thought as the items were on a heavily discounted sale price I would be a year behind fashion this year but that’s ok as I don’t follow trends anyway and it’s nice to be different. Fast forward to last Wednesday and a visit to the local shopping centre and low and behold Marks and Spencer is full of apple and lime green. Now I don’t know whether to be pleased or miffed.
I am loving how all these wardrobes are coming together. It is so interesting to watch your thought process on all of these wardrobes. Thank you for all your work.
I’m flabbergast at the thought of only 1 lip colour…right now my purse has 5. I could not live with just one favorite. My current top picks are all from Besame – Victory Red, Besame Red and Portrait Pink. More than I normally spend on a lippy, but love the feel and the length of wear. I haven’t tried Clinique in 20 years…has it changed much? The Klee without the coral is shaping up to be a favorite for me…will be interesting to see how it changes over the year.
Fun to watch the wardrobes expand! Being an autumn, I love the neutrals and am rooting for rust. Maybe a sophisticated way to incorporate the color would be through cognac leather accessories? Belt, bag, or shoes? I appreciate the scarf storage discussion in the comments. We have a bookshelf our bedroom and I was inspired by Trinny Woodall to fold and stack them by color there. I have so enjoyed having them out in the open and wear them more because of that.
Good idea about the leather! Thanks for the reminder that leather goods can be a great source of subtle accent.
Also, don’t you worry about your scarves fading along the edges, being exposed to the light? I remember back in the dark ages of retail – we would take clothes off of mannequins and many of the items couldn’t be sold because they had faded SO MUCH in just a week or 10 days exposed to the light.
What am I missing?
hugs,
Janice
Ah yes. I haven’t had any issues with that, but if they were in direct sunlight, I’m sure it could be a problem!
Hi. Thank you for another fantastic post. I love the Red Maple wardrobe and my daughter wants everything from the Dans le Parc wardrobe. She is wondering about the source for the small green star earrings. Maybe we just missed seeing it?
Here’s the link to the earrings – I think I added them to the wardrobe in the very first month:
https://shopstyle.it/l/b7PsT
Thanks for asking!
hugs,
Janice