Since these capsule wardrobes are becoming rather complete, I decided this month that I was just going to browse clothes in the colors of the capsule wardrobe, and see what caught my fancy!The earlier months of this series can be found here: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
First up, here’s a reminder of the six scarves that we’re using as the basis of these six capsule wardrobes:
For this wardrobe, as soon as I saw the kimono, I knew that this woman has holiday parties in her future, but that she’s NOT particularly interested in a dress…
These wardrobes are now so large that I need to break them into two pages – one for clothing, and one for accessories. You can see how well the 3 new pieces of clothing integrate into the pieces that were here from previous months:
And of course the accessories look great with everything else in this wardrobe!
When you’re not sure about making a purchase, always stop to think if there are other ways that you can wear a new piece. The 3 things that have been added to the wardrobe this month will all be useful in a variety of ways in the future:
Dear oh dear…. THIS woman fell prey to a gorgeous leather jacket, and of COURSE had to fill out the rest of the outfit…
Her new extravagances fit right in with her existing wardrobe:
And the new boots are going to be VERY useful:
All her new clothes are going to get a good workout:
In my imagination, this woman is (a) cold, and (b) rebelling against the dark colors of winter! And she’s in the mood for a bit of sparkle:
This wardrobe just gets prettier each month, doesn’t it?
I love the light, feminine feeling here:
As always, the new pieces and the “old” things blend seamlessly together:
My heroine here wants some cashmere! And she’s pretty smitten with a pair of gold loafers, too!
The new additions to this wardrobe bring some needed lightness to the palette:
The loafers and scarf fit in well, I think.
The new lighter-color pieces give a nice lift to the existing darker pieces she already owned:
My protagonist here was browsing around for something to take on a warm-ish vacation, when she saw these pants and was stopped DEAD in her tracks. Watercolorish? Soft? Fluid? She’s IN…
And when she received these earrings as a holiday gift, she knew she was on the right track!
As somewhat outlandish as her choice of pants might be, they still fit in pretty well in her wardrobe. And a couple of grey tops are never a bad idea…
And her new scarf fits in perfectly with her other things:
But will this new travel ensemble work well with her other things? I think so…
In cooler weather, these pants might be just the ticket for lounging about home, too!
I KNEW what I was going to look at here – I’m very fond of this cardigan! If only I needed another sweater…
This all looks great together. Ideally, the red tee and the red cardigan would match… (if you have the discipline to plan for these things!)
And the accessories are lovely…
These 3 wardrobe additions give you a LOT of new outfit choices:
I’m already eager for next month, to finish these wardrobes off in an organized and efficient way. It might take two days – is that okay?
And should I start planning for a repeat of this experiment next year?
love,
Janice
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Yes, please, do this again next year. I've loved watching all of the wardrobes grow – can't decide which one I love the most.
Dear Janice, please do this again next year. My wish would be for scarves containing pink / purple / reds, if I may already make a Suggestion. When I look at the (nearly) full Picture now, I can see some emerging that would be right for me. I still would need a dress or two more rather than shorts, but otherwise what a great collection!
Just WOW – it has been really amazing watching these combinations all come together. I would love to see this done again next year – would you use scarves as the inspiration again or something different? May we make colour combination requests?
YES, please, do this again! It already feels like a treat to have two days of this series to look forward to next month. Eager to see how you evaluate these wardrobes and finish them off.
Breaking out the accessories from the clothing is really helping me see the value of a few well chosen pieces. Spending more on these items that work so hard makes sense. I especially like seeing the footwear and bag collections all at once – great inspiration for planning investment purchases.
Another "yes, please!". I loved this series.
Yes please, love these wardrobes. Gives me inspiration for shopping my own wardrobe and highlights missing key pieces.
I loved the first scarf from the off and have enjoyed seeing the wardrobe grow throughout the year. It is still my favourite (in colour and style) and one that I can see me wearing. I look forward to seeing how you finish it off next month (on my birthday!). I would love to see this series again next year with new scarves and colour palettes. Sharon. UK.
Oh, yes, please! *claps hands together excitedly*
The more I see of these wardrobes, the more ideas I get for my own. It´s not so much about the actual pieces you add – although they are lovely – but more about the feel and how they play together. It makes me look at the clothes in my closet and put them together in new ways. And, of course, adding just a few new things…
From the very first, my favourite outfits were those with Voyage en étoffes and Cheval Surprise Remix but lately I find myself more and more drawn towards what you do with Voyage de Pythéas. Maybe it´s the "rebelling against the dark colors of winter" that does it this month. Thank you for that!
Inra
This is a fantastic series and I look forward to it every month. Please do it again! Thanks for all you do! :)
Would LOVE to see this next year!! Can I make a suggestion? Could you make our cast of characters have different lifestyles? For example, a businesswoman, a stay at home mom or retiree, an outdoorsy gal, etc. This is the BEST blog. :)
Oh, yes, please, for another year of growing wardrobes. This is a fantastic series. My favorites are the navy and the olive, although all are beautiful.
You've had some marvelous ideas and I love your tutorials on how to apply them to our real lives, but this is absolutely one of my favorite series. Please do it for at least one more year.
And, two days next month? What an unexpected treat!
Yes, another year would be awesome! After becoming disabled and losing a substantial amount of weight, I've had to completely overhaul my closet. These articles have helped me 'see' what works together. Being disabled I no longer need "business" attire, and dropping weight and not working means that money is tight so I thrift shop a lot of pieces. Thanks to these articles I have a better grasp of what I'm looking for. YES! Please keep them coming! And more than one page would also be a treat!!
I totally agree with all the comments about doing this series again next year. Just loved seeing how the wardrobes are all coming together.
Yes! I only found you in September, but I love this plan. Please do this again net year!
I would love to see another year of this series. I would be most interested in a wardrobe based on one of these two inspiration scarves: either the Trash Scarf by Klements or the Hermes Brazil II in orange/gray green/green colorway.
I am seriously considering choosing all of the scarves from Wolf & Badger for next year. I really wanted to find scarves that would be available for most of the calendar year, in case someone decided late in the project to invest in a scarf – that's why I started with Hermes. But (a) Hermes pays me no commissions (their loss!) and (b) the scarves at Wolf & Badger are just so cool, it would be fun to work with them.
I'm still going to try to stick to six neutrals: black, beige, navy, brown, grey and olive. Beyond that, I'm just going to pick scarves that I like…
hugs,
Janice
The Wolf & Badger scarves are endlessly tempting! I also love Liberty's scarves… – nancyo
Hi, I just checked the Wolf and Badger website. I really like all the choices, the fact that they represent many individual artists and their delivery system is very Canada friendly!!
Deb from Vancouver
This is such a fun series! Next year you could split the posts up into two or even three days every month – that might help pace your workload as well as the length of the posts. – nancyo
Wow, just wow! Everything is gorgeous and there is inexhaustible inspiration here. Janice, you never cease to amaze.
Would love to see a new set for next year!
My favorite was the black, blue, and red. Bought the scarf early on; had many of the clothes or variations so it was fun to play with my closet…of course I bought a few things as the year went on, and now I am ready to roll with a coordinated and useful wardrobe…and ideas for lots of outfits. Thank you, thank you!I printed each month out and have it in a notebook, along with a few others you have done using these colors. Endlessly fun for me…
Just a thought…the scarf you posted from Italy in a recent post seems to have many of the same colors. I happen to have this scarf, bought many years ago, and think it might be fun to see if it will work with some of the outfits in the last grouping of red, black, and blue. What do you think?
That scarf will be perfect with pretty much all of the black/white/red/blue grouping – that's one of the reasons that I bought it! My wardrobe is pretty much 98% black and white, with 2% red, so I thought that the scarf would be a nice touch of color in my monochromatic look.
hugs,
Janice
Echoing: yes, yes, please!!! I really appreciate learning how your disciplined and planned approach has yielded 6 perfect wardrobes, ready for almost any event, all beautiful to wear and enjoy. I am considering buying one of the scarves you feature next year and shopping along with you, month by month.
the above is from me Deb from Vancouver.
Janice, I'm also voting for this series in 2017. And, like Virginia above, I would like to see a cast of characters with different lifestyles. But you know I'll be happy with whatever you choose!
Yes, yes, yes do do a fresh series for next year. I'm new to your blog and gleaning so much information. It's thrilling to be a part of this.
I don't think you will find anyone that would say NOT to do this again next year! This has been a fabulous series! So informative. This has really helped me to see how to make monthly purchases but still end up with a cohesive wardrobe.Plus it is great for shopping your closet! Great for new color combos, etc. etc.. Thank you Janice!!
I think I say this every month, but I'll say it again: I love this series so much I can't even STAND it!
This is hands down my favorite series along with the 'Common Wardrobe'. So, yes please keep this in your rotation.
Yes and yes! I really look forward to these! I love seeing the new additions to "my" colors and having my eyes opened to all the other beautiful palettes too. I am surprised we haven't broken Pinterest with all our pinning of your gorgeous color combinations.
Well, I'm not sure … There is so much useful content in this series that it will take me at least another year to process it! It's a brilliant concept, and reading your thoughts about the additions each month is very helpful. I really like the idea of refining colour choices based on a favourite scarf (being a total scarf nut), as it helps focus on what I really like while stopping me from dashing off at all colours of the rainbow. And that focus helps to refine wardrobe choices, so I get to a more coherent look, and a much more practical collection.
I started the year with two favourite schemes, the navy and the beige – perhaps the darker for cooler months and the lighter for summer. Since then, I've flirted with all of them because your choices have been so delightful and the wardrobes cover all kinds of activities/lifestyles. I'm going to wait until December before making a final commitment but the kimono has almost sealed the deal for me. It's gorgeousssssss!
Robyn in Tasmania
Oh yes, please, again!!
Yes, please! Do it again. It's been one of my favorite series ever!
Beautiful Janice! I love the blue and beige lighter colors for a woman who's cold and wants to lighten things up. I'm off to check out Wolf and Badger. Thank you for all the work you do. It's so inspiring. xo Deborah
It seems like the series has gotten too big at year end. It is hard to focus on so much. I do seem to be in the minority here. I was thinking of basing on the common wardrobe in 3 or 4 different colorways (scarves could still be used) with the first months primarily filling out the basics, then branching out. Glitz is fun, but good basics are critical.
Yes, please continue this again next year!
This month I started out feeling a bit lost about how to approach the wardrobe building because it's more blank slate than usual. (I'm playing along, in the navy family, building my wardrobe from my closet and conscious additions).
Then I tried on your mindset for the month: what am I missing, or what would be really welcome in this wardrobe now. It occurred to me that I started this already without realizing.
I already back-ordered from England a high waisted trouser that I hope will be useful for dressy, business and social events in all seasons, and a navy striped cashmere boatneck sweater that will dress up or down. I ordered both with thoughts of lightly dressy business and social occasions this winter. Fingers crossed both will work.
Then I thought, what about accessories. Duh, I covered that too. I had just added a versatile navy suede bootie from an Amazon daily deal, and a few weeks ago had found a J Crew silver envelope clutch on EBay to replace the more blingy evening bag that I never carry because blingy, and this never had a really suitable bag for dressable occasions.
Adding in a pair of subtle CZ-studded hoops that are already in my closet, I find I already have met your intentions for wardrobe building this month, and I am pleased at how all these seemingly piecemeal additions really had a thoughtful theme underlying. I have to credit VF for programming me to approach my wardrobe this way, even when it's a bit unconscious.
Joining the choir! I vote for 3 days so that you can explain your thoght process while finishing this magnificent series.
That being said, I used to have rainbow of colors now reduced drastically. But I can't imagine sticking to the same palette year around. It was hard for me to limit it even for a season. It took me 3 seasons to finally realise that limiting is so liberating. I usually keep 3 colors and switch others each 3 months. (For example I switched from blue to remaining black items, and from pink to wine and cognac, while keeping my slate blue, royal blue and beige.) The rest goes into boxes/hanger sleeves for future closet shopping. For me it is exciting to wear the same colors as part of different palletes. By changing only part of my pallete I get the whole new wadrobe. (Sorry for my spelling checker not working.)
Sania
Definitely yes to doing it again!
Yes!! In January, I wasn't thrilled with this idea (silly me…) I thought it was going to be boring! Now that these wardrobes have come together, I love it. They are so gorgeous that it would be hard to choose a favorite! You are a genius!!
Yes, please – love the series. would love to see a plan around black, purple and turquoise…but I love all your posts. thank you!
I've been "lurking" on your blog for most of this year. Love Love Love your posts. I particularly liked this series, and find great ideas. I second the black purple and turquoise – what fun!
I would love another year of this series! I loved to see it progress throughout the year and how it demonstrated that small choices can make a big difference in defining and refining your look.
Perchance one set featuring a scarf with emerald green, merlot, brown and navy as the color scheme? With lines that are half Joan Holloway and half Dante Gabriel Rossetti for a woman who works in a Business Professional office? (*she hinted subtly and not at all selfishly*)