June 8, 2018
It’s a good question… Maybe you’re not inspired by a painting, or a scarf, but you’re really happy with the way that you’ve decorated your home. Could that be the basis upon which you build your wardrobe?
Heck yes! It’s particularly easy if you have your key colors chosen, and if you have a few keywords that you use to describe your “home style.”
For example: maybe this is the wallpaper in your bedroom? Or curtains in your dining area?
For many of us, summer is for traveling to graduations, and weddings, and anniversary parties etc. etc. Usually these trips are only for a long weekend, so there’s no need to pack everything you own; you should be able to manage with just a tote bag…
jacket – Eileen Fisher; earrings – Anthropologie; scarf – Tory Burch; tee shirt – Ragdoll; crossbody bag – Chelsea28; watch – Movado; linen pants – Eileen Fisher; duffel – Ted Baker London; mules – Splendid
You can be relaxed when you’re on your way – a light jacket is always handy because air conditioning can be the rudest of shocks! Flat shoes and comfy linen pants will be better for the trip than a bandage dress and stilettos…
Make sure you have a dress for the “event,” and maybe an extra dress if there’s something like a rehearsal dinner, or a Baccalaureate that you’ll be attending. Sometimes the hosts forget to mention these things – be prepared!
chambray top – Madewell; scarf – William Morris Gallery; earrings – Lulu Frost; pink dress – Lands’ End; shorts – Uniqlo; clutch – Kate Landry; bracelet – Banana Republic; ivory dress – Uniqlo; navy shirt – Uniqlo; floral sandals – Michael Kors; slides – Paul Green; pants – Lands’ End
Notice how many different colors are in this travel wardrobe – the core of navy, 2 shades of beige/ivory, chambray blue and hot pink! This is a great approach for someone who doesn’t want to pack a small number of things because they get bored wearing the same colors every day…
9 pieces of clothing doesn’t seem like enough, but when you start looking at all of the combinations, you realize that you’d be quite well-covered (literally and figuratively!) for a long weekend with just these items…
Maybe the best thing about dressing to harmonize with your home decor is that your wardrobe will become more and more timeless. Classic decorating styles might go through fads, but we don’t really care about fads, do we?
love,
Janice
p.s. Can anybody explain to me the difference between men’s luggage and women’s luggage? Will something horrible happen to me if I carry “men’s” luggage?
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Men’s luggage, lol. Sounds like that awful women’s Bic pen that got all those funny reviews on Amazon. I’m in Tuscany atm, the Italian women are wearing flowing harem pants. And I’ve seen a fair number of topsidesr deck shoes.
I knew if I waited long enough my colors would appear!!!!! I’d love to see this developed more with added prints and stripes, and turned into a Project 333!
Oh me too! I have been looking at adding Aqua and blue green into the mix and found some really lovely things at Nordstrom scarf wise, sadly a few are Kate Spade scarves which just made me sad. Perhaps an addition with some of her lovely pieces. Also LL Bean has some really pretty Madras shirts!
I second that is would love more of these ideas broadened a bit Janice. Perhaps adding in the Linen and seersucker pices
I’m one of those people who get bored easily and like a variety of colors in my wardrobe. This collection for a long weekend is perfect! I can see myself using this as a packing template for a two week trip when I want (or need) to travel very lightly.
What will happen if you use men’s luggage? Packs of barking dogs will follow you wherever you go? Your chin will sprout hairs? Your tiny Woman Brain will not know what to pack in the pockets meant for Manly Things mentioned in the Man’s Book of Secret Man Knowledge.
Whatever happens, you will be striking a blow for sanity.
Gendered Stuff has gotten so ridiculous. I actually saw pink girly Glue Sticks for sale at a Stationers. Naturally they cost more than the regular type.
This has so much variety and I see a softer version of the Summery red, white and blue.
I really liked this version of the red, white and blue, so I went back for another look. I know you have featured clothing items from Uniglo many times. But for someone who lives quite a ways from the nearest Uniglo store, can you give us a rundown of the sizes a little bit? Do they run closer to American sizes or to the smaller Asian/European sizing? Will the fabrics hold up to a year of wearing or only for a season? Thanks again for your wisdom, Janet
Hi. I live WAY to close to Uniqlo ? And I find their clothes to be of good quality. I was all my clothes on delicate and hang my clothes to dry, pretty much regardless of where I buy them. I find their sizes pretty true to American sizing. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the first hand information. I think I’ll order a shirt or two and then venture into the bottoms after a field test.
I LOVE Uniqlo for easy basics. Their sizing is much closer to American (you can use the online size guide, it’s accurate) and the quality is very good. I wouldn’t put anything in the dryer – that’s the only caveat.
Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I have ordered things online only to find out they’re directly from China and waaay tooo small for a MidWestern gal.
Just wanted to mention that the slide type shoe pictured is not recommended for air travel, as it would be a hazard to the wearer in case of an emergency evacuation of the plane. In fact leather soles shoes are the safest, in an emergency, but who has those anymore? I am traveling by plane to California next week for a university graduation and a few days in the Bay Area. Love your collage of ideas.
I loved this colour combination of pieces – a wonderful combination of tailored yet feminine!
I find more and more that my wardrobe does very much reflect the colours that I decorate with. My walls are white, my soft furnishings in various shades of grey and my accent touches are black, red & turquoise in my living, dining, kitchen & bathroom – with navy blue, grey & turquoise more predominant in the bedroom – all the colours that I love to wear!
As for the men’s luggage – isn’t that a bit like the men’s black umbrella that I found that cost about $10 less than the women’s black umbrella – which yes – were identical in every way that I could see! Much as I love the colour pink – I will not pay twice as much for pink razors versus the navy ones for men! Insane!
I do own a pink umbrella, in self-defense. My husband never reaches for that one if it’s raining when he leaves the house.
Same here! While I hate the idea of “gendered” toys and clothes, I purchased an umbrella printed in huge yellow-fuchsia-orange flowers with the very deliberate intent of making it less desirable for my man to absentmindedly reach for. I got tired of losing my very nice, sober-colored umbrellas to his “oh…I must’ve forgotten it on the subway” excuse.
The new site displays just fine on my desktop, a PC clone, but on my i-pad it has got stuck on the first June post (roses) and even the archives for June 2018 don’t show all the posts you have made. Do your web consultants have any ideas about compatibility issues in different browsers, particularly Safari?
I use Chrome and have a similar issue – it always pulls up the May 14 post on packing a small backpack for a week. The quickest way I’ve found to reach the most recent post is to go to “Start Here” in the menu and scroll down to “Recent Posts.” It is a bit frustrating.
I have the same problem on my desktop, but not on my phone.
Love love love this concept ? Thanks dear one!
Are we talking regular suitcase, or backpack-style suitcase? If the latter, then a women’s backpack suitcase will have straps closer together for narrower shoulders, and also be cut so they don’t bother the boobs so much. Additionally, women’s backpacks tend to have an XS size option.
My family got me an Osprey Fairview 40 for my birthday, but I had to exchange it mid-vacation (thank you, REI!!) because I have a freakishly long torso and needed the men’s L size (Farpoint 40). The shoulder straps on the Farpoint aren’t as awesome as on the Fairview, but having a hip belt that actually rests on my hips, thus moving the weight off my shoulders/back was totally worth it.
If we’re talking regular suitcase, the difference is likely to be the Pink Tax, and somebody at the company should be flogged.
I love this palette! I would love to see it worked up for a 4×4 wardrobe. Thank you for posting it!
Such a pretty set of clothes Janice, and terrific combinations! I know flowery print shirts aren’t for everyone but I love them. The Australian chain Sportscraft has a nice (and seasonally changing) range of Liberty print shirts in cotton and sometimes silk. Sometimes they’re William Morris patterns, and far cheaper than anything from the actual Liberty shop in London. I believe Sportscraft ship overseas. I have several of these shirts – they’re versatile and can be worn with jeans and sneakers or with dress pants/skirts and heels. I don’t in the least feel as though I’m wearing curtains either, as the prints are dainty and the range of colours wearable with different jackets or cardies. Pattern is my enjoyable weakness and through your excellent blog I’m even learning to wear two in one outfit. Daring!
Robyn
Men’s versions of anything are generally more sturdy and last longer and cost less money. I buy and use as many men’s version of things in as many areas of life as possible.
I now have to go to Start here to find the newest post. Very frustrating.