February 5, 2020
A new month!
navy lion and peacock scarf – Aspinal of London; mint green “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; mustard “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; Earth Mandala scarf – GISY; Magenta Robins scarf – Aspinal of London; shield scarf – Aspinal of London
I’m still quite smitten with this color palette; it’s pretty classic, with the navy and camel, but the accent colors keep it from being too predictable:
I’m making a big change this year from the outfits that I included in previous years in February. I used to feel that this was a good time to include a dress – mostly because I’m a total Valentine’s Day sap. But I’m going to try to be a LOT more strategic in my choices this year, and to me that means another sweater, another pair of pants, and another shirt. It makes a lot of sense when you see the January and February outfits on the same page.
I could NOT resist this shirt. I feel like it was made for this color palette…
navy lion and peacock scarf – Aspinal of London; tiger eye earrings – Brooks Brothers; flannel shirt – Lands’ End; sweater – Banana Republic; tote – Longchamp; boots – Trask; dark wash jeans – Lands’ End
Here’s where I love the way this comes together – this (in my mind) looks like a Six-Pack long weekend travel wardrobe! You’ve got a few different ways that these 6 garments can be worn…
navy lion and peacock scarf – Aspinal of London; feather earrings – Saks Fifth Avenue; tiger eye earrings – Brooks Brothers; cobalt socks – American Eagle; tote – Longchamp; cardigan – L.L.Bean; flannel shirt – Lands’ End; camel sweater – Banana Republic; dark wash jeans – Lands’ End; camel pants – L.L.Bean; navy tee – J.Crew; loafers – Kenneth Cole; boots – Trask
You can switch around the 2 original outfits into at least 2 more combinations:
I love this color combination; I just hope that someone, somewhere, will offer us some lovely mint clothes! A pretty sweater, a classic cardigan, maybe a tee shirt or two?
scarf – Aspinal of London
But until that happens, we have a lot of possibilities with camel, denim blue and soft white…
scarf – Aspinal of London; earrings – Kate Spade New York; silk shirt – Banana Republic; camel sweater – Banana Republic; jeans – Lands’ End; bronze bag – Sole Society; mushroom suede waterproof boots – Blondo
I could travel with these six pieces without hesitation!
scarf – Aspinal of London; flower hoop earrings – Elise Tsikis; pearl earrings – Kate Spade New York; bronze bag – Sole Society; socks – Universal Thread; cardigan – L.L.Bean; tee shirt – Lands’ End; camel sweater – Banana Republic; jeans – Lands’ End; silk shirt – Banana Republic; camel pants – Gauge81; loafers – Steve Madden; mushroom suede waterproof boots – Blondo
Same general ideal here – these 6 garments offer a few different possible combinations:
I’m still wondering if I’ve thrown myself under a bus with this grey and mustard color combination. In my heart I know that any colors can serve as the basis of a wardrobe – this is just going to be a question of finding great clothes, in the right colors, that don’t cost a fortune, right?
mustard “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London
For what it’s worth, I own this shirt in black, and it’s great! And yes, I’m going to show you these boots about a million times, because I also own them, and love them – they are indeed waterproof, and quite comfortable…
mustard “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; two-tone earrings – Rebecca Minkoff; soapstone shirt – Lands’ End; mustard sweater – Reformation; tote – Dagne Dover; waterproof suede boots – Blondo; grey jeans – Lands’ End
While this isn’t a travel capsule wardrobe you’ll see everywhere, it’s still quite practical, and makes a true statement!
mustard “A” Floral scarf – Aspinal of London; citrine earrings – Alok Jain; two-tone earrings – Rebecca Minkoff; gold tee shirt – Caslon; soapstone shirt – Lands’ End; washable wool cardigan – Banana Republic; mustard sweater – Reformation; grey jeans – Lands’ End; tote – Dagne Dover; waterproof suede boots – Blondo; socks – Old Navy; suede loafers – David Tate; corduroy pants – Lands’ End
I really like the way this wardrobe already gives you good options between a muted, neutral outfit and something with a little bit more brightness:
Mixing softer neutrals with red is classic…
Earth Mandala scarf – GISY
Marled sweaters can combine a couple of core colors in your chosen palette; this makes them really versatile! Imagine how much this sweater could be worn with the additional beige garments that will inevitably make their way into this wardrobe…
Earth Mandala scarf – GISY; hexagon earrings – Missoma; shirt – Banana Republic; red ochre sweater – L.L.Bean; bag – Frye; boots – Franco Sarto; olive pants – L.L.Bean
These colors are about as far from my wardrobe as possible, but I could feel comfortable with this…
Earth Mandala scarf – GISY; unmatched geometric earrings – Contour Studio; hexagon earrings – Missoma; red socks – Falke; bag – Frye; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bright cerise tee – J.Crew; olive shirt – Banana Republic; olive pants – L.L.Bean; red ochre sweater – L.L.Bean; boots – Franco Sarto; loafers – Johnston & Murphy; beige pants – L.L.Bean
Lots of options here!
Now that I’ve made the major life change of wearing pink clothes, I’m finding this more and more delightful!
This outfit isn’t anything astonishingly trendy or hip, but it’s pretty, practical, and timeless. I’d prefer that every time…
Magenta Robins scarf – Aspinal of London; earrings – Jenny Bird; sweater – Uniqlo; shirt – L.L.Bean; bag – BOSS; boots – Coach; pants – L.L.Bean
THIS is a travel capsule wardrobe that I would cheerfully pack for 2 or 3 days, in cool weather! Every last piece of it….
Magenta Robins scarf – Aspinal of London; round earrings – Jenny Bird; ribbon earrings – Jenny Bird; bag – BOSS; socks – Topshop; cotton shirt – L.L.Bean; silk shirt – Equipment; cashmere cardigan – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L.Bean; sweater – Uniqlo; loafers – Birdies; boots – Coach; black corduroy pants – Lands’ End
These 2 outfits do NOT exhaust the possibilities here:
Such a classic scarf:
I was back and forth about this shirt, but I realized that you don’t HAVE to knot those little tails – just tuck them in! Such perfect colors don’t just fall out of the sky, so sometimes we have to be smart.
shield scarf – Aspinal of London; seashell earrings – Gorjana; plaid shirt – Madewell; tawny peach sweater – L.L.Bean; crossbody straw bag – Sole Society; ivory loafers – Hush Puppies; ivory jeans – Lands’ End
Remember, this wardrobe is going to be more “warm climate” oriented than the others.. I think these 6 garments look wonderful together.
shield scarf – Aspinal of London; mother of pearl earrings – Teressa Lane Jewelry; seashell earrings – Gorjana; nail polish – Chanel Le Vernis in “Particuliere”; crossbody straw bag – Sole Society; bone cardigan – Eileen Fisher; tawny peach sweater – L.L.Bean; plaid shirt – Madewell; black sleeveless top – Halogen; ivory jeans – Lands’ End; espadrilles – Sam Edelman; linen pants – Vince Camuto; ivory loafers – Hush Puppies
You’ve got choices here for warmer days, or cooler. Even in Florida there are cool days from time to time…
If you want to see last month’s post, which provided those essential first outfits, you can find it here.
love,
Janice
p.s. SIX years ago, I dreamed up six months of outfits to go with a Celtic knot scarf that belongs to one of you…
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I love your outfit choices for this month. I’m very excited to see the upcoming year. I have surprised myself by really liking the denim and camel wardrobe and looking forward to seeing some mint green (I hope you can find something in that color) I have a mint green sweater I never wear but now I’m wondering if it would look okay with jeans and camel accessories.
I’m voting yes! And it’s such a hard color to find, you will be a delight to the eyes of everyone around you!
do it!
hugs,
Janice
Neither could I resist the shirt in the first wardrobe; and it’s on sale! I’m also really enjoying the scarf. Thanks for all the great finds!
On looking for mint green: Kettlewell Colours has two shades of mint right now. I think Encircled in Toronto has also sometimes done mint green items.
And I read somewhere that mint is one of this summer’s big colours, so we may be lucky. Of course, it Jjust shows how much Janice has her finger on the colour pulse!
Thanks! I spent a really ridiculous amount of time trying to make choices here that will be good value investments for you for at least a few years! And honestly, I think that traveling to Paris every year makes a LOT of difference; they really are about a year ahead of the US in styles and colors…
hugs,
Janice
So far my favorites are the Lion and the Mandala. I think those of you who want to incorporate mint green into the Peppermint wardrobe are going to be very happy this season. Check out Talbots, which has several items in mint, including their bateau neck tee. And LL Bean has that great looking cardigan from the Mandala wardrobe in mint green.
Janice, thank you so much for putting all these lovely wardrobes together!
I LIKE your February’s change. It’s clever idea not only for building wardrobe, but also for shopping each outfit. Get dressed first outfit you could easily choice second one and get SIX pieces and everyday (maybe?) bag. Really good. Then if I can find dress looking nice with January’s cardigan and dress accessories looking nice with February’s jean, wardrobe will be very handy. If I can’t, there are still some months to make it nice.
I was looked forward to February’s dress, but this is better ;)
Thank you for your blog.
I think I’m going to lose my heart to the mint scarf & wardrobe. I think the mustard & grey look smashing together (not on me, so much), but you’re right, you may have trouble—mustard had a big moment a year or two ago, didn’t it, so it has probably disappeared off the shop floors entirely. And it’s so often offered as a fall color even when it’s a thing. (I can’t keep up with the churning of wardrobe colors. On one hand there’s all this color typing to find your best color floating around on the web, on the other there’s a lockstep approach from retailers to provide only a few colors, all the same, because of shared supply lines and Pantone. It’s a wonder we haven’t all taken refuge in double denim…) Looking forward to seeing the mint and the warm-climate wardrobes develop.
J.Jill is offering items in a minty-looking color they’re calling ‘seafoam’ or ‘sea breeze’. Haven’t seen it in person so not sure it’ll do, but the pictures don’t look like the seafoam I remember!
Love them all, but I think the black/pink is my personal favorite.
I got a Boden catalog yesterday and it has a 2-page spread of mustard clothing. My favorite scarf is the pink one, followed closely by the mint one. Great job, Janice!
Thanks for the tip – I will look at Boden next month (and going forward!)
hugs,
Janice
Boden also have cashmere knitwear and trousers in Mint Cake, and Jigsaw have a few items in Soft Mint… (not sure about international availability/ shipping but useful for building the wardrobes or if living in the UK). Am enjoying that wardrobe too but mentally substituting grey for the camel! Also just wanted to make you aware that some Aspinal scarves the last few years have been designed by Emma J Shipley who also has her own company doing predominantly scarves with a lot of nature and fantasy elements. Beautiful designs and colours, I bought one a few years ago and am contemplating another, if only I could choose just one. Thanks for all the inspiration!
I was gobsmacked – just after I turned over the entire Internet looking for soft minty green things, there are now DOZENS of things at every price; I can’t wait ’til the beginning of March when I get to add something to that wardrobe!
hugs,
Janice
I like the Lion one best, it is shaping up so well! It occurs to me, looking at the summary illustration, that 1-3 (top row) could merge quite well into each other (ie one larger wardrobe), and 3-6 might also merge well, whereas the top and bottom row would not blend as well.
Janice, I like how you used the scarf turned on its corner and repeated tone the dividing “line” between outfits. So clever! Great detail!
I don’t know how “tone” got it there! I meant “to create” the dividing line.
Thank you – those are tiny tiny images of the scarf turned on an angle. That divider has to always work, right?
hugs,
Janice
I own the Earth Mandala scarf, and that accent color is orange, not red (which is fine by me! That’s why I bought it :-) ). So I am going to have to work in my orange/rust tones (I have some, thankfully!) instead of the red ones presented in order to make it work.
Oh RATS. I could go back and re-do the outfits, or just carry on with red. Would carrying on be okay with you?
hugs,
Janice
Thanks for asking, Janice. I’m not that high maintenance :-) so carry on! It was more of a PSA for anyone who was interested in purchasing it.
Ah, you’re a thoughtful person!
Thanks!
hugs,
Janice
Love the blue and mint in the second wardrobe, but beige/tan are not great neutrals for me. So wishing the first 2 wardrobes, both with fantastic blues and accent colors, didn’t both use beige/tan as the other neutral. Still so looking forward to what you pull together with these 2 wardrobes.
I love the mint scarf but being a Soft Summer, I also don’t suit the spectrum of camel/beige/tan.Would grey or taupe fit as an alternative neutral to camel/tan? Otherwise, I’m loving denim blue and look forward to the mint.
I think either grey or taupe would be great here – that’s the joy of knowing what looks good on you. There are SO MANY substitutions that could be made in these color palettes, if you know what you love and what suits you best.
hugs,
Janice
I think so Beth. I’m mentally substituting various greys for the camel to suit my colouring and it looks very good in my imagination.
My favorite wardrobe is the denim/mint. I’m a summer and I love muted colors. A close second is the navy/camel. So wearable. I don’t “get” the inclusion of tawny peach in the ivory/black wardrobe. I don’t like the grey/mustard combo at all. The Earth Mandala scarf does appear to be bright orange and olive in at least one of the site’s photos. I bet there is a woman out there who loves orange.
I know a couple of women who seem determined to wear all of the “hard to find” colors; one of them loves orange! And I’m just scouring the world for nice mint clothes – I’m sure they will appear when the weather is a bit warmer. Surely by March we will be seeing summery, light colors, right?
hugs,
Janice
I always enjoy these posts of building a wardrobe based on a scarf throughout the year and this year’s scarves are beautiful. Last year I thought of something but didn’t mention it and so I thought I would make a suggestion since it is still early in the year and it would help me. Sometimes it is hard to know what shade you’re targeting when they are close e.g. tan/beige/camel/stone, olive/khaki/sage, and red varies from claret to tomato. It would help me if somewhere, maybe near the pie chart if you could tell us the target shade. For example, in the Mandala scarf the red is corally/warm red and what color is the other neutral next to the olive and is the accent simply a darker olive? It would help me know your thought processes better if I could easily identify the target shade. And I appreciate that sometimes you step outside those boundaries when you find something amazing that works, but I would like to see the strategy behind that too. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’d be delighted to speak more about the colors, although I have to warn you that color names are maddeningly vague and often contradict each other! But we will do the best we can, right?
hugs,
Janice
Soft pink with black; I am smitten. So feminine, so classic, so elegant.
I am appreciating the grey and mustard wardrobe, not so much because of the colors, but the exploration of just one neutral. Please carry on, even if the mustard is a PITA.
I’m planning to press on; some months might be very monochromatic grey outfits, or maybe some grey print. I’ll do the best I can; part of the purpose of this is to persevere through difficult preferences, because some women aren’t just going to wear black and white, or navy and pink…
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice,
Your comment about wondering if you could find items in a mint colour reminded me of this website I stumbled upon yesterday; you can actually search from a myriad of colors to find items in a particular colour. Love it! Based on the reviews I’m seeing the quality is good.
Site: Kettlewell https://www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk/season/all-colours
Cheers,
Kay
Sweet! Thanks so much,
hugs,
Janice
As a Soft Summer person, I’m a bit disappointed with the amount of camel/beige tan in the colour schemes. Would taupe or grey-beige work as an alternative neutral with the mint scarf? Mind you what is taupe or grey-beige in the colour scheme? I love the pink and black though I can see some lovely shades of grey in there as well. I’m looking forward to seeing how these develop over the year.
The soft blue + camel combination is appealing and versatile. It can be feminine, or elegant or edgy. I’m substituting grey for camel for myself, but I love what you’re showing here. I can understand your anxiety about the mustard + grey, but you’re doing well so far. I wonder if slipping in some white or cream now and then would help? (I think it’s there in the scarf.) I’m another reader who’s happy to have a dress come later. You’ve been able to create excellent capsules by sticking with the weather.
I think at a minimum, the mustard and grey heroine is going to get a white blouse or tee shirt, and possible something in pink – it’s in the scarf!
Thanks for the encouragement!
hugs,
Janice
Yellow and pink may sound weird but as long as they have the same intensity, it can look stunning. A bright yellow dress or top with a print of bright pink flowers comes to mind.
I agree with Beth here, yellow and pink can look beautiful, so I welcome this potential compromise! And I have exactly a yellow dress with pink flowers :D I’ve been looking for a pink cardigan to wear with it (and other clothes), but I’m very particular about both the cardigan and the pink, so I’ll have to be patient.
I actually think I once did a post with a deep pink and gold chrysanthemum? aster? as the starting point. I’m going to have to go back and dig through the Archives to take a second look at it!
And patience is the key to all wardrobe building, if you want to get it right. I’ve gone a little bit nuts this month shopping, and I need to sit down and figure out why. I don’t need clothes, but I’m still giving in to temptation far more often than I should be!
hugs,
Janice
I know which wardrobe I’ll be watching…the Robin scarf w/the pinks is going to be very pretty! And I think it’s cool that you are switching up the outfit progression; that adds a boatload of combos really quickly.
I bought this Mustard A scarf in January. Unfortunately, the pink in it is more a burgundy and it has a soft violet and much petrol green. Even the mustard is very greenish. I had a lot of trouble as the gray turned out to be a taupe and thought about returning it. Do not watch the motif or the center of a scarf to find combinations, but watch the edges. The edges give the statement when you ty it around your neck.
Sorry for my lousy English, but you have fans around the world, dearest Janice.
Anne
PS: the edge of the scarf is lilac, kind of periwinkle
Dear Ann, your English is perfect! And I’m so glad that you shared your observations about the colors with us all; women still thinking about buying the scarf will really appreciate your insights, and your kindness in taking the time to share your thoughts with us all.
hugs,
Janice
LOVED all of the February outfits! Everything had a nice trendy but still classic feel to it – which is the style that I feel at home in. Thanks for all the great picks!
Janice,
That Lion and Peacock Aspinal scarf is continuing to tempt me — and I love what you are doing with the outfits ! I am really being smitten here , thanks for the fun !
Oh, and I forgot to add that I am really appreciating you showing two different colored neutral bottoms to plan around , one darker, one lighter! I keep analyzing your choices in outermost layers, and I am seeing primarily a neutral cardigan , with either a second neutral or an accent sweater, which could be worn under the cardigan, or over a top , or by itself ( genius use of a garment here ) , and then two tops, which could echo one of the neutrals or be a bridge pattern , or a whitish neutral , or an accent color, which provide so many options ! I always keep packing in mind when I evaluate your methods of adding pieces ! Looking forward to next month’s add ons !
Janice, I appreciate that you provide links to your past articles. I do go back and look at them, and think “oh I would still wear that!” which greatly boosts my confidence about following your perspective and pulling it into my closet!
So much so that I’ve been disappointed a few times to see that items are no longer available! Liz
I loved these wardrobes last year and I’m still digging them this year… but I would also love some insight on how the heck to wear one of these scarves! My neck is too short or thick or something for the traditional wrap/knot around the neck to work. How do you wear them besides this, without just looking like you tied a bandana around your neck?! SOS style help appreciated!
Look at a website called Mai Tai’s Picture Book. Yes, she’s tall and sleek and French, but she also is a lovely person, and she has literally dozens of videos that show how to wear various scarves! There’s no speaking in the videos, so they’re globally friendly!
She sells scarf rings too (as well as other accessories); I can vouch for the quality and finish of the scarf rings!
hugs,
Janice
Thanks for the advice!
My goodness – SO many looks there! I think I’ll need to buy one of those rings…
She’s amazing, isn’t she? And I have 2 of her scarf rings, and might get a larger one for my new huge pink silk scarf! She sources lovely things…
hugs,
Janice
I enjoy looking at all your combinations, but I absolutely love the Magenta Robin scarf and wardrobe. I buy almost all my wardrobe by careful thrift store shopping, and last month I was delighted to find a scarf with almost exactly the same colors, though a very different pattern. Just this week I found a lovely pale pink knit button down shirt from J Jill, so I’m building this wardrobe right along with you. The deeper pink sweater and shirt will be a bit trickier, but at least I have something specific to look for when I shop. I will be eagerly anticipating seeing what March brings.
I’m amazed at the amount of barely worn designer or branded clothes and accessories that I find in charity (thrift) shops. I do the rounds every week.
However, I still won’t buy something because it’s cheap if it doesn’t fit me properly or go with the colours in my wardrobe. Last autumn I was looking for a large tote bag in dark blue or grey and found an Allsaints designer bag in smokey grey in excellent condition for £8! This week, I bought a Gap jumper in a soft pink and a floaty scarf with a floral print of blue/grey/pink – total cost £7. I wore them to work with grey jeans and recieved compliments. Several of my local charity shops are laid out like boutiques and colours so it is a pleasure to visit them.
I just said it once, but it’s worth repeating: I love women who shop in thrift stores and other used clothing places; you’re doing so much to save the planet, and money too!
hugs,
Janice
I love women who shop in thrift stores and other used clothing places; you’re doing so much to save the planet, and money too!
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice,
I love your website and I’ve learned ever so much. Last hear, you ladies inspired me to not buy anything for a whole year. It was an enlightening exercise and helped with identifying my core wardrobe colors.
Thank you ever so much
I absolutely love that you adjusted the February outfit so that it creates a 6 pack! For those of us who like to get away frequently, a whole carry-on bag filled with new clothes sounds luxurious (but won’t break the bank)! I hope you can repeat this magic for each of the 4 seasons :)