August 10, 2020
Ah, Autumn clothes! Is there a more fun season for beautiful clothes?
Let’s do some building around this Autumn Weekly Timeless Wardrobe core:
Stone cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy marled sweater – J.Crew; plaid flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; navy cotton sweater – L.L.Bean; navy dotted shirt – L.L.Bean; green tee shirt – L.L.Bean; navy tee – L.L.Bean; white tee shirt – Lands’ End; skirt – Halogen; navy pants – L.L.Bean; jeans – Lands’ End; sleeveless dress – J.Crew
Just for the sheer fun of it, I found some burgundy (ish?) garments to add to this 7-piece Accents and Extras!
Cashmere striped sweater – Marks & Spencer; flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; royal plum crewneck sweater – L.L.Bean; royal plum cotton cardigan – L.L.Bean; royal plum cotton turtleneck – L.L.Bean; striped denim skirt – J.Crew; shirt dress – Tommy Hilfiger
Now, our Autumn 20-piece wardrobe is together – it looks VERY fall-ish, doesn’t it?
Stone cardigan – L.L.Bean; royal plum cotton cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy marled sweater – J.Crew; Cashmere striped sweater – Marks & Spencer; navy dotted shirt – L.L.Bean; plaid flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; navy cotton sweater – L.L.Bean; sleeveless dress – J.Crew; royal plum crewneck sweater – L.L.Bean; navy tee – L.L.Bean; royal plum cotton turtleneck – L.L.Bean; flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; green tee shirt – L.L.Bean; white tee shirt – Lands’ End; navy pants – L.L.Bean; skirt – Halogen; jeans – Lands’ End; striped denim skirt – J.Crew; shirt dress – Tommy Hilfiger
Let’s start enjoying accessories!
When you’re wearing burgundy, garnets seems like the most obvious stone to look for in jewelry. Garnets don’t have to be insanely expensive (although there are some eye-wateringly dear pieces out there, of course!).
And a couple of timeless navy leather accessories…
royal plum crewneck sweater – L.L.Bean; royal plum crewneck sweater – L.L.Bean; jeans – Lands’ End; earrings- Gemondo; bag – Coach; boots – Spring Step
This cotton scarf is small – a neckerchief, I believe they’re called… They bring a bit of color, and a hint of swashbuckling style, to a simple dress and classic cardigan:
navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; sleeveless dress – J.Crew; small cotton scarf – Talbots; tights – Hue; ballet flats – Fitflop
We have a marled sweater, and a striped skirt…. so a mixed-print scarf should be perfect! It’s bold, but since it’s only in 2 neutral colors, it’s not insanely bright or clashing:
navy marled sweater – J.Crew; striped denim skirt – J.Crew; earrings – Banana Republic; wool scarf – Pierre-Louis Mascia; penny loafers – Amalfi by Rangoni
When you lay it out flat, this scarf looks light, but when it’s bunched or folded, it will blend with the cardigan and tee shirt perfectly! Add a subtle garnet bracelet and some shoes and you’re all set!
royal plum cotton cardigan – L.L.Bean; white tee shirt – Lands’ End; skirt – Halogen; scarf – Talbots; bracelet – Gemondo; ballet flats – Fitflop
If you’re among us who do not wear belts, you could always scare up a second handbag, or a necklace, or snazzy navy and white shoes (f you can find them!):
Cashmere striped sweater – Marks & Spencer; white tee shirt – Lands’ End; navy pants – L.L.Bean; earrings – Banana Republic; belt – Boden; boots – Spring Step
An eye-catching burgundy necklace doesn’t have to break the bank!
navy cotton sweater – L.L.Bean; shirt dress – Tommy Hilfiger; necklace – Talbots; bag – Coach; ballet flats – Fitflop
I love these 13 accessories! There’s something satisfying about navy and burgundy; I can’t put my finger on it, but I suspect it goes way back to a back-to-school outfit that I had when I was 8 years old!
Do you fondly remember any of your school clothes?
earrings – Banana Republic; earrings- Gemondo; belt – Boden; necklace – Talbots; small cotton scarf – Talbots; bracelet – Gemondo; rectangle paisley scarf – Talbots; tights – Talbots; bag – Coach; penny loafers – Amalfi by Rangoni; boots – Spring Step ; ballet flats – Fitflop; wool scarf – Pierre-Louis Mascia
I could travel for a REALLY REALLY REALLY LONG TIME with this suitcase. Of course, right now I could travel for months with my handbag; if I have medication, passport and credit cards I’m all set…
(Can you tell I’m getting homesick for someplace OTHER than home?)
love,
Janice
p.s. Eight years ago, I was singing the praises of a cashmere twinset; I’ve not changed my mind!
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Burgundy and navy, garnets and pearls – a lovely combination. I can’t wait for autumn. It’s a bit difficult to envisage cooler temperatures as we are in the grip of a mini heatwave with temperatures between 34 and 37.6 C.
I will certainly be looking out for a long burgundy cardigan preferably in chenille wool. I also have a pair of burgundy trousers and burgundy suede shoe boots.
Add these burgundy/plum and garnet accents to the Cool Weather WWT wardrobe (5 August post) and I could see out six months without shopping. However ‘winter white’, ivory or cream is my choice for a light neutral as they are softer and warmer with these colours than stark white.
This is a delightful grouping and I think I can shop my closet for 99% of it! Love garnets, my birthstone, also there are green ones ! Re: twinsets—-totally agree!
…and pink garnets.
I could probably shop my closet as well! Although the green would be more teal, and the burgundy more plum/purple. And why are there so many different shades of purple? From a reddish hue to the more blue cool-ish color? In a previous post one of the commenters mentioned wearing colored pants – I think she said teal and purple? for her walkabouts. Where do you find those? Thanks much!
Hi Sheila
I think it was me that mentioned teal and purple trousers.
My coloured jeans/chinos come from catalogue websites in the UK that have a range of trousers in short or petite lengths in a lot of colours. Many clothes manufacturers limit petite sizes to black, navy or grey. I like to wear tonal outfits.
My regular purchases are from JD Williams, Damart and Cotton Traders.
Simply Be is in the same ‘stable’ as JD Williams and I believe there is a Simply Be US site. Cotton Traders is a UK casual clothing site – their trousers come in every colour imaginable. I don’t know if they ship to the US.
Lands End would be equivalent for trousers in an array of colours. Since reading the Vivienne Files, I have ordered several petite pairs of trousers from Lands end but find that the legs are too narrow. I have better luck with Lands End petite tops as I also have short arms.
Damart is geared towards the 60+ group but their clothes are comfortable and in a wide range of colours.
Other makes I buy are Mark’s and Spencer as they make all styles of trousers in Short, Regular and Long. However, they dont necessarily make the body part shorter. However, I discovered last year that their daft 7/8 leg length for Regular size was the perfect length for me!
In the summer, I wear linen wide leg trousers. I find that the material hasn’t been pre-shrunk. So I buy Regular length and wash them as cotton. They then shrink to the correct length in me. My linen trousers come from Asda (UK supermarket owned by Walmart, though I gather Walmart are going to sell their stake) and also Marks and Spencer.
I don’t buy expensive clothes as my height and body shape make it a challenge. If I find clothes that fit, I buy them in every colour that suits me. I also prefer waist elastication to fit my waist, though high-waisted trousers which are in vogue also fit me well. Side-zip styles are also good for me.
Other companies I use are Marks and Spencer, M&Co and Edinburgh Woollen Mill for knitwear.
I perhaps should branch out because some styles can be a bit fuddy-duddy and I’m only 57.
I prefer online shopping unless it’s for a special occasion because most clothes are too long on me or petite size assumes that you are narrow in build. Some people are just petite all over. But many people with short arms or legs just have short bones but the muscle mass of a normal person. They therefore need roominess in the thighs and upper arms.
This why I like the Vivienne Files for suggesting stylish and comfortable clothes.
I like browsing in shops to see what’s new but so many chains are closing down physical stores that opportunities are becoming fewer and further between. Coffee shops are opening up in their place. Both the department stores in our ‘destination’ shopping centre have closed. One of them is going to be turned into a bowling alley! I prefer independents but they can be pricey.
Thank you!
That is a beautiful shade, the royal plum. I recently bought a t shirt in that color from Bean. Rich and muted and is lovely with navy. And dark jeans. It might also do well with charcoal, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Plum and grey are fabulous together – it’s the basis of my winter wardrobe.
School clothes! Wow, what memories. My “senior” sweater was royal blue. As I look back at it now, I realize it was perfect. V neck pullover, flat knit. Except for the logo, I would wear it today. Well, the logo might be interesting. I have no idea what happened to it. Believe it or not, that was 60 years ago!
LOL I still have the twinset I wore in my high school picture, 50 years ago. It was made by Garland, beloved by Seventeen magazine at the time.
I desperately wanted a Garland sweater set. Could only afford a rip off from JCPernney!
I went to secondary schools with different uniforms in the 1970’s.
The girls uniform at one school was navy or grey cardigan and skirt with blue or white shirts. We could wear any style or pattern of summer dresses as long as the background was blue – I wore blue floral frocks. We were allowed to wear trousers in winter.
The other secondary school was any shade of grey cardigan/jumper and skirt with any plain colour blouse or shirt from the myriad of colours in the school badge. I wore red, green and purple. Only the boys wore a blazer and tie. We had a campaign one freezing winter to allow the girls to wear trousers and polonecks instead of skirts and blouses. We won!
Growing up in Oklahoma, and with school starting in mid-August (so high temps easily 95-100 F), my “back to school” clothes had a mix of summery and autumnal styles. I remember my first day of school outfit from 10th grade (first year at the high school) had a white t-shirt with a white/aqua/(something?) plaid short-sleeved button up shirt worn over it like a jacket, aqua pants (I think), and the most amazing pair of new white perforated oxfords that I LOVED. This style was not particularly in fashion, and was VERY different from what other students were wearing (jeans-based outfits), but I felt very much myself wearing that outfit, and particularly those shoes! I still remember walking into the band room for 0 period and walking confidently past the upperclassmen to take my rightful place (determined by summer tryouts) as first chair flute in the front row. I was a good musician in a pair of funky shoes and I didn’t care who knew it! LOL
Hi Sally! I also grew up in Oklahoma and was a band girl. The thing I remember about back to school was the band practices at 7:00 in the morning with the dew on the ground and those HUGE bell bottom pants that would get soaked halfway up to the knee with dew! Golly I hadn’t thought about those outfits in years until you said the words “back to school,” “Oklahoma”and “band!”
From grade 6 on I had to wear a uniform to school, so there was nothing special about those clothes. When I was in first or second grade, my mom let me wear something special for my birthday. She had made me a navy blue dotted swiss dress, fitted at the top with a gathered skirt. For a belt, she added a red ribbon. Pinned to the side front at the waist, was a spray of cherries with green leaves. I felt very dressed up and very special indeed.
I was the smallest girl in the family so generally wore hand-me-downs from my cousin to my sister to me. I remember being in clothes for an 8 year old when I was 11!
My aunt once made me a dress because I rarely had anything new, apart from a new dress for my birthday.
Unfortunately she didn’t believe my Mum when she asked for my measurements and made it a bit bigger. Let’s say, I “grew into it”, and then wore my sister’s version when she grew out of her’s. It was purple crepe with a white collar and so began my lifelong love of purple.
Lovely as always. I particularly love the navy handbag and the burgundy bead necklace. I’ve been thinking about getting a new crossbody bag when this stay-at-home time is over, and I like the look of that one…if I am ready to commit to navy. As for the beads, it is reminiscent of the 80s twist a bead craze in a good way. Though I’m meh on the pattern of the pink scarf, that basic idea is perfect to bring a lighter tone to the wardrobe and close to the face.
The plum plaid shirt is a good bridge piece for bringing in the forest green, but I figure if the heroine likes dark green enough to have it in the palette, at least one green accessory seems warranted. A piece of jade + garnet jewelry, perhaps earrings or a bracelet? Maybe just for fun, a splashy but inexpensive statement necklace like this one: https://www.loft.com/wildflower-statement-necklace/535329?skuId=30038349&defaultColor=9998&prodId=535329&selectedColor=9998
For myself, I might hold out for a burgundy that veered a BIT more toward the maroon side than this plum/berry color…which is lovely and would be a flattering color on me but that doesn’t quite capture the Full Autumn feel of a more neutral or slightly warm burgundy for me. Of course I would then add a cognac bag and tall cognac boots and an idealized navy/dark green/burgundy plaid scarf with some “warmth” of color in there…perhaps camel or a bit of soft orange even. I’d also like to see a “pop of color” solid-colored scarf to contrast with the navy, dark green, and burgundy palette…I have a coral scarf that I LOVE to wear with navy, dark green, and cognac that I think would work well with burgundy also. (I would substitute that for the lovely pink printed one.) Burgundy and cognac…shall I spend a few weeks traveling across France?
I love this burgundy post. Thank you for doing all the hard work.
How does one wear an oblong scarf? I am tall but I have still had a long scarf catch in my pant zipper! (in a hurry at the airport). Double wrapping at the neck adds a lot of bulk!
I tie mine more or less like a man’s tie – it takes up enough of the fabric that nothing hangs below my waist, and I can put the knot anyplace from up quite high on my neck, to down just above my center bra line…
And if you twist your scarf a couple of times before wrapping, it might feel like less bulk.
anyone else have suggestions?
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice,
Yes it does “looks VERY fall-ish” ?
Navy and grey with burgundy/plum/berry/wine is my best colour combo, however, my problem is that I’ve got pieces in so many different shades, and many are almost orphan. That is, the tee doesn’t go with the cardigan, etc. This looks the most difficult to me.
Aurora, yes, I am in the same boat with shades from berry to almost maroon that don’t work well together, so I wear many of them separately with prints and/or other colors/neutrals. Janice was clever in selecting items from the same company in the same color name to avoid this problem, but it’s harder for us who are building up a wardrobe over time.
It’s MUCH easier to buy 2 or 3 things at the same time if you want them to match well; for those of us who shop more gradually, it’s much more difficult. I wish that someone would make a core of neutral colors and some popular accents for season after season, taking care that things would work together from year to year.
So much to ask, eh?
hugs,
Janice
I’m short and plump (I put this text through a translator. Plump – what a funny word). … Plum colored sweaters for a plump lady ;-)
I’ve never looked really good in these warm sweaters. Still, I can hardly wait to finally wear warm, fluffy sweaters again after finally having overcome menopausal times – with all the hot flashes – and the hot summer.
Currently I still like to be at home, no far away destination tempts me at the moment. The garden, which is usually rather annoying with all the gardening work, is now my refuge. Or at least the terrace is, in the evening hours. And you get to know your neighbors better. But I will admit that I am very grateful to have traveled a lot in previous years.
Oh, I love navy and burgundy and fall clothes! Janice, your question about school clothes reminded me of the pair of overalls I had in sixth grade. They were dark blue denim with a red, white, and blue butterfly applique centered on the chest pocket. This would have been in 1977, so perhaps the colors were influenced by the bicentennial the year before? I have no idea what shirt or shoes I wore with them, but I loved those overalls. Also, the start of the school year meant I got a pair of nice leather shoes, which I always loved. Thank you for stirring up fun memories!