November 30, 2020
You Want Me to WHAT???
Yes, fly to Chicago for ONE meeting….
“If you go to the meeting on Wednesday, you can take the rest of the week off…”
Okay… She will go up to visit a friend with a lovely home along Lake Michigan, about an hour north of the city.
And since her employer is paying for her to check her luggage, it’s going to be a pretty big suitcase!
She starts here:
Her favorite wardrobe colors are navy and white, so she chooses this color palette for her trip:
First, she pulls out her Common Wardrobe that she’s been wearing this autumn. She includes her white jeans because (a) she loves them and (b) there will be days when she and her friend don’t leave the house! Why not?
Navy long-sleeved tee – J.Crew; white long-sleeved tee – J.Crew; navy cotton turtleneck – J.Crew; white cotton turtleneck – J.Crew; navy cardigan – J.Crew; striped tee – J.Crew; white oxford shirt – L.L.Bean; navy merino v-neck sweater – Banana Republic; navy corduroy pants – L.L.Bean; navy perfect fit pants – L.L.Bean; white jeans – NYDJ; wool-blend skirt – Reiss
And then she pulls 4 sweaters out of her closet that go beautifully with her current favorite scarf, and which accent navy and white perfectly.
please note that I’ve used the colors names from the vendors – a couple of them are inexplicable…
Turquoise cardigan – H&M; pink paradise cashmere sweater – Halogen; raw indigo heather cardigan – L.L.Bean; heather river cashmere sweater – J.Crew
First, she decides what she’s going to wear for the trip and meeting (grr…):
navy cardigan – J.Crew; earrings – Eye Candy Los Angeles; face mask- Fraas; coral scarf – Acne Studios; striped tee – J.Crew; tights – Swedish Stockings; wool-blend skirt – Reiss; ballet flats – AGL; bag – Coach
The she starts adding some odds and ends that she will need for the rest of her trip – warm pajamas, some outerwear and another, warmer scarf. And waterproof shoes!
White and navy long-sleeved tees – J.Crew; blue earrings – Kate Spade; raw indigo heather cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy and white cotton turtlenecks – J.Crew; shell earrings – Seol + Gold; navy merino v-neck sweater – Banana Republic; turquoise cardigan – H&M; navy print down vest – L.L.Bean; heather river cashmere sweater – J.Crew; blue cashmere scarf – Nordstrom; white oxford shirt – L.L.Bean; pink paradise cashmere sweater – Halogen; floral scarf – Echo; navy floral pajamas – L.L.Bean; silver blue jacket – L.L.Bean; navy corduroy pants – L.L.Bean; iron blue hat – L.L.Bean; light blue glitter socks – And Other Stories; waterproof boots – Propet; navy pants – L.L.Bean; mittens – L.L.Bean; hiking socks – Darn Tough; waterproof sneakers – Aravon; white jeans – NYDJ
Since she’s visiting a friend, it’s not really urgent that she dress in a wide range of outfits, but she runs through various combinations in her mind JUST to be certain…
In the Autumn, it’s both fun and unexpected to build your wardrobe around a summery floral scarf!
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago we considered what our options might be for accent colors to wear with olive…
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These are so my colours! This has been a real revelation, once you have your colour palette set, you can have so much fun with textures. Thank you once again, Janice!
Mine too! I need to run upstairs to my bigger screen to fully enjoy.
What a lovely way to start the morning, very cheerful as I’m listening to the rain fall outside :)
Sometimes I feel like I should either pick navy or black as my core wardrobe and commit to it, but then again, I already have both, so it’s not like I’m spending money building it. Anyone else have two core wardrobes? If I wore these colors it would be quite tempting to add everything! I love the patchwork scarf. Thank you Janice, hope you have a good week ahead.
I’m with you… I have navy and black (and grey…) cores, and sometimes think I should just pick one. BUT – I’ve realized that I gravitate towards one or the other depending on the season – in summer I never reach for my black pants, and in winter I never reach for the navy. I think I like different levels of contrast depending on my own personal coloring (in the summer I’m more tanned, so the lower contrast with navy appeals; in the winter I have no tan, and so the higher contrast with black appeals. although, navy is more flattering near my face, so my turtleneck is navy instead of black… what a mess). Plus, I don’t really like the “column of color” (something to do with blacks not matching exactly), which is why I like the grey. I pair it with black in winter, with navy in spring/summer, and voila!
Yes! I have black, navy, and charcoal cores, as well as white in the summer (unlike this heroine, I pack away my beloved white denim after Labor Day weekend, not to return until Memorial Day). Navy is my most flattering, but not my favorite! I wear black all year and always feel good in it. – nancyo
I’m a card-carrying member of the multiple core neutrals club. I have pretty solid collections in navy, black, grey, and olive. Since I have space for them, enjoy wearing all of them, and do not find it overwhelming in my closet, I am also keeping all of them. But as attrition occurs, I probably won’t replace the black items. I’m down a winter-appropriate solid black skirt, for example, which feels very strange to me. But after a bit of thought, I realized I don’t need one…especially in this work from home mode which makes wearing pants in the cold/snow season very easy. A voice in my brain was screaming, But EVERY WOMAN NEEDS a black skirt or dress!, but right now, I truly do not.
There is NO garment that every woman needs. Some women don’t need shoes. Many women don’t need a bra. NOTHING is essential…
That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it!
hugs,
Janice
I have both black and black as dark neutrals! I don’t mind, like you I already own pieces in both colors and I tend to switch according to my mood and, to a certain extent, to the season. If something works for you, no need to change it! :)
Sheila and Ezzy, I am in total agreement. My ‘core’ colours vary with the seasons. This season my main core is all the berry colours from burgundy/wine to plum/purple. My other core colour is grey from silver to charcoal. I have a bit of teal and a smattering of navy but they form part of my Christmas wardrobe with silver. Come next season and throughout the summer, out go the berry colours and my main core is all the blues with grey and amethyst/violet. Teal still features but it is lighter like the colour in today’s wardrobe. While these core ‘neutrals’ are rotated six monthly roughly, my accents change about every three months.
Beth T,
The beautiful colors that you just described are worn by me as accent colors, paired with beige or stone , as I am a “ warmie” . I then add gold colored jewelry , as that suits my skin the best . I also make sure that an off white, ivory, or cream top is the closest to my face when wearing those accent colors. I do not feel comfortable in an outfit with cool colors head to toe , as that is the opposite of my own coloring and feels “ off” somehow .
Beth T, I never ever thought of using a “color” as a core wardrobe. I also love the berry colors in the winter. I wish I had more time and room to play.. ;) When our “spare heir” (twin number 2) leaves for the AirForce he’s losing his closet. I can bring my out of season stuff out of the garage and still have room to transfer clothes from current closet and organize things a little more neatly. I keep all my core neutrals in the closet all year round as I layer them – but 1/2 the closet is just black and navy! I’ll certainly be looking now to see if I can get a core wardrobe out of my berry colors I already have. Maybe not pants…..
Hi Sheila, Your plans for your spare room struck a chord. We have a spare room, now that my daughter has moved out and son says he’s not coming home after Uni (daughter said that too and came home for three years…). My plan is to put in a wardrobe and chest of drawers for my non-seasonal clothes. My husband would like this so he doesn’t have to lift bin bags and dress bags in and out of the loft!
Having everything to hand will help me to organise it better. Well that’s the idea ?
I’ve always included coloured trousers as part of my core look, otherwise I wouldn’t have enough bottoms.
Being 5ft, dressing tonally or blending colours makes me look ‘taller’ as no one part is vying for attention. If I have two different colours on top and bottom, I can look chopped in half unless I wear, say, navy on the bottom, a patterned top and tonal 2nd layer to draw the eye up. Also I have enough bottoms in navy, grey and black so having coloured trousers is a bit fun and can be just the thing to ‘lift’ a patterned top or create a blended outfit.
I like ‘soft velvet trouser suits’ at this time of year. Also I prefer dresses to skirts as that makes me ‘taller’ too because the eye is drawn up and down.
I have a love-hate relationship with skirts. Plain navy, grey or black skirts just make me look frumpy and dumpy unless they are long enough to hide my legs. However maxis are often too long and midis finish a few inches above my ankles. I prefer plain culottes instead. I do have a couple of patterned skirts but wear a contrasting accent to drawer the eye up.
Have a very ‘berry’ time sorting out your wardrobe!
Janice,
You are a magician— creating all of these different looks ! Some days all neutrals, other days neutrals with an accent color, but varied ones — you read my brain requests !
Thank you for the look back at olive green. Yes, I prefer the dark muted versions, and I love how the beige/camel and burgundy ( as long as it has a warm undertone) look with the olive. I want to try the slate blue with it too, as well as peach , soft copper or rust, and golden yellow . I have yet to try aqua with it .
When you start a group like the one here, is your first thought to pick out the darkest color in the print ? I have trouble doing that in the Summer, as my core neutrals then become beige and stone and light blue, but I’d like to add a darker color. Maybe just include a darker blue ? I don’t want to go with a dark brown at that time, though that would obviously work. Maybe dusty olive ?
Referring back to yesterday’s exercise in total numbers in a capsule, I realized that I could include a few more pieces in each category if I wore each of them fewer times in a month. For instance, if I had 10 tops instead of 8, I could reduce the wearing of each to 3 times a month within a 30 day period . That would save on laundry and wear and tear , as well as provide more variety. If I really wanted to be extravagant, I could divide a month in half, and have enough of everything for 2 weeks of wear. Hence 7 bottoms ( one for each day of a week) 14 tops ( 2 tops per bottom, and each top worn only twice a month) and maybe 6 toppers( 3 neutral and 3 accent colors) . That is still only 27 total pieces ! Within this framework, some of the garments could be dedicated to casual out of the house wear, as well as being a primarily a stay at home wardrobe. What a fun way to consider all of the outfits possible with that low of a number of total garments ! I am loving the mathematical possibilities of it all, so thanks again for the reality check of how much we really do and DON’T need !
Color names — what in the heck is a “ heather river “ ? I like the idea of “ paradise pink” however, but maybe that’s because I am dreaming of warm tropical travel ?
I also loved the look back at accenting an olive column. I live in quilted vests, warm scarves, and ankle boots in the winter. So this mix of a winter-wear column of color (long-sleeved top or sweater plus pants or skirt); a vest, earrings, gloves, and boots/shoes in a second color; and a warm scarf that bridges the two colors is a formula that I could use again and again (sans gloves for indoors). I could see it working with a lot of different color combinations…neutrals and accents. I’m bookmarking the page so I can come back to calculate (1) # of columns, (2) # of vests, (3) # of bridging scarves, and (4) resulting # of different versions of this formula. I think it’s going to be a lot more options than I would guess!
I love scarves that provide a multitude of possibilities. This colour palette will certainly feature in my Spring wardrobe though the vivid coral will be toned down a bit for me. Thanks for including outdoor accessories like a coat and hat/scarf/gloves and boots. Our heroine is well prepared for all weathers and they can always stay in for a ‘pyjama day’ if the weather is foul.
The look back is great and I scrolled through all the similar posts. They serve as a visual aid for the posts with the coloured arrows for choosing cores and accents. The one for taupe was particularly helpful as I struggle to find the right tone in the shops. However, I couldnt find one for teal or burgundy/maroon. Did you do those?
Dear Beth,
I don’t believe that I did burgundy/maroon/wine. I’m thinking of revisiting this idea for more casual wear, and I will try to remember to include it!
hugs,
Janice
I would love to see that as well!
Love this concept! Please do burgundy/maroon.
This wardrobe is right up my alley starting with that high-whappage scarf! This is one of my very favorite summer palettes, so seeing the autumn version (with the accompanying outdoor wear, yes!) was enlightening and delightful.
I surprise myself a bit with my favorite items from this collection. In addition to the scarf:
-The navy bag is gorgeous and seems just the right size for this outing.
-The navy flats are simple and professional but with a bit of interest from that notch.
-The navy floral PJs are so fun and push my floral-on-navy-background button hard.
-The navy waterproof sneakers are perfect! Classic, practical, a nice shape…and my goodness, what a relief to the eye that they went with the understated matching sole rather than the giant white sole all sneakers seem to have these days. I am seriously tempted, but (like with that handbag) I’m in a stronger “stay at home” mode than usual, so I don’t think I would get the use out of them to justify the purchase.
…Especially since I pulled the trigger on a pair of navy rain boots finally during the Black Friday sales; I already have a pair of tall black Hunter boots, but have been considering a pair of shorter navy ones to go with my navy trench with white polka dots that gets high use in the spring. I got lucky and came across a pair of short navy boots with white whales on them (coincidentally London Fog brand, as is my trench). They will work with my beige trench also.
I do wonder about the light blue cardigan; it looks very short, and for my non-tucking self, I’m not sure how well it would work. I think I’d go with a longer cardigan personally for that reason.
Janice, I enjoyed reading your “look back” at accenting olive green, a beautiful neutral colour I have admired but never found easy to utilize. I was fascinated to see you pair a delicate blush pink, a colour I would not have even thought of using (possibly because I associate olive green with military or safari style clothing). It was a wonderful combination to my eye and has totally changed the way I will view olive green in the future.
Thank you.
Susan
Oh, what’s funny is that I am wearing similar colors today myself. I started with a warm pashmina-style scarf in a woven paisley pattern of aqua, blue, maroon, orange/coral, and yellow. I added a mint T with teal umbrellas, a teal knit skirt, and orange ballet flats. Because I wasn’t wearing any neutrals (!!!), I picked black leggings, but I could have worn navy, brown, or grey instead. I think I’ve mentioned before that I struggle a bit with wearing one black thing in an outfit, so I pushed myself to experiment with it in this simple way. I’m happy to report that it looks/feels just fine to me. :)
Both my Summer and Winter wardrobes are divided in half. With black and navy. Despite following Janice for years, I have not been able to click onto a winning formula for me with bridging colors in extension clothes and accessories. Nothing that works for me with both black and navy. I have a smallish wardrobe and some day I’m hoping I will find a solution where everything mingles successfully.
If you’re happy with your wardrobe the way it is, then it doesn’t NEED a solution! Everyone is different, with different preferences, needs and desires. I only show some of the possibilities; nobody can tell you what YOU need to be happy with how you dress! I’m all about finding one’s own way…
hugs,
Janice
Thank you, Janice. The thing is, I get fed up (particularly in Winter) with the core colors. I like color but can’t seem to integrate it into my navy and black without feeling like it looks like an afterthought, or that I look like a crayon label. I think I will revisit your post on the winter vests again – it was very helpfull. Perhaps its the layering I’m stuck on. I wear a vest over my long sleeved t-shirts in Winter. Maybe that’s where I need to spend some money. Years ago I gave away my lovely quality and varied wool vests due to lack of storage. How I wish now, that I had found a way to hang on to them.
Camel and grey are great bridging colors that work with both navy and black. Even though they are neutrals. Taupe is good for accessories, but difficult to find. And as Janice says, maroon, wine and burgundy go with everything. Pink or peach for warm weather.
I am getting away from black myself, but it is so easy to find in all styles and price points. And I can’t make the column of color work with anything but black.
Have you tried olive or burgundy? Both work very well with black and navy (and each other!). Though I don’t usually wear burgundy in the hottest couple of months of summer, I find olive to be a go to color all 12 months.
Hi Janice and Everyone! I would love to have more teal/aqua/turquoise in my wardrobe especially for winter. If I paid it with navy then for sure I need the accent or additional core color that is not in the blue hue family.
Speaking of cores or neutrals, way back when I started reading TVF I went out and bought myself Common Core components to have instant mix and match. (the only core that is missing is chambray/denim). I also have a ‘core’ of 4 olive green pieces in my closet (pants, dress, s/s and l/s tops, and a blazer) and burgundy/wine (l/s top, cardigan, turtleneck and pants). What is the challenge for me at times is coordinating the fits and lengths and weights of all these lovely colors to avoid looking too bulgy (esp in the winter with more layers).
Today is the official last day of the 21 piece Wardrobe Challenge for November of chocolate brown, caramel brown, cream/ivory and a little rust and taupe. I would say the clothes and color choices persevered throughout the month without my reaching for a new color out of the closet to zhuzh things up. Plus I had a lovely geometric patterned scarf that had all these colors.
Thank you very much for reading!
I too was ? by the turquoise cardigan though I would call it duck egg! Or light teal or light jade.
I do love this colour which I have in a couple of thin cardigans for late spring and summer, a cable cotton jumper for autumn and a very thick cowl neck for winter (Jan-Feb).
I should say ENOUGH! However, now that I’m working from home, I’m drawn to looser fit short cardigans that are warmer than thin ones but not as hot as an enclosed jumper that I tend to wear when I go out or to work in a draughty building with dodgy heating.
Before lockdown, I had one slouchy cardigan in light grey and one in cornflower blue. I have added a soft pink one.
The blue and pink will be worn after Christmas as I start to wear more spring-like colours. So when I saw this cardigan today, I thought YES this would be ideal to wear after Christmas over an ivory polo-neck. Its warm and has an interesting cable pattern (I like textures if it is a plain colour). It have several shirts I can wear it with in late winter/early spring until it’s warm enough to wear my thin cardigans in this colour.
However, I am a bit cautious and would have to try this cardigan on. Short doesn’t matter as I’m short-waisted but if it lacks structure can make me look wide. This looks OK. My experience of H&M make their clothes with very lo-o-ong arms! By that I mean several inches longer than normal. I do have short arms but only usually have to turn back the cuffs. With H & M, the arms finish well beyond my fingers! H&M is a good brand for tall people with long arms and legs.
My husband describes my post-Christmas wardrobe as “an aspirational wardrobe” (even he’s now using fashion lingo!) because it aspires to the idea of Spring being on the horizon even if it’s still a long way off. A few years ago, after the Beast from the East, we didn’t have Spring until May! This year doomsayers are predicting that this winter will be even colder….
It’s a difficult colour to describe but that shade of duck egg blue is so beautiful. It’s not always easy to find. I’ve always tried to have it in my wardrobe but some years nobody carries it. Right now I have it in 1 cardigan and 1 summer top. When I see it I snatch it up.
The scarf is beautiful and I love everything about this capsule. I think I will use it as inspiration for my January to March late winter capsule. The soft greyed aqua shade is perfect with the navy, and white. The bits of coral just sparkle. The white jeans with the aqua puffer coat, mitts and hat are such a pretty combo. I love seeing white in winter especially with that shade of aqua.
Oh these lovely colors! My core group is similar. But I live in a warm climate and it’s fun to think about needing warm sweaters, going somewhere, anywhere up north right now.
Thank you for all the inspiration and a bit of travel to dream about!