May 31, 2021
Let’s get dressed up – just a little bit!
yes, I know some of you will never wear dresses or skirts – imagine that these skirts are shorts, or cropped pants, or long pants…
Black linen blend cardigan – Banana Republic; earrings – Kendra Scott; striped tee – Caslon; bi-stretch cotton skirt – J.Crew; sandals – Free People
When I started thinking about the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, it never occurred to me that this skirt should be in a neutral color. I think I realized somewhere in my cluttered mind that a skirt isn’t going to be worn as often (maybe?) and thus can be the standout part of an outfit!
Bi-stretch cotton skirt – J.Crew
You could take a simple navy skirt and dress it for work – imagine dashing into the loo at the end of the day and changing into shorts and sandals, but keeping your tank top and cardigan on!
Cardigan – L.L.Bean; earrings – Lonna & Lilly; tank top – L.L.Bean; scarf – Echo; skirt – J.Crew; ballet flats – David Tate
Maybe this scarf is tied in your hair, or arranged in an artful head wrap?
Tee – L.L.Bean; scarf – Echo; skirt – J.Crew; cardigan – L.L.Bean; sandals – Driver Club USA; bag – Talbots
Why yes, you DO recognize this cardigan and the accessories! How versatile is this?
Beige linen blend cardigan – Banana Republic; earrings – Talbots; bracelet – Talbots; ivory and warm clay striped tee – J.Crew; skirt – J.Crew; bag – Rip Curl; sandals – Sam Edelman
With a black skirt and white cardigan, there’s no limit to what accent colors you might choose:
bandana – Echo; cardigan – J.Crew; bracelet – Kendra Scott; tee – L.L.Bean; skirt – J.Crew; ballet flats – Vaneli
Let’s not forget, your best warm weather skirt might NOT be solid – everybody gets to make their own decisions about these things…
Butter yellow tee – L.L.Bean; earrings – Nyoman Ariawan; cotton cashmere cardigan – J.Crew; wrap skirt – Never Fully Dressed; crossbody bag – Betsy & Floss; sandals – Kork-Ease
For reference, here’s the master list; next week I’m going to look at what 13-piece wardrobes look like, based on the 13 garments for Spring. I love a tidy capsule wardrobe, as you well know!
Do you wear skirts? I’ve had my black linen skirt on a few times this month – but of course now it’s freezing cold again… sigh…
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, my last post in the month of May was about packing for uncertain weather, and working with a “Whatever’s Clean 13” wardrobe.
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I love a patterned skirt! I will have a few tops that go with it and I’m set. I also love long, flowy skirts, but realized that it will not work in the wet (cold, for me) Irish weather. Have to rethink my whole wardrobe, but I still only wear skirts.
I rarely wear long pants. I love a bi-stretch pull on pencil skirt (over leggings and knee boots in winter).
Id love to see you include more skirts in your excellent wardrobe ensembles.
I really enjoyed this post.
Cathy. Sydney Australia.
Yes please to more skirts!!!!
I don’t know why society somehow has deemed pants are now the preferred bottom for women. After many years and many styles I’ve determined that pants just do NOT look good on me at all and frankly I find skirts a lot more comfortable (well, maybe not pencil skirts). Add tights under a long skirt in the winter and they’re as warm as pants and in the summer I find they’re a lot cooler.
Just my two cents.
Patterned skirts for me too, even if it is a self colour pattern, like jacquard. If I wear a plain skirt, it is maxi or ankle length – the material is then the feature. I make patterned skirts, the centrepiece of a travel wardrobe and build a capsule from that.
We have finally been blessed with warm weather in the UK this weekend and my arms have been bared. Thanks for the look-back to the packing wardrobe for variable weather. I’m still checking the 10 day forecast for my destination to see what the weather is going to be like. I’m hoping for sun but my destination is renowned for rain, even if it not forecast…..
I love patterned skirts too, and would wear them every day if I could. In fact, looking back at today’s link to a “Whatever’s Clean” wardrobe, you wrote about choosing only one line on your template —either tops or bottoms—for prints and patterns, in order to prevent difficult pattern mixing, and I thought I’d love to see a summer capsule that used patterns on the bottom row: skirts, pants, snd shorts.
I love skirts in late spring and summer. I find them more comfortable than shorts or capris in hot and humid weather. They also elevate the dressiness of any outfit. However, I rarely wear them in the colder months.
I have a couple of pattered skirts – a purple and black, and a black and white stripe – I wear the latter more than the former. I also have an Eileen Fisher “full” black linen skirt i wear the heck out of, and a black Eileen Fisher skort I also wear the heck out of. I find dresses to be the coolest thing for me to wear in hot weather – not that we are there yet. Something about not having anything around my waist :) I’m thinking possibly I would like to invest in a black velvet (or similar) skirt this coming winter – now that we may actually be able to get out and do things again. Typically because of my work I wear pants much more than skirts/dresses.
Come the autumn, out comes my velvet and velour – velour wide leg trousers, velvet jeans, skirts, dresses and jackets. I wear them all the time. Very versatile – wear it to work with shirts or jumpers and just change jewellery, silky scarf or add sparkly knitwear or a velvet jacket for the evening. So do get a black or purple velvet skirt but don’t just reserve it for ‘ocassions’.
You’re right – I learned a long time ago not to save things for occasions – because somehow they never occur. I bought patterned velvet-like pants last year and wore them to work frequently – like wearing pajamas!
I am not a skirt person, but do have a couple of skorts for summer. I really cannot pin down why I don’t like wearing skirts; perhaps it’s the years of Catholic school uniforms including a skirt and white blouse. I do wear dresses and appreciate their ease. Basically, they are an outfit in themselves which can be changed up with varying accessories.
Skirts and dresses in summer!!! They’re so much cooler. And this skort trend? Why would anyone throw on a pair of shorts and then add another layer in 100 degree heat?!?! Trends should always be viewed with skepticism.
That patterned skirt, btw, is just extraordinarily perfect for anyone who loves bright , clear colors and makes black a mainstay of their wardrobe. Love it.
haha Now I feel like I have to clarify. When I say “skort” what I mean is a pair of shorts where the legs are full enough it looks like a skirt…. :) I’ve never tried the other kind of skort such as your are talking about – Cheers!
These sound like wide-legged culottes. I have a few pairs too. Easy to wear and very comfortable.
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The skorts you describe are not what I wear. My skorts are basically a skirt with an underwear type lining. It’s something tennis players have been wearing for decades and are incredibly comfortable.
actually, that’s why i DONT wear too many skirts/dresses in the summer – i HAVE to wear slip shorts underneath to deal with “chub rub” on my thighs. and as you point out – that extra layer is HOT!!!! I love to wear skirts in the fall, with tights and tall boots :)breezy linen pants/shorts for me in the hottest weather
It depends on the person, due to tum and thighs I have to wear tights or shorts under skirts and find it annoying to remember or uncomfortable without. I do have a lovely plum quilted a-line skirt I sometimes trot out in winter when I’m feeling particularly feminine and prepared to put the effort in, though, but nothing I would wear in hot weather.
Instead I am more interested in long shorts that hit at my knee and hiking sandals (men’s due to foot size, but I’m finding good colours – I just wish rose pink was one of them).
I love patterned skirts. I have half a dozen of them – pencil skirts and midi skirts. I have used one floral pencil skirt in particular as the basis of a whole summer wardrobe because of its bright colours. I can wear that skirt with a dozen solid colour tops and shirts which gives me no end of variety.
Hey Janice, this isn’t relevant to this post and I hope it won’t dampen anyone’s mood, but I really wanted to express my gratitude for your work: two weeks ago I had to pack a backpack for the very next day and even though I didn’t even know how long I’d be away, by using your templates I managed to pack a very functional wardrobe that got me through two weeks (I had some homewear and a washing machine at my destination, but still!).
I didn’t travel for joyous reasons (death in the family, traveled for the funeral and to offer assistance), but being able to pack in 10 minutes, having everything fit in a backpack that I had to wear on a train, and not having to worry about what to wear because everything went together helped a lot.
Dear Alice,
I’m so sorry that my ideas were useful to you at such a sad time – but I’m happy to know that you managed so well! Thanks for taking the time to share; it’s really encouraging to me to know that I can be helpful for you!
hugs hugs hugs,
Janice
Thank you Janice, hugs to you too :)
Thanks for sharing this Alice. Somehow feeling ‘put together’ gives one strength to face challenges and sad times with courage. A bit like armour.
I love skirts … BUT I have a tough time finding good ones for me. (I have decent legs but they’re short; so I need a skirt to be more of a pencil style that hits right above the knee. Yes, I can get alterations – but that just adds to the expense.) I’m inspired by this post to keep looking.
Appreciate the look-back post! I have a trip coming and will use that template, substituting “dressier to more casual” for the temperature arrows.
I love seeing skirts on your blog! I wear them every single day, even when I do landscaping. I am a curvy size 10/12 and pants are uncomfortable and simply do not fit me! I wear XCVI skirts exclusively and they make life so easy, comfy and stylish!
I would love to know how you wear skirts even while landscaping! I find the line where my shirts and shorts meet constantly gaping (so to speak), and am also a curvy pear. I just can’t seem to find anything to wear that’s cool in the summer (Chicago) but I can also garden in! Please, share your knowledge!
I wear my skirts all the time too, including while landscaping! I have a bunch of jersey knit fuller skirts I got cheap from Old Navy that have the fold-over yoga waistline. They hit right above the knee so they’re still decent when I bend over. I may put down a rug/towel if I’m sitting directly on the ground, but otherwise I find it so much more comfortable and cooler to wear a skirt.
In my vast experience living in the muggy southern US (40 years), by far the most comfortable bottoms in hot, humid weather are moisture-wicking bike shorts, period. Cotton pants/shorts get damp and chafe. A skirt sans shorts lets your sweaty legs chafe against each other (but I guess if you have a large thigh gap, it might not matter). A skort with built-in shorts CAN work but again, if the shorts are cotton, that fabric will eventually chafe. (And if the built-in shorts aren’t perfectly fitted for you, that can happen fast.) If the weather is warm enough to be called “hot,” you have to be ready to deal with the sweat if you’re outside in the heat for any length of time. I get it that seems counter-intuitive that synthetic fabric wrapped around your thighs is a good idea when it’s hot, but a pair of bike shorts with a skirt worn over it is my go-to. (And no, a thin layer of skirt over your shorts is not going to make an appreciable difference to how warm you feel.)
Ladies, I’m so encouraged to see so many earing skirts!! I only ear skirts!! There are cotton skirts and linen skirts for summer and velvet, suede, leather, corduroy and denim skirts for inter. I even have skirts made of seatshirt material for lounge ear. There is something out there to meet every need!! Please Janice sho us more skirts in your capsules!! Thank you for all your hardork for us!!
I have never found a pair of trousers that truly fits and/or suits me so I’m skirts and dresses all the way, especially for the office. I have jeans and wear leggings to be extra comfy at home but otherwise I don’t own any trousers, and haven’t my entire adult life now I think about it. The chub rub struggle occurs every summer (Vaseline helps) but otherwise I find skirts are an absolute pleasure to wear.
Hi Janice and Everyone! Thank you Janice for this post and all the responses therein ?.
If I may add my 2c: if I do wear pants in the summer, they are of very light material or what may be called ‘palazzo’ pants. I have a pair in a black/tan tropical pattern and one in a black/white striped zebra pattern (lines running vertically). Because they have an elastic waist and are very roomy they look pretty good on this pear-shaped body. I do have some lightweight pattern skirts in chevron, mosaic, and floral patterns. To prevent the dreaded chub rub I wear ‘pettipants’ (example here: https://www.mileskimball.com/buy-lace-pettipants-short-312880). However, my current job involves crawling on rugs and painting with preschoolers, so it’s usually a print top and solid color shorts for me.