June 4, 2021
Emergencies and last-minute changes of plan don’t stop just because the weather gets nice, right?
So it behooves most of us to have a plan in mind in case we’re called away for a day or 2 of work at a remote location, or a quick trip to a fun destination, or a quick trip to an urgent family situation…
This first wardrobe is the sort of thing you would grab if you had to go babysit for a day or two, or care for an older relative:
Cardigan – Splendid; earrings – Talbots; white tee shirt – J.Crew; gingham tee – J.Crew; canvas pants – L.L.Bean; linen shirt – J.Crew; knit flats – Bernie Mev.: navy pants – L.L.Bean (sold out – similar here)
Your friends need you to go stay at their summer home for a couple of days while the windows are being repaired? You can be ready in 10 minutes…
Bisque cardigan – Barefoot Dreams; 18K gold earrings – Ella Palm; red earth tank top – Caslon; flax linen shirt – J.Crew; desert sand linen pants – J.Crew; red earth tee – Caslon; desert sand linen shorts – J.Crew; sandals – Steve Madden
Someone from your family needs to show up for an estate issue… You might just need to BE there, but you may have to hang out with some legal types!
Earrings – Talbots; black cotton-cashmere cardigan – J.Crew; striped tee – Sake Fifth Avenue; floral dress shirt – Lands’ End; skirt – Daluv; white tee – L.L.Bean; ballet flats – Trotters; ponte knit pants – Spanx
One of the parents for the field trip can’t make it – can you step in?
Cotton-blend cardigan – J.Crew; earrings – VUE by SEK; rustic plum linen shirt – J.Crew; white tank top – L.L.Bean; denim shorts – L.L.Bean; sandals – Talbots; neon thistle tee – J.Crew; denim skirt – New York & Co.
Someone at the main office unplugged the server and now EVERYTHING needs to be rebooted – you’re the woman for the job!
Earrings – Chico’s; cardigan – Chico’s; cream tank top – L.L.Bean; pale sand linen tee shirt – J.Crew; no-iron linen striped shirt – Chico’s; ecru skirt – Boden; coastal tan canvas pants – L.L.Bean; espadrilles – Vince
Executives from Europe are coming to the main office, and suddenly you’re got to be there, AND look like a responsible adult:
Green blazer – J.Crew; earrings – Lavani Jewels; white poplin shirt – J.Crew; lightest peach cotton cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy knit pants – L.L.Bean; white ruffleneck shirt – J.Crew; navy cotton pencil skirt – J.Crew; pumps – Walking Cradles
For me, my list looks sort of like this…
Where might your urgent need be, and what would you take with you?
love,
Janice
p.s. Four years ago, we accented a navy and beige wardrobe with red and bright sky blue!
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Love the orchid coloured tops in the field trip capsule. I’m rather amused by the colour Neon Thistle. I shall have to look out for them on my nature walks.
My experience of kid’s field trips always involved lots of walking so a pair of comfortable walking shoes and dark cotton trousers that were easily washed were essential. You always got mucky whatever the activity, so light colours are out. I would wear something more akin to the first capsule. Even if you were just visiting a museum, you could anticipate that some child would spill their drinks, wipe sticky fingers on you or be sick on the bus.
Usually when an urgent need arises, I’ve ended up in hospital emergency departments in whatever I was wearing at the time. Whether that was work clothes, jeans or evening dress!
I was thinking of packing smart comfortable small wardrobe yesterday as my DH is having surgery in a large centre away from home soon. Excellent ideas here
Janice,
This modular format of two bottoms, two tops and two potential toppers ( shirt could be used either alone or as a topper) absolutely floats my boat ! For a longer trip I would add another 6 garments in colors that are interchangeable with the first one, using a different core neutral . Love, love, love !
Shrebee – That’s how I use the Whatever’s Clean 13 template. I include one button down shirt in each middle section of tops (either sleeveless, short sleeve or long sleeve), and will put a pair of jeans or khakis as the 13th piece if not already included in either of the two groups of 6 garments bottoms. This method has worked extremely well me for vacation/travel packing for many years now!
This is great. Totally in love with the first capsule, though usually I like more color, I could pull all this together. Wonderful ideas! The only traveling in my foreseeable future will be later in fall when son graduates Air Force Academy. hmm Texas in the fall……..a four day trip?
Janice,
I want to take a moment to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate your blog. Of course not every wardrobe suits me, but even then I gain some morsel I can use. It might be building a small cluster for packing like today’s post or finding a new source for earrings. I hope you know you are beloved by so many! Thank you for all you do.
Cindy- You put it into the exact right words. TVF is a perfect resource. Janice IS loved and appreciated!
Thank you – I don’t know how I would manage right now without the kindness and friendship you all share with me!
love,
Janice
Great idea, this post! My most likely urgent-need candidate is an unexpected trip to my aging parent’s home, which is in a very hot climate an airplane ride away. I usually need casual/cool for day and nicer outfits for appointments or dinner. I’ve been taking the time, following my last few trips, to “hindsight” my outfit selection so I can be more efficient in packing the next time (or just grab the same things in a hurry).
I’m finding a trend for a 5-day trip: I use 3 shorts, 3 pants, 1 dress, 6 tops, 1 layering. If I go longer, I really just need more tops. I bet that count sounds pretty familiar – lines up somewhat with your posts! I’m learning …
These posts are so helpful for me! The templates really work for me. When I look at my clothes now, I see them in little groups like this. I love the group with vintage plum and neon thistle. Such pretty colors!
Thank you Janice for all the work you do on these! I sincerely appreciate your eye for detail and the functionality behind all of these choices.
Have a wonderful day!
Short notice trips for me mean helping out with grandchildren (good shopping available where they live, if I need it) or helping my aged mother (in a small town without even a decent grocery store). I always travel by car; space is not an issue. I just choose outfits for the expected length of time, plus a couple of extra tops. Patterns are (mostly) reserved for t-shirts or blouses, which makes dressing out of a suitcase very easy. Janice, your advice has helped me narrow my color choices so that I have lots of things that work together.
I second the admiration for the thistle/white/denim set, and would also offer up some love for the work set!
Little did I realise that I would have to put this into action so soon. When the call came on Friday to take a relative to the emergency department, I was in scruffy clothes from gardening.
A quick change into the teal blue trousers and grey/turquoise floral top I wore on Thursday, turquoise bead necklace and bracelet, grey cardigan and grey raincoat with gloves for driving home later. The great thing was that I didn’t need to waste time thinking about my outfit. This is the invaluable lesson I’ve learnt from following TVF because my clothes now mix and match easily.
Fortunately, the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked. So my likely emergencies are local but if I needed to travel to my relatives up North, I know that thanks to Janice I could quickly whip a small travel wardrobe into shape.
Bless you, Janice for helping us to look ‘put together’ in all of lifes ups and downs.
Hi Janice! My go-to grab clothes would be anything in black and white, with a pink (or peach) accent thrown in.
If I have to be ready for a trip in •ten• minutes, the scenario is not good. I’m with linda p, it’s going to be black on the bottom in a weight suited to the destination. Tops I can wash and dry in my room overnight, and my iPod kept loaded with audiobooks and podcasts for long waits. If you are in a waiting room, for example, reading on a phone is no fun.
The beauty of your capsule approach is that we need not be panicked about a short, nearly-impromptu getaway, the fun kind of last-minute trip.
I do not know how you come up with all your wonderful combinations and I thought I was reading your blog for entertainment. Until I got the call Mom had fallen broke her hip, could I go to the emergency room. I did not have to wonder what to wear, I just went to the closet and picked slacks, a bright tee and an over blouse. Casual but closed toe shoes that are comfortable for long periods of time, my feet are always cold in AC. We only live an hour apart but it made me feel in control day after day when I repeated this routine. It is now day 4 and I realize I got an education along with the entertainment from your blog. Keep it up you are appreciated by so many.
Hello Janice,
I just wanted to say that I enjoy your blogs. I used to buy so many things, especially tops on impulse, and ended up with the I’ve got nothing to wear conundrum. Too many prints that didn’t coordinate with much, so always fell back on blue jeans. This also leads to overpacking for a vacation. Your groupings are so helpful,