August 16, 2021
Ah, let’s continue to ponder what essentials we might want in our warm weather wardrobes!
Many of us are going back to our offices – reluctantly, I might add. If you’re like most women, you find the office to be bitterly cold, and then when you walk outdoors you melt immediately! So a 2nd layer is essential to stay warm indoors, while something relatively light and cool underneath is important to be able to survive the commute, or the walk to lunch…
This might do the trick!
Cardigan – J.Crew; earrings – Nordstrom; ponte knit dress – Lands’ End; bracelet – Smilla Brav; sandals – Gentle Souls by Kenneth Cole
One of the many beauties of the cardigan above is that it could easily be worn through the winter with something heavier underneath…
This next cardigan, on the other hand, is pretty strictly a hot-weather garment:
When you have your core of neutral cardigan and pants (or skirt!), you can add any accent color and accessories that you want, and be ready to get down to business in no time:
Earrings – Alex And Ani; azalea cotton shell – L.L.Bean; scarf – Arshys; black cropped pants – J.Crew; cotton and linen cardigan – Eileen Fisher; ballet flats – FitFlop
No, your outfit does NOT have to have high contrasts to be beautiful…
Blue moonlight tank – Caslon; blue agate earrings – VUE by SEK; soft indigo cardigan – L.L.Bean; indigo slate pants – L.L.Bean; ballet flats – Lucky Brand
Let’s look at another Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, just for fun, and for ideas!
Cream layering tank – L.L.Bean; pink chintz top – Halogen; green dune top – Caslon; yellow-ivory floral top – Caslon; sand linen shirt – Majestic Filatures; cardigan – L.L.Bean; weathered rose tee – J.Crew; warm taupe tee – J.Crew; burlap-color linen pants – L.L.Bean; rust print top – Nordstrom; sandbar shorts – L.L.Bean; sandbar canvas jeans – L.L.Bean; dress – BB Dakota by Steve Madden
This is for a heroine who loves warm tones, and soft accent colors…
Although it’s pretty obvious that the Northern Hemisphere heroines should have their summer wardrobes well established, it’s never a bad idea to check on what’s getting immensely marked down…
There will be another summer, sooner than you can imagine!
love,
Janice
p.s. Just 2 years ago, I had some Chic Sighting of polka dots! I still want to dance when I hear the name “polka” dots… And yes, I still have this outfit!
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The cream cardigan with navy trim has a sporting or nautical vibe about it. Great for watching cricket, rowing, horse racing, tennis….
I love the idea of including a WTW capsule, so it is easy to see how an individual garment would work with different outfits.
The soft indigo and blue outfit is divine. Just the direction that I’m going in.
I’m looking for a soft brown cardigan or jumper to wear in the autumn.
The collections with lower contrast colors always appeal to me. I don’t necessarily dress like that – but I’m learning to. I LOVE looking at them. Makes me feel calm and relaxed. Thank you sharing Janice!
I thrift for sport, so I’ve been hunting down part of my wardrobe that way. A light summer cardigan is on my current thrift list.
I have to say, focusing on capsules makes any kind of shopping easier, but it is revelatory when thrifting. I can go straight to the right colors, just skipping over anything that doesn’t fit into the capsule.
I know I’m going to have to alter pretty much anything I buy. (If you take up thrifting as a hobby, you better learn how to do basic hacks like hemming and taking in seams.) But since I started focusing on a smaller palette, I’m not tempted to bring home projects I’ll never get around to. My new question is, “Will I get at least 5 years out of this if I do the necessary alterations?,” which means I’m even more focused on quality pieces.
Thank you again for all the work you’ve put into this site. I’m learning so much!
I absolutely love the phrase “thrift for sport”!!! I fall into that category too, having an income that allows for mid-point fashion, but an aversion to paying retail and worrying I’ll damage it/not like it. I can wear higher end pieces on a lower end budget, and not live in fear of damaging a piece that cost pennies on the dollar.
Nice capsules. I like the soft colors. I went to the throw back post on polka dots. Then I went to it’s throw back post about a jeans capsule inspired by Picasso. It was perfect inspiration for my fall shopping.
I love that white Eileen Fisher linen & cotton cardigan. I have a white polyester cardigan 3/4 sleeve lacy knit that’s really showing it’s age. I need to go looking for something like the EF on summer clearance sales. I will buy anything in cotton or linen but no more polyester- it was a stop gap I could afford then and it is a workhorse item from spring through fall. (I wear white after September 1)
Great reminder to shop for next summer. These capsule wardrobes are good for reminding me of gaps I should try to fill for next summer. Thank you Janice!
Like beth t I’m drawn to the indigo blues and I love the soft dusty end of summer shades in the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe. That navy dress is beautiful.
Eileen Fisher’s website is having a clearance sale… I really shouldn’t send you there because I don’t get a commission from them, but I’m more interested that you get the right cardigan!
hugs,
Janice
Ladies, I loved the Navy blue and ivory the most! Just gorgeous!! Thank you Janice!!
Hi I am new here. Came across your 2014 START FROM SCRATCH capsule wardrope. I have read all through it and it’s been one of the best ways to put a capsule wardrope together I have come across. !!!! Now with so many post since then do you still subscribe to that way of putting a capsule wardrope together?Also where do I go from here? I dont think I be able to read all the post from 2014 to now.?
I still think it’s a good starting point for those who need to really begin at the beginning! From there, you can just live with that wardrobe, or move into a Project 333 wardrobe, or start adding accent colors using French (ahem, not really French, but…) 5-Piece Wardrobes, or you can set your own target number of garments and work toward that.
Or you can wear what you have until you have a legitimate NEED for something, or you have really truly SERIOUS attraction to something… Not just something that turns your head – you’re holding out for things that you adore, that you will cheerfully wear at least twice a week, and that you will mend when it starts to wear out because you love it so much.
No more wardrobe compromising! is my new motto….
Join in the discussions Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the end of my posts – the readers here have a ton of good ideas and suggestions.
hugs,
Janice
Thank you so much. I am trying only to buy from more eco friendly brands and since I discovered &Other Stories I am trying really hard to buy stuff that works with what I have. My favourite colours are blue cream beige tan brown and a little soft green and white.