October 25, 2021
When I first wrote out this list, I was picturing that this week would feature really nice wool pants, or maybe a ponte knit if wool isn’t your thing. Something that could span the “dressy to casual” spectrum with ease…
HA! Such things are almost impossible to find these days. And by the time I find a pair of that doesn’t cost $1,400, comes in sizes larger than 8, and has photographs in which the model isn’t hang gliding over the Great Wall of China – well, they’re just ugly.
So, for our wardrobing visuals I’m using more corduroy…
But I MUST tell you about Red Thread. www.redthreadcollection.com
There are no sizes here – you take a couple of photographs of yourself (don’t worry, their system walks you through EVERYTHING, and your phone will take the photos BY ITSELF when you follow their instructions). They are able, using your photographs, to find your perfect measurements for clothes. Honestly!
I was, as you can imagine, skeptical, but I ordered a pair of their narrow black pants. They’re styled kind of like ski pants, with seams up the front and back of the legs, and 2 zippered pockets.
AND THEY ARE MARVELOUS. I just ordered a pair of wide-leg ones; I’m very optimistic.
Seriously, I now wear these pants every week for at least 2 or 3 days. Since I’m indoors with my mom most of the time, I need something washable, comfortable, but still flattering.
These babies pop out of our front-load washing machine without a wrinkle. Hang ’til dry and wear again the next day.
I don’t get a commission from Red Thread, but if you all are able to find pants (yes, right now they only come in black, but if this company is successful they will certain expand that) that you love, I will be happy!
AND – I just now got a note from the Red Thread people – they’re offering all of you a 20% discount on your first purchase! Use the discount code janice20 when you check out and your discount will be applied!
How nice is that?
NOW… On to some cool outfits!
Why NOT wear a pink hat?
Heather pecan sweater – J.Crew; bubblegum pink hat – Colorful Standard; sunglasses – Ray-Ban; sienna brick flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; vintage pine corduroy pants – J.Crew; boots – L.L.Bean
If you’re going to wear pants, wear yellow pants! For those among us who love yellow (and for whom our favorite neutral is navy, or brown, or gray) but don’t wear it near our faces, this is your answer:
Maybe you are the heroine who blends subtle neutrals – don’t forget the cool weather possibilities in a pair of ivory cords:
Grey cashmere sweater – J.Crew; Ivory corduroy pants – J.Crew; beret – Cole Haan; sunglasses – BP.; rich steel flannel shirt – Lands’ End; waterproof boots – UGG
But woman does not live by corduroy alone; there’s a world of knit pants out there (L.L.Bean carries them in a range of cuts) that are at least a couple of steps up from jeans…
Seafoam cotton sweater – Lands’ End; hat – Ted Baker; sunglasses – Ray-Ban; navy knit pants – L.L.Bean; seafoam teal flannel shirt – Lands’ End; boots – Fitflop
So what might a Weekly Timeless Wardrobe for Autumn look like if your neutral in navy, and you’re in the mood for a couple of bright accents?
White, navy and rich red tees – Lands’ End; navy striped tee – Caslon; bright blue Shetland sweater – Benetton; navy cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; white shirt – Lands’ End; plaid flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; blue corduroy shirtjacket – L.L.Bean; jeans – L.L.Bean; red trousers – Benetton; navy wool pants – J.Crew; navy skirt – J.Crew
This heroine works in retail, and being dressed brightly helps her be visible for customers, as well as making her feel cheerful as the days get shorter (and shorter, and SHORTER…)
I think that on Wednesday, I’m going to accessorize last week’s navy, cream and pink Common Wardrobe, and try to think of a way to standardize a list of accessories for each season. I’m still thinking that accessories are far too personal to make this work, but I continue to think!
love,
Janice
p.s. Three years ago, our heroine the new heiress decided to visit Ireland for a few days to think about maybe buying a home there… GOOD THINKING!
p.p.s. Another good thing about Red Thread – when your pants arrive, they come in a package that’s entirely recyclable, contains NO plastic, and is the size of…. a pair of pants! I feel better about buying things just knowing that I don’t have to find a way to dispose of 35 metric tons of styrofoam…
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There are family photos of me hiking in yellow cords in the 1970’s. You could certainly see me coming!
I wear a mix of grey, brown, navy, plum and teal for country walks.
I would like a grey and plum check shirt but haven’t found one yet as the trend is for long over shirts which come down to my knees and are too bulky to tuck in to trousers.
Oh I remember them well (not yours exactly). I went to the Isle of Arran, on the west coast of Scotland for a school trip in the early 1970’s and I had a photo taken of me wearing pink cord dungarees with a psychedelic white, pink & plum striped roll neck – very fetching!
Me too! Even then, purple cords w/a pink top!
And we looked so cool! I bought a 1970’s purple tweed effect cowl neck jumper in a vintage shop a few years ago. Took me straight back to the colourful 70’s.
Oh! I had a pair of purple velveteen bell bottoms. To be honest, I would wear a purple velveteen straight cut today for dressier events.
I love the fact that you also recommend things you don’t get commissions for, it makes your advice even more trustworthy :)
I have a pair of toffee coloured cords that fall into the yellow category without being quite so…yellow! They are surprisingly versatile. They work with navy really well, look good with burgundy, black, white and even some shades of grey. I love them because the go with so much of what I already have but add a fun twist. I like variety and I find some of the capsules a bit confining even though I love the principle. I have a mainly burgundy, grey, white and navy capsule which has made my wardrobe way more cohesive. But I like that there is room to splash out a bit with something out of the box and still make it work.
Yellow and grey are really pretty together.
Thanks for the red thread recommendation ?! I have the type of body where trying things on is a chore and I hardly ever buy online unless I know the brand well because I feel awful having to return things. I’ve been looking for something like red thread with my too broad shoulders for my small frame, and my curvy thighs that make pant sizing a pain.
Thank you for your assessment of dressy pants. Now I don’t feel so frustrated in my unsuccessful attempt to locate them. I think part of my problem is that I am looking for a specific soft blue gray. I think I will order a pair of corduroys Janice featured from LLBean (through her link of course).
I am so looking forward to Wednesday’s post!
I have several pair of the LLBean Perfect Fit Knit Cords and just love them.
Yay!! Thank you for the info, Sheila.
How fun to reminisce about what we wore in the 70’s. I have a photo of myself in a pair of turquoise corduroy bell bottoms that I wore at Disneyland in 1974. I loved those pants.
I love the Italian wool pants I got from Talbots a few years ago! It looks like they have a limited selection of Italian wool flannels this year, along with some velveteen. Of course, I have some beautiful lined wool pants in my closet, in sizes I no longer wear, that will be donated soon. Sigh.
Ann, don’t be in too much of a rush to get rid of them. Quality lined wool trousers are hard to find and even if you manage to find similar I bet they won’t be made as well and probably more expensive. These days, a good tailor can offer innovative solutions to make a garment fit, whether it is adding in cleverly hidden stretch panels or using two pairs to make one unique garment. I wish I hadn’t been so quick to discard a beautiful, soft as butter leather jacket because I didn’t know how to get it re-designed and fitted.
Good luck!
I completely sympathize with your frustration at trying to find a pair of trousers. Call me old-fashioned, but now that we are able to get out more, I want to wear something a little nicer than a pair of jeans or drawstring sweatpants. If the post-pandemic trend is comfort, surely it is possible to make trousers in fabrics that are comfortable too! Hopefully this is just a blip in the fashion world, and our choices will expand in future seasons.
I remember wearing purple hip hugger bell bottoms with a wide leather belt and a matching purple long sleeve boat neck blouse in the early 70’s. I remember thinking that this outfit was so “cool”. Today, especially at my age, I wouldn’t feel confident wearing red or yellow pants. I do like the camel, tan or wheat shades and I wear white during the summer months. Otherwise, its basic black, navy or grey for me.
I love the colorful pink/camel/pink outfit, though the seafoam/navy would fit more easily into my closet. Both my sister and my husband dislike the sound of corduroy, so I stay away from them, but I do like them very much.
The navy, white, red, and blue capsule is 100% up my alley. Today I’m wearing a navy/white striped long-sleeved T, navy skinny pants, and a blue/navy marl sleeveless cardigan/vest that could have come straight from that wardrobe.
I am an advocate of colored pants! They are so fun to wear and really help switch things up. If you already have built a good set of neutrals, colored pants will slip into your wardrobe more easily than you might think. And it’s clear that people love these cheerful pants…I probably get more compliments from bright pants than anything else I wear except scarves. (And this is absolutely NOT because I have such a perfect figure! I unapologetically wear a size 22W.)
Sally from St. Paul, We aren’t the same size but I still love how you “unapologetically” wear a size 22W!! Good for you!! Women should be proud of our bodies whatever size we are!! Yes, I have curves…I’m a women NOT a man or boy!!
P.S. I am VERY much looking forward to the accessories post/conversation. If nothing else, it will provide us a lot of food for thought!
Janice, I love the red, white and blue wardrobe!! I would change the red to burgandy for me!! I also change all the pants to skirts because I only wear skirts!! Love this wardrobe!! Really looking forward to your accessories post!! Thanks for all your hard work!!
Reading our recollections of 1970’s fashion, it seems to have been the decade we all wore purple!
Yes! I had a purple hot pants jumpsuit which my boyfriend was very enthusiastic about. Ah, youth!
What a timely timeless post! I lost 25+ pounds earlier this year and thought I’d get some new black trousers. I have a very casual, rural lifestyle so I’d wear them infrequently and want something washable and not overly expensive. I’ve had good luck with Uniqlo this year so just ordered a pair of their own brand plus a pair of their xTheory pants. The U ones are a smidge too tight across the front with pockets that gap, and the Theory ones have far too much fabric in the front/crotch area, which looks beyond ridiculous when sitting. I like the Lands Ends Starfish black “jeans” style, but they have no front pockets. And the cost of LL Bean clothes in Canada is prohibitive, esp for for the quality. I may have to stick with a good pair of black jeans, sigh.
Hi Becky, why don’t you have a look at Reitmans ‘black straight modern stretch’ pant. I have always found Reitmans to be good quality at reasonable prices, and a Canadian company.
Thanks, Michelle — I’ll do that!
I’ve been shopping at ThredUp.com; if you’re at all amenable to thrifting, it’s worth a look. I’ve purchased a pair of wool trousers, a wool skirt, and a silk skirt there, each for around $25. I narrow my search specifically to articles made of wool, cashmere, or silk, which weeds out the majority of fast fashion in favor of well-made clothes. Many YouTubers have first-time discount codes; I got 30% off my first order by using the code RACHEL (from Rachel Masky’s YouTube channel).
Ponte pants have been and still are a staple over at J Jill.
Yes, and another possibility is Universal Standard, which has the largest size range that I know of. I don’t wear ponte because it’s not very suitable for South Florida, but some of the pants look quite attractive.
I recommend Marks & Spencer – UK, US and Canada. Trousers/pants for all shapes and sizes plus different leg lengths. I wear the wide leg trousers.