August 5, 2022
I really like doing these monthly wardrobes in 3 posts, rather than 1 REALLY large post. You can imagine how much work goes into getting all six wardrobes ready, and I feel like taking my time over them gives me a chance to do a better job!
What do you think?
So let’s look at the glorious hydrangea scarf… I love hydrangeas – the mix of colors in the blossoms delights me! My phone wallpaper is a photograph of mixed pink and blue flowers… sigh…
Hydrangea modal/silk scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
A navy blazer. It just seems like something that someone who loves navy might want to consider – especially if this heroine likes classic, timeless styles…
And if you’re going to buy the blazer, buy the pants (and/or the skirt) while you’re at it. Yes, it’s a substantial additional expense, but at some point in your life, you might need a “real” suit…
The navy sweater should last for decades, and go with everything. All women who wear sweaters (and who aren’t allergic to cashmere) should own a beautiful sweater in their dark neutral!
Fedora – Madewell; navy blazer – J.Crew; brooch – CZ by Kenneth Jay Lane; cashmere sweater – J.Crew; scarf – Lazyjack Press; pants – J.Crew; boots – Eileen Fisher
Yes, the scarf is darker than any others that she owns, but it’s a lovely touch if this heroine were to wear the outfit as shown!
This wardrobe just makes me happy… 28 pieces of clothing doesn’t seem like very many, until you see them spread out like this!
Next month, we MUST get these ladies some necklaces!
As always, our heroines new clothes are going to be worn a lot!
Maybe she didn’t desperately need another pair of navy pants, but when you have the chance to get a true suit, it’s worth considering… I’m hearing from quite a few women who are required to re-interview when they get back to their office – not to keep their job, but more to give their employer a chance to make them nervous and remind them who’s in charge!
I imagine that our heroine will show up in a beautiful suit, exquisitely accessorized. No intimated works on her…
And finally, my treasured Tree of Life scarf. (PJ Studio Accessories GAVE me one – they’re a lovely company with which to work!)
This wardrobe has always been a little bit skimpy with the accent green, so this month I was thrilled to find that Marks & Spencer carries a few pieces in this color. When you can find a nice quality cashmere sweater in one of your accent colors, it’s time to readjust your budget!
(I was SO tempted to include green jeans in this wardrobe, but I chickened out at the last minute… it could still happen…) M&S calls this color “Spearmint,” if you want to search their site for the other garments they carry in this color…
Hat – Justine Hats; parrot brooch – Sonia Petroff; black shirt – Lands’ End; green cashmere cardigan – Autograph; scarf – Etro; boots – Dolce Vita; corduroy pants – Lands’ End
Yes, the scarf is a lifetime investment. Plan now to have it forever…
The range of colors in this wardrobe feels to me like more than 28 garments. I think this is what planning carefully gives us – a wardrobe greater than the sum of the parts. Worth the effort, at least for me!
Her hat makes everything else look snazzier!
I found that when I was finishing this last wardrobe, I was longing to be able to wear my black corduroy pants…
If I wear my wool dress for 100 days, I will have to wait until mid-December for my cords! And my velvet jeans!
That’s part of the goal of the dress project – what do you love, what can you wear every day, what do you miss when you aren’t wearing it, what don’t you miss AT ALL???
Maybe I should sit down and write out all of the clothes that I can remember that I have stored for autumn and winter. Anything that I don’t even REMEMBER might be a good candidate for donation…
love,
Janice
p.s. Four years ago, one of my favorite heroines (the tough negotiator!) has been invited to… something… nobody is sure if it’s business or leisure! She’s prepared…
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I’ve enjoyed looking at these wardrobes two at a time. It makes them easier to read and better able to appreciate the additions and developments.
Personally, I would use a light navy with the hydrangea scarf and not too much of it. I might have even used purple as the dark neutral. I can’t see ivory/white though it is useful in reserve. My accents would be pink, green and blue (similar to the chrysanthemum scarf that has grey as its neutral). The accent colours would sing and the navy would just fill the gaps. Navy is too heavy for me to wear on my top half unless it is the base for a pattern. Purple on the other hand looks great on me top or bottom…
Looking at the wardrobes, the ones that work best are those where the dominant neutral is no more than a third of the wardrobe.
Patterns – the only wardrobe that features them to any degree is the ginko wardrobe. The sampler wardrobe has a floral skirt. Patterns are so useful for tying a wardrobe together.
Yes to necklaces. Looking at the accessories, I would definitely include footwear and/or a bag in the accent colours just to lighten them up.
The Tree of Life has the most variety in colours for footwear. It bothers me that the chrysanthemum wardrobe wearer has to resort to black footwear. It irritates the heck out of me with my own wardrobe but grey/pewter/silver footwear can be found and looks so much better. It’s taken me a while because I have problem feet. I’d like to see some turquoise footwear with the ginko wardrobe. I can’t judge on the sampler wardrobe because there isn’t an overall accessories image.
I’m looking forward to next month and hope that you find some duck egg blue and necklaces. I’m always bothered by the way colours go in the winter and hope that there won’t be the predominance of black, mustard, dark green and rust that has ruled for the past few years. Particularly as I’m going to keep pastel colours going this autumn/winter.
With the UK facing a cost of living crisis, predicted high inflation and a recession, it will only be the rich who will be able to afford new clothes. I’ll.be shopping my wardrobe or replacing only essentials.
Great analysis, Beth T! I also thought the navy-based wardrobe is dominated by dark navy, and it makes the overall wardrobe look a little disjointed because there is so little connection between the light accent colors and the dark navy. I think adding some lighter shades of indigo and more chambray/denim would do wonders to counteract a wardrobe that is surprisingly dark and somber given the lightness of the scarf, and I would also like to see some print pieces that tie the navy/dark blue and accent colors together. Based on the color palette, this should be my favorite wardrobe, but it needs some lightness, more of the green (please!), and some prints to make it work for me. And there are so many navy pants – I would like to see a green skirt/pants and a pretty print skirt at a minimum.
I agree, Sallie, chambray and denim would work well.
Hi! I can’t seem to where navy well either but can purple. What do you wear with your purple? Now that I am graying my reds and deep olives don’t seem to work well.
If I were to write a list of clothes for autumn/winter or spring/summer, it would include some of my favourites that I wore when I was much younger and slimmer than I am now. I also regret getting rid of my larger size clothes in 2020 after I had determinedly lost a lot of weight. They would fit me now that I’ve regained it, but I can’t find replacements.
Lessons learnt – never throw anything out from your twenties onwards unless it is worn out. Clothes styles will always come back into fashion and your weight will fluctuate. Shopping your clothes is a cheaper option than buying new. Wearing vintage/retro and recycling clothes is vogue. Younger female relatives will think it cool that you still have original versions of current ‘on trend’ clothes – ‘Granny/Aunty Chic’.
Since Janice graciously supports sharing relevant links to other blogs, I recommend this post from Debbie Roes and the comments there which discusses the “when your clothes no longer fit you” dilemma and when to keep/donate them.
https://mywardrobemyself.com/2022/06/10/when-your-clothes-no-longer-fit-you/
Beth T, my mom has also donated things after weight loss that were lovely and in great condition, only to gain the weight back again and be faced with nothing to wear. It makes me wonder how much money is wasted by the common fantasy that weight loss will be permanent.
I think it makes perfect sense to keep the core of a well-made wardrobe in a few different sizes if you’ve already spent the money on it. And I say normalize altering and remaking clothes! Nicole Rudolph did a terrific YouTube video about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI2YQyD2roM
My strategy is:
1. Realize that most of us will gain and lose weight but always return to a weight that is “normal” for us. You are a worthwhile human being no matter what your weight is. (It helps if you internalize that the pressure for us to lose weight has nothing to do with health and everything to do with parting us from our money.)
2. Alter clothes as necessary to accommodate weight changes.
3. If you can no longer alter a piece without actually cutting it down, decide if it’s worth keeping. I’ll keep favorites and “core” pieces, but give away the rest. I curate my clothes pretty tightly, so I have plenty of room to store clothes that I’m not currently using.
Not everyone can use this strategy, especially those who don’t have time or knowledge of how to alter and don’t have money to pay a tailor. But altering your clothes makes them look so much better on you and allows you to get a lot more wear from them.
I enjoy the new format for the 6 Scarves. It allows me to savor my favorite post of the month. This month challenges me to step up my game in terms of quality. It is also teaching me that the value of committing to a particular aesthetic is the ability to consider buying nicer things.
And the parrot brooch!? Definitely reminds me of one of my favorite heroines— Mary Poppins and her parrot-handled umbrella.
There are parrot earrings too…
hugs,
Janice
I agree that at a certain point, it makes sense to split this post. We can appreciate the lessons when our eyes are not overwhelmed by too many new items. For hydrangea, a fast glance reads heavy on dark navy with too little light green yet the predominant colour in the scarf to my eyes is the green. However, this is very likely because of the retail world. If it isn’t easy to find, then the balance that beth t referenced is much harder to achieve. And with that, I love the pop of spearmint in tree of life. It has a lot of black, but the brown softens the look. My tastes run to lighter tones and unexpected colours as a neutral (like a soft dusty mustard), but the tree is a nice wardrobe for someone that can wear darks and enjoy them.
I haven’t seen the hydrangea scarf in person/up close, but I wonder if it might look nice with denim blues? Wearing it with chambray through dark wash denim would change the look and feel.
Absolutely agree that you should buy a jacket, skirt and trousers together, especially navy. It’s amazing how many shade of navy dye there are. I used to do this in my corporate days.
I love your wardrobes, but as I don’t wear scarves I struggle to introduce the lovely accents they bring. Any suggestions?
I’m a scarf lover, but when it’s too warm for scarves, I do love a print garment as an alternative way to tie neutrals and accent colors together. A multi-colored necklace (as long as it prominent enough to have an impact) is a nice option, too.
I absolutely agree w/what Beth T said in her first paragraph. Splitting them up made it much easier for me to see the individual wardrobes and I didn’t have to scroll up and down quite so many times! Love the addition of green to the Tree of Life wardrobe, which by and large has been a little dark to me. I’m starting to noodle around in the wardrobe to get ready for fall. Had a moment of panic the other day as I couldn’t readily see my golden yellow corduroy jacket and feared I might have gotten a wild hair and donated it (though I don’t know why I would as it’s been a staple for two years or more, but you never know w/me). AHA found it in my “overflow” closet in my sons’ room now he’s gone. I don’t think I”m up to wearing a dress for 100 days – as I rarely, rarely wear dresses because of my work in the stacks, but I am thinking I might try the 21 pieces for a month again. Last time I tried it I got derailed like the 2nd or 3rd day – I can’t remember if we had a sudden weather change or what, but almost nothing I had planned for the time period was going to work. I find myself going back to the scarf you had paired w/the olive the other day. That one MIGHT end up in my closet….. Thank you Janice!
It’s been a treat to wallow in a whole week of wardrobe building updates. :)
Remember me, afraid of green? I am building with Tree of Life and followed the building steps from my closet or cautious purchases. Of course, I get my most compliments from my green tops. Thank you Janice 🤗
This month I hear a tango with the parrot brooch, bringing brown and black together.
they have earrings too…
xoxo
I adore hats and bags (many me-made) but rarely wear them because my office is in my home. I’m putting a reminder note on my door!
Just wanted to chime back in with a thought regarding the wearing of true vintage and it may seem very odd coming from a woman that really loves vintage styles. If you have a very lovely and unique vintage item that if worn would be forever lost to future clothing historians, please consider having a reproduction made to wear and preserve the original. I own a divinely beautiful silk and beaded capelet that was passed on by a woman that used it for civil war reenactments. Problem is that the sun, body oil and elements when it was being worn have caused the silk to shatter. Had it not been worn and merely copied, this lovely Victorian garment would have been in a condition to be donated to a museum for future generations to study. I’m in a quandry as to how best to preserve it from further deterioration. The beading and ribbon trim are exquisite and deserve to be seen and copied. This echoes the way I feel about antique and vintage quilts. Preserve originals and make repros to use. Sorry for the soapbox, but historians are very passionate about preservation and education.
Really lovely and I also like 2 at a time. Much less up and down scrolling. I decided to gather all my white/light linen and really summery looking pieces and hang them together. I’m going to wear them through Labor Day. My thought is it will make me come up with some different combinations plus get at least one more wear out of them before fall. I don’t hold to the no white after Labor Day rule but some clothes just seem very summery and I’m ready for a change. Since I’m outside of Houston this has nothing to do with the weather! I have a few very old sweaters in cashmere or merino or wool blend. They get worn so rarely that I can’t see investing in more. The heaviest are used as coats. I’m more likely to invest in lovely silk or linen. Today I’m going to a celebration of life (much better than a funeral) we’ve been asked to wear bright colors. I have a hot pink linen shift dress that is 25 years old. I think it will be perfect!
If an employer wanted to re interview me just to see me get nervous and to remind me who is ‘in charge’ I’d be up and outta there like a shot! Don’t know about the USA but in Canada we are experiencing such a shortage of skilled workers (professional, technical,support and managers) that even dishwashers are getting $1,000.00 signing bonuses!! Believe me few employers are pushing buttons these days. Anyway that sounds like such an ‘80’s old school management thing along with wearing a navy suit! I was a clinical advisor and sat in on a lot of interviews for allied health professionals…nary a navy suit was seen in years…most applicants being in the late twenties-thirty-forty age groups. Knowing the sartorial louche ways of hospital types I spoke to my niece, a partner in a large law firm who confirmed that while modesty and slightly more conformity is expected it’s been awhile since she’s seen a full suit on a woman at an interview. Plenty of dresses with a jacket or well tailored trousers with a nice cardigan or non matchy jacket. Even in court she simply wears a dark dress or trousers under her gown. She reminded me (as millennials do) That ‘we are interviewing for what the person can potentially bring to our table not judging them on their clothing’!! The times..they are a changing’
I like to play “If someone gave me one of these capsules, which one would I pick?”. This month I’m going with the olive capsule. No elastic waistbands, voluminous pieces, just tailored classics. My favorite scarf is the Tree of Life. It’s a beautiful print in classic colors. The Moonlit Garden scarf is a close second. Both scarves are waaaay to large for me, however.
The hydrangea wardrobe’s colours work best for my colouring but, as someone else mentioned today, wearing a solid block of my dark neutral near my face washes me out.
The Tree of Life colours are wonderful – not for me – but I love the blend. Also, I enjoy the whimsy of having more than one parrot- themed accessory option. It rings true that you’ll have more than one item of your favourite design or critter. For me it would be elephants, owls and paisley (but not all together).
I love this new format of two scarf wardrobes at a time! It gives us more time to enjoy, savor, and analyze for inspiration. I’ve always thought these scarf wardrobes must be an overwhelming amount of work for one post!
I love the inclusion of hats. I am buying the navy one! More please.
Hi Janice, would love if you did put the Spearmint jeans in as I would like to see what you do with a slightly rogue item. I shop almost entirely at thrift stores and the cheaper price point means I’ll take a calculated risk more often and find I can combine with something else in my wardrobe. I think there would be more than three ways to combine them in the Tree of life wardrobe but I’m guessing you will come up with some different idea to what I would. Which is also the reason I visit the Vivienne Files, what will Janice do with this?
Julie in Melbourne
I’m also interested in seeing the spearmint jeans added in. Non-neutral bottoms are terrific but aren’t worn as frequently as a couple/few decades ago.
If M&S still has them next month, I will add them!
love,
Janice
I really love the navy blazer and pants! You were commenting on your love of hydrangeas, Janice. I have three lovely big bushes outside my front window. They are beautiful right now. You can swing by anytime and enjoy them (well I’m in the PNW, but if you’re ever in the area!). I did notice the Etro scarf is on a huge discount right now… I didn’t do the math, but maybe 40% off? Just in case anyone is thinking about it.
They ARE pricy, but they are every bit as glorious as anything Hermes has ever made; I have 2 Etro scarves that I bought for special occasions – 1 for our honeymoon – and they are truly objects to wear and treasure.
hugs,
Janice
Long time reader/lurker, delurking to say: Love the format of splitting up the scarves!
AND I love the navy wardrobe! I tried working with black for several years and it just wasn’t me. The navy wardrobe just suits me. (Ha ha ha)
Thanks!
Another vote for the 2 vs. 6 wardrobes at a time. So much easier to digest. It’s kind of like the difference between watching a show 1 or 2 episodes at a time vs. bingeing a whole season and then you can’t remember all the details because it was such a firehose of content. And I imagine it also makes it a lot easier for you and allows you to have multiple posts per week with the same amount of work as what would have been only 1 post. (I am a big believer in making life easier on oneself!!)
I LOVE seeing these as 3 smaller posts. It’s easier for you Janice but it’s easier to read, think about and absorb the little aspects of each that get lost when they are all together. By December if they are 1 each, I would enjoy them too.
I love seeing capsules that use colours I DON’T wear just as much as ones that seem tailored for me. I get to the core ideas behind why a capsule works or how it bends to fit an off beat heroine.
When it’s broken up, that’s easier to observe the little details.
That said, the navy wardrobe has grabbed me, and it’s another one I could step right into. Love the hat. I’m not a hat person but it injected something special into that capsule. A glimpse of the person behind the capsule.
Re the 100 day dress challenge listing what you miss sounds like a great benefit. I’m thinking of a smaller project 333 for fall and I want to box up the off season extras out of my view just to see what happens.
The website for the dress has some really lovely merino knit pieces in some beautiful colours- I’m thinking about buying a couple of their tops and a cardigan to add to my fall & winter things.
Love these smaller scarf posts, and especially todays. Thanx Janice!
Hi! I can’t seem to where navy well either but can purple. What do you wear with your purple? Now that I am graying my reds and deep olives don’t seem to work well.
I really enjoy the 12 months post split like this, it’s much easier to take time to look through and think about them.
It’s taken me a minute, but I finally got the hat for the August set… I will catch up, eventually, lol
https://sewrandom.blogspot.com/2023/02/start-with-scarf-2022-august-set.html