August 16, 2023
A Calming Presence
That’s how she’s been described, and she’s happy with that. For years, she has worked toward being a mature and reassuring woman… If you want a “grown-up” in the room, she’s what you need.
At work, she always wears a dress or skirt under her robes; nobody would know, but she feels that it’s all a part of her demeanor…
So even when she travels, she sticks to her classic clothing preferences, accented with timelessly elegant accessories:
Scarf – Aspinal of London; pink amethyst earrings – Gemondo; linen shirt – J.Crew; cardigan – Nordstrom; bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; loafers – Birdies; bag – Royce; pants – J.Crew
Often, she is the only person in the room wearing a skirt or dress. She doesn’t mind; she feels comfortable, and authentically herself! THAT is what real style is all about…
Navy crewneck sweater – J.Crew; morganite earrings – Tiara; freshwater pearls – Shar Oke; drop earrings – The Met Store; peachskin sweater – Boden; velvet plum heather cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; scarf – Etro; pleated skirt – Boden; washable wool dress – Lands’ End; flannel shirt – Orvis; oval pendant – Latelita; ballet flats –Aquatalia; slingbacks – Franco Sarto; floral bag – Richa Sharma
She fully understands that there may not be another woman in the world who would dress this way. Maybe that’s as it should be!
Her wardrobe is not without a bit of variety, and a range of moods. But it’s essential to her that the variety is something she has chosen, and that the moods are HER moods…
She is fascinated to watch other people, and to note that you never see 2 people dressed alike (unless it’s on purpose!).
That is how it should be.
love,
Janice
p.s. Nine years ago (eek!), we looked at the possibilities of a Four by Four wardrobe in brown, grey, green and gold. It stands up to the passage of time!
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What a wonderful concept! Although I need more contrast in my colors, the choice of pieces and overall mood strike a chord. Very useful!
What a pretty wardrobe. The bracelet and that square bag are just amazing.
I’m often the only one in the room wearing a skirt and, like today’s heroine, it doesn’t fizz me. Viva la difference!
This is a feminine capsule with the accent colours earning their keep by softening the dark neutral. The lavender and purple garments are especially calling to me. The dress is lovely and versatile but I’m wondering how well the sleeves would lay down/hide under a cardigan.
I had the same thought about layering over that dress. I am a layering person living in a layering climate, so I always ask myself whether I want the top to be a stand-alone piece or if I want to be able to layer over it because the sleeves that look interesting and are comfortable as a stand-alone piece don’t always work under another layer. Sometimes the sleeves are just too wide or voluminous to actually fit well into the sleeve of the topper layer, and sometimes there is that unfortunate bump/line under the cardigan sleeve where the short sleeve ends. It’s hard to tell from the photos but it certainly looks like this dress could fall into the category of “doesn’t play nicely with topper layers,” especially with tighter or unstructured sleeves like a classic cardigan has!
I believe this is the reason for the enduring popularity of the sleeveless sheath dress – no sleeves makes layering over it extremely easy. I find that long sleeves are also generally easier for layering over than short sleeves. The structured short-sleeved dress that looks equally good as a stand-alone piece and layered over with a topper that fits tightly on the arms is a bit of a holy grail.
My problem with sleeves is that I have shoulders like a linebacker and I know that Lands End doesn’t cut to fit them (Laura Ashley is probably the worst for broad-shouldered women, though). I have a similar problem with tailored shirts. Knits are much safer, because they stretch. But the overall look of this one is very much my style, with tiny tweaks: besides taking a sleeveless dress, as Sally suggests, I’d swap the slingbacks for a lug-sole shoe like the purple loafers from the last post, and have a plainer handbag with a shoulder strap. This is very close to my usual packing template: 2-3 more tops plus a raincoat and I’d be good for a month.
Sleeveless much easier to go over and the right top can go under as well. I find that tee shirt fabric dresses with sleeves can often be layered, I think it’s the softness of the fabric. This would be a lovely travel wardrobe. I agree that the lug sole purple loafers would be perfect. I have black ones and burgundy ones that are similar. They are so comfy for walking!! I don’t do platforms but agree with Dame, these are not. As always I glean much information from Janice and fellow readers. Thank you all.
I love the pretty lavender with the navy and it would work with my cooler skin tone but I would choose a more blue based pink for myself as peach is too warm and makes me look washed out.
As I get older I rarely were dresses/skirts except on special occasions and then they are below knee length. I have health reasons for doing so.
I don’t believe a dress makes a woman appear any more ‘grown up’ or ‘feminine’ than a well tailored pair of trousers.
I’m with you on the pink needing to be more a pale rose with a blue base. The lavender and navy are a favourite combination for me.
This color scheme is very appealing, although none of them are colors I wear frequently. I must think on this.
Also, unlike what a previous commenter said, I used to exclusively wear pants, and in the last several years, I’ve tended to wear more and more dresses, for health reasons and general ease of dressing. Iv’e been contemplating building a capsule around dresses for fall, and what that would look like for me. The possibilities for layering seem huge.
I love this wardrobe! The colors are in my wheelhouse, and I like to wear skirts and dresses – especially in the summer, but also with tights in the winter. Lovely bracelet, too.
So interesting…the bold stackable bracelets with sodalite and a sea glass focal had my mind going in a very different direction than this ladylike, rather old-school capsule! I was envisioning a lot of blue denim and blush pink livened up with varying intensities of purple and a good amount of silver metallic jewelry and footwear. Just goes to show how one inspiration piece can be interpreted in so many ways!
Absolutely love these colors and the bracelet. I would wear all of these! Just what I needed to knock me out of the wardrobe doldrums. I would still love a post on bridging the seasons though. Funny/odd story- I once worked with a mature male executive who was markedly friendlier when I wore a dress or a skirt. We tended to get coffee at the same time each day. When wearing pants, I got a short but polite good morning. Dress or skirt days got a 5 minute friendly chat. I even had female colleagues observe to show I wasn’t imagining things. It didn’t affect any other behavior so no issues at work but it proved to me how clothing can influence how people interact with you. I love dresses and skirts, but as I age and my body changes it seems to be harder to find dresses I like to fit my current lifestyle. The ease and comfort of pants tends to win.
I like the way this looks so pulled together, but would need a bit of denim to make it lighter (and more casual, especially the shoes).
And Elsie, I hear you in addressing wardrobe transitions, in my case is due to weight changes. I finally (and not purposely) came back to my pre-pregnancy weight after almost 4 years. I’m even a bit thiner. And it’s like hurray in the one hand and oh-no in the other. I was very careful in having a tidy wardrobe to suit my work and leisure time with my in-between size, and I loved it! Now, most of those things look like my cousin (not to say the dead) was bigger. Add to that the mistake of opening a stored bag of clothes from my pre mom life… I know someone commented regrets on getting rid of everything when a change weight comes (Beth T maybe?), but for me it has been even more frustrating because some items I loved didn’t look good anymore and most colors and things I I got tired of. Around 10 items were good to find they fit again, but the rest is just a no-go. I’ve been thinking now on what to do, because I tried blending the two (old and new wardrobes) and it just feels like a mess. So after viewing the last post, the one thing I know is that I want a simpler wardrobe (heck, a total do-over would be the thing, but I’m too conscious and not too rich). I figure the following steps are: 1. clearing out everything that doesn’t fit or is not in good condition. 2. Review everything that does carefully. 3. See what’s missing (if anything, but I’m almost sure at least a cardigan and a new pair of pants will be needed).
Thank you Janice and all readers for the wardrobe-therapy session! I feel better just by letting it out. Any suggestions will be appreciated :)
Cheers and blessings!
I think you are right on the money with those three steps. Then you can fill any emergency holes and then if I were you I would take your time to see what you want now. If you want to use certain colors, neutrals, or textures then you can.
Thanks Kristi!! That’s the thing, taking the time and enjoy the ride! With Janice and the TVF readers is way easier.
Super excited to see this color wheel. It is probably the closest to my color scheme of any recent posts. I don’t wear the blush except as an accent in shoes or bag and it wears like a neutral. I love dresses in the summer; super easy. They transition into fall with a denim jacket or a sweater and changing into suede sandals.
This post is a winner as far as I am concerned as navy and purple are my core colors. And I am struck by how much positively it evoked in the comments. I wonder if colors bring out different moods, even in Janice’s posts and our responses. Do some colors bring on more analytical responses, for example? This post seems to evoke less analysis and more ???
Wardrobe therapy is a good thing! But beware that wardrobe tinkering never seems to end–at least for me. And I agree that silver jewelry and shoes can liven up navy and purple. I also agree about the cute purple shoes with lug soles. Need to check those out. And, I agree that some denim in different washes would be good.
Happy week to all.
Yes, you are right – some colors provoke more response than others! I also agree that my own wardrobe tinkering never seem to end. Always a work in progress.
I am wearing a navy t-shirt and purple skirt today! Add grey and white as neutrals and tan shoes, and these are my fall colors. I like plum rather than lavender, but I love the blush. It looks great with so many things.
I looked at these and my eye was drawn to the Prussian blue stones. I’m favouring that and light navy over a dark navy. Lilac and pink look lovely with those dark blues.
Arwen, you do have a plan that sounds good. I would suggest that before you buy anything, window shop. Make a wish list. Let it simmer for a while. I remember reading Secrets of Charm years ago and loving the wardrobe plan it contained because you built it over 2 years and then refreshed as needed. I am sort of combining that with Janice’s 12 month art capsule to get a refresh plan on paper. I hope you are able to put together a new wardrobe that you love. Good luck with it!
This is so pretty! Perfect for a more formal office situation. I work in a super casual office environment. Which is great since I don’t have to have both a work and casual wardrobe!