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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Transition: Whatever’s Clean shifts from Summer to Autumn, in Beige and Green

Hypothesis:  You've had a lot of success with a small "Whatever's Clean" wardrobe, and you'd like to be able to make a seamless transition to cooler weather.

First off, shorts and sleeveless tops just feel wrong when school starts and the calendar rolls over to September.  So these would be the first three items to phase out.  

[/caption] In October, it might be time to give up linen pants and your simple white tee shirt.  

[/caption]   For November, these three are ready for a break:

[/caption] But of course you don't HAVE to put the nine replaced garments away - they'll still work well for layering.  Except the shorts - accept that most of us can only wear shorts in November in the ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Planning for a New Season, and learning from success

Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments.  Building on my summer successes, if you will.

First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY.  The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:

So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this!  A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post

Packing for an Emergency from Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 – warm weather

Realistically, Project 333 makes packing a snap - you don't have terribly much from which to choose, and if your garments were wisely chosen, most of them should go together pretty well.  But I always find it comforting to have a plan in mind, when those phone calls arrive.  I've had a few near misses recently with having to travel at the last minute, so I'm happy to have the following plan for the balance of the warm weather.   Travelling for me almost always involves flying - my relatives are scattered about the planet. Even on the hottest summer days, airplanes are cold (it's always WAAAY below zero at 35,000 feet), so a cardigan, a light wrap, and SENSIBLE shoes are always appropriate.

  In these clothes, I ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 continues, with 3 substitutions

July 11, 2013  

Now that I'm home during the day, I've found that I don't need to dress like a serious business executive all of the time, and I'm able to indulge my fondness for ballet-ish garments, and a lot of dark neutral colors.  I find that being able to have a simple, monochromatic wardrobe makes sense for me...   This month's additions: the most excellent Preloved tee shirt that I bought in Toronto, a charcoal tank top from Eileen Fisher, and a pair of black skirted leggings.  You either LOVE, or HATE, skirted leggings.  I've found that I love them - they're comfortable, flattering, and just unusual enough that they make me happy.  

  This was what I was using for Project 333.  I ... View the Post

Packing from the 333 Capsule Wardrobe, with a few essential deviations from the system

Belovedest and I are off to Toronto for a long weekend of rugby and rest.  I packed pretty easily from the Project 333, except I had to jump ship for the rugby match - nothing but jeans and a jersey will really be appropriate!So I hauled everything out and assembled it on my nifty hanging rack:

The obnoxious plaid thing is my pajamas... Far left is my black jacket - I might wear it on the plane, or pack it, depending on what the weather does.   Then you can see my jeans, and my rugby jersey, and then my sweaters and scarves, tee shirts, and pants.

Everything lays out like this:

  It is quite a bit more clothing that I would normally pack for 3 nights, but the rugby match requires very special garments, and the way ... View the Post

Integrating a scarf into A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Hermes Coup de Fouet

June 11, 2013   So one of you recently purchased a very beautiful scarf, and now you're feeling.... stuck? unsure?  It's a common situation, and one that's pretty simple to remedy.  

 

This is the lovely object in question, entitled "Crack of the Whip". Striking graphics, and an unexpected juxtaposition of yellow in the middle of the purples and blues - those Hermes people are good... First thing you have to isolate is what color or colors drew you into this scarf? If it was the turquoise, for example, you might find that you already own the following items, to complement your scarf.

  Further, let's assume that you own some version of The Common Wardrobe, a couple of simple dresses, and a ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: The Uniform gets MORE Uniform

I may have mentioned recently that I had problems with the striped tee shirt that I had included in my spring and summer project 333.  Bottom line - I didn't try it on when I was pulling summer clothes out of storage, and I found that it fit poorly when I finally went to wear it.  I blame weight lifting...So one swap I've made is to donate the shirt that is now so unflattering, and replace it with a looser striped tee shirt that's designed to layer over things - in my wardrobe that will be tank tops or a simple dress. 

More and more, I find that I'm very happy wearing monochromatic outfits - everything black and grey is starting to suit me well. I particularly found my green tee shirt to be... awkward - mentally. ... View the Post

One Dress – 6 Ways, in Navy and Pink

May 28, 2013  

let's revisit our friend who had the navy and pink Common Wardrobe.  Her accessories look kind of like this:

Striped scarf - Missoni, navy sandals - John Lewis, square patterned scarf - Dareen Hakim, bracelet - Luv Aj, Pink quartz earrings - Fantasy Jewelry Box, pink necklace - J. Crew,pink watch - Radley, tote bag - Jack Wills, navy linen scarf - Isola Marras, white sandals -Hotter, pink scarf - Faliero Sarti,  silk bracelet - Brooks Brothers, Hermes Passementerie scarf - vintage , navy penny loafers - Bass, pink flats - Sperry Top-Sider, pink socks - Bank, pink argyle socks - Chrissy's     Since this friend is ... View the Post

Part 2, Accessories Step by Step: Khaki and Green

May 26, 2013  

Just as a reminder, these are the additional accessories that we haven't discussed yet:

Bandanna - Jacob Cohen, watch - Wewood, star scarf - Dianora Salviati, green earrings- Nan Fusco, bracelet - Chan Luu, striped scarf - Faliero Sarti, necklace - Seta di Jaipur

Picking patterned scarves is exponentially more difficult than working with solid scarves, but for this wardrobe I've stuck with the simplest solution - scarves that combine the two or three main colors of the wardrobe.  As a reminder, the adjectives I was keeping in mind while searching for accessories included natural, organic, lineny, matte textured, and relaxed.

A bandanna seems obvious, but this one, ... View the Post

Common Capsule Wardrobe Accessories, step by step: Khaki and Green

May 26, 2013  

  white scarf - Sperry Top-Sider, green striped scarf - Faliero Sarti, starry scarf - Dianora Salviati, solid green scarf - Kin by John Lewis, two-toned bandanna - Jacob Cohen, green earrings - Nan Fusco, solid beige scarf - Valentino, watch - Wewood, necklace - Seta di Jaipur, striped flats - Keds, sunglasses - Oliver Peoples, sandals - Massimo Dutti, bag - Georgina Skalidi, green sandals - Diba

Okay, the above shows the accessories that I would choose if I were going to have the following green and khaki Common Capsule Wardrobe for this summer.

all clothes - L.L.Bean Right away, you can see a sort of harmony between these ... View the Post

Black, White and Pink – expanding on a core wardrobe

  May 24, 2013

 

Let's go back and visit our friend who loves black, white and pink.  She has a black suit - remember?  and I suspect that she has a simple black sweater to wear with her black cardigan.  And she wouldn't be a real lover of pink if she doesn't have a pretty pink blouse. Since she owns black pants, a pair of black loafers would certainly be included. So she has a core of items looking kind of like this:  

White cardigan - Rag & Bone, black blazer, skirt and pants - Mango, pink cardigan - J. Crew, black cardigan - J. Crew,  black sleeveless sweater - J. Crew, sunglasses - Ray-Bans, pink silk blouse - J. Crew, ring - Baccarat, black ... View the Post