Weekly Timeless Wardrobe Archives - Page 10 of 12

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 29: A Light Neutral Tee shirt

January 20, 2020

If black tee shirts are the backbone of my winter wardrobe, then white ones are the warm-weather backbone!

Seriously, for those days when you just need clarity, simplicity, and a feeling of freshness, nothing's better than starting with a white shirt of your desired style, coupled with your dark neutral pants or jeans, and a snazzy cardigan to brighten up the world...

These tee shirts can be real life-savers when you travel; after I'm through packing, I will often tuck another tee or 2 into my bag...

There's frankly not a lot of variety in the world of light neutrals - grey, white, ivory, and pale pink are the colors that come to my mind. Maybe camel, if your lightest neutral isn't exactly ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 28: A Dark Neutral Tee shirt

January 13, 2020

Ah, now we're going to look at a garment that I consider to be the unsung hero of about half of my outfits...

This is that shirt for the days when you want to wear the snazzy sweater or jacket!

If you're working around a scarf as your unifying theme, her are some suggestions of what this color might be...

The following outfits are going to look VERY familiar - they all include the same pants as the outfits from last Monday, as well as at least some of the accessories. But for these outfits, I've shifted to location of the accent color from the tee shirt to the cardigan. It's a sort of "theme and variations" way to get dressed...

Never discount the fun of having an accent-color ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 27: An Accent Tee shirt

January 6, 2020

It's time for some brightness!

Especially if you have a scarf that you want to wear more often, this is a good time of year to start looking for tee shirts in a variety of colors; they seem to have arrived in a lot of places the first week of the year!

For example...

A fast way to inject some new possibilities into your core wardrobe of neutrals in an accent tee shirt along with 1 or 2 other accessories in that same color. Earrings are obvious, scarves are my favorite, and don't forget the possibilities of accent socks!

Speaking of socks - be alert when you're buying them; there are all SORTS of weird things out there right now:

mesh socks, which in my day would have been considered "knee-high ... View the Post

What Does a Winter Capsule Wardrobe Look Like? 3 Ideas, Starting with Art!

December 30, 2019

Ah, before we dive in, I have a few observations that I want to share:

Winter clothes are flying out of store - it wasn't at all easy to find these garments for these wardrobes! If you need something, start looking now. L.L.Bean still has a full assortment of sweaters and warm pants, but most other places are running out of sizes/colors even as I type. NOW I remember why I started this project before the season had even really started! By the same token, if you need specific things for warmer weather, be prepared to start looking by the end of January. It's weird, but it's the way the retail world seems to want us to shop... Lots of garments are currently sporting a "puffy sleeve" thing - especially at the ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 26: A Warm Dress

December 23, 2019

The last garment for winter! I know that I plan these wardrobes to be forward-thinking; the best clothes are always in the stores long before a normal person could wear them (unless they're traveling). But this seems early, even to me!

Next Monday I'm going to show a couple of "what a Weekly Timeless Wardrobe might look like" options, and then in January we will plunge back in and start getting our wardrobes ready for the advent of Spring...

Scarf update - my Aspinal of London scarf arrived, and I'm VERY pleased with the quality. These scarves cost literally 36% of what an Hermes scarf costs! Yes, there are differences. Yes, they're a bit thinner, and then hems aren't hand-stitched. BUT STILL... It's a beautiful ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 25: A Warm Mid-Calf Skirt

December 16, 2019

Yes, it was just about zero degrees Fahrenheit, and I had a job interview. Back in the day when YOU WORE A SKIRT - preferably a suit - to an interview.

Mid-calf wool for the win! The skirt was lined, the tights were wool, the socks were silk, the boots were too dressy to be really warm, but they worked...

So now, for me, it's a staple. On normal winter days, this can be a fun way to be dressy without being "dressy." If you can follow that bit of linguistic gymnastics!

Everybody is going to go about this in their own way, as should always be the case when assembling your wardrobe! But patience is the biggest thing that I can counsel; these skirts aren't easy to find. Unless, of course, you can work with a ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 24: A Neutral or Accent 2nd Layer

December 9, 2019

Great heavens, it seems like it's Monday every 7 days...

This week I feel like looking at the wonderful versatility of a lovely cashmere cardigan. If you keep your eyes peeled, these are often on sale. It is well worth the wait!

How to choose a color? If you don't already have an obvious favorite accent color in mind, you could look at a scarf from which you'd like to get a bit more mileage (or a colored necklace?) and pick something happily compatible.

And no, it's not wrong to hint for a sweater for a gift! Nor to hint for a scarf... (insert big cheesy smile emoji here, in your mind!)

Yes, warm accents look lovely with cool colors. Look to nature, where warm and cool combinations are ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 23: A Textured Neutral Top

December 2, 2019

There are few garments I like more than a good sweater...

The only real guideline is keep it a solid neutral with something interesting going on!

A simple ribbed sweater, with some festive earrings and a fun brooch, can be all you need for a nice outfit!

Note that Talbots is THE source for holiday/winter themed accessories. They have been a go-to place for these kinds of things for pretty much my entire life! Fun for you, fun for gifts!

If you want a sweater with a "woven-in" texture, search for cables or pointelle. This sweater actually includes BOTH terms in the description!

If you're attending one of those events where the door is constantly open, a cuddly sweater is a good ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 22: A Neutral Print or Patterned Top

November 25, 2019

We've been accumulating a lot of solid-colored garments - which is the best way to build a functional wardrobe. But now, let's mix up all of these and find something with a bit of pattern interest!

If you have a favorite motif (like I am with stars...) this is the time to find it!

With all of the upcoming festivities, a pretty blouse that can stand alone with pants and some jewelry could be a good choice...

Or if you always wear a cardigan (or jacket) this time of year, a classic stripe underneath will work perfectly!

A print that's mostly your neutral, but that includes a fun accent color can give you a direction for some jewelry, or a pretty new bag!

If your style is ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 21: A Warm Shirt

November 18, 2019

As much as I love a good sweater, nothing says winter to me like a flannel shirt!

But get a good one - as classic as possible. A well-made flannel shirt will last for years...

These shirts do NOT have to be plaid; finding a solid color that you love might take a while, but if it's what you want, it's worth the effort...

For the upcoming winter holidays, a shirt that includes a festive color might be all you need for those casual activities like cookie swaps, caroling, or walking about looking at decorations!

Speaking of patience, if you look long enough you can probably find a plaid flannel shirt in any color combination you can imagine. They're out there...

Yes, 4 earrings. Some of us ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 20: Dark Neutral Warm Cardigan

November 11, 2019

Ah, now that some of us have been snowed upon, it's time to swap out a warm-weather cardigan for something a bit more cozy...

Since this cardigan is a pivotal part of your wardrobe, you want to choose carefully!

I've kept quite a few garments from last week, to illustrate how all of these pieces might go together in your wardrobe...

Sometimes, all you need for an accent color is a tee shirt and some socks! (maybe earrings...)

You might stumble on a new accent color that you really like!

Twin-sets don't have to be purchased together; you can find garments that look perfect together...

The simplest outfit can come together perfectly with a scarf, or the right ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 19: Dark Neutral Pants

November 4, 2019

First off, can ANYBODY explain ankle pants to me? I understand them in warmer weather, but with snow on the ground (I'm writing this on November 1, in Chicago, where we have had snow...) are bare ankles logical?

Do other people have really warm ankles that need to be exposed during the winter?

Are we willing to be uncomfortable, if it means that we're "on trend"? (I hate that phrase, for what it's worth...)

I will never understand!

So when you're shopping for pants, be VERY aware of the length that you're buying. You could be rudely surprised! But if you've spent your entire adult life having pants shortened, this could work in your favor...

And yes, this shade of honey isn't a really dark neutral, but ... View the Post