wooden earrings – Hring eftir hring, zigzag infinity scarf – Brazen, Turquoise angora sweater– Roberto Collina,khaki tee – Target, jasper and pyrite necklace– Nangara by Julia Fusinato, turquoise blouse – Ralph Lauren Black Label, tan cashmere cardigan – La Garconne, watch – Armani Exchange, bracelet – Chan Luu, ivory silk blouse – Jaeger, striped scarf – Missoni, olive tee – Shu Moriyama, olive cardigan – Merona, tan trousers – Hallhuber, beige jeans – Morgan, Olive trousers – Isabel Marant Etoile, bag – Longchamp, maroon tee shirt – Linea Weekend, olive ballet flats – Chloe, penny loafers – Cole Haan
earrings – Toosis, nautical scarf – Brooks Brothers, striped top– Malene Birger, black white red scarf – Vince Camuto, black tee – Hallhuber, blue shirt – Uniqlo, black cotton and cashmere cardigan – 10 Crosby Derek Lam, watch – DKNY, bracelet – Simon Sebbag, white cotton shirt – Diane von Furstenberg, grey tee– T by Alexander Wang , necklace– Lamprini, red blouse – Cutie, grey cardigan – Mango, black linen trousers – Viyella, black jeans – Current/Elliott, grey pleated trousers – Alberto Biani, bag – Gregory Sylvia, grey ballet flats – Café Noir, pointed toe loafers – Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn
earrings – Kasturjewels, square scarf – Radical Chic, brown cotton tee – Uniqlo, yellow top – Uniqlo, chocolate brown fleece cardigan – L.L.Bean, necklace– Givenchy, floral blouse – Topshop, light blue tee– Velvet, watch – Timex, beaded bracelet – Chan Luu, blue and brown scarf – Paola Pecora, blue blouse – Uniqlo, beige pants – The Row, ivory silk blouse – Jaeger, tote – Coet, tan marled cardigan – Junarose, brown twill trousers – Lands’ End, brown jeans –Viyella, tan ballet flats – Michael Michael Kors, tassel loafers – The Flexx
earrings – Majorica, navy and grey scarf – Hinge, lavender blouse– Marni Edition, pastel scarf – Twisted Muse, silver grey tee – Hallhuber, pink top– Velvet, lilac tee shirt – Nougat London, grey cashmere cardigan – Jaeger, watch – Fossil, bracelet – Majorica, navy cardigan – Dorothy Perkins, white cotton shirt – Diane von Furstenberg, necklace– Saako Design, pink shirt – Fenn Wright Manson, silver grey trousers – Viyella, grey jeans – Rebecca Taylor, navy trousers – Jacques Vert, bag – CK Calvin Klein, navy ballet flats – Geox, tasseled flats – Trotters
earrings – Dorothy Perkins, yellow sweater– Woolrich, pastel scarf – Collection Weekend, navy silk tee – Theory, aqua tee – Reiss, navy wool cardigan – Miu Miu, bracelet – Brooks Brothers, watch – Anne Klein, beige and navy checked scarf – Aquascutum, green shirt– Silvian Heach, tan pants – Uniqlo, white silk blouse – Nic + Zoe, silk necklace– Saako Design, yellow tee – Warehouse, beige cardigan – Marella, navy trousers – Viyella, navy jeans – Uniqlo, bag – Halogen, ballet flats – Me Too, black penny loafers – Cole Haan
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For the past year I have been wearing scarves and love how they pull my colors together. This summer has just been too hot for scarves, so I have pulled out a couple of necklaces and been wearing those. Recently on a vacation, I picked up two more necklaces and some earrings in my favorite accent colors. I have been surprised how many of my outfits work with these necklaces and are better with the addition. I am enjoying the jewelry as much on trips to the grocery store as on fancier occasions.
Just love necklaces for varying simple basics! The multistrands can be hot, though, so I wear a pendant on a long chain, or a rope of 5mm keshi pearls when the temps hit the 90s. With one long, not too heavy chain, you can add different pendants, stretching a jewelry budget.
Duchesse, I hope you do a post on this idea someday. One chain, multiple pendants.
I don't often wear a necklace, preferring a scarf instead. But I did today along with earrings AND a printed to. I guess I'm showing my wild side. 🙂
Janice, your system is so wonderful. After two years of following you religiously, my entire way of looking at my closet has changed! One big change is that as I have settled on several neutral and several accent colors, my shopping has become so much more targeted. While I used to just randomly shop for whatever stuff appealed to me in the stores, now I have worked to find jewelry, scarves, shoes, sweaters and tops in my accent colors. With these additions, I now find that I always have something in my closet that will pull an outfit together. Thank you for helping me see that this is the way to go.
In the hot climate I live in, I don't like anything around my neck. I accessorize with earrings and bracelets to keep cool and usually wear an accent color or patterned blouse.
Janice -thank you for this wonderful series. I love it and can't wait to read the next post (and the next).
But I'm stumped – when I think about my current wardrobe, I should probably choose the black/grey/red/white/blue scheme – and I find it a bit "cold" – I don't usually wear silver jewellery – and some of the accessories are just not me.
What I'm really drawn to is the caramel/black/coral combos – but caramel seems so difficult a colour to find.
What's going on? Any suggestions on how to decide, move forward & stop being a waffling, commitment-phobe, over-spender?
I don't know if you'll see this or not, but…Start with an edit of things you just don't like. Take them to a consignment shop. Then shop second hand for a test piece or two in the new color. Buy the best you can find. Second hand means you won't spend a ton for a test drive. If the new color works, you're on your way with a good piece. If it doesn't, you haven't spent a lot.
Although I'm a long-time reader of your blog, I don't often comment. But I think that this series on how to build a wardrobe is one of the very best on the subject I have ever seen. And I've been a capsule wardrobe dresser since the 1980's, when my primary motivation was to stretch my limited clothing budget. Thanks for this series and for a consistently outstanding blog.
I've come to understand that I'm lucky enough to have the frame (tall, strong shoulders and a weightlifter) to carry off necklaces that on others would be downright overwhelming. I'm leaning into that these days. Turquoise pendant the size of a tea saucer? Sure! Collar of 3 inch long crystals? Looks just fine! 9 strand pearl necklace? Don't mind if I do.
wonderful sense of humor and a gift of writing Eileen!
Eileen, I'm tall and broad and maybe that is why my smallish necklaces always just look fussy to me. Thanks for pointing this out. I might try to experiment with something a bit more powerful. It's very hard for me to adjust to the visual busy-ness of a necklace though.
Thank you Janice for this series! I can finally build a wardrobe that works! I like the navy/beige capsule but I am not drawn to light yellow/ green colors. Could I use kelly green/ coral instead? Should these colors be a different shade? I don't want to mess it up and end up looking weird.
Helen, I think kelly green and coral would be lovely.
Thanks Amy!
I find necklaces hard to wear. I put them on but usually take them off before going out of the house. I'm small, with a full bust and the distance between neck and bust is minimal. Scarves are different as they can drape over the bust so that's what I rely on for adding color and pattern. This is such a great series. Book in the works???
Hi,
How nice this post is!! Really great and osum!! I read your web details and undestood that,
Following three months, she'll pick new pieces to add to her turn. Not just does this totally de-stretch the entire thought of getting dressed additionally spares a considerable measure of cash (no looking for three months!) and has totally changed her point of view.
Prepared to be enlivened? We should get to it with Capsule Wardrobe 101 and our talk with Caroline on how she did it and why.
this is the most velauble post for us.
Thanks,
Donald