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Home » Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Blocks and Circles by Paul Klee

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Blocks and Circles by Paul Klee

January 21, 2016
 
I can so easily picture the woman who wears these colors – freckles had better be in the picture!
 

Blocks and Circles by Paul Klee

Just in case nobody else has ever told you this, it’s pronounced Klee as in Clay. There was once a book with that title, that taught one how to pronounce all sorts of art names; I wonder if it’s still around….

Yep, lots of color possibilities. I chose the beige/camel neutral for our upcoming spring dressy events, but if you wanted to segue this wardrobe into cooler weather, olive and fir green could definitely becomes neutrals, as could a deep rust, or a russet brown…

Dress – Chloe; cardigan – Lands’ End; crossbody bag – MICHAEL Michael  Kors; d’Orsay flats – French Sole; pumps – Cole Haan; Hermes Au Pays des Oiseaux Fleurs; ivory top – Malene Birger; orange earrings – Vince Camuto; brown sweater – Lands’ End; silk culottes – Malene Birger

This is another one of those dresses that has a LOT of potential, for the entire year. And while the culottes were a bit of a venture, I think that they’re much more versatile that one might initially assume.

If you were looking for a small crossbody bag in the “new” colors of Peach Echo or Snorkel Blue, this little bag comes in those colors, as well as a pretty light blue…

Tee – Uniqlo; paisley earrings – Anthropologie; sneakers – SoftWalk; jeans – L.L.Bean; sweatshirt – Uniqlo; shorts – J.Crew; green earrings –  Louise et Cie; yellow sweater – Lands’ End; sandals – MICHAEL Michael Kors

Tank top – Uniqlo; bracelet – Swarovski; trousers – Closed; wrap top – River Island; scarf – BCBG Max Azria

You can see the seasonless potential of these colors, can’t you?

There are days when I start a post and I’m not really sure where it’s going to go, or how much I will like the final product. This one REALLY appeals to me – if I wore these colors, I could see a few of these pieces going onto my shopping list.

 

See what I mean about the culottes?

And yes, I would definitely wear the dress with a sweatshirt and simple athletic shoes!

 

 

I’m going back into those Buddhist garments swatches tomorrow; they’ve been on my mind ever since I was in the museum the other day…

love,
Janice

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01.21.16 15 Comments

Tags: beige, camel, capsule wardrobe, gold, green, Hermes scarf, leisure travel, packing, Start with Art, Whatever's Clean, yellow
<<Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Cheval Surprise Remix Version 2How Are Designers and Consumers Alike? or How SHOULD They be Alike?>>

Comments

  1. Chris says

    January 21, 2016 at 11:30 am

    Dear Janice, love the colours on others and a beautiful mix. Maybe I could get away with Ivory. I tell myself.. Love Chris Australia.

    Reply
  2. Shrebee says

    January 21, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    Janice,

    My colors ! But — no freckles ! Oh those flowy silk culottes — as dressy as any skirt — I'm in love with them ! I'm thrilled to see how you have placed color at all three levels of your template — I have often thought about this process and wondered how it would work out . I am a visual learner and I crave seeing your filled templates with each post. Such a brilliant idea ! Thanks from us "warmies " !

    Reply
  3. Virginia says

    January 21, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    Those culottes would wear like a lovely flowing skirt. Only you would know that you could safely straddle any picnic bench or merry-go-round horse without fear of over exposure.

    Reply
  4. Doré Way says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    Thanks, Janice -this is lovely although not my colours. Excited you will revisit the Buddhist swatches – Number 1, please (light pink/blue accents).

    Reply
  5. Thalie F says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    Love the ivory top and the culottes, I'll try to find space for them in my Spring wardrobe. I'm curious to see what you'll come up with those beautiful Buddhist swatches.

    Reply
  6. Cheri J. Meiners, M. Ed. says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    I love this palette! Every item grabs me. Thanks

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    January 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    Yup, lots of freckles, everywhere! Thank you for this inspiration, Janice. I really like all of this. The dress is simple and perfect, just have to find the right fabric! Going to look at the Hermes scarf, the French sole shoes and the culottes for sure. I would never have thought about a cream hoodie but it certainly looks very useful and fun.

    Deb From Vancouver

    Reply
    • Chris says

      January 21, 2016 at 8:16 pm

      Do you sew Deb? Chris from Australia

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      January 21, 2016 at 8:40 pm

      Yes, I do, a lot. Good fabric is very challenging to access in Western Canada. I used to rely on Emmaonesock.com But our Canadian dollar is not doing very well and everything costs
      us almost one third more. Add the shipping cost and our 22% duty and it becomes almost ridiculous.

      Deb from Vancouver

      Reply
    • Chris says

      January 22, 2016 at 11:46 am

      I sympathise. The Aussie dollar is very low. But what a gift you have! I gave up sewing when a zipper wouldn't sit straight and then to top it off my machine caught fire…saw it as a sign! Chris x

      Reply
  8. ypsiknitti says

    January 21, 2016 at 5:12 pm

    Janice,
    I love the combinations! (as always) I would have to do the blue as my neutral instead of the camel/beige because i'm sort of a camel/beige and when I wear it, even with an orange accent, I feel that I fade into the clothes. No freckles either.
    thank you for the ideas!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    January 21, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    Hi janice, I am back from online checking and am very disappointed. I really like the Hermes scarf but have discovered that we Canadians only have a choice of 3 colourways instead of the 10 for the US customers. And, of, course, the one that is best fro me is not part of those 3. Boo Hoo. However, my bank balance thanks them!!

    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  10. Coco Colmani says

    January 21, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    Another 'warmie' saying thank you for the inspiration. So many beautiful colour possibilities in this fabulous painting, and your selection here is delightful.

    And yes, Deb, a cream casual jacket can quickly become a wardrobe staple. I bought one last spring and living in a cool temperate climate, I find it useful and adaptable teamed with a skirt and a silk scarf here, or jeans and sneakers there …

    Robyn in Tasmania

    Reply
  11. lrlincks says

    January 22, 2016 at 4:34 am

    Another great combination! I'm not sure I could pull off those culottes but a very nice alternative to a skirt. Rarely wear a dress or a skirt since I gained weight. Can't wait to see what you do next with those antique garments!

    Reply
  12. Laura says

    January 25, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    I love this wardrobe! I don't even like most of the colors by themselves–definitely not the orange, brown or yellow–but the combination of everything is so pretty. And I wear sweatshirts with my dresses all the time. So comfortable.

    Reply

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