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Home » A Capsule Wardrobe Dilemma, and What I’m Packing for Paris, France

A Capsule Wardrobe Dilemma, and What I’m Packing for Paris, France

June 24, 2016
 
So I realized a couple of weeks ago that I wasn’t wearing these 2 cardigans NEARLY as often as I felt that I should…
 
2 cardigans in a capsule wardrobe

dots – Lands’ End; flowers – Uniqlo

 

Every time I would pull out one of these sweaters, I just couldn’t get an outfit together that really felt right.In a bit of a funk, I went back to my own best advice, and realized that a lot of my basic summer clothes in black were either too big, or too…faded/droopy/saggy/limp/icky for public consumption.

So I picked up these – the Original Core of Four:

A black common capsule wardrobe core of four

shorts – Equipment; tee shirt – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L. Bean; tank – L.L.Bean

After those arrived and were well-integrated into my wardrobe, I got wild and bought these 4 tops:

 
Four black and white tops for a capsule wardrobe

gingham – Lands‘ End; dots – Lands’ End; white – Lands’ End; black “big shirt” – French Connection

It turned out that I was wise to stock up on summer basics, because… well… the weather has turned hot here, AND I’m going to Florida for a week. (yes, going to Florida in the dead of summer will NOT win me membership in Mensa. Family wins out over humidity, every time!) My current “regular” travel outfit, with a cardigan that’s a blend of silk and cotton – perfect for warm weather:

A travel capsule wardrobe for Paris, France

tee – Agnes B.; jeans – L.L.Bean; cardigan – Eileen Fisher; earrings – nicer ones here; shoes – Thierry Rabotin; tote – L.L.Bean; suitcase – Tumi

And then 10 pieces of clothing, plus 2 pair of shoes. (pajamas, swimsuit, and swim tee will ALSO be here)

 
A travel capsule wardrobe for Paris, France

I know that for almost everyone, this would be FAR too monochrome, but after I’ve looked at clothes all day working on The Vivienne Files, I find a black and white wardrobe is a good way to cleanse my color palate for another day of work.

A travel capsule wardrobe for Paris, France

black shirtdress – Eileen Fisher; light blue-grey dress – Eileen Fisher;
ballet flats – Thierry Rabotin; sandals – Thierry Rabotin

I’m well-covered, both literally and figuratively, for a week-long trip:

A travel capsule wardrobe for Paris, France

I will almost certainly throw in some earrings and bracelets, but not likely any necklaces, and certainly no scarves for this trip. But just seeing this page makes me feel really comfortable that I’m going to have enough with me for celebrating both my birthday, and the 4th of July.

Please note that you WILL see the “12 Months, 12 Outfits” instalment for July on the 1st…

And then I’ll be back on a somewhat more regular schedule by the 6th or 7th of July!

love,
Janice

A travel capsule wardrobe for Paris, France in a black and white French minimal color palette

 

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06.24.16 27 Comments

Tags: casual, my wardrobe, packing, travel wardrobe, warm weather
<<12 Must-Have Items for your Capsule Wardrobe in 2016? Let’s Consider…12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: July>>

Comments

  1. lrlincks says

    June 25, 2016 at 3:38 am

    I personally love a black and white wardrobe. Very easy on the eyes and easy to travel with. It is so hot here too! I wish I could wear shorts and sleeveless tops! I hope you have a blast celebrating your birthday and the 4th! :) Looking forward to your return. Enjoy your vacation!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    June 25, 2016 at 4:42 am

    Florida might be chillier than you expect. It has 2 distinct climates – Outdoors and Indoors. The hotter it gets outside, the more they crank up the A/C inside. Don't go to a restaurant without that cozy-looking cardigan. (And grab a scarf with some color in it! You are headed to Florida, after all – not Paris.)
    Florida/Chicago Snowbird

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Have a wonderful visit with your family, Janice. Happy Birthday & Happy 4th! Safe travels.
    Diane – Michigan

    Reply
  4. Cherry says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Very timely! I'm leaving for a warm week away myself today, so checked my packing list against yours, to convince myself I was packing enough. Your black is my light teal, otherwise they are remarkably similar. Happy travels!

    Reply
  5. Shrebee says

    June 25, 2016 at 11:10 am

    Janice,
    You have been missed, but I am so glad that you are having fun ! Have a safe , enjoyable trip to Florida — wave as you pass over PA, and have a marvelous birthday ! Catch you next month !

    Reply
  6. Margie from Toronto says

    June 25, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    I find this combination so calming – and very chic!
    It has been an odd few weeks as far as my summer wardrobe is concerned. Along with my usual black, white, navy and red – I added a few other bright colours and some prints. I've gotten a lot of comments on how lovely and bright I am (some days) but I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable with all this colour and prints (I feel more comfortable in some more than others). I am going to have to do a re-evaluation at the end of the summer as to how I feel about all this – and make a firm decision on what stays and what goes.
    Have a lovely time in Florida – stay cool – and I look forward to more posts in July.

    Reply
  7. Duchesse says

    June 25, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    I really like your wardrobe and would like to know how it works. I went to Southwest FL for years, in August, Mom's birthday. The locals looked askance at black in summer, it's visually heavy-looking. I swapped black for white, thank you Gap. It is not just the sticky heat, it's the intense light. Black looked fine at night but heavy by day.

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    June 25, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Janice, Safe and enjoyable travels. I enjoyed your post, as always. I purchased the black EF dress last week that you show in this post. It is so not what I normally purchase but decided to try it on due to its simplicity thinking it would be great for travel. It is all that I want to wear! It is comfortable, easy to wear and can be dressed up or down easily. Plus I get compliments each time I wear it. Using the black and white for a family wedding trip to Colorado over the 4th. Thank you for showing many EF pieces as that is was my incentive to give them a try. DBQMary

    Reply
  9. Elizabeth says

    June 25, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    Hi Janice- ditto on the comments from Anonymous and Duchesse. You will not wear the pants, jeans, cardigan or closed toe shoes except inside and at nite. It is simply too hot and humid. Plus, the intensity of the light truly does make a difference in how your clothes 'look'. We spend every winter in Florida and I have to adjust for the light difference from the northeast to the southeast. I wish it weren't the case, as I love black and it is a mainstay in my wardrobe….but it does look weird there-
    Oh well, the trip is about spending time with family! Have a great time!

    Reply
  10. Beckie says

    June 25, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    Have a lovely trip.

    I would suggest rethinking taking a few scarves along. As a fellow curly haired girl, I can say a scarf can save the day in really humid weather!

    Reply
  11. Taste of France says

    June 25, 2016 at 3:41 pm

    So nice to see a post from you!
    Your wardrobe looks very practical. When traveling, you don't want to think about laundry. If you're at home and your white pants get dirty, you have other things to wear. But if you're traveling, you're stuck having to wash them right away or you're stuck having your wardrobe choices cut. Black is more forgiving.
    I think cropped pants and capris offer the coverage and often also the formality of pants but that flash of ankle makes them look much cooler.
    It depends on the cut and the textures, but I would be tempted to wear the white-dot cardigan with that new black-dot top.
    Lastly, I've ruined too many white clothes with sunblock. I'm religious about putting it on, but it turns some fabrics yellow and you can't get it out. Black is more forgiving.
    On sun protection, I have a great sisal sun hat, with a dramatic big brim, that crushes/folds well. It's BLACK! Because sometimes I smash it into my bag, just in case.

    Reply
  12. Ardyth Eisenberg says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:49 am

    Happy Birthday!

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    June 25, 2016 at 4:17 pm

    Its so nice when a new post pops up!! Have a wonderful time with your family celebrating your birthday.
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  14. Christina says

    June 25, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    I just returned from a week in Florida. I wore separates while traveling but packed 5 dresses and two pair of sandals. I usually changed twice a day and just rotated everything. For me, it was just too hot for anything else (and I live in the southeast). Have fun!

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    June 26, 2016 at 4:03 am

    Why no necklaces? Learning so much here!

    Reply
  16. Nancy/n.o.e says

    June 26, 2016 at 4:16 am

    You are not only cleansing your color palate but your color palette also! This is such a cute travel wardrobe. Although I am very drawn to black, I do find that it is so hot in the summer sun (black absorbs/white reflects).

    Reply
  17. Gail says

    June 26, 2016 at 5:09 pm

    Turquoise jewelry and long cotton scarves with turquoise accents are my favorite way to make black work in tropical climates.

    Reply
  18. Abigail says

    June 27, 2016 at 12:46 am

    After standing in the parking lot during dismissal my last few years of teaching, I know I can not stand wearing black during hot weather. No matter how cute something black may be, I can't stand the thought. And this is in the upper South! However, I love the combinations you make from your wardrobe. Perhaps I could figure out a way to substitute a lighter blue or something else for the black.

    Interesting that even you find that ever so often several things seem to need to be replaced at the same time. I feel that way right now about several of my summer items. Having gained a little hasn't helped. But this does create an opportunity to get several cohesive items.

    Reply
  19. Chris says

    June 27, 2016 at 11:12 am

    Happy birthday Janice. And July 4 , with your family. It's so nice to see a post! I've gone through the older ones several times and you are correct. They're timeless! X Chris from Australia ??

    Reply
  20. une femme says

    June 27, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Have a wonderful time! And Happy Birthday!!

    Reply
  21. Virginia says

    June 27, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    Happy Birthday! Have an enjoyable and safe trip! I think a lot of fashion designers wear black and white for exactly the same reasons. Also, it's fascinating to hear the two sides of the black-in-summer question. I wonder if it has to do with intensity of sun, as someone noted, or if it's an indoors/outdoors thing (since dark colors absorb heat). I'd be interested to hear your experience in Florida vs Chicago.

    Reply
  22. Kelly says

    June 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    Hi Janice,
    I just discovered your blog recently. Thank you for such helpful information on keep in sanity in one's wardrobe. Have you seen the website "Design Seeds "?
    Kelly

    Reply
  23. Amanda says

    June 27, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    Hello, I've discovered your blog quite recently and I fell in love, like most your readers. I am in my early 30s and I've been trying to navigate the weird transition into adulthood on many levels, including fashion. I love a quote I read on Pinterest. It said something along the lines of – dress the way you want to be dealt with. So, I have made the decision to stick with your wonderful, thoughtful and elegant advice. Thank you for coming into my life and putting things in a very refined perspective.

    I also come to you with a question. It isn't about clothes, but I feel you are the person to go to for this little piece of information. If I want to look chic and put together, how should I address the problem on nail polish? Do you generally use the same shade on both hands and feet, or is it ok to use a certain shade for feet and a completely different one for hands? I am really sorry if the question is on the silly side.

    Thank you for the patience and time you took to read this.

    Affectionately,

    Amanda (from a rather distant fairyland called Romania)

    Reply
    • Janice Riggs says

      November 15, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      You can wear whatever polish you want, wherever you want it. Your don't have to match your hands and your feet. That said, it's probably going to be more harmonious if you stay in the same general color family. But the rules around nail color seem to have all gone out the window!
      hugs,
      Janice

      Reply
  24. webbygee says

    June 28, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    I too wondered about the preponderance of black in this travel wardrobe. If you don't feel hotter wearing black in a hot, muggy environment, then you'll be fine. I have a good friend who retired to SW FL and wears black pretty much exclusively and has for years. I think she and you, Janice, are kindred spirits. I am curious about the $160 silk shorts that are dry clean only. That is way beyond my budget, plus they are pretty short, plus what if they get dirty on the trip? Maybe they are just so wonderful that you don't care and you'll hand wash them if you get them dirty. If I were you, I'd take several pairs of shorts and/or capris for the daytime. As another commenter said, you'll be adjusting when you go inside. We've spent winters in Sarasota for the last 15 years and I always take a sweater or wrap when we are going to be indoors regardless of how beastly hot and humid it is outside. It's great to be able to adjust. I don't like to be hot and I don't like to be cold. I like to be just right! Have a lovely vacation. I'm looking forward to more blogs in the near future.

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    June 29, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY< JANICE>
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  26. The Pouting Pensioner says

    June 30, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Wishing you a fab birthday, Janice, and a fab Floridian times ahead.
    Mary.

    Reply

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The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...
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