This sets a mood, doesn’t it?
Carnival Evening by Henri Rousseau
I love how much the sky is emphasized… and that glimpse of stars… sigh…
If you’ve seen the earlier installations of this series (yesterday, and the day before) you can cruise through this quickly. We have our starter Neutral Building Blocks:
The dozen (at least!) possible outfits from these pieces:
And the way those 9 pieces fit in a 4 by 4 Wardrobe template:
What a fun exercise this is! It’s not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to find seven perfect pieces within an 8-hour work day, so if you’re going to try to put together a wardrobe like this at home, please be patient with yourself as you shop. The pieces are out there, but might take a bit of time to find..
I love those swishy pants… I love any garment with a nice swing and sway and big of swirl…
These all seem to “hang together” pretty well:
But I never consider a wardrobe truly “working” unless there are LOTS of possible combinations!
Tomorrow’s heroine is a big fan of all things bold! And then I’m going to bring all four of these women together (well, at least their various outfits!) to see how much difference their various choices in accent color and style have made in the way they wear their Neutral Building Blocks.
love,
Janice
For more on Personalizing a Neutral Capsule Wardrobe, please read:
- How to Personalize Neutrals in a Capsule Wardrobe – Start With Art: L’Encens by Ferrand Khnopff
- More Personalized Neutrals – Start with Art: Untitled by Julian Lethbridge
- How to Use Both Warm & Cool Accents in a Capsule Wardrobe – Start with Art: Carnival Evening by Henri Rousseau
- How to Accent a Neutral Capsule Wardrobe with Brights – Start with Art: Le Pot a Tisane by Leger
- Four Paintings, Four Different Ways to Wear Black and Ivory Neutral Building Blocks
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I love the warm/cool mix here. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't….
Sorry, it popped in my head as soon as I thought "sometimes you feel like"…meant to say warm or cool colors, but old TV ads never die.
Hauntingly beautiful painting. I didn't recognize it as Rousseau – its so different from his intoxicating jungle paintings. Just love starting my day with wonderful wardrobe advice combined with exposure to the arts. You're unique talent is a gift to us all!
this is really lovely .. one of my new favorites of yours, janice. 🙂 just yesterday i purchased a lovely flowing shirt in a caramel tone and was wondering how i could pair it well with a black maxi dress already in my closet. i have a better vision now… ♥
Oh another lovely work of art- the painting and this wardrobe! If the black pieces were navy, I could live in this one and be in bliss. That first sweater! And the teal pants! And and and – just beautiful. Janice Collins, Washington DC
This is turning into a fascinating exercise! I try to stay away from black in my wardrobe and I also wondered how this would work with navy. I also love the pullover sweater. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!
Janice,
I see three neutrals –black, ivory, and camel , plus the accent color of teal. Substitute brown for the black, a pair of brown jeans for the shorts, and this post whispers "travel time " for me ! Love it, love it ! I wish those swishy cropped trousers were full length instead, because they sure are tempting !
Sigh. Just beautiful.
I cannot wait to see these four different women together. They could go accessory shopping! Fun series.
LOVE this painting and the wardrobe colors!! I could wear these colors very happily! I'm really enjoying this series! Happy Friday everyone!
Me too! Beautiful painting to lose yourself in and swoony clothes. Today is my new favourite.
Robyn in Tasmania
Love this painting, and how it inspires today's wardrobe! I am traveling now, and my capsule is black + cognac/dark caramel + teal + a tiny bit of fuchsia. I have some scarves that tie the colors together, and one fabulous floral top with all the colors on a white ground. I'm only 1 day in, but so far it's working well. – nancyo
Thanks for sharing! I love your tips for wardrobe planning! I'm in the process of doing the same.
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