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Home » Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – April 2017

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – April 2017

April 3, 2017

If you’re new to this project, I encourage you to go back to the posts for the months of January, February and March to catch up with what we’ve accomplished so far…

This month, I’m pretending that spring is coming, and that it’s warm enough to expose our ankles, but that we still are in the mood for a bit of sweater snuggling… (one could always wear a tee shirt, and tie the sweater around the shoulders…)

This first capsule wardrobe has had a lot of brown and black in it so far, so I decided to lighten things up considerably!

a grey and white outfit for spring weather

Scarf– Hèrmes Carré en Boucles; pendant – J.Jill; shoes – VanEli; sweater – L.L.Bean; earrings – Gemma Collection; pants – L.L.Bean

Somewhat the same story here – this wardrobe has been heavily dependent on beige as the neutral, and hasn’t really addressed the lovely soft grey in the scarf…

a grey and pink outfit for spring weather

Scarf – Hermes Flanerie à Versailles; necklace – Theodora Warre; shoes – Clarks; sweater – Uniqlo; earrings – Argento Vivo; pants – Uniqlo

 

Uh, yes, this is MORE grey… All of these wardrobes so far have had the potential for at least some grey as a secondary neutral, and I’m long overdue in choosing a few pieces…Here, I tried to choose jewelry that echoed the wavy, sort of fluid feeling of the print of the scarf:

a grey outfit for spring

Scarf – Hèrmes Au Bout du Monde; necklace – Talbots; shoes – Shoes of Prey; sweater – L.L.Bean; earrings – Simon Sebbag; pants – Uniqlo

 
And this jewelry was chosen to be sympathetic to the medallion print style of the scarf:
 
a blue and olive outfit for spring

Scarf– Hèrmes Collections Impériales; pendant – Stephanie Kantis; shoes – Alegria; sweater – L.L.Bean; earrings – Maro; pants – L.L.Bean

 

(these green shoes with the overtones of orange and blue were made for this wardrobe…)Here, the perfect sweater turned out to be a cardigan! That’s not a problem – button it up, and it’s a crewneck… (I always forget to wear my sweaters this way, and it’s a pity because it really does make them more useful.)

an orchid and white outfit for spring

Scarf– Etude pour un Iris Arc-en-ciel; necklace – Nadia Minkoff; shoes – Børn; cardigan – Lands’ End; earrings – Jiya Jewelry; pants – L.L.Bean

 
I loved this outfit – the textures, and the touches of brown…
 
an ivory and beige outfit for spring

Scarf – Hèrmes Chemins de Corail; necklace – Kendra Scott; shoes – Naturalizer; sweater – L.L.Bean; earrings – Isabel Lennse; pants – L.L.Bean

 
Here are the complete wardrobes, after four months. Only eight pieces of clothing in each wardrobe, but I think they’re each taking on very distinct “personalities.”

And just to give credit where due, and to give you a little bit better view of the scarves all in 1 place, here are our source inspirations. Some are sold out, but some are still available…

Black – Hèrmes Carré en Boucles; Beige – Hermes Flanerie à Versailles; navy – Hèrmes Au Bout du Monde; orange – Hèrmes Collections Impériales;blue – Etude pour un Iris Arc-en-ciel; beige – Hèrmes Chemins de Corail

 

At this stage, the first wardrobe is still the one most like what I would normally wear, but I have to admit to really beginning to fall for the last one, with the shades of brown, and accents of red and orange. I’d look pretty hideous in these colors (without serious corrective makeup, which isn’t going to happen!)…What can all of this mean?

love,
Janice

For more in the 2017 “Build a Capsule Wardrobe – 12 months, 12 outfits” series, check out the following articles:

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
  • Evaluating our 2017 wardrobes…

Looking for more ideas? Follow along as we build a new capsule wardrobe in 2018.

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits - April 2017

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04.03.17 14 Comments

Tags: 12 Months - 12 Outfits, casual, jewelry, shoes, shopping, sweaters
<<How to Wear Denim and Khaki with a Variety of Accent Colors: Start with Art – Saint Bride by John DuncanFour Ways to Wear Denim and Khaki in a Capsule Wardrobe – Start with Art!>>

Comments

  1. Jazz says

    April 3, 2017 at 7:22 am

    I have a new friend who is wanting to overhaul her clothing look. This could be a good place to start as she tries to work out which way she wants to go.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    April 3, 2017 at 9:07 am

    I like the first and last ones, too, though the last is more me. I've given up black as I have grown older. Still wear bright red, though have been wondering if I really should.
    I've been having fun recently, trying to do something similar to this with a couple of floral handbags, one in cool colours and one in warm. My plan was to choose one outfit per month, but I got carried away. I now have 97 items on my board, and 92 outfits picked out (yes I have been at a loose end for a few weeks!). I'm losing track of what I've got, and now need to cull my digital wardrobe! Linda M

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    April 3, 2017 at 10:32 am

    As a strawberry blonde, that last one resonates with me! I need to try some of those rusty reds. That scarf! So gorgeous!

    Reply
  4. Madame Là-bas says

    April 3, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    I'm into my sixth week with basic beige with blue in Mexico. The temperatures are in the 30'sC so I haven't worn my lightweight scarves much. Pendant necklaces do work however. I've been following you for 5 years now so my wardrobe is indeed finally getting smaller. I do love the Iris Arc-en-Ciel scarf but no shopping yet.

    Reply
  5. Nancy/n.o.e says

    April 3, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    I could wear, more or less successfully, the navy and blue wardrobes, but the scarf (and wardrobe) that I would own would be the black one. Glad to see the grey make an appearance! – nancyo

    Reply
  6. Patricia says

    April 3, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    I'm more #one and #six also but I see accents in all the other wardrobe I like also. Probably why I have so many clothes in my closet…

    Reply
  7. cheryl :) says

    April 3, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    Numbers 3, 4 and 5 are the ones i'm most drawn to but they are all shaping up beautifully. :)

    Reply
  8. Kirsti says

    April 3, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Numbers 4 and 6 call out to me, I love the colors. I think number 2 is beautiful, but I don't think it feels like a practical wardrobe for my lifestyle, sigh!

    Reply
  9. Janice says

    April 3, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    Love love this series. My favorites are still the beige and grey wardrobes and my favorite scarves. I've learned from you, Janice, the amazing versatility of cardigans. I button them up a lot to use as a crewneck sweater. I always wear a similar- color cami underneath for modesty when there may be a little gapping at button column. I like my knit tops to be somewhat form fitting so camis solve the problem. I just love the look of the buttoned cardigan also -very classy! Janice Collins , Washington DC

    Reply
  10. lrlincks says

    April 3, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    I think I could build most of wardrobes one and 3 out of my current closet! LOL! I do like six as well. Buttoned up cardigans are hard for those of us with large chests! :( I like the look on others though. I have trouble with any garment that buttons up the front. I have to get a bigger size to not have horrible button gap and then the whole thing just looks bad. Love this series!!

    Reply
    • Nancy/n.o.e says

      April 3, 2017 at 6:18 pm

      Now that you mention it, I could build wardrobes 1 and 3, most of 5, and even a bit of 6 from the clothing in my closet. All I lack are the Hermes scarves, lol! – nancyo

      Reply
    • Janice Riggs says

      April 3, 2017 at 8:10 pm

      I've got really short arms and a full balcony, but I buy Petite sized cardigans, so I've always got enough room to avoid button gap, and the sleeves are still a reasonable length. I'm devoted to Lands' End and J.Jill for that reason, among many others; they're really good about making a lot of things available in Petite sizes.
      hugs,
      Janice

      Reply
  11. Cee Pluse says

    April 3, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    I am also favoring the first and last collections, but I think the last one is starting to pull ahead a bit. Red and orange are my first and second favorite colors. Beige is not such a great color near my face, but the colorful scarves would help, and maybe the addition on a red or orange blouse to wear under the beige sweater in cooler months. I really do love this series, and look forward to the first of every month!

    Reply
  12. Lena says

    April 4, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    A pop of color with white pants is a warm weather favorite of mine. Now if only Winter would make a graceful exit.

    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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