Some people manage to sail through life wearing white and they always look cool and collected. Even white linen! I think that we all need to embrace the inherent wrinkles in linen – wrinkled clothes make your face look smooth! But seriously, a core of cool white pieces for warm weather could make getting dressed every day a breeze…
tee shirt – Eileen Fisher; tunic – Eileen Fisher; sleeveless top – Eileen Fisher; linen pants – Eileen Fisher; linen shorts – Eileen Fisher; cropped pants – Eileen Fisher
With this timeless wardrobe core, you could use accessories to add all of the fun and interest… I don’t think you would wear ALL of these pieces at the same time, but you certain could if you want to!
cardigan – Eileen Fisher; earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane; scarf – New Friends Colony; bracelet – Treasure & Bond; sandals – Sole Society; bag – Brahmin
How about a couple of accent colors that supposedly clash?
cardigan – Halogen; earrings – Carousel Jewels; scarf – Echo; ring – Monica Vinader; sandals – Sudini; bag – Furla
A hot long weekend? Yes, the white is risky, but so cool and comfortable…
Yep – lots of possible ways to wear these pieces – and the 2 accessory clusters work with each other! That’s some fun…
Having that neutral core is really the key to making this work… I’m going to look at another neutral, or 2, to see how this system translates into other palettes.
love,
Janice
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i wear white linen. beige linen. black linen…
and i *do* have the pink and tangerine tones
in my closet and *do* wear them together
thanks to a scarf showcasing both tones plus
creamy white. so thankful for this post!
I adore this and I WANT TO GET TO KNOW THIS WOMAN! Practically speaking, I think the fabulous pink/orange accents would work equally well with a core of navy, black, sand, or even bottle green (you’d look like a flower with your core as the foliage!)
On another note – the commenting system is SO MUCH BETTER after the web redesign. I love it!
Hope you’re enjoying Paris.
What timing! As I was reorganizing my closet for the spring/summer season (shoving all the wool and flannel to the back), I realized I had quite a bit of white and pale gray in a range of tops (from long sleeve to tank) and bottoms (from pants to shorts). Then I dug a bit further and found a nice gathering of teal accent pieces (tops, cardigan, summer scarves). So, I’ve basically built this wardrobe — a whole new summer look for me — without buying anything!!!
I love this look and it’s very tempting but I have just returned from travelling for a month in all linen. I looked rumpled the whole time. It’s not easy. I’m still working on it. I’m glad I brought some stain remover with me for my white tops. This collection is gorgeous though. I love the two pairs of sandals.
Another thought, if you’re embarking on a whole set of summer wardrobes. Since I’ve been living in the heat and humidity of the mid-Atlantic USA, I’ve discovered the beauty of the knee-length A-line skirt!! They’re incredibly versatile – can dress both up and down – and cooler than shorts!
You are so right! I live mid-Atlantic USA and live in black, white, beige skirts all summer. They are so cool and comfortable.
Yikes, this woman is my old boss based on her clothes. I took an 8K pay cut to escape her…
Worth it.
Oh yes,Janice, a big fat YES! to uniform dressing. This uniform would be the perfect UK summer travel pack. Hugs, x.
More summer wardrobe ideas please. I live in the subtropics, and with already hot and humid summers, and the added length of warm weather due to climate change, I struggle to look elegant, rather than wilted.
I live in the sub tropica too. It’s May 25th and the high today is 92 f. That’s not the worst weather news, our nights don’t cool off. Tonight it will only get down to 78 f. Because our summer last 5 or 6 months, we neeed twice as many summer clothes as our sisters in more temperate climates.
I love Vividnnes blogs. I found a beautiful scarf online in pink, blue, and gray that I used to plan a two week trip to Arkansas earlier in May. It worked like a charm as a wordrobe planning tool. Thanks Vivienne
Sorry to sound like a grumpy old woman but I’m having problems with the ads on your blog. The ads are very intrusive & won’t close when I click on the “X”. They really are spoiling what used to be an enjoyable experience. I do understand your need to make money but if they drive people away then………Feel free to disregard my comment but if it was my blog I’d want to know.
C, try using a different browser with ad-blocking capability. I didn’t care for the ads in this new format either (understatement) and switching to another browser worked wonders – no ads at all, just a clean reading experience. FWIW, Janice, I’d rather pay a subscription than look at ads.
My core wardrobe for the summer is navy with accents of coral and a grassy shade of green. It works very well for me for both work and play.
I might have missed something but am curious as to how you define “uniform” as opposed to “capsule.” I guess when I think of “uniform dressing” I think of someone like Steve Jobs who wore the exact same thing every day. Or someone who wears the same pieces every day — for example, pencil shirt + button down shirt (whatever color combination, but same silhouette/combo). I would love to learn more about the difference — these shown seem more like what I envision as capsules, rather than uniforms?
What a wonderful idea! I think that chambray and an accent color might work for me. Thank you!