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Home » Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – September 2018

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – September 2018

September 3, 2018

No holidays at The Vivienne Files! I would never miss the chance to share one of these “6 outfit” posts…

Even though very few of us are seeing cool/cold weather, I firmly believe that it’s smart to get your cold-weather clothes ready in advance. Nobody’s going to give us 3 days warning that autumn is about to smack us down!

I loved the gold scarf with this otherwise monochromatic outfit…

1. outfit with a black down vest

Silk scarf – Hermès Fouets et Badines; flannel shirt – Patagonia; gold scarf – Nordstrom; vest – Uniqlo; gloves – Halogen; boots – Blondo; jeans – Lands’ End

We are far enough into the year that I now need to have a separate page for clothing and for accessories! Admittedly, a heroine who owned this wardrobe might not have NINE pairs of shoes for 9 months…

2. capsule wardrobe based on black3. accessory wardrobe based on black

While the accent colors here are very unexpected for a “black-focused” wardrobe, I think that this wardrobe is very coherent and versatile. Each of the new garments this month can be worn in lots of ways:

4. 2 ways to wear a black plaid flannel shirt5. 2 ways to wear a black down vest6. 2 ways to wear bone jeans

Next, that amazingly feminine pink and ivory wardrobe. You might think that a flannel shirt and down vest aren’t going to work here, but I found a PINK flannel shirt AND pink jeans! There’s a certain charm to the juxtaposition of feminine colors and accessories with garments that are more utilitarian and rugged in nature…

7. pink outfit with an ivory down vest

scarf – Hermès The Horsawards; flannel shirt – Uniqlo; scarf – Klements; vest – Uniqlo; gloves – Halogen; boots – Blondo; jeans – Lands’ End

I’m starting to feel the appeal of this wardrobe; on the right woman, this would be lovely…

8. capsule wardrobe based on pink and ivory9. accessory wardrobe based on pink and ivory

And this is still quite versatile too!

10. 2 ways to wear a pink flannel shirt11. 2 ways to wear an ivory down vest12. 2 ways to wear rose jeans

Two DIFFERENT plaids in 1 outfit? I can assure you that last winter in Paris, it was very common to see someone wearing a plaid jacket and a different plaid scarf! They were in the same colors, but distinctly different plaids – it look really fun and eye-catching.

13. navy and red outfit with an ivory vest

scarf – Hermès Les Tresors d’un Artiste; flannel shirt – Royal Robbins; scarf – BP.; vest – Uniqlo; mittens – Lands’ End; boots – Me Too; pants – Patagonia

This is another wardrobe with an interesting, somewhat unexpected, color palette:

14. capsule wardrobe based on navy15. accessory wardrobe based on navy

Even with quite a few shades of blue, there are still plenty of ways to wear these pieces in a variety of outfits:

16. 2 ways to wear a red plaid flannel shirt17. 2 ways to wear an ivory down vest18. 2 ways to wear casual blue pants

Next is the really difficult wardrobe. Every year, I choose a scarf that turns out to be challenging in terms of the color palette. But that’s part of the fun, right?

19. beige outfit with a green vest

Scarf – Hèrmes Merveilleuses Lanternes; flannel shirt – Uniqlo; scarf – Missoni; vest – Patagonia; gloves – Club Monaco; pants – L.L.Bean; boots – Kaanas

But even with the range of pieces that I’ve chosen for this scarf-based wardrobe, I think it “hangs together” pretty well:

20. capsule wardrobe based on shades of green, wih beige21. accessory wardrobe based on beige and green

It’s not difficult to pull a variety of outfits from this wardrobe:

22. 2 ways to wear a beige flannel shirt23. 2 ways to wear a green vest24. 2 ways to wear beige pants

This wardrobe holds so much appeal to me… the shades of blue blended together, with the grounding of shades of grey just seems so calm, effortless, and pretty:

25. blue and grey outfit with blue down vest

Scarf – Hèrmes Jardin a Sintra; shirt – L.L.Bean; scarf – Rag & Bone; vest – Uniqlo; gloves – Brooks Brothers; boots – Naturalizer; cords – L.L.Bean

Can you imagine having this in your closet?

26. capsule wardrobe in grey and blue

And this in your armoire?

27. accessory wardrobe based on blue and grey

This wardrobe is so well-integrated that you could nearly get dressed in the dark!

28. 2 ways to wear a blue plaid flannel shirt29. 2 ways to wear a light blue down vest30. 2 ways to wear grey corduroy pants

This last wardrobe has such great colors – black and brown, with grey and green? You wouldn’t think of it off the top of your head for a wardrobe, but it works SO well…

31. black and bone outfit with brown fleece vest

scarf – Hermès Ndop; flannel shirt – Patagonia; muffler – Rebecca Minkoff; vest – Patagonia; gloves – Portolano; boots – Naturalizer; corduroy pants – L.L.Bean

This is quite a range of garments, but they are clearly meant to be together:

32. capsule wardrobe in black, brown, green and white33. accessory wardrobe based on brown and black

These outfits come together so easily…

34. 2 ways to wear a black plaid flannel shirt35. 2 ways to wear a brown fleece vest36. 2 ways to wear ivory jeans

Which wardrobe appeals most this month? I’m thinking more and more that the last one might be my favorite… Happily, none of us HAVE to choose!

love,

Janice

BUILD A CAPSULE WARDROBE IN 12 MONTHS

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09.03.18 10 Comments

Tags: 12 Months - 12 Outfits
<<How to Decide – Should You Buy This Cardigan? (or anything else that tempts you…)Do You Want More than 16 Pieces of Clothing for Project 333? I have a thought…>>

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    September 3, 2018 at 6:31 am

    Looking in my wardrobe I have a mixture of the black, navy and grey capsules and have nothing in brown, olive or beige, well almost, I do have some brown leather boots. I have been following this series and have kept up with you (almost), but this month I have swapped out the gilet for a short lightly padded jacket as I do not own the former – never have. I don’t feel I suit a gilet or a waistcoat come to that and I’m not sure why, maybe it’s something to do with proportions and width of torso? Also, I don’t own a plaid shirt either, but I’m on the lookout for one, so in the interim I’m using a plain blouse or maybe a turtleneck. Love this series.

    Reply
  2. JAnice Collins Coyle says

    September 3, 2018 at 7:50 am

    I still love best the grey/blue wardrobe – love every piece! In fact this whole wardrobe is a “whatever’s clean” as I can even see the two plaids (shirt and skirt) wearable together. This is my kind of wardrobe! Simple, elegant and so very functional. The other wardrobes this year are beautiful but this grey/blue is pure genius! When all 12 months are done, I will take a screenshot as my goal to create such a wardrobe. Thank you Janice for the years of inspiration. Janice Collins Coyle, Washington DC

    Reply
  3. CIndy says

    September 3, 2018 at 8:26 am

    The perfect wardrobe for me would be a combination of the blue/gray and the navy/red. I would take out the gray and red and throw all the shades of blue together. Maybe a blue -hued green incorporated as well. I love the colors of the sea!
    I recently spotted a woman wearing a dusty pink and cream from head to toe and you are right, she was striking! I thought when I saw her that she must follow your blog! She was turning heads.

    Reply
  4. kris says

    September 3, 2018 at 11:14 am

    Love the nutmeg/black and will substitute grey for green (just do not like green no matter how much I try). Thank you, as always!

    Reply
  5. Book Goddess says

    September 3, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    Janice, you truly are an artist! I love all these wardrobes. I’m a fair skinned brunette, so I appreciate those with the highest contrast the most. The accessories for the last one are fabulous. Thank you so much for your wonderful blog!

    Reply
  6. Deb from Vancouver says

    September 3, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    The last one is the favorite for me if I were the wearer BUT I really like all of them for the right person. This reminds me of when I was a child. My cousin, just a few months older than me, was and still is, a great drawer and made all sorts of paper dolls with all their clothes and accessories. It would be fun to draw each of the prototypes for each of the wardrobes.

    Reply
  7. nancyo says

    September 3, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    I LOVE the gray+blue wardrobe! Like Cindy, above, I could combine it with the navy wardrobe, but I would keep the deep reds and all of the grays, but lose the greens. – nancyo

    Reply
  8. Lisa Laree says

    September 3, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    Thanks so much for all the work you put into this series! I look forward to it each month.

    I’m even toying with the idea of finding a ‘wardrobe anchor’ scarf of my own this fall, so I can do this exercise next year; but my goal will be to make as much of it as possible. Three garments a month should be doable, for the most part, although I’d purchase stuff like jeans and sweaters and down vests.

    It’s really fun to see how the wardrobes evolve and how cohesive they each are, just from starting with the anchor scarf.

    Reply
  9. Robyn says

    September 4, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    Like everyone here, I’m dazzled by the choices you’ve made. It’s so helpful to see the wardrobes growing month by month. I dithered down the illustrations today, enjoying the selections without being able to pick a favourite until I came to blue and grey. As in most other months it’s my clear favourite, probably because these are my favourite colours for clothes. But the skill of your choices for all the scarves keeps me fascinated. If ever I sought to “break out” into other colours, my building blocks are here. It’s a superb series, thank you.

    Reply
  10. Lizette says

    September 7, 2018 at 8:46 am

    The blue grey wardrobe is my favourite because I think it hangs together the best. The fabric weights and dressiness factor are all similar. In the other wardrobes, the green lace skirt and the heavier navy Birdseye LL Bean sweater are both great pieces but their weight limits them I think. The blue and grey are so pretty but it is not my own color palette. This wardrobe though makes me wish it were. All the pieces have a similar personality. There are dress up pieces and casual pieces but the fabrics are such that they can still mix really well. Great job, Janice

    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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