They’ve rented their favorite cottage for the week of her birthday. They swear that they’re going to take care of everything and that all she needs to do is relax and enjoy herself…
She’s going to make getting dressed for the week as painless as possible, starting here!
Her color palette is going to be the simplest possible – positively foolproof!
She stands by her closet for a moment, and then quickly grabs four chambray garments. She loves her dress for those times when wants to feel “dressy” but in a casual way – nobody understands this but her! And her cropped pants and top match, so they look somewhat like a jumpsuit when worn together…
Most people might not pack a cashmere sweater for a June trip, but she knows full well how cold the house can get, and how breezy it is after dark on the beach. A sweatshirt would work well here too:
cashmere sweater – J.Crew; tee shirt – Eileen Fisher; sleeveless top – Eileen Fisher; shorts – Eileen Fisher
A pause, to assess what she has, and what she needs:
She knows that she can always do laundry during the week, but that doesn’t really FEEL like leisure! So she’s packing a few tops, and an extra pair of shorts… And yes, a sweatshirt too. She’s not sure why, but she has a funny hunch that they’re going to see a cool day or two, with some rain possible.
tie-front top – Treasure & Bond; plaid top – BP.; shorts – L.L.Bean; gold tee – H&M; sweatshirt – The Great.
She won’t need much for accessories!
yes, this is the same bag from last month – I really like it!
Before she starts packing, she pauses for just a minute to assess the overall “look” of her travel wardrobe:
She runs through her mind the various outfits that she can assemble; if she does this now, she doesn’t have to do it during the week! Check the weather and get dressed…
She’s quite sure that at some point in time, she’s going to have to jump in to help take care of something – a week of leisure hasn’t ever happened in her life! But that’s fine – a week with people who love her is all she ever wants or needs….
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, I was already thinking about Accessory Families….
Like this article? Save it to Pinterest!
Janice,
Love it ! During the Summer I try to find tops that have either print, pattern, or construction detail so that I can avoid accessories in very hot weather, except for earrings. Without earrings I feel naked ! And my wedding ring. However, that bracelet could be a deal breaker ! As I continue to grow in confidence of using your examples, a “ Whatever’s Clean 13 “ shall be my next packing formula for a beach trip coming up, where the other women in the rental house are still very clothes conscious . Thus far I have happily done the 4×4, but I really want to pare down in my carryon !
Hi, Janice! Great capsule—I particularly like the denim dress. I was trying to explain to my son the other night that women have this weird casual dress code where you can’t be dressed up but you still have to look like you made an effort—more casual than business casual but not yet “cleaning the garage” casual. He didn’t get it. Incidentally, would it be worth reviewing the various capsule paradigms side by side? I’ve followed you for years, but totally forgotten the deal with the “Whatever’s Clean.”
I love your description of “making an effort” as being a step down from business casual,but a step up from “cleaning the garage”!!! Don’t forget Smart Casual now, too. A step up from business casual, but not totally business formal. Apparently, it’s my company’s new go to dress policy and it is hard for me to find the right balance.
I agree with you about the sweater and/or sweatshirt – and for the same reason I recently wished that I’d packed long pants for a recent weekend at the beach. Ankles get cold, too!
Lovely set.
Like Tinad, I too think it would be a good idea to run through all your various capsule paradigms. For myself, the cluster and the accessory wardrobe were revolutionary, and new readers may not know about them. Thanks for all the ideas! Linda M
Love this! Apparently, so does everyone else as the bracelet is sold out. I love the wardrobe and the story too. Everything you do is so well thought out. I agree about a summary of the capsule outlines would be nice. They are ingenious. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Millie, There will be more bracelets soon! I’ve run out of Sodalite but I have more on the way and it should be available again in about a week. Cheers!
What a lovely little capsule. The bracelet is gorgeous as are everything else I see from this creator!
The Sodalite beads are so lovely.
I’m really enjoying this bracelet inspiration wardrobe series. Each one is so different.
I’d go for 2 more sets of earrings (like another person above – I feel naked without earrings) because 3 sets is my barest minimum for a week and more if I am gone longer. I can go with a minimal wardrobe but then I need lots of little accessories to keep it fun and interesting.
The bracelets are perfect as they are casual and still dressy if you need to step it up without looking too “done”.
Love the Start with a Bracelet idea! I love the Madewell tops, but haven’t tried their pants, love the idea of a faux pantsuit…hmmm, time to shop? I’ve found that icebreaker has some very nice wool tees, tanks and cardigans that are wonderful for weekends like this. They are very light and packable, cool in the day but cozy in the evening. And so fantastic for travel, swish in the sink and drip dry by the next day. But they don’t have a broad range of colors. Have you ever found a good source for washable, packable wool pieces?
Uniqlo is a great source for classic Merino wool sweaters. Because it’s not the season for most of us to be buying wool, I only see a crew neck pullover and crew and v-neck cardigans in neutral colors. As you will see from the reviews they are very high quality at great prices ($29-$39). I own several of the pullovers and love that they are very packable and versatile.
Thank you Janice! Loved the versatility of the core neutrals shown again here. So easy to refresh using different accent colors or pare down for packing. The color scheme is similar to the “colorful moon” wardrobes in terms of the neutral cores which is my summer inspiration so this as a fun variation.
Janice, This is a brilliant summer capsule. I could travel with this, happily, for the whole season. However, because I live in upstate NY (lots of rain) and visit family at the Jersey shore (wicked sunny), I would add my tan windbreaker, the one with seven pockets, my straw sun hat and a pashmina (for cold mountain nights and sub-zero AC) with both the chambray and tan colors. Finding the pashmina may take some time but I enjoy the quest for the perfect finishing touch.
Thanks for all your wonderful ideas, Peggy T.
Interestingly, I have been contemplating making denim/chambray and caramel/golden brown more focused and prevalent in my wardrobe. I practically live in blue jeans most of the time due to a casual work environment and homesteading farm life outside of work. Since I have a light, warm complexion, this combination helps me bridge the gap between the cooler blue of jeans and the warmer colors that flatter me. I was revisiting your whatever’s clean wardrobes not too long ago and I was wondering if you could create an example for warmer tones that also included chambray and denim and perhaps some of these lighter, golden browns instead of just chocolate? Finding dark brown shoes is maddening, but cognac/saddle leather is easily available in almost any style you like.
Love this!!!! I have so many similar pieces.
Thank you.