March 2, 2022
It’s pretending to be spring here in Chicago! Not quite tee shirt weather, but close…
scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
I looked at the 10-piece wardrobes that we had on hand at the end of February, and concluded that what was most needed right now are tops – specifically, a cardigan and 2 tee shirts…
I think I will be adding neutral tee shirts to all of these wardrobes… and maybe a fun accent tee shirt. And I know that we’ve seen this cardigan before, but it’s a tough one to resist!
Dotted cardigan – Boden; Resourceful Lynx bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; navy and pressed dahlia tee shirts – J.Crew; Her Majesty the Queen scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
This wardrobe now has a lot more options…
If you’re a fan of the Queen of England, take a close look at this scarf; it’s a tribute to her 70th anniversary. (no political observations, please!)
Some of this heroine’s new possibilities:
How about some blue skies and gold leaves?
This wardrobe has a good base of brown, but could use some more brightness!
Isn’t this scarf perfect?
Cardigan – Roxy; white tee shirt – J.Crew; honeycomb gold top – Boden; scarf – Pig Chicken & Cow; turquoise bracelet – Smilla Brav
This wardrobe feels a lot more versatile now – the addition of more gold and turquoise makes a big difference!
These are just a few of this heroine’s new options:
On to one of my favorites…
I’m really smitten with this combination of dark reddish brown with black…
Maybe these tee shirts aren’t madly exciting, but they are VERY practical, and will offer this heroine a lot of versatility as the weather warms up…
Oatmeal heather cardigan – L.L.Bean; black tee shirt – J.Crew; rust red tee – Lands’ End; cable knit cowl scarf – Studio Myr; burnished pecan acetate cuff – J.Crew
This wardrobe doesn’t look really changed, but it looks a LOT more complete:
These 3 truly classic garments bring a lot of new flexibility to this heroine’s wardrobe:
This scarf, and the colors in it, look like warm weather to me!
Sampler modal/silk scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
This 10-piece wardrobe that we carry over from last month is pretty complete, but the accent colors look a little bit lonely!
So let’s add some springtime prettiness to this!
Azalea cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelet – BaubleBar; cornsilk tee shirt – J.Crew; scarf – Talbots; azalea tee shirt – L.L.Bean
Yes, I firmly believe that when you find an accent color that you really love (like the azalea in this example), you should buy as many pieces in that color as make sense for your wardrobe! Even if you don’t plan to wear them together, having a cardigan AND a tee shirt that looks perfect with your scarf and your bracelet makes getting dressed easier…
These colors are NOT for me, but I could still wear this wardrobe with happiness:
Adding something as simple as a couple of new tee shirts to your wardrobe can make a big difference…
I’m still smitten with these colors – maybe because my hair is a slightly darker version of this lavender!
Chrysanthemum modal/silk scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
This 10-piece wardrobe has a balance of silhouettes and colors – you could travel for a while with this:
Here again, I’m going to add a couple of tee shirts, and make our first foray into the mint green accent… It’s amazing that the scarf is an almost perfect match to the smoky lavender tee shirt!
Light mint cardigan – L.L.Bean; smoky lavender tee shirt – L.L.Bean; charcoal heather tee – Lands’ End; cashmere scarf – N.Peal; pearl bracelet – The Met Store
Oh, that green cardigan sticks out like a sore thumb! But putting the scarf with it should make a lot of difference…
Actually, the mint green looks pretty nice with charcoal!
I’m still working on the perfect color palette for this scarf; that hasn’t caused any problems (yet!) in assembling a great wardrobe:
Ruskin’s Meadow modal/silk scarf – PJ Studio Accessories
The wardrobe that we carry over from last month is versatile as heck, although the gold top does stand out a bit… (you’re always allowed to have accent colors that stand out – it’s sort of the purpose of them!)
I think this might be the BEST 5 additions to a wardrobe I’ve ever made. Perfect scarf! PERFECT bracelet…
Mustard cardigan – Barbour; frosty olive tee – J.Crew; mustard tee shirt – Wardrobe NYC; scarf – ImageDiary; blue jade and labradorite bracelet – Park & Lex
This wardrobe is really practical now! I’m clearly going to have to find some lighter “duck egg blue” things when the weather warms up, eh?
As always, new garments should bring multiple new outfits to your wardrobe. Otherwise, don’t buy!
If someone absolutely forced me to live in 1 of these wardrobes, I’d probably opt for the grey chrysanthemum wardrobe, but only because it goes with my hair!
Otherwise, I’m not at ALL sure…
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, the “6 Scarves, 12 Outfits” post was about 6 Hermes scarves, and adding skirts to a wardrobe…
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WOW Much to my surprise I find myself favoring the Ginkgo brown/gold and the Ruskins’ Meadow with the olive/gold. Go figure. Maybe it’s because I’ve got a light brown/olive outfit picked out for today? After breaking all sorts of record lows last week, yesterday afternoon was nice enough for me to walk the dogs with just my sweater… I’m not going to say spring is just around the corner – not here in Seattle, but it’s looking up.. Thank you Janice!
PS the look back post is awesome.
Well these are all coming along very well balanced. Of course my favourites are the Hydrangea, Chrysanthemum and pink Sampler scarves.
I’m the person who would buy the HM Queen scarf because I love all the flowers which make it so versatile. I probably wouldn’t notice her portrait on it until I got home. I admire her tremendously and she is a style icon. There are bets placed on what colours she will wear to Ascot everyday.
Love the azalea pink, though its brightness on me is for summer only. The mint green does stand out but with a few more items in that colour, it will earn its place. Mint and lilac is one of my favourite summer combinations. I’m seeing mint already in the shops and was very tempted by a mint jumper yesterday.
The Ginko wardrobe is stunning, especially the new scarf. I’m imagining a heroine visiting Egypt and Jordan…
The Tree of Life is probably my least favourite as the dark colours need some print/pattern for summer just to brighten it up. Now the Ruskin scarf intrigues me because I would add in the dark pinkish colour of the flowers.
Thanks for the look back too. I shall explore that 12 month series.
Good morning! I am building the Tree of Life wardrobe. I get to shop my closet this month… bc I’ve learned a few lessons! I searched for the rust red in other items while they were on sale to have season transition items. And that Tshirt. I have also been studying the Timeless wardrobe guidelines to support my Tree of Life build. Finally I am binge reading -time traveling- the Files and am somewhere in 2011 :)
And a thank you! Around Christmastime, I bought myself a Fierce Lynx bracelet. I think my Desert Dragon is sold out but I’m so happy with the rust and cream colors and faceted stones. I am thoroughly impressed with the quality, artistry and “workwomanship” of these items. Janice, your finds and relationships (all your extensive work) introduce many of us to new delights.
A Vivienne Post Day is a Happy Day!
Another fellow rust/cream/black aficionado!
I just don’t LOVE any of them! I love the navy pieces in the first one!! I also love the teal pieces in the last one!! Navy is one of my neutrals in my wardrobe so I’ll stick with those!! I’m taking a break from buying clothing this month!! I bought two closets from GYPO instead!! Plus many books!! I just LOVE books!!
The best thing possible is to choose things that come together to make YOUR favorite wardrobe – these are just ideas!
hugs,
Janice
I love this site because it’s a terrifically useful gateway to find the versatile pieces we can get the most use from. It’s always worthwhile to click on a style you love in case it is offered in “your” color.
And when you find something in “your” color, check that company to see what ELSE they are making in that color! Most of the time, a company will make at least a few things in any color…
love,
Janice
Buying multiple garments in the same color from the same brand is one of the most game-changing pieces of advice I’ve gotten from this site. Otherwise it’s way too easy to end up with items that aren’t quite right together…which may or may not be a problem depending on how you put outfits together. For my color-intense preferences, those not quite matching, not quite blending colors can be a struggle.
This is my absolute favorite series. I am stunned at how beautiful these wardrobes are becoming.
Hi Janice and Everyone! When the picture for today’s post popped up I started counting the pieces I already have in my closet (about 1/2). Today’s post made me brave to pair teal with olive as shown in the Ruskin’s Meadow/Image Diary scarves. I may have just enough light blue and gold/mustard in my closet to make it work. I may have to sneak in some taupe or grey just to have enough bottoms for a 21pc wardrobe challenge.
That would be a firm NO from me on the ginkgo scarf. My eyes were squinting at the turquoise and gold together. However for all I know an honest opinion from a perfect stranger outside the dressing room may think I look stunning in it.
Her Majesty’s tribute scarf is lovely. Beautiful addition to this wardrobe.
So far, in the depths of winter, the Tree of Life set has been my favorite. Even though I have given up black. I like the elegance of it. However. Today it is in the 70s here, sunny with a freshness, and suddenly the hydrangea has become my new favorite. Followed closely by the Sampler group.
I am in love with the Pig & Cow “Jungle” scarf. But totally not my colors. I could do the turquoise but the golden yellow is a big “Nope”. Beautiful scarf, nonetheless.
I have a poison eye for the gold colors, which is an idiosyncratic thing that makes me turn away from those wardrobes. Among the rest, the beige/ivory + pink + green is my favorite right now. That could be the longing for spring talking :) but I also am just enjoying the accent color pieces in that wardrobe (though I wish she had a solid accent color scarf to jazz up the neutral outfits).
Two things I’ve learned about myself from the capsule posts on TVF:
(1) I will NEVER be happy with only two accent colors.
(2) I will NEVER be happy with pants/skirts in only one color.
I’m learning that I’m much more a limited silhouette/outfit formula person than a limited color palette person. As much as these neat, tidy, cohesive, highly mix-and-match-able capsules have an aesthetic appeal, wearing is different from looking, if that makes sense.
This is such an insightful comment – I, too, have learned that I have two specific silhouettes that work for me, regardless of season, and that the colors themselves are less important. Outfit 1: Ankle-length pants with flats, a cardigan/blazer other topper, a v-neck or boat neck blouse/tank underneath, plus a scarf or statement necklace. Outfit 2: A simple straight or A-line dress, hitting just at the knee, kitten heels, and a scarf or statement necklace. All of my outfits have gravitated to one of these two schemes, and I have capsules for each with a variety of colors.
Skirts are out. Regular trousers are out. Suits are out. Shorts only when it’s so hot that I don’t care what I look like (otherwise it’s capris).