December 6, 2023
Is anybody else surprised by the appeal of this next “all brown” wardrobe? I wasn’t at all sure what I was getting into when I chose this painting, but I must admit that if I were to start my wardrobe from scratch (as in “I have nothing left in the world except my long-underwear pajamas and grey sweatshirt robe!”), I might do this…
Except I don’t look great in brown. I don’t know if that would stop me!
Let’s pay this heroine one last visit…
Her wardrobe at the end of November was lovely and versatile – one could manage with just these pieces for quite a while:
But our heroine has decided to emphasize the darker shades of brown, this time of year. And she found a blazer she particularly loves!
A good blazer is wonderful to have…
Brooch – Anthropologie; corduroy shirt – Orvis; Blazer – J.Crew; sneakers – Ecco; socks – J.Crew; whiskey jeans – Orvis
We should get a good look at this final wardrobe – I broke it into 2 images so that each garment isn’t wee tiny:
And I’ve done the same with her accessories – when earring images are wee tiny, we can’t appreciate them!
Let’s take a look at how our heroine plans to wear her new pieces; these are only a sampling of the many ways that these purchases can fit into her existing wardrobe:
If you really like all of the brown in the last wardrobe, but feel like you need more variety, maybe something like this next wardrobe is better for you?
Her wardrobe at the end of last month was quite complete also – when you’ve got 35 pieces of clothing, you may not have a million options, but you should at least be well “covered” for most events and situations:
Our heroine does NOT have a green cardigan though! And dark green is one of her neutrals… But I remember that when she ran into a bunch of pumpkin-colored garments, and was distracted from a truly disciplined plan. Nothing wrong with that!
What did our heroine decide to buy? Well, a lovely, all-year cotton cardigan in her favorite green, a silk blouse in pearl, and a pair of ivory cords. If the weather isn’t sloppy wet and icky, these pants can be really handy… what doesn’t go with ivory?
glass earrings – Sccollection; silk shirt – Orvis; Olive cardigan – L.L.Bean; scarf – VanLinker; ivory corduroy pants – Everlane; loafers – Talbots
Now, her wardrobe of tops looks like this:
And her bottoms look like this. Yes, I’ve decided to put dresses with the bottoms, simply because of space! You may choose to do it differently…
Her shoes and bags look great!
And jewelry and scarves will always make a nice image, if they’re chosen with some theme in mind:
Lastly for today, what will she do with her new clothes? Remember, if you don’t have ideas for wearing an item BEFORE you buy it, maybe you don’t need it… Whappage is all well and good, but we mustn’t get carried away.
On Friday I will visit our last 3 heroines and thus wrap up this year’s “Six Paintings, 12 Months.”
But on Christmas, I will introduce the next six paintings, along with the color palettes and a “starter cluster” for next year’s wardrobes!
Time flies when you’re having fun…
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago, I was packing for Paris! I still have almost all of these clothes, which makes me so happy. My thought, when I’m shopping now, is to buy things that I can picture owning for the rest of my life…
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Well, as someone who recently rediscovered brown, I think you hit a home run with the brown wardrobe. I love brown with so many brights: red. Coral, aqua, apple green, apricot, flamingo pink. I had a brown blouse in high school I wore repeatedly with a wool plaid skirt in cream, salmon and brown, with jeans, with a cute pair of brown print on cream bib overalls and a mini-skirt/blazer wool suit in brown/cream herringbone.
And that brooch from Anthropologie!!
That sounds beautiful! Do you usually end up wearing your brights with lighter browns and tans or darker browns?
I thought I really liked browns, but these wardrobes are making me rethink the amount of brown I actually do have in my wardrobe, which is much less…
Love all the great ideas you share but would love to be able to touch a product and be taken to that site to buy . I do see the info under some of the photos but I was looking specifically for that saddle tan low heal boot .
I love the 2nd set here!!! so many colors, and breaking up “tops” and “bottoms” is really helpful. The thought that was triggered in me: almost no repeat in bottom colors, but very similar silhouettes (plus the bonus one skinny and one flare). I think this is a great example for people who want their outfits to “look different” day-to-day, but have a preferred style/silhouette that makes them feel good. (the contrast would be the all-brown, in which you could choose similar shades and widely vary the texture, cut, and material). In any case, lovely wardrobes and accessories as always, and such great food-for-thought in terms of how many occasions you can cover with limited items. (now if i could keep my weight/figure in a stable place….)
And thank you for the spoiler alert for the new set for next year!!!! What a generous Christmas present from you – I can’t wait!!!
I like both of these. I used to wear a fair amount of brown when in high school and college, but not so much anymore. Introduced a few things over the past year – mainly items you’ve featured here. I wear it with my olive and also navy. I also really like the way you separated the photos so they aren’t “wee”. Just lovely wardrobes. Thank you!
PS Thank you to the person who suggested the scarf magnets. Bree? or Bren? They are working like a charm and I passed the information along to a coworker who is also an avid scarf wearer….
Sheila, I’m so glad to hear that they work for you! I use mine constantly, and am glad to hear that you liked them well enough to recommend them to others.
I wonder if it’s not the brown specifically that is so appealing about that first wardrobe but the cohesiveness and harmony of having all items in a range of shades of one colour (i.e. working from dark to light by just adding white). Perhaps this is something that could be explored with another neutral – grey comes to mind, but possibly olive or navy. Maybe that’s a project for another 6 paintings in another year.
Thanks Janice for all you do.
Oh, I would LOVE to see that done in blue/navy!
Thank you for designing this wonderful, beautiful wardrobe in browns. Looking forward to the “Christmas present.”
I can’t believe the year is almost over! I’ve enjoyed what you’ve done with your six paintings this year – can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2024.
You do such a great job of curating- sadly I don’t look good in brown either.
I really enjoyed the second wardrobe very much!! So perfect!!
Ooh, Janice, I’d love to have all this brown in my closet!
So much fun this year! I wear blue in varying shades with a smattering of gray and red thrown in. I really am drawn to the Degas, not only because of the limited color scheme, but also this heroine’s style is most like mine. And can we talk about this heroine’s shoes!! I love and would wear them all except the dark loafers. Her shoe wardrobe is fantastic!!!
Loved both of these wardrobes. I bought a few pieces from each one & now have a much more coordinated closet. THANK YOU VIVIENNE!
I’m curious why Janice and another commenter feel they can’t wear brown?
Most often it’s because wearing brown makes people with cool toned skin look terribly sallow. I can’t wear warm browns either, nor olive or mustard or orange. I look truly sickly in those colors. But if you put me in cool blues, pinks, purples and grays, it makes my skin glow, and I look so much more alive! It’s startling really how big a difference wearing the right colors for your skin makes.
I wore brown a lot when I was younger, and recently I’ve just not been thrilled with how I look in it. When I was younger, I had a touch of tan, which I fanatically avoid now – I think that makes a difference!
hugs,
Janice
The all-brown wardrobe is so beautiful, but I would lose my mind with so little variation. I love to look at it, but could never do it in real life.
That said the Renoir wardrobe is right up my alley! I LOVE how it’s cohesive, but still has enough colour to make my heart sing. I’ve started incorporating the rusts and caramels with the navy in my own closet and I just love the feel of it.
Thanks for a fabulous year of wardrobes, so much inspiration and food for thought in these!
The first wardrobe is something to behold. (in shades of green for me please)
The second wardrobe has a choice of colors to offer enough variety.
My favorite this year.
My closet contents look something like this.
Oh, I’m excited to see what Janice has chosen for next year.
Janice, your posts inspire such interesting comments! I can admire the subtlety of the brown wardrobe, but can’t imagine wearing a monochrome wardrobe in any hue. And I’m not flattered by soft colors.
I do think a very dark brown can be sophisticated and I love luggage tan for accessories.
Hoping for more vivid colors in next year’s wardrobes!
Oh, I thrive on these comments! My readers are the smartest women around…
hugs,
Janice