December 20, 2023
One last visit to the navy, grey and Larkspur wardrobe – this heroine needs a few accessories to round out her 4 by 4 Wardrobe…
Remember, this is our basis. I don’t know if anybody noticed – I added dark navy borders to the “pie pieces” so that we can visualize our 2nd neutral:
This is the assortment of clothing that our heroine is taking with her. If I were her, I’d be packing long underwear to wear as pajamas, and someone suggested a down vest too!
cashmere cardigan – L.L.Bean; Henley top – L.L.Bean; grey pants – Lands’ End; fleece-backed pants – L.L.Bean; Navy corduroy blazer – Alex Mill; navy cashmere v-neck sweater – J.Crew; skirt – Lands’ End; navy corduroy pants – Alex Mill; cashmere turtleneck – L.L.Bean; white shirt – L.L.Bean; Back-button sweater – Alex Mill; Flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; Larkspur sweater – L.L.Bean; larkspur quarter-zip top – L.L.Bean; larkspur tee – L.L.Bean; grey sweater – Lands’ End
She also had chosen some lovely accessories – not enough, probably, but still lovely…
Square stone earrings – Latelita; bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; necklace – Belpearl; 3-stone earrings – Vir Jewels; rectangle stone earrings – Zohreh V. Jewellery; cashmere scarf – Scarves by Franci; Foulard patch 42” tassel scarf – Echo; watch – Olivia Burton; boots – Sorel; loafers – Aerosoles; tote bag – Campo Marzio Roma 1933
She stands. She looks. She thinks.
luggage won’t pack itself!
Her idea is to work her way through a bunch of outfits, and make certain that she has what she needs/wants to wear with each…
She’s particularly happy to take her navy boots, since they’re waterproof!
Shoes for her skirt. A dressy little bag, and some butterfly accessories, for no good reason except joy!
For a simple grey outfit (when one oversleeps!), Larkspur accessories are just right:
Square stone earrings – Latelita; cashmere scarf – Scarves by Franci; loafers – Aerosoles; tote bag – Campo Marzio Roma 1933
Frankly, she just might bring about 20 pairs of earrings with her! They’re tiny and light – and they can have a big impact:
When you’re looking for a classic plaid scarf, look in the Mens’ Department!
Warm boots are essential…
She is at the point where she wants some “fresh” jewelry – pearls are always nice with a white striped garment…
Traditional outfit, classic scarf…
HOLY MOLEY!!! She almost forgot her favorite “heart” brooch and earrings…
NOW, her accessories outnumber her clothes, which to me is as it should be!
Square stone earrings – Latelita; navy earrings – Closet Rehab; butterfly earrings – Eye Candy LA; 3-stone earrings – Vir Jewels; pearl hoop earrings – Freya Rose; rectangle stone earrings – Zohreh V. Jewellery; bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; pearl heart earrings – Sohi; heart brooch – Atelier Mon; watch – Olivia Burton; cashmere scarf – Scarves by Franci; cashmere scarf – Scarves by Franci; plaid scarf – Barbour; pearl bracelet – Biko; Foulard patch 42” tassel scarf – Echo; butterfly scarf – Luna & Avery; necklace – Belpearl; wristlet – Talbots; tote bag – Campo Marzio Roma 1933; boots – Sorel; ballet flats – Munro; loafers – Aerosoles
Let us bid adieu to this most intelligent and nicely-dressed heroine, and wish her luck in her studies!
love,
Janice
p.s. Nine years ago, we considered the possibilities of a camel and emerald green travel capsule wardrobe…
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Good variety that gives her plenty of options. I love the Olivia Burton watch and the tanzanite jewellery. I’d probably add in more necklaces and rings – there are no rings.
Hmm… I need to pay more attention to rings. I have two wedding rings on my left hand (mine, and my father’s), and I have three rings that I rotate through on my right hand – a silver one with a wee diamond, a black oxidized iron one with a pearl, and a traditional gold ring with a pearl.
I shall attempt to do better on the ring front!
hugs,
Janice
I have my engagement and wedding rings on my left hand. I like to have a have a dress ring (or two) on my right which match or blend with my outfit. I rarely go out without a dress ring on. 🤗
Maybe this lady can’t wear rings. Some of us have trouble with rings fitting. There are many reasons why. I have swollen knuckles and fingers that swell up during the day. It make it hard to get rings on. If they do go on in the morning they can be impossible to remove at night.
Meant to say i have arthritis.
I’m exactly the same Susan and no longer can wear my wedding and engagement rings 🙁
The Navy Booties are so nice but for those of us that need flats I just purchased Navy Booties at SAS that are mostly a flat!!! Comfortable right out of the box!!
Packing tip: a seven-day pill organizer is a great way to store and take along earrings. So, I’m envisioning her dropping another 7 pairs (at least!) into her bag.
Good idea! I was wondering how to travel with all the jewelry!
I usually just toss all of my jewelry in my evening bag! Yes, I’m probably scratching things, and heaven knows we get the most amazing tangles… But I have a ton of wee taffeta drawstring bags (you can find them online dirt cheap!), that I could put them into. My earrings are all tiny studs, so they leave room for everything else!
hugs,
Janice
Oooh, that’s clever!
hugs,
Janice
I know a lady who makes cloth cases for people who have lineage society insignia jewelry (DAR, etc). I asked her to make a travel case for my regular jewelry, and it has worked very well I told her how big I wanted each section, so some are small for rings and others hold large necklaces. She also made a travel case for my scarves. I don’t want to violate any rules, so I’ll just say she is on Etsy.
Dear SewLibrarian,
You’re very welcome to share her information here – I’m thrilled to be able to send business to another entrepreneur!
hugs,
Janice
Dear Janice, that’s very kind of you! Her name is Laura Nygaard, and her shop on Etsy is
LaurmelasHouse
She has made several items for me, and her work is impeccable – and I say that as a fellow seamstress.
Love, love, love the larkspur! What a gorgeous wardrobe!
Ooh, the navy touches really elevated this wardrobe! That larkspur colour is gorgeous but there was so much grey alongside it!
I agree. Without the navy it seemed monotone. I need some contrast and interest. Gorgeous color though!
I love those heart earrings and brooch.
The “simple grey outfit” is a STUNNER once the gorgeous larkspur cashmere scarf and tote bag are added!
I’ve been reading from the fence, this time of the year is even more cramped if you a) teach and b) have kids XD
Loving this exercise and the history of our fellow researcher, I so envy her reading getaway! And the comments this series has prompted, simply great. I enjoy observing what I like and what not do much, in this case I’m reassured in not adding gray – that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be very happy living a month or three in these clothes! But is a big step to be able to say: I love how this looks, but I don’t need to own it!
Cheers and blessings and early happy holidays to all the beautiful TVF community!
i always love looking at these posts. they are so beautiful.
Just for the record, I think her seminar sounds FASCINATING!!!
I packed a relatively similar wardrobe for a 2 week trip to California to include watching my grandsons for 5 days. I have various blue shades, one pair of gray pants and red tops for the holidays instead of larkspur. Never bored with my wardrobe. I would gladly replace the red with larkspur on another occasion. I love the posts with the outfits assembled with accessories; although I almost always am wearing my pearl stud earrings, wedding ring on left hand, a ring of my Dad’s on the right. The simplicity of it all is such a valued lesson from Janice over the years. Thank you Janice and all the commenters for your insight!
I love every single thing about this entire wardrobe. I would live in it for years if I could!
An additional comment: over on Tik Tok there’s this sudden fascination with the 9 month cruise and the videos posted by the cruisers doing all nine months. Several showed off their quarters and what they brought for nine months. I immediately thought of Janice and what we, as a group of long-time readers, have learned here. Ladies- SOME folks grossly overpacked!! The itinerary does include quite warm weather and quite cold weather, but I image this group could pack quite nicely for this cruise in about 1/3 to 1/2 the luggage. One woman had some storage unit and it looked as if she had brought 18 pairs of sandals! Anyone packing for a nine month world cruise needed The Vivienne Files.
It’s funny – I love this wardrobe, it’s so beautiful and serene, but in analyzing why I can’t/wouldn’t wear it, it made me realize why my outfit this morning made me unhappy with the way it looked on me: it was too light and too neutral. So I swapped out my beige pants for purple ones and my beige wool cardigan for a very graphic dark gray and multi-colored floral one. Now I’m happy and feeling much more like myself. As others have said, it’s the analysis that makes this blog so valuable! (And all the beautiful things, of course.)
Janice – you have such excellent taste – expressed in each and every addition to this wardrobe.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I always love looking at these posts.