January 24, 2024
You thought that I forgot! Yes, I can get pretty immersed in those Echo 100 scarves, but there’s no way I was going to miss revisiting this painting:
This heroine is going to look at each of her “wardrobe clusters” one at a time, and make certain that she has the accessories that she wants for each cluster…
She’s already got her shoes chosen – that’s a lot of the thinking out of the way already!
First up, her warmest cluster. There are at least four outfits possible here, if she layers her navy shirt under her navy sweater… If you’re summering in a place where evenings can turn cool, this could happen!
And for what it’s worth, we have cool summer days in Chicago! The sellers of souvenir sweatshirts make out like bandits…
Navy poplin shirt – L.L.Bean; cotton crewneck sweater – L.L.Bean; striped tee – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L.Bean; sapphire earrings – Rachel Jackson; turntable silk scarf – Echo; sapphire necklace – Rachel Jackson; watch – Cendré; loafers – Birdies
You will not BELIEVE where I found this scarf! Never stop looking…
sandals – Dansko; white linen tunic – Lands’ End; striped tee – Lands’ End; white pants – J.Crew; star earrings – Charlotte’s Web Jewellery; 3-stone stud earrings – Charlotte’s Web Jewellery; scarf – Moraccanoil; bag – Rue Les Createurs; tan suede loafers – Trotters
I’m not a huge fan of nail polish, but if you’re wearing sandals, you might want to indulge. And why NOT have cobalt blue toenails, I ask?
Navy quarter-zip top – Lands’ End; cobalt tee – Lands’ End; white tank top – Lands’ End; navy shorts – J.Crew; blue earrings- Adepte; nail polish – Londontown; bracelets – LOFT; bag – Zantany Concepts; sandals – Dansko
And for a heroine who loves shades of blue, what could be better than jewelry that includes both lapis AND turquoise? This lapis is very dark – almost like navy – which suits this heroine perfectly:
striped linen dress – Lands’ End; sleeveless white shirt – Lands’ End; One-shoulder top – St. Cloud Label; white linen shorts – Lands’ End; sunglasses – Maui Jim; lapis and turquoise earrings – La Côte Club; ring- La Côte Club; belt – Treasure & Bond; sandals – Easy Street Shoes
Now, let’s look at our heroine’s 16-piece wardrobe:
…and her accessories!
All of us can imagine how she might wear these things, but let’s actually put a few outfits in front of ourselves to see how things look:
It’s easy to think that a travel capsule wardrobe has to include ONLY things that are completely “mix and match,” but you can include accent colors that don’t go together! You just might want to be sure to have a good core of neutrals…
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, I tackled yet ANOTHER “difficult” scarf – a Liberty of London Ianthe scarf in sepia and cream…
p.p.s. I’ve never done this before, but I’ve just seen TWO pairs of earrings that would be perfect here:
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You’re right. That’s a surprising source for the blue scarf. It’s gorgeous. And, we thank you for your superior accessory location skills.
Amen. I agree! I’m up at 2am also.
Google weird phrases, get weird Google responses! Weird, but helpful…
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice,
again, just WOW. Navy (and even darker blue) is the basic color/colour of my capsule wardrobe. And has been, for the last 10 years (picture here: a smiley, just slighly puking). I worked hard for this. But now… I am so sick of it. For spring, I was about to dive into lighter blues, as I am really pale after the dreary winter days. But I did not like the pastel blues. Sooooo what shall I say? The idea to use bright light blue never entered my mind. So: THANK YOU for inspiring me! Kind regards from Germany.
(On second thought: I might switch the bright white for a muted white, which might be better, since I don’t use make-up at all).
My wardrobe is mostly navy and blue as well. I’ve realized that shades of berries and pinks usually look good with them, and I like to think that they look good on me, too!
And they all work well with whites and winter whites.
This wardrobe makes me want to buy it all and then decamp to Greece. I guess it’s all the blue and white.
We’re about to get a big dump of freezing rain where I live, so dreaming of a Grecian summer seems like the perfect thing to do.
“It’s easy to think that a travel capsule wardrobe has to include ONLY things that are completely “mix and match,” but you can include accent colors that don’t go together! You just might want to be sure to have a good core of neutrals…”
Thank you for another valuable lesson learned. I am working on planning a travel capsule (just a backpack and carryon for 2 whole weeks!) for Ireland in June and have been struggling with the idea of the same two colors over and over. Now I can have some fun pops without worrying I’m not being disciplined enough. :)
Dear Caro,
1 word of advice – if you’re planning to do hand laundry and hang things to dry, be aware that it can take a LONG time for clothes to dry in Ireland! When you walk around Dublin residential areas, you’ll see clothes racks on lots of balconies, and in lots of windows… Maybe a laundromat is the best way to keep things fresh while visiting my favorite place!
hugs,
Janice
I try to plan my laundry so that I wash as soon as I arrive at a location where I’ll be spending at least two overnights. This allows two nights and one complete day for drying.
I did exactly this a few years ago – 2 weeks in Ireland in June with a carryon and backpack. A couple words of advice from someone who’s been there: 1. Janice is absolutely right, you can’t count on things drying. 2. Depending on where you’re from, it can feel super cold, even in June (it was 33 F not counting the wind chill off the North Sea). 3. Layers are the way to go. I got through with only one pair of jeans and one sweater, which I also wore in the plane, but many underlayers of long-sleeved tees and leggings. And of course fresh socks and undies every day. And these are all smaller to pack and very squishy.
Bon voyage!
A carry on and a backpack is literally my favorite way to pack! i’ve done up to 6 weeks like that. I agree with the advice above. hand-washing underwear in the sink (quick drying is a BONUS!) and pack enough socks. I’ll add – I travel in jeans, pack 3 other “bottoms” (usually work pants) and possibly a bonus bottom (skirt/ dress/ weekend casual wear) in neutrals – and then go wild with the tops; and then have the (scarves or jewelry) help pick 2-3 top layers (either matching my neutrals for a suit vibe, or an accent that goes with many of the tops). Many times I start by picking my favorite/desired pants, add the 2nd layers i want to take (i have a maroon open cardigan that i love), add a scarf (that picks up the maroon); work backwards to tops that coordinate with the scarf/cardigans; and then pick a 2nd or 3rd scarf that works with the colors in the tops. (2 pairs of shoes; bonus sandals if it is summer). It sounds a little haphazard, but it really works well for me. I end up with 2-3 neutrals and 4-5 accent colors. Hope it helps and enjoy your trip!!!!
Oh Janice, your posts with blue clothing are always my favorites. Wondering if you could ever undertake a heroine on a summer Alaska cruise — carryon only (fingers crossed!) in black, navy, white, and ??? including black fleece-lined leggings. I’d be so very grateful 🩷.
cece, I found TVF many years ago when we were going on an Alaskan cruise for one week and inland for another week. I did two suitcases because the dress on the ship was different than the land portion which was REALLY casual. WE could leave our “cruise” clothes and pick up that suitcase on our return so my hubby and I shared a “cruise” bag and each had a carry-on for the land portion. TVF were a tremendous help. Bonus, I found a delightful, insightful group of readers. Not to mention the amazing Janice! Have fun on your trip.
Thank you Amanda ! What lovely suggestions — we’re also doing land first and then cruise. I’ll do some sleuthing on the TVF site and see what is archived. I too love the community Janice has created and lovingly curated 🩷.
This is just fab! So beautiful! I can’t be the only one who would wear the cobalt and turquoise together (and has done so in the past)?
I also like wearing cobalt and turquoise together, esp. in the summer. I think these colors are great for color blocking.
This is incredibly beautiful and is just perfect for an upcoming trip heading to the southeast in March. I was planning on taking navy pants and shorts and gray pants and shorts, but the white is so lovely….I guess I should start pulling together my clusters and go from there. Seeing the accessories is so helpful! I usually get together my outfits and then throw a handful of jewelry options in the mix. I really need to be more deliberate with my accessories!
My mother always told me if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all. However, I am going to be a “naysayer” here…. I have to laugh, because navy is my core neutral year around now. These two blues just don’t do it for me. In looking at my closet, I don’t have very many summer things to begin with and the tops I do have are primarily navy prints. Last year I added a couple of prints with green and with orange. This worked really well with a travel capsule I took on a week long trip. I have a wide range of blues, but more chambray and denim shades. Can’t please all the people all the time. I’m really looking forward to seeing what direction you take the blue “Six paintings 12 months” wardrobe. Have a good day everyone.
Sheila, as long as you’re pleasant about it, you can criticize anything you see here! I’ve got a tough hide, and I know well enough that one thing you don’t like doesn’t mean that you hate me and want to throw rocks at me!
big hugs,
Janice
I have to say, Sheila, I love this response. To me, it doesn’t read as criticism, or unkind, but rather your personal self-reflection : you, like the vignette, have navy as your base; and you have found *other* blues to add your ranges of blues, along with accent pops of orange and green. These two blues are not your cup of tea. (Personally, I love these two blues, and the navy is too dark for my tastes. None of which reflects poorly on Janice – it’s a “me” thing)
I think there is value in stating your opinion, politely, without attacking, as done here- 1. not every color scheme “works” for every individual, and perhaps someone reading the overwhelming positive comments around the colors feels “why doesn’t this work for me? is something wrong with me?” Your comment would make that person feel less alone. 2. Sometimes commenting is a way of “thinking out loud” that leads to more personal self-discovery; like the short-waisted admissions below! I know I’ve typed responses to people, intending to share a nugget of gleaned wisdom, and end up understanding myself better as I write!
I love the community that has grown over the years on this blog – I learn so much from everyone’s kindly phrased honest opinions :)
Lovely accessories and makes me say wow. Love how it all comes together. Cobalt and turquoise is always a lovely combination. Thank you again for all your hard work.
Janice,
I have a self discovery that I’ve been trying to deny , but here it is: I don’t feel comfortable tucking in a shirt or a top as I am short waisted. I tend to only wear shirts as a second layer in warm months as a result, which reduces my silhouette options. I might wear a collared shirt if I can wear it under an outer garment that completely closes, like a zip front cardigan, or a pullover sweater or 1/4 zip topper in order to “ hide ” that short waisted look . I love the look of a collared shirt, but wearing it as a top garment by itself just does not work for me, sad to say .
I’m in the same boat – for me, a shirt with a collar is an overshirt over an untucked tee shirt…
I’m so short-waisted that a wide belt = push-up bra!
hugs,
Janice
I rarely wear belts for exactly this reason! :D
Not being short waisted, so i’m not sure but… does that qualify you as “legs for miles”? maybe that can be a sillhouette to play up?
(I also don’t tuck shirts in – large chested and big belly, i feel like it just emphasizes my tummy.) I tend to vary the silhouette by changing pant leg styles. I have ONE men’s button-up shirt that i wear on its own, untucked, over skinny ankle pants (or ideally, black velvet leggings). cuff the sleeves and flip the collar over once to make more like a peter pan collar? so definitely not “all buttoned up”. I feel fabulous in it!
Yep, I’ve got legs for miles! It’s a good trade-off…
hugs,
Janice
I am also short waisted and regularly wear button up shirts/blouses untucked. It’s not for everyone’s style, but I have strong elements of relaxed/natural and “not buttoned up”/rough around the edges in my style so this works for me in a lot of outfits. All kinds of partial tucks also have a place in my styling toolkit.
Sadly I do not have legs for miles. I just have a long expanse between waist and legs, haha.
I LOVE this wardrobe and would wear everything, other than the one shoulder top. I’m moving from black to navy for a spring/summer neutral. The turquoise scarf is beautiful!
I’m short waited too! But I’ve found I can tuck in my shirt if I wear a belt that’s the same color as the shirt, hence lengthening the look of my torso.
Short-waisted!!
P.S. I ordered the silk/cotton scarf!!!
Lots of people ordered that scarf – it might be the most successful single item I’ve ever featured!
hugs,
Janice
Camille ( I love that name ! It was the name of a favorite character on the TV show “ Death in Paradise” ),
Great idea, thanks ! I love belts, but avoid wearing them for the same short waisted reason ! I think they add so much polish to an outfit !
Love the look back scarf and outfits. It really wasn’t a difficult scarf for you.
The additional earrings are perfect! I’m loving how you put things in clusters. It’s pushing my brain to work on some color ways this way. Looking forward to the differences in the “blue” 12 month looks. I’m guessing that one could put them together at least a little bit.
Oh how I love the freshness and zing of this wardrobe. Why is the aqua scarf from Morrocanoil such a great find? Lovely scarf whatever its provenance. I’m not sure that I would wear tan accessories. I bought a pair of tan boots some years ago and they are still in the cupboard.
Despite the tan wood color in the painting, I would not have picked tan for the leather goods either. I would prefer grey in this capsule, I think. But on the right person, the tan leather and gold metals would be beautiful.
I am in the shirt untucked shirt category, but I just don’t mind. I think I have the same relaxed boho vibe that Sally mentioned. I am wearing a sleeveless button up today under a sweater because I love the way the color and tails look poking out.