October 21, 2024
Normally Neutral
She usually wears ivory and black. Every day. With nothing else added… So this scarf has some appeal, right from the start!
She recently made a mistake (there are really NO mistakes?), and ordered a pair of brown shoes instead of the black that she would obviously have preferred. But she found the brown ones to be fetching, so she just picked up a brown handbag, and a pair of earrings, and called brown “an accent color…”
So NOW, this scarf really appeals!
This could have all stopped RIGHT THERE… but she sensed that she was ready for something new…
A RED SWEATER???? Her friends will be so shocked – it’s worth wearing, just to see their faces!
Red cashmere sweater – J.Crew; scarf – Echo; earrings – Anthropologie; turtleneck – Lands’ End; gloves – Cole Haan; ivory wool pants – J.Crew; loafers – G.H.Bass; weekender bag – Aota
So when it came time to pack for their weekend together (could be a wedding, could just be a party – I just went to a wedding that was really more of a neighborhood-wide street fest…), she decided to spring for the red 2-piece dress, and red shoes!
Tigers eye earrings – Ms.Donna; spinel & pearl earrings – Pearls of the Orient; pearls & chains scarf – Talbots; caramel black & white scarf – Delinor; heart earrings – I’mmany London; red tee – J.Crew; boiled wool jacket – J.Crew; saddle corduroy shirt – L.L.Bean; black corduroy pants – L.L.Bean; black tee – J.Crew; red skirt – J.Crew; red slingbacks – Franco Sarto; chestnut bag – Aimee Kestenberg; black boots – David Tate
It’s a big change from a strictly black/ivory wardrobe. But she can still see herself wearing all of these things, and she feels comfortable here. That’s what really matters – are you dressing yourself, or some version of yourself that you’re presenting to others? You of course think of how others will react when you dress yourself, but that should never be your first concern…
Her foolproof travel capsule wardrobe:
She works her way through her outfit possibilities – red for the event, a suit if she stays over to go to work, clothes for brunch with the same people she JUST SAW LAST NIGHT UNTIL FIVE A.M.
Ah, the young people…
When you’re going to be busy, not having to worry about how you’ll dress is handy! I would love to have every stitch of this…
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, I was trying to assemble reference pages for everything on The Vivienne Files. I don’t think they will EVER be up to date…
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I had to laugh. This is how you get sucked into a colorful wardrobe! Color by color. 😂 I love this. I actually don’t do a lot of neutrals anymore – except for the navy core wardrobe I already have. Everything’s about the accent colors. Happy Monday everyone! Janice, I hope you are healing well and thank you so much for all your hard work and these posts we enjoy so much.
I love this wardrobe. Very classy! I’m thinking about getting into attending live theater and symphony concerts. I have no idea what people wear to those things. The dressiest pants I own are black jeans. Will those do? This wardrobe gives me some ideas. Thanks for all you do.
Get on ThredUp or Ebay and find a pair of black silk pants, and black velvet for cooler weather. You can always find beautiful Eileen Fisher pants available; they will last forever, and go with every top in your closet!
hugs,
Janice
You can call the box ofc at your venues and ask what the local uniform is as well… there may be a vast difference between performance days and times. Use the existing resources to check. Sounds like great fun!
I have noticed that people are less dressed up in NYC for broadway, than here in Houston but you do see some of everything. The Met Opera was way dressier than the broadway shows. I don’t know if that’s bc most tourists are not dressing up? I have noticed that shows here in Houston are much more causal than in the past. The opera, ballet and symphony attendees seem to dress up more than those going to the broadway shows. We have tix for the Alley Theater to see A Christmas Carol and I will be dressing up!
I agree to check with the venue. Or just dress up. It’s a special occasion.
Yaay! comments are back!! :) Thanks Janice, for all the work you put into these posts and into creating a vibrant community!
Gorgeous wardrobe – cuts aren’t quite my style, but the concept, color-combinations and richness definitely are. I love that there is only one article of brown clothing, but the accessories make everything work together so well – cognac brown (to me) is such a lovely accent option. Seems to make all color palettes richer, and its so amazing to see how little is required to make it work. As the cold starts heading in, I need to go through my winter accessories … I have a pair of maroon ankle boots, glove and a scarf with maroon in the weave; so that becomes an easy option! I try and have 2 “sets” to change it up a bit over the long cold months. For now, I’m enjoying the mini-heat wave!!
Check out the websites and social media pages for the theaters. They’ll often post pictures of cast with their friends and family, attendees before the show, and after parties. Then you can see what others are wearing and use it as inspiration for your own theater uniform.
When you mentioned Thread Up earlier in the comments Janice, I just had to chime in! I LOVE using them as a resource, as well as my local thrifting boutiques. I recently found the perfect trio of light to mid weight cotton blend cable knit tops that are right in the sweet spot between a t-shirt and a sweater. Great in their own for fall and spring. Amazing layered up with turtle necks, collared shirts or vests in the winter. And in my best colors too! Pale silvery gray, baby blue and soft baby pink. Thrifting is so much fun and so good for the environment.
Hugs ever so gently. I hope your ribs are mending quickly. Thank you for your wonderful inspiration Janice!
This is wonderful…truly wonderful. I have always liked black and brown together, but with the pop of red, it is my jam. Leopard, in my humble opinion, is a neutral, and pairs beautifully with not only black and brown, but with red, too. I deeply admire people who wear a column of white or ivory. I have tried it and on me, it looks as if I’ve joined a cult. However, breaking up that column with color might be a way that I could see it working.
Comments are still sporadic and is Janice resting her poor ribs? I totally understand and want her to heal I just want to make sure I’m not missing any posts and comments!
I just got out of the hospital – turns out that I have COVID, and SEVEN broken ribs…
I promise I’m going to get better!
love,
Janice
I swear by tan accessories – especially bags. Goes with everything.