December 3, 2024
Let’s move on to our next heroine, who has committed her wardrobe to navy and white, with a few shades of blue…
She was inspired by this, and one can well understand!
Her existing wardrobe, at the end of November, is pretty complete. Let’s look at it, spread out a bit, and arranged in some outfits:
After all of those outfits, she still has nine more tops, and a dress! As I said before, this might be enough for some people…
Her accessories are perfect for her:
After some deep thinking, our heroine has two goals this month:
- She wants to expand her denim/chambray adventure, (she’s going to buy a second chambray shirt, for a very specific reason; those of us who own these shirts can easily see that having two of them isn’t insane…) and
- She need a couple of festive tops – not a ballgown, nor a floofy dress of any ilk, but a couple of tops that have that mood!
So she shops:
Sterling snowflake brooch – Talbots; chambray shirt – Lands’ End; sequined tee – J.Crew Factory; clutch bag – Club Rochelier; navy v-back beaded sweater – Vineyard Vines; chambray skirt – Lands’ End; blue loafers – Abeo
She’s assuming that her shirt and skirt will match – thus the 2nd chambray shirt! If she’s planning to wear them together frequently, it wouldn’t be stupid to keep them together and make sure that they age at the same pace…
The brooch? I can picture that pinned at the base of the plunging back of her new sweater…
She unpacks things as they arrive, and ponders some of the new outfits that she can make with her four new garments:
It’s a good thing that I’m not going to ever have to start my wardrobe from scratch – this would tempt me SO MUCH…
love,
Janice
Earlier posts of this wardrobe can be found here:
and the Christmas Starter Pack!
p.s. Ten years ago, we were looking at jewelry for all seasons – as in the “color seasons.”
Like this wardrobe? Save it to Pinterest!
Another awesome wardrobe. I agree that multiple denim/chambray shirts are a must have! As much as I love today’s and yesterday’s wardrobes, I have to admit for me personally I would need some added colors. Someone mentioned having variety in scarves and other accessories. I’m not sure that would do it for me, but I love the concept. After wearing red/orange/violet/yellow yesterday today I’m in a column of blue, and tomorrow it will be a column of green. This wardrobe much more low key and “restful” than yesterday’s, but the O’Keeffe wardrobe is just so stunning.
This has a very low-key, coastal, beachy Nancy Myers vibe to it, doesn’t it? It’s absolutely perfect the heroine who lives where it gets slightly cooler, but not all-out winter. I’m envisioning that she has a coastal house in my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA, or someplace on the east coast…perhaps Hilton Head, SC? I’m picturing that her Christmas tree has sand dollars and shells on it, with a bit of driftwood here and there. I can just imagine her walking her yellow Labrador on the beach on Christmas morning, wearing the white pants, flannel shirt and scarf, before welcoming friends over in the chambray two-piece set.
Yes! It’s very coastal grandmother.
I love all of this! I can see myself wearing all of these items throughout the winter. I’m all in for the coastal vibes!
This is a great blue wardrobe A hit out of the park for December!
As someone who likes variety I know I couldn’t do it. This has caused me to
think of the original Vangogh bedroom group you did. It was just perfect for someone looking for functional variety. I would love to see it done again so I could
Update and refresh the look. I traveled to Australia for 21 days in a carryon with
the group! Please consider! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas you share.
Every time I see this wardrobe it reminds me of my dear departed mother. This was exactly how she dressed although she had a few more formal gowns thrown in, various blues of course. Even the house I grew up in was decorated in blues and white. Goes to show if you love a colour no reason why you cant just go all out.
As much as I really like these individual pieces if I had to wear these everyday it would feel too much like a uniform. Probably because my high school uniform was navy and light blue, with grey and white! Yesterdays I could do. I think. Thanks Janice, I love your blog.
While no doubt perfect for some, the cold weather part of this wardrobe is definitely too much unrelieved dark navy for my taste. The warm weather part is better with all 3 colors represented but still just a LOT of blue (yes, I know that’s the point, haha!).
For color lovers: Today’s wardrobe is giving me the idea of a twist on the French 5 shopping approach – instead of buying 5 coordinating pieces in one color, buying 5 of the same/similar piece in 5 different colors. For example, I’d be thinking how much impact 5 t-shirts for warm and 5 sweaters for cool would have on the variety and outfit possibilities for this wardrobe, and the accent colors chosen for each broad season wouldn’t need to be the same. Or if 10 is too much, 5 total t-shirts plus sweaters. How same/similar you make your 5 pieces in style is a very individual decision, but for ease of mix-and-matching, I would be tempted to buy the same silhouette that I know works well with the foundational pieces of the wardrobe if that’s a possibility. In this particular case, I’d be thinking 4 accent color short-sleeved Ts and 1 white one (that somehow didn’t ever get added).
Or…of course you know I’m going to say…colorful solid and/or print scarves would be killer in this wardrobe. :) Janice’s wardrobes are so well curated that additional scarves/accessories would be easy to add to any of them!
Sally, great idea on the accent pieces. In fact, I did exactly that this fall. I got four of the Lands End Pima relaxed long sleeved Ts, in burgundy, blackberry, teal and forest green. I wear a lot of denim and navy and these Ts have worked very well and given some interest to my otherwise blah wardrobe. I think I’m going to do the same thing for warm weather, too.
Your analysis is always spot on! When I retire, do you want to take over The Vivienne Files???
love,
Janice
Sally, this is how I shop and dress! But I have never articulated it as well as you have. In the winter, for example, I live in Lands End cashmere cardigans in many colors, paired with slacks and skirts in my preferred neutrals of navy, gray, and black. I have multiples in accessories as well, especially shoes and bags. It works for me as a retired woman who no longer needs to wear a skirt and jacket every weekday.
I’ve done this exact thing with my wardrobe! I got a tshirt, long sleeve tshirt, thin tshirt fabric turtle neck, and crew, v, and turtleneck cabled sweaters in my neutrals and accents. It makes dressing in any weather here in Minnesota so much easier! Throw in a cardigan of different styles in each color and I’m pretty set! I do also love my floral blouses and tees for patterning.
It was great to read how you all are incorporating similar ideas into your wardrobes – thanks for that! Janice, I am honored by your comment – but of course I don’t think anyone but you could do justice to the Vivienne Files! :)
I love the two new chambray pieces – I’m a longtime fan of a two-piece dress. It’s such a flexible and useful option. I would vote that she get a great belt that is wide enough to cover the waistband.
Did anyone else grow up in a modest community where long denim skirts were seen as so aspirational and trendy? This one is a very different vibe from the late 90s and early 00s for sure- we were teens then but we’re middle-aged now!
I do love this wardrobe, these are my colors, I just feel some kind of way about long denim skirts so I had to comment on that part! It’s a weird feeling!
I grew up in an Amish/Mennonite area – long denim skirts and dresses were essential! We couldn’t wear pants to school until I was in the 9th grade…
love,
Janice
Janice, I grew up in an industrial city outside Chicago, and we couldn’t wear pants to public school through all 12 years. Even our gym clothes had short skirts over bloomers! Further, in the U of Illinois dorms, skirts were required at dinner – and I’m guessing the sororities required them, too. Yes, some of us dinosaurs are still around. [grin]
I have enjoyed this blue wardrobe and experimenting with my own. I was tempted today, in a quality charity shop, with a soft light blue wool short coat with a removeable faux fur collar from the Windsmoor brand. As if I didn’t have enough coats… but then…it fitted very well…
There is no way I could pick a favorite of these wardrobes. I’m a bit obsessed with two-piece dresses, so the chambray set makes such perfect sense. Once again, what a stellar set of accessories!
I love Talbots snowflake ❄️ brooches. I’ve been slowly building a collection over the past few years so I can wear a grouping of them (which I think I learned from you). This year’s is so pretty, I ordered it before I scrolled down any further.