May 23, 2025
You often tell me that you don’t much want to wear brown in the summer time, but conversely you’re not really comfortable wearing bright colors in the winter. (it feels too ’80s, for many of us!)
So what if your favorite painting offered you options?
You can assemble your color palette (I could have certainly included a touch of orange in here, couldn’t I?), but just plain and simply ignore one or more of your colors when you plan for a season!
These are the obvious colors that come from this painting – I can’t decide if the three vertical stripes are a shade of brown, or maybe plum…
This heroine is packing for an event – I believe she told me it was a first communion, followed by a church picnic. Great nieces and nephews, as well as grandchildren, always prompt us to go to great lengths to share important days!
This is what our heroine wants to wear that special day:
Top – Lands’ End; earrings – Ana Luisa; skirt – Lands’ End; white cotton cardigan – Caslon; bag – Lily Pulitzer; sandals – Steve Madden
Our hope is that she’s going to have warm weather for the entire long weekend that she’s visiting. She suspects that she will be accompanying small people to the park at least a few times, as well as very casual dining out!
So I chose an outfit that’s bright and springy, and guaranteed to get dirty. That’s what clothes are for – don’t wait until you have no small children around to wear white. Sure as you dress like this, NOTHING will happen…
Earrings – 1928; white linen shirt – Lands’ End; striped tank top – Lands’ End; bracelet – 1928; espadrilles – Toni Pons; white linen pants – Lands’ End
Let’s make certain that our heroine has dark cropped pants, as well as a couple of ways to wear them:
Black eyelet lace top – Caslon; earrings – Donatello Gian; scarf – Liberty London; black gauze capris – Caslon; blue breeze sweater – Lands’ End; black sandals – Sam Edelman
So if she wants to pack just 6 garments and wear three, this is where her travel capsule wardrobe finds itself:
This would be great… If you had a guarantee about what the weather was going to be!
But I really feel that this heroine needs a “real” pair of pants that aren’t white (probably jeans), as well as a warm-ish top, and some “real” shoes.
You only have to be in Chicago (or anyplace else!) for one day when the temperature drops 30 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, from the 80s to the 50s.
So I’m going to add four “finishing” garments to this wardrobe. A couple of them will be to give this heroine the warmth I think one always needs, and two pieces will just give her some additional options.
white sleeveless top – Lands’ End; striped linen tee – Banana Republic; jeans – Topshop; Black hooded sweatshirt – AllSaints; sneakers – On
Now, her 13-piece travel capsule wardrobe requires her to pack 10 things – including a few things that are noticeably heavier!
But she’s got a TON of options now! There’s one outfit in here that might be a bridge too far, but for the most part this is a nearly foolproof wardrobe:
How do you feel when you pack some clothes that don’t get worn? If it was something that was specifically packed for a weather change, I’m okay with it…
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, it occurred to me that the Whatever’s Clean wardrobes would be perfect for travel! The wardrobe of the day was business attire in black and brights…
Like this wardrobe? Save it to Pinterest!
I could wear this wardrobe for a long time. My favorite blue and white. It’s so fresh for summer. For travel, I’d probably wear the black jeans and striped tee and black sweatshirt. Although, I’d find a less expensive sweatshirt that didn’t have branding on it.
The look back is one of my many favorites. I think, though, instead of the beautiful embroidered sweater, I’d opt for the plain sweater and include multiple brooches and/or scarves to add to it. This could save money and luggage space.
I liked what you said about not saving white until there are no small children around. I used to save some of my clothes for “good” but you know what? Good never seems to come! On the verge of retirement (I hope) I’ve been making a point of wearing my “work” clothes at home on the weekends and other days off. They are casual enough to do that, and mostly washable, so why not? Have a great weekend everyone.
You are lucky being able to do that. I had to wear fairly formal clothing to work- and was so used to that I totally lost the plot as regards clothing when I retired. It’s taken me many a year to figure out what now works for me. Hope your retirement comes soon!
Love the outfit for the First Holy Communion. Love the color palette you’ve drawn out of the inspiration piece. Love that you used 1928 jewelry. I was addicted to it in high school, college and well into my 20’s adulthood. I had no idea that it was still around. When I was heavily into my Laura Ashley and Lanz of Salzburg (Yes, they did more than nightgowns! They had lovely clothing too!) phase, 1928 jewelry went right along with that vibe in the 80’s and 90’s. So, great find, Janice! I feel quite nostalgic about this collection.
I also really am inspired by most of the companion wardrobe you’ve created in black and white. I think it plays out all the all the right notes! However, there is one exception. I know that you’re a huge fan of hoodies. But, a black hoodie like this reads very angsty middle school boy to me. This is what I see the boys in my school wear daily and I just don’t have the bandwidth to process this for a sophisticated woman’s style. I certainly could never pair it with a lovely scarf. That being said, I think the same dressed down, cozy look for cooler temps could easily be obtained with a chunky black cardigan or black denim jacket…and it wouldn’t give off the same “I’m in my feelings now”, 12 year old boy vibe. But, that well may just me, especially me as an educator.
Finally, my favorite remix is the blue & white striped tank with the skirt. That gives off such a polished air, it makes me want to recreate it with pieces I already have in my color palette.
We were out for a walk last night and remarked almost immediately when we walked out of our building “everybody wears hoodies these days!”
They really are ubiquitous in Chicago right now; maybe I’m normalizing them in my own mind because I see them SO OFTEN!
hugs,
Janice
Quince has a beautiful cashmere hoodie for a reasonable price. I have it in the camel color and get compliments every time I wear it.
Love these colors! I ordered the barrel pants as that is my favorite pants design, and they are on a huge sale!!! Thank you. Land’s End items last forever; they are so worth every penny.
I really liked this wardrobe, but was hoping for the addition of plum. It just doesn’t get as much play as the other colors, and it is difficult to find. So I appreciate it when you do the research for us. ;-)
Wow, this is great. I admit that I was very unsure when I saw this painting, but the wardrobe worked itself out nicely. I’d wear all these pieces.
I chuckled when I read your last paragraph as I had an inkling of which combination would be a bridge too far for many…I was right ( the other option was the black stripe with the skirt but that is not even on MY radar!!!) I would wear the blue stripe with the skirt it looks sophisticated and fun.
The hoody makes sense during weather that fluctuates and to the commenter who just couldn’t go there… buy one in black cashmere! It will take you to places you never thought of. I own two cashmere hoodies and this 70 yr old short round gramma would be happy to be giving middle school boy!! lol
The barrel pants look soo very cute but again not for a 5’1 short round like myself…I know they’re unflattering ( hate that word) on me therefore I would never feel comfortable but there are other options in white.
Barrel pants on short people like me remind me (5’1″) of the original Oompa Loompas ;-)
Love the wardrobe, love the blue and white but where does the brown from the painting fit in?
She’s going to add brown in the cooler weather – this way she can always use just one painting as her inspiration, but she can change her colors somewhat with the seasons!
hugs,
Janice
I pack nearly the same way every trip. I always pack a knit top or sweater that’s a touch dressier along with shoes that aren’t tennies or sandals to wear with black jeans for occasions when I want to be just a little more dressed up. And I always pack either a chambray or natural linen shirt (sometimes flannel for cold weather). I’m okay if these items aren’t worn. We just returned from a two-week trip and these three items were the only unworn things I brought.