June 3, 2025
Every month, I look at this painting and think that this would be how I would dress if I was starting from scratch (well, the wardrobe based on this painting or on the Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay!)
Navy appeals more and more, beige is timeless, and blue/green accents call my name. But at this point in life, I’m NOT re-doing my wardrobe! Sometimes you just have to admire the painting and the clothes, and stick with what’s worked for you for the past 40 years…
So let’s admire the lovely colors and fluid, relaxed lines of this masterpiece:
This heroine is also going to try to stick to her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe for a while, when shopping. At the end of May, her garments fitted into the template like this:
While browsing her favorite websites, our heroine stumbled across this green 2-piece dress. OH. HECK. YES!
An almost infinitely useful navy tank top, and a sweater vest that can be worn 10 months of the year (on its own with navy pants in the spring or fall?) round out her clothes shopping. She will own the bracelet forever, the sandals go with any warm-weather clothes, and the quite “on-trend” sling back is too handy to pass up.
For what it’s worth, I abhor the phrase “on-trend,” but sometimes when everybody’s wearing something, more sensible women have a chance to grab an item that will be useful…
Bracelet – Panacea; vibrant clover top – Lands’ End; navy tank top – Lands’ End; tweed textured sleeveless sweater – Lands’ End; green skirt – Lands’ End; gold sandals – J.Crew; sling bag – Lands’ End
Our heroine’s Weekly Timeless Wardrobe list looks quite tidy – almost all of her Spring garments in hand, and a good start on Summer! Of course, she’s not under contract to anybody to fill this thing out perfect; guidelines are NOT rules.
Adding the two bright green garments brightens up her wardrobe just a touch – these clothes all “hang together” so well:
Her accessories give us such a good feel for her wardrobe – and there are so many appealing things here:
And how will our friend wear her new pieces? There’s one really OBVIOUS option, but lots of possibilities…
I know that sweater vests are very current, but I’ve always loved them; I’m taking advantage of their trendiness to stock up!
love,
Janice
Earlier installments of our friends wardrobe shopping can be found here: Christmas Day Preview, January, February, March, April, May
p.s. Ten years ago, we packed for warm weather with a wardrobe in black, white and yellow! I don’t think it feels like bees, but I wonder if you do?
Like this wardrobe? Save it to Pinterest!
This month’s additions bring so much to this wardrobe. The two piece dress adds a bit of dressiness without being over the top. The tank and sweater tie in beautifully with this wardrobe and give this heroine so many more options. I’m much fonder of this wardrobe now.
Black and yellow don’t remind me of bees. But the look back wardrobe is something I would be uncomfortable wearing. I’m not a fan of printed pants. Prints on skirts don’t bother me but I feel conspicuous in printed pants, although I can appreciate them on others.
Yesterday’s look back is more me. I’ve learned so much from Janice over the years and find I’m still learning. I love the idea of different fabrics to add interest to what could otherwise be a boring wardrobe. I’m going to start looking for metallics and lace and interesting fabrics to punch up my own wardrobe. I’m also on the hunt for a lovely sweater pattern to knit in my favorite wardrobe colors to tie it all together.
This is so pretty. I envision this heroine lives near the sea, someplace with a change in seasons, but not nearly as cold as my own Maine coast. I see her living her in the Carolinas, perhaps, or even Virginia. This heroine has a clear vision in her wardrobe and I’m here for it.
I must tell you that I am in love with the pretzel earrings. I don’t know how I missed them before!
Finally, I can completely see the sleeveless sweater going into fall and winter to be worn as a vest, with the crisp, white button down, or the turtleneck, underneath. What a versatile piece!
But the picture has Maine in the name! How far up the coast are you?
I’m in the lowest part of the midcoast, near Brunswick, Maine.
The thing is, it gets very cold here…our winter heroine could easily wear these colors, but January through April, she’d be wearing ivory fisherman knits and fair isle sweaters, along with much warmer boots. But, the colors are a go!
My sister lives in Brunswick!!
What a small world! I’m in Bowdoinham, just ten minutes away. But, my church (and life) are in Brunswick.
Janice, if it isn’t too much trouble, would it be possible to make the checks on the wardrobe chart a different color for the new ones? It would be much easier to see where the current additions are located. Especially as the wardrobes grow, it’s getting harder for me to determine which ones are the new ones. I understand that means changing them each month. Thanks for considering, and for ALL you do!
I was thinking the same thing! In the long run, I guess it wouldn’t make a long of difference, but would be useful as the wardrobe is being built. Have no idea about the difficulties of a project like this as I am purely a paper/pencil person, but the whole thing looks enormous, and makes me appreciate even more what Janice does, and the great pleasure it gives us!
That’s a brilliant idea, to be implemented IMMEDIATELY!
bless you,
and accept some big happy Tuesday hugs,
Janice
Great idea, especially as some boxes have options. It helps to know the direction one is going in.
Love these colors. The Magill reminds me too much of my failed wardrobe of black and shades of purple I got so tired of wearing. I did learn the important lesson that I require more than a couple of colors in my closet! Coincidentally I am wearing blue and green today. Thank you Janice – I love the beginning of the month posts and having them daily.
I love the addition of the bright green two-piece dress to this wardrobe! The green striped mary janes will get so much wear now with those pieces. If I (1) substituted a combination of white/soft white/ivory and blue denim/chambray for the beige and (2) added/substituted some print garments [which is something I would do to every capsule because it’s a necessity for a wardrobe to “feel like me”], I would be very happy with this one! The various blue and green shades really speaks to me.
This wardrobe is probably closest to my own wardrobe. I am also I am not at a point where I want to re-do my wardrobe, but anytime a black and white wardrobe is posted this year it calls my name. Pretty much never in my life have I had a black and white wardrobe but at the moment the simplicity really appeals to me.
That said, this is turning into a lovely wardrobe.
I will always see this wardrobe belonging to a redhead
Wait ’til Thursday – that’s the wardrobe that to me is quintessentially Ginger!
hugs,
Janice
Oh those Mary Janes with the 2 piece combo!! This year our big trip is Beijing to Tokyo. I’ve already decided to pack the Magill. I have everything I need and it is just such a perfect travel capsule. We travel in late November early December. I always pack black leather tennies, black ankle boots and black flats so this wardrobe will be prefect. I just love how all are coming together. Great job as always.
This is one of my favorite wardrobes. Those blues and greens are just delightful. Just love how this is progressing. I love wearing aqua, turquoise blues and apple greens. The different coloured ticks sounds like a great idea.
That green separates set is such a fantastic addition! So versatile, and I love the preppy stripes in those outfits. So cute! I find it so interesting between a “warm tone” wardrobe vs “cool tone” wardrobe. I’m making a wardrobe along with you for this painting, but I lean toward super warm, autumn colors (yep, a redhead!) And my collection is so different than your mostly cool tones. We all have our preferences and our coloring is such a strong influence.
Wow, this is so pretty! That green set lifts the whole thing! I used to hate green until I got a summer dress in this same shade -because loved the cut and off course, it was on sale, ahem-. It became one of my favorites, so I got a linen shirt dress in a similar shade. This is my favorite! BTW, I met last Monday a colleague named O’Keeffe! No relation that he’s aware of, but I found it fascinating!
Cheers and blessings all!