August 7, 2025
I love this painting, and I’m quite smitten with the colors, but I’m starting to see how hard it can be to have a wardrobe this disciplined:
I really love the way this heroine has such a strong signature look. But her shopping can be difficult… Maybe that’s not all bad – if everything you see appeals to you AND would look good with your wardrobe, you’re living with a ton of temptation. Hmm…
This month, she found another crewneck sweater in a quite different shade of plum from her other crewneck. The shirt is just cool – smocked cuffs? A plum tee shirt and classic grey pants round out her shopping:
Earrings – Undefined Jewelry; plum tee shirt – J.Jill; Striped shirt with smocked sleeves – J.Jill; plum heather sweater – L.L.Bean; scarf – Elizabetta; pants – J.Crew; boots – Trotters
The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe template is difficult for this heroine – does she really HAVE an accent color? When you’re only shopping for two colors, you can’t call either of them a “true” accent…
I really like grey, but this is a pretty somber collection of clothes!
But this grouping is so pretty, it more than makes up for the quietness of the grey!
Our heroine hesitated for a while over her new scarf – that’s a bright golden yellow! But then she remembered that she wears a lot of yellow gold jewelry, and that it all seems to work out well. Scarves ARE accents, after all!
Burgundy shoes are SO DIFFICULT. And so are grey – grey shoes always seem to really be beige, or some weird greenish color… Patience, and maybe shopping with a garment or two in hand are both good ideas.
I picture this heroine as having a somewhat visible and responsible job in a creative environment – the kind of place where having a signature look works in your favor. Not necessarily anything outlandish or freaky, just memorable:
This makes me wonder how a black, white and purple wardrobe would feel…
love,
Janice
earlier installments of posts about this wardrobe can be found here: Christmas Day Introduction, January, February, March, April, May, June, July
p.s. Ten years ago, I was pondering my “French 5-Piece Wardrobe” for the autumn and winter of 2015. Funny, I don’t wear pink at all anymore, except to go to the gym!
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This is so not me, yet so pretty. Some days, your thinking Janice helps me so much identifying what I like and what I don’t. Here, I see why gray just found the exit door from my wardrobe a couple of years ago. But those berry colors! Purple is not my thing, but some shades and items you show are stunning. It needs to lean to pink for me, but the whole bunch with white is beautiful.
Such a disciplined color palette makes me think about what Ellen said, when moving out, you get used to less clothes. We moved at the beginning of the year and I took the chance to keep keepers. It’s working so well! May I suggest starting a post with this in mind, dear Janice?
Cheers and blessings!
My DH wears nothing but grey, or a faded black, which is really charcoal, lol. T shirts, utility pants, shorts, sweatshirts, everything. And I have learned a few things. First, he keeps way fewer clothes than this. Of course keeps them for years so never starts from scratch. He never has trouble grabbing something out of the proverbial dark closet to wear. Drab and boring? Doesn’t care! Point being, it takes a particular personality or aesthetic to live with a very minimalist wardrobe palette.
My DH is the same. He has inattentive ADHD and when he changed to just black t-shirts and black hoodies he found it so much easier. I would love him in florals as he has curly black hair with fair skin and florals look amazing with that combo but in my dreams only.
I have to admit that, when you first presented this idea with just two colors, I was NOT on board. I enjoy mixing things up and purple happens to be my least favorite color. Gray, while I do love in small doses, gets very old to me very quickly. Now, fast forward to August, and I do see the appeal. How easy would it be to pick things out in a two (three with white) color palette? You don’t see what you need or want in your colors? You don’t buy anything. No faffing about, just moving on!
While I don’t think I’ll ever be able to narrow my vibe down to one base and one accent, I can now see the appeal of it. Eight months into this year’s journey, I get it. I admire the heroine (and you, her creator) for this very solid vision.
Dear Ellen,
I hope things in your world are looking up; I think of you and your family often, and with much love!
xoxo,
Janice
One way to shop for new items to match or harmonize with your chosen palette colors is to grab some cards at your local hardware paint section. Creat a set of cards by cutting and pasting to 3×5 index cards. Carry in a ziplock to protect the colors. That way you’re prepared when you come across what you think might work with your existing wardrobe. I have a color fan from a color and wardrobe consultant, but for those who don’t care for this approach, the DIY with paint samples really helps. The paint cards also give you a range of tones and shades that will harmonize with your favorite garments. It looks to me that shades of plum/berry will have a big moment this autumn. Not my favorite, but you ladies who look smashing in those colors will have fun!
This is my favourite painting. Shades of lilac/purple/plum are not easily found. I often have better luck in charity shops. I buy whatever appeals.
The beauty of a limited palette is knowing that whatever you acquire will tone in. Having complete sets of clothes in lilac/purple/plum allows for columns to be created easily. I am not averse to wearing purple from top to toe, though I might wear a patterned or textured top.
I would add lilac/purple/plum trousers plus lilac/purple/plum slip overs, lilac/purple/plum cardigan, a chunky lilac/purple/plum jumper/cardigan. A patterned shirt or top would be good too.
I tend to wear grey shoes or black boots though I have purple suede DM-style boots too.
I have patterned shirts and scarves that could introduce another accent into the mix.
Morning! About 5-6 years ago I did a black/white/purple wardrobe. It lasted a year. I got so bored with it I ended up transitioning to a color crayon wardrobe and got rid of every single piece of purple. No kidding! Six years later I have only one purple outfit in my closet – just recently acquired – pants, top, and a gorgeous sweater. I do use purple as an accent color in some of my other outfits. Just sayin’ I know I need more variety in my closet.
That’s fascinating! I wonder if I would have the same reaction – I’ve been highlighting my hair in purple for five years, and I still really love it. But hair is different… hmm… Thanks for taking time to share!
hugs,
Janice
I have lots of colour in my wardrobe but within that are different harmonising colourways; lilac/plum/purple and grey is just one of them.
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I love shades of berry and purple, so this wardrobe does it for me! I don’t like grey, so I’d just sub in navy/shades of blue. Like Beth T., I’d wear a column of purple with no problem. I already have several scarves that would work, too. I know that, for me at least, I need more than just 1 neutral + 1 color. I prefer a dark neutral, light neutral, and at least 3 accent colors (usually purple, green, blue). This way I don’t get bored.
I can see this with navy and all of these shades of pink and plum. I wonder if I can find a painting for next year that has just two colors, and one of them is navy…
hugs,
Janice
This combination is very appealing to me. I struggle to find a signature color plum, berry and amethyst always call to me. I have never succeeded in building a curated closet. I’m 76 and not sure it will ever happen. But I keep trying. By the way, where can I find a weekly wardrobe template like yours?
Check your email – I just sent them to you!
love,
Janice
Thank you so much!
My wardrobe is largely not curated either. I buy or acquire what I like in different colours, then I settle on colour combinations which draws the clothes together into small collections.
I have a very limited wardrobe with navy and medium blues, a handful if rose tops and a couple of off white bottoms. It makes shopping difficult in some aspects, but easy in that I can whiz by so many items in other colors. I don’t wear scarves and own one navy cross-body bag. Do I get bored? Nope. As soon as I put on that blue item and see how much it lights up my appearance, I think, “Why wear anything else?” This is my very favorite selection this year.
I know the 2 (3) color wardrobe is a challenge, but it is so stinking pretty!! Grey and pink is such a beautiful combination, and this magenta or lilac makes for an exciting combo, for those who look good in it. It’s about my worst color to wear due to my coloring, but I can still appreciate the lovely variety of shades. You’ve done so well!
Are the Trotters boots the luggage or oxblood color choice, please?
Oxblood. Isn’t that maddening that it’s hard to tell? They look very burgundy on my computer, and go rather well with all of the plum and pink clothes.
hugs,
Janice
Lovely selection, and great for the disciplined palate! For the comment around “accent color” for the template – I’d consider pattern or texture as an accent in this situation. So stripes, florals, paisley, polka-dot, tweed, boucle … whatever you find in your 2 colors (plus white) would be what i use. I’m definitely team magpie, but I do like smaller capsules in “tonal” shades for travel – Usually with a singular opposite accent. (In this case it would be grey + plum tonal, with one or two tops in teal).
What a thoughtful observation
Old Navy has a jacket and pants in the color boxwood, that is a really dark purple. It would be lovely for fall! Especially if she mixed and matched the pieces for her slightly dressy creative job. I can see the jacket with a tee and jeans and the pants with a grey sweater or top. It seems like the pants have some sort of button adjustment in the waist for weight fluctuation. Here’s the link for the jacket. https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=766312022&tid=onaff998474&EV=ONUS_Narvar_Arrived&vid=1&irgwc=1&clickid=RISylowM4xycWDOV9swICziMUkpxLMQE6Wt%3Ax00&ap=6&siteID=onafcid383278#pdp-page-content
Very pretty capsule.
I have a few pieces in gray and purple, but that alone isn’t enough for me.
As mentioned before, out of about 50 pieces a year, I have French 5 in 10 colors. (I can mix and match everything.) 🌈
I’ve been wearing my gray/purple checked jacket for 20 years.
Don’t know if you remember my purple scrub top. I’m wearing it with gray jeans and old silver sandals today. Favorite at home attire. Gray is drab in the closet, but wakes up when im wearing it. I have to remember to pull it out and am happy when I do. Thanks for this post and the hope that purples are available for fall. Don’t know why my 87 yo self still cares about thus stuff, but I do!!
Yay JC! Am right behind you in years and love of clothes (still)!
🤗
These colors are lovely and I can see myself doing this with, say, a work wardrobe. But I don’t think I could wear just these colors ALL the time. Partly it’s the fabrics. I love gray and am working on expanding my gray neutrals, but something about blue makes it easier to use for a wardrobe like this — you can have navy twill, wool, and linen pants, as well as indigo and light blue denim. They’re all blue but even when you can get similar fabric varieties in gray, it just doesnt’ have the same FEEL as the difference between jeans, wool dress pants, light blue linen, etc.