October 31, 2025
One last tour through the potential of “The Four T’s” in dark chocolate brown, starting today with this lovely painting:
There’s no way I will be able to match this blue exactly, so I’m just going to work with a soft, faded denim/chambray…
There’s a little bit of pink in this painting; would this be a good piece of art to include in next year’s “Six Paintings”?
First off, let’s not forget our core of brown clothes and accessories:
Earrings – Farra; bracelets – Lucky Brand; Cashmere crewneck – J.Crew; necklace – Adina Eden; hooded sweatshirt – J.Crew; Turtleneck – J.Crew; tee shirt – J.Crew; scarf – Elizabetta; watch – Fossil; bag – Dune London; skirt – J.Crew; trousers – J.Crew; tights – J.Crew; boots – Circus NY by Sam Edelman; slingbacks – Franco Sarto; short boots – Sam Edelman
The simplest four garments in denim blue – I was pretty thrilled to find both the sweater and tee shirt!
And finally three tops in ivory!
And of course, I’m going to find some accessories!
Wool scarf – Otto & Spike; brown earrings – Anthropologie; aquamarine necklace – Farra; beret – Lost Pattern NYC; loafers – Vionic; tote bag – 3.1 Philip Lim
Now, our heroine’s wardrobe looks VERY different than it did when we added pink!
I’m quite smitten with her accessories, but then I’m ALWAYS in love with scarves, jewelry and shoes. Bags don’t blow my hair back – I don’t know why…
I’m sure you can already see how easily this wardrobe translates into outfits; this is one of those wardrobes from which I don’t believe one can choose a bad ensemble! When you’ve got a million other things on your mind, a foolproof wardrobe is a big help.
I think we can conclude that a core of neutrals clothes – any neutral! – can be pretty versatile.
love,
Janice
p.s. Five years ago (yes, not ten years, don’t ask me why!) we were enjoying the newest colors from Pantone. I remember this… spending HOURS and hours and hours in our apartment, and trying to avoid the elevators! Remember when we didn’t have the COVID facts, and we were all wearing fabric masks? Grr…
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This would be an excellent choice for next year’s set of six paintings. I hope it makes the cut.
Love that painting…. and the wardrobe. The blue looks amazing with the brown and ivory. Happy Halloween everyone!
Your ability to find accessories is beyond impressive. You’ve shown us how a switch up of accessories can change the look of basics significantly.
Happy Halloween! Is anyone dressing up? I’m a kangaroo today…complete with a joey!
Thus far, this is the brown wardrobe that has resonated with me the most! I truly love the way the addition of the chambray/light denim has lightened this overall vibe. It keeps the wardrobe from looking a bit down in the dumps. I’d love to see a blue & brown print dress or skirt to pull it all together. However, the combination of the light blue and ivory add a freshness to an otherwise heavy vibe.
My favorite, of all the looks together, is the brown straight skirt, with the chambray shirt and fisherman knit sweater. I believe the blue and white dress down this very ‘business’ feeling look and make it approachable.
Honestly, chambray/denim are a favorite of mine. I think they pair with just about anything and can dress down a sequined top (done that!) with a pair of jeans or denim shirt with a tulle skirt. They are a great anchor without weighing you down.
I am Prof. McGonagal for the 2nd year in a row. At least the middle schoolers recognize that one!
I love that!!! I teach 3rd grade…so my team is all Winnie the Pooh character. I am Kanga (and baby Roo in a pouch!).
Well this is pretty. I could make this work by concentrating on blue and ivory as the main colours with a touch of brown (in tops) and a hint of pink.
My brown is taupe. Perhaps I might find some dark taupe trousers? I really wish that I could find some “denim blue” trousers that aren’t denim jeans which I find too stiff.
When I saw this it took me back to the 1970’s/1980’s wearing a denim blue jumper with a high collar ivory shirt (aka
Laura Ashley). Perhaps over a blue/brown floral skirt.
The five year look back. There were two blues in that mix that I like. The purple is too intense for me.
Beth have you tried NYMJ (not your mother’s jeans)? They are so buttery soft and lovely. I found a pair at the consignment shop and I love them! This is my favorite of the brown wardrobes and I would love to see it in next year’s collections. I think one of the things I love most is that many of the outfits are 3 color outfits. I like that so much better than just 2 colors in an outfit. I’m not sure why but when you show 1 color outfits I feel like I would never do that. It’s so funny!
just to correct myself… I shouldn’t leave comments before my second cup of coffee. It’s Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ)… so sorry about that!
I agree with you on monotone outfits. Any time I try on a “matched set,” whether it’s all one color or the same print for top and bottom, it looks like pajamas on me. I have to mix up the textures to wear all one color, and mix a print top with a solid bottom or vice versa.
Yes to including this in next year’s Six scarves – blue, brown, ivory and pink.
Yes! Let’s have more hats! But not baseball hats-Diane Keaton had it right all along! Thanks for all you do!
This wardrobe with the light denim looks fantastic. But, yesterday’s painting, if you include the green would be my favorite. Even though I am a winter, I used to have some brown in my wardrobe for the cozy feeling it gives. But, now with my hair almost completely white instead of dark brown, it just doesn’t suit me.
Love this wardrobe today! Yes to including it for 2026!
Love it! So wearable
I love this! Much more than the pink. It doesn’t resemble my wardrobe but I would love it. Thanks Janice!
I love all the pieces, especially the blue cashmere sweater from Alex Mill.
That said, I don’t like the dark brown. I would prefer grey with denim blue. A more obvious choice, I know. I’m not very adventurous.
Very much my vibe. I wear jeans most days. Yes please to including this in your six painting series. Thanks Janice!
If this grouping all magically appeared in my closet I would be a happy camper! Yes, please include this painting in next year’s Six Paintings.
Also I can see this core of brown with French 5’s in each of the accent colours you have used…something to suit every mood.
Thank you for all the work you put into this. Your posts are such a bright spot in my day.
I don’t own a single piece in brown, or navy for that matter, but I think both the pink and blue additions would work great with my core of black. Okay it’s a lot more than a core.
Absolutely love the different ways you are presenting the of use one dark neutral. One vote for a 2026 dual dark neutral with variations of those neutrals for “color”: Black (steel grey, light grey, etc) and Navy (steel blue, traditional blue shirt, light blue, icy pastel). How to use texture for interest? How to vary darkness/lightness for seasons? Fun shoes for interest. Pops of color in accessories.
I’d love to see those ideas written about here in 2026. Thanks, Diane!
I looked at today’s color combination and my first thought was “I’m home” and instantly felt relaxed. Can a wardrobe do that? Maybe because I have always loved denim.
(I also mix brown with red, and with pale turquoise.)
One more vote for this painting to be used for next year. Even with that I would need to do some adjusting. Maybe only 4 brown pieces. More white/ivory and add darker denim to the chambray. It would take a little away from the feeling of the wardrobe on paper but in my closet it would be terrific. I have my one brown skirt and my dads sweater. I just ordered a brown t shirt dress. I have a couple pieces of fabric I could sew to round out the t shirts.
But then. I can’t imagine wearing brown in the spring and summer. Perhaps I need to try Beth’s idea and look for taupe.
Thank you for this.
I also like the pink version. It worked for me bc the pink was intense enough to stand up to the brown.
This painting with brown for the cool half of the year, grey for the warm half and all permutations of denim and blue year round. With ivory to smooth the rough edges.
I am not a fan of brown but this collection could almost convince me that brown deserves a place in my wardrobe.
Thus would make a good painting for next year especially if the brown lightens up to oatmeal/khaki for the summer, I can already envision linen separates in brown, oatmeal and soft denim.
Adalyn, this is a great idea. I am just working into using brown in the winter, but I use variations of tan in warm weather!
Love – and yes, please for next year.
PS – Go Blue Jays, Go (sorry, not sorry to Dodgers’ fans)
Thank you so much for using denim blue with brown! I have been wondering if you would ever feature this combination. I love it so much, and yet I rarely see anyone else wearing this combination of blue and brown.
This is my wardrobe! I really have nothing else but blue and brown and some white/cream. I love having brown suede boots, especially. My denim may be a bit darker. In summer when there is no outer layer, I tend to wear blue and white patterns like ikat, floral, stripes, etc. I would wear white, blue, and brown tops, but they are so hard to find. Let’s start a fashion trend!
Incidentally, my house is also blues and dark brown wood.