March 30, 2026
I’m sure you remember back to Friday, when we met our heroine who was going to try to have a more organized “weekend and vacation” wardrobe for the upcoming warm weather.
Her favorite painting, and her wardrobe color palette, are this:
She never wears blue. Nor purple, but I still like her!
When she arrived for her first weekend this year at the summer house, she has the following wardrobe:
green earrings – Kate Koel; spiral earrings – Karine Sultan; rippled earrings – Posh Totty Designs; pearl necklace – J.Crew; faded sage sweater – L.L.Bean; yellow cardigan – Alex Mill; faded sage tank top – L.L.Bean; sea salt tank – L.L.Bean; White linen shirt – J.Crew; silver sand short-sleeve sweater – L.L.Bean; pink striped top – L.L.Bean; Faded sage seersucker striped top – L.L.Bean; yellow top – Lands’ End; Salmon checked top – L.L.Bean; antique white shorts – L.L.Bean; thyme crop pants – L.L.Bean; scarf – Echo; linen skirt – Eileen Fisher; white bag – Apatchy London; sneakers – Earth®; sandals – Bueno; market bag – Clare V.; white sandals – Steve Madden
The weather was cool back home, so our heroine decided to wear this outfit to drive home, and then she just wore the same thing on Friday evening to come back up to the gathering family and friends at the house:
White linen shirt – J.Crew; rippled earrings – Posh Totty Designs; yellow cardigan – Alex Mill; scarf – Echo; thyme crop pants – L.L.Bean; weekender bag – Béis; sneakers – Earth®
Our heroine has a pretty clear vision of how she wants to dress this summer. She sees uncomplicated neutrals in natural fabrics…
Linen shirt – J.Crew; earrings – Ana Luisa; white tee – J.Crew Factory; heather oatmeal tee – J.Crew Factory; linen pants – J.Crew; gold necklace – Quince; bag – Quince; sneakers – New Balance
She wants to take full advantage of the accent colors in her chosen palette!
Pink tee – J.Crew Factory; melon earrings – Julie Vos; linen scarf – HeritageModa; peach gauze shirt – J.Crew Factory; pink marled sweater – J.Crew Factory; bracelet – Anchor & Crew; denim shorts – Lands’ End; beach & water espadrilles – Lands’ End
And she wants to be able to relax in her dark neutral, that will match a forest full of leaves by late July! And yes, both the espadrilles above and the sandals below are designed to be worn in the water.
Green plaid top – L.L.Bean; thyme skort – L.L.Bean; sweatshirt – The Standard Stitch; waterproof sandals – Blondo
When our heroine gets everything unpacked, this will be the wardrobe that she has available for the spring and summer. This of course includes the clothes that she’s wearing:
In order to avoid going out into the maelstrom that is her nieces and nephews (for just a few minutes…), our heroine decides to pick out what she would wear if she goes to the farmers market. Or to church. Or to lunch with friends. Or to dinner with family. Or on a long walk along the lake. Or canoeing. Or life-guarding some of the kids. Or building a bonfire…
our heroine really likes the small-town socializing that’s a big part of going to the summer house!
What kinds of outfits are possible?
If you were in this situation, what would you add to your wardrobe? I would be lounging around in linen dresses…
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, I was packing for Paris (of course) and packed THREE DRESSES as my core wardrobe. I should try this again…
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Even though I can’t live without denim, I loved this wardrobe last week, and I love the way you’ve expanded it this. I especially love the addition of more pink and coral. I think it gives this wardrobe a fun pop! Frankly, I love olive and pink together, so I know these pieces will work with more of the ‘opposite color wheel’ vibe to. Also, thank you for including the skort!
Now….Community Question: How many ladies here do not wear any denim at all? I’m American, live on the Maine coast and am from the California coast originally, where I grew up on a Ranch. The idea of no denim (whether jeans, jacket, dress, shirt, etc.) is abhorrent to me. That being said, I’m genuinely curious about how many members of our wonderful community feel this same way…no judgement, just curiosity.
I also love the versatility of denim: it just goes with everything. That said, it is somewhat of a problem because it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
But Ireland is not hot in the summer, so I’m OK and you can always wear thermals under it in winter.
I love me a good denim piece of clothing.
I own a pair or two of jeans, but I seldom reach for them. I grew up going to a uniform school, and even when we had ” wear what you like” days, there was a rule saying no denim. My parents didn’t buy it for us- they never wore it themselves and didnt see the attraction. When I could pick my own clothes I had a very hard time finding denim that fit properly- I have a very big bum and a very small back waist, and every pair I tried you could stick a fist in the center back of them.
The ones I own now aren’t an amazing fit, but lycra and elastic insets help a good deal. But when it is cold (I am in Canada) I would rather wear a cosy yoga pant (not too tight Janice!) and in summer I live in Linen pants. In between, there are cords and silk pants. and only very occasionally, jeans, when I remember.
I have a similar shape to you. Trousers have always been difficult to find. My best trousers are wide leg with a flat elastic waistband – jersey crepe, ponte jersey, cords, linen. They hang from.the hip disguising my bottom.
I’ve recently bought two pairs of jeans – last wore jeans in the 1970’s! They are both made of stretch denim. One pair are high waisted, wide leg with standard button and zip fastening. The stretch and high waist gives a firmer fit around the waist. The other pair are stretch straight leg pull on jeans with a flat elastic band waist. It’s been a revelation to find that they fit and are very comfortable. I’ve also bought a pair of wide leg chambray trousers for summer.
I loathe denim, partly from many years of it being a standard part of my work wardrobe. I wear jeans if I’m doing something mucky, but otherwise I avoid it.
I decided to stop wearing denim about five years ago, and I have been much happier since. It makes it easier to dress a bit more formally and distinctively, which is what I want. I also mostly did away with cotton jersey, except for undershirts. I mostly wear skirts in cotton lawn or linen in warm weather, and wool skirts in winter. I also have chinos for summer and corduroys for winter. I don’t miss denim at all!
The inclusion of the pink and peach clinched this wardrobe for me. I love it! I would need to add some denim/chambray too. ;-)
Another lovely wardrobe I could happily live in. I would add a swimsuit and a sleeveless cotton maxi dress for those really hot humid days.
Denim is not something I wear a lot in summer. I do my heavy spring and fall gardening in denim as I view it as a hard working piece of clothing.
Here I am!!! I’m the ONE who NEVER wears denim. I don’t like the fabric nor the color. I’m in Madison, Wisconsin but have also lived in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana with a brief stop in Maryland. There are times when denim looks pretty sharp and it is incredibly versatile in this day and age….however, I don’t like it for me. For me…black and white with a bright color. High contrast. Enjoy your denim…it’s just not for me….ever. (possibly there is a bit of contrarian in me….if something is really popular it becomes off-putting.)
I also don’t wear denim much. I have one pair of jeans and it serves me well when I need a tougher fabric, but it’s so hot here (Georgia) most of the time that I’d rather be wearing something more breathable. I have a denim-looking jacket, but it’s actually tencel and more wearable for me.
This post is such an interesting exercise for me because these are not my colors (I’m more of a dark, vivid, berry colors person), but all these fabrics and pieces look so incredibly useful! It’s helped me to look at my wardrobe a bit differently. I think I’m well kitted out for autumn/winter and less so for summer because, frankly, clothes are less appealing down here in summer! ‘How can I get away with as little as possible and not get sunburnt?’ is more the criteria. Ha!
Thanks again, for such an interesting exploration of a capsule!
Raising hand re no denim. Also in the US and I’m one of those who in the summer, does not wear a single denim thing. ok maybe I do have ecru jeans, but that is more of a spring thing for me. I could happily wear this wardrobe all summer with a little more green on bottom and less white and some more yellow or chartruese. Have never found a denim jacket that works for me, nor skirt. I also rarely wear blue, only teal and turquoise. My coloring just prefers the warm tones.
for the fall and winter I have 2 pairs of denim jeans. more out of not finding suitable alternates < i much prefer courdoroy and wear it all the time. Still looking for suitable hunter green courdoroy to replace my beloved old ones who have seen better days.
I live in Northern California, land of periodic wildfires that raze entire towns. So, I’ve thought about what item of clothing would be my first addition to a new wardrobe. Hands down, a pair of denim jeans is the answer. At the end of the day, three t-shirts (one olive, one berry, and one in salmon-gorgeous palate) and a pair of Levis could see me through my days quite cheerfully.
I would add a bathing suit or two and a few cover-ups. If I’m at a summer house, there will definitely be swimming.
No jeans for me. I don’t look good in blue. Jeans are stiff and uncomfortable. I like my clothing to flow—to have more drape. And, I live in a very hot climate (we’ve been over 100 degrees already this spring) where linen is a better choice than denim.
I absolutely love these two posts! If I could afford it, I’d just buy the whole wardrobe and stick it in my closet and be set for a good long while. Agree that this isn’t complete without a swimsuit or two.
Oh— and I’d add a couple dresses and maybe a rain coat or trench coat as well.
Well . . . I am happy with denim because it is so versatile and because the right pair can skim over hip dips. However, it’s getting harder to find anything that fits as my body changes with age. That said, I wear lots of blues, but these colors are so beautiful, I’m thinking of branching out!
I just love this wardrobe! I’m in the Southern US and it’s too hot to wear denim for most of my spring and summer. Instead I rely on skirts and dresses in natural fabrics and a couple of pairs of cropped pants with tops. Denim is reserved for cool/cold weather for me.
I never wear denim. I don’t have much blue in my closet (only one navy top and pants set) and find jeans uncomfortable. Denim jackets are just not my style. I like this color palette (green, beige/tan, peach, yellow) but it does not contain white, so why is there so much white in the wardrobe? I find white collects every particle of dirt within 5 feet of me, so I always seem unkept whenever I wear white, cream, ivory, …
This wardrobe is beautiful as always. I would have more dark colour bottoms- “summer houses” in Canada are often called “cottage” and they inevitably involve some sort of messy projects/activities (at least the ones I get invited to). One white and one creamy colured bottom, maybe, and like eight pairs of dark bottoms of varying vintage- the worst ones for the messiest jobs. Unless you are my father, who will invariably reach for his newest, nicest trousers before embarking on a filthy job involving soil, oil, or paint. And the ones he wears out to lunch you discover too late have a hole in the crotch. sigh.
Well this made me giggle. MEN!!! My dad was very good about changing into old clothes, unfortunately they became sooo old it was embarrassing. I sure do miss him. My husband is better at changing than he used to be but will still have on something nice and say “I’m just moving this one plant” or some such thing. On that note I would need, and do have more shorts at the lake house. Usually the seat is dirty by the end of the day or something has been spilled.
Big denim fan here. I have been since I was a kid and it wasn’t cool. Now that I live in TX I’m a happy trooper. I don’t wear outside in the dead heat of summer but the AC is always blasting and I love my white jeans!
Beth T I agree that Janice has introduced us to wonderful artists. I also thought it was a “Klee”. Getting smarter in my old age.
I want this whole wardrobe! Every single piece. i do wear denim, but reach for it less and less.
I love the pink and peach additions today. I purchased the lavender version of the pink marled sweater from J Crew Factory a couple of weeks ago for my daughter’s birthday. The color choices for this sweater are so “Easter-y!” I’m in coastal South Carolina, which is hot and humid in the summer (and often in spring and fall too). While I do wear my white denim jeans year round, I’m generally in lighter weight fabrics when weather is really hot.
Denim is one of my neutrals and I look good in blue, so I wear a lot of it. I live in a hot, dry climate, so I can wear jeans or jean shorts a lot of the year. This wardrobe showed me something I need to work on: I like the 3-piece outfits with the toppers, but I don’t need a topper with sleeves from April to November because it’s just too hot. I really like plain tank tops, but they tend to look unfinished without a sweater or shirt over, so it seems I should be focusing on buying a couple of tops like the yellow one here, that look finished alone.
Has anyone else had problems getting to the Wolf and Badger items on their website? This includes the green square earrings from this post. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been getting a “Dead End” message reading “The link you clicked on requires cookies to be enabled in your browser. We apologize for any inconvenience.” Today I actually looked at the web address that comes up when I click on the link on this site:
https://wolfandbadger.pxf.io/c/116548/1916522/22986?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wolfandbadger.com%2Fus%2Fstatement-square-green-gold-earrings%2F%3Fafsrc%3D1%26irclickid%3D2qgRMiTbPxyITo9XQqSCEzTYUkuwbJSXPz7eyc0&subId1=005475ae-2cc8-11f1-8f86-376c496fa3a4&level=6
If I delete the first part of the link until I get to http://www.wolfandbadger (in the second line above), I can see the item. Janice, do you know why your links are doing this?
This is very attractive with the additional clisters giving mileage. These are not my colours apart from the pink. I do like all the different patterns and textures. Floral prints and pink trousers would be my additions.
I remember that you once did a 12 month scarf project in shades of pink and orange.
Denim has always been my bugbear. Traditional denim is stiff and heavy. I have a sway back so a gap was always there. However, these days jeans or jeans style trousers come in a variety of styles, materials and colours.
I have several pairs of cotton jeans style trousers in a variety of colours. I know that wide leg trousers are my best style. I’ve recently bought two pairs of stretch denim jeans. One pair are high waisted wide leg. The other is straight leg with a flat elastic waistband. Stretch denim feels lighter and very comfortable. Both are dark denim, almost navy. I’ve also bought a pair of mid-blue wide leg chambray trousers for the summer.
Please may I ask for the dimensions of your suitcase in the lookback? Thanks.
My suitcases are always 22-inch standard carry-ons. I don’t know how it always works out that way, but it does. I recently bought a Briggs & Stratton bag that has the pop-up handle for pulling the bag completely on the outside of the bag. It’s a risk that it could be ripped loose in the baggage handling mayhem, but it also gives me a surprising amount of space in my bag. AND the inside bottom of my bag is completely flat. I’m loving that little feature!
love,
Janice
It’s not that I dislike denim, it doesn’t like me. I prefer dark denim and have several pairs of jeans. But I put on weight around the middle so now those and others I’ve tried simply don’t fit and are uncomfortable, even the ones with some stretch. Instead, I wear Lands’ End Sport Knit and Starfish pants in three seasons, all but Summer when I switch to shorts. I recently bought a pair of loose-fitting chambray pants for summer wear. Even though blue is not much in my personal palette, hence the dark denim, chambray blue works well with my summer colors – navy, coral, cream, yellow.
This is such a great mix! I plan to adapt this to my needs and color preferences – my neutrals will include sage and white and I think I’ll stick to two accents – pink and a range of light to med blues. My capsule would also need to include a bathing suit and some pieces for lounging at home. Our lake place is a mix of retreat for just us and also an intimate entertaining space for one other couple or family members who live in the community where our lake is located. Thanks so much!
Very pretty wardrobe, I love the colors.
I would definitely pack a pair of jeans. But I wouldn’t wear them if it’s too hot.