Build a Capsule Wardrobe Archives - Page 17 of 88

Assemble an Autumn Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Lonely by Erika Giovanna Klien

August 30, 2023

Sometimes a painting just grabs your attention and won't let go; that's how she felt about this...

Yes, she has almost black hair, and eyes that are either aqua blue or green, depending on something she can't quite figure out...

So for her upcoming trip, so thought that this would be a great inspiration!

Until the last day or 2 before she leaves, she's not sure what she will wear in transit; she decides to assemble her wardrobe far ahead of time, and then just choose her travel outfit when she knows what the weather will be.

Start with the neutrals, with some essential accessories:

yes, these are the same 5 grey pieces from last week!

Now the fun starts! She's been collecting tops ... View the Post

Year 2 – Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Taisho – Large Heat

July 21, 2023

Why yes, I DID miss the previous season - July 7, Small Heat. This year, Chicago is having a VERY cool summer, unlike so much of the world. It makes thinking about warm-weather clothing sort of difficult!

But let's pick up with the current season...

At this point in the year, when major retailers are pushing cool-weather clothing at us, we can at least find nice dresses...

If I were to only own 1 dress, this might be a candidate. The dark background would make it easy to wear dark tights and flats, with a navy sweater, in cool weather:

Similarly, this dress is made to be worn with a cardigan or blazer:

I'm currently wearing the black version of this dress, with amethyst jewelry to match ... View the Post

Expanding a Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Start with Art – Woman with Folded Arms by Picasso

June 12, 2023

Oh, let's look at this some more!

When we left our heroine on Friday, she had a lovely 9-piece travel capsule wardrobe all sorted out for long weekends this summer:

Wise people learn from their successes, and when your deeply-held preferences work out well, why not continue on that path?

Since the weather is warm, our heroine realized immediately that a few white garments might be useful:

And while she wasn't wild about the idea of adding denim to her wardrobe during the warmest weather, chambray is a good option!

Prints? Maybe? I admit that our heroine was strongly drawn to a couple of striped shirtdresses, as well as a plaid camp shirt and matching skirt in shades of blue.... Frankly, she ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Shades of Blue: Start with Art – Woman with Crossed Arms by Picasso

June 9, 2023

I had to try this...

Our heroine is quite a bit cheerier than Picasso's subject!

She committed to wearing blue. It feels right to her, and that's what is most important, right?

She knows that a painting that inspires you doesn't have to be copied identically - so long as you are true to whatever initially inspired you, you may interpret that inspiration any way you want!

A long weekend seems like a perfect chance to try-out the idea of wearing all blue... She won't be around a lot of people who know her, so she doesn't expect anybody to actually notice that she's always in blue...

The night before she leaves for her wee adventure, she takes a good look at her planned travel capsule ... View the Post

Start with Art: Pattern Design from New Ocean of Art by Kōrin Furuya

June 7, 2023

I must remember to re-visit this art when the weather cools, and I can put our heroine in an Oxford grey outfit...

But today, our heroine is sticking with black & white, and 2 vivid accent colors!

I don't know where she's going! Clearly she's only going for a few days, because her bag is what we call a "weekender." And I assume she's going somewhere warm-ish, because she's wearing sandals...

We might be able to learn more about her upcoming adventure if we peek into her bag?

Well, we can conclude that she likes black and white. And that she's going somewhere warm, and relatively casual. She won't be gone for too long...

And there's NO wrong way to put together an outfit from this travel ... View the Post

Year 2! Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Kokuu – Grain Rain

April 26, 2023

Why yes, 2 seasons in 3 days! It's sort of like living in Chicago...

(at least if you live with me, where being forgetful is a way of life!)

Given the scattered and disorganized way I'm living these days, I thought that a really simple, comprehensive little cluster of clothes might be something useful for me; I could open my closet and find clothes that I can wear for anything from warm to reasonably cold...

It's kind of like the stress dressing that I've addressed in the past; having enough ready any time, just in case you're suddenly invited out to lunch, or for a walk, or for a meeting with your tax preparer! (THAT is stress...)

If the weather is cool, a shirt, sweater, pants and closed ... View the Post

Adding Accessories! Start with Art: Drei Häuser By Paul Klee

April 10, 2023

I really love this painting - it seems so simple, but the more you look at it, the more the colors make themselves clear and distinct...

You may remember that this heroine assembled this wardrobe for the eventual arrival of warmer weather:

I haven't yet thought of a better way to add accessories than to go through a wardrobe and put together a bunch of outfits, and then make sure that each outfit can be dressed up (or down, I suppose?) appropriately. I don't think that there's a rigid checklist of accessories that everyone should own - some women don't wear jewelry, some don't wear scarves, some don't carry a handbag... You get the idea!

I enjoyed this - these colors are beautiful and ... View the Post

Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet: Forget-Me-Not Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

March 24, 2023

Inspired by FLOWERS!

Our heroine is happy wearing muted colors, unless it's a day during which she wants to wear something bright! You can have both in your wardrobe, of course.

A sweatshirt for travel, as well as a cozy scarf, is rarely a bad idea - especially if you're traveling in an air-conditioned vehicle...

She's only going away for the weekend, but she never knows ahead of time if she's going to be in the aquamarine, subdued, calm mood, or in the bright yellow, outgoing and active mood. Not a problem - she's prepared for both:

Kindness Gems has those lovely necklaces available in a bunch of different stones, and in gold...

Her travel wardrobe is both an homage to her favorite flower, ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shunbun – Vernal Equinox

March 20, 2023

I'm writing this on Saturday morning; the temperature is WAY below freezing... sigh...

The first day of spring is my anniversary! 19 years - it seems like almost 2 decades...

I was thinking of pretty outfits for Easter, or some other wonderful Spring dressy occasion. Having one truly lovely outfit in your closet is only right!

A dress with smocking looks MUCH better on a person, rather than just stark in a photograph...

First sign of Spring in a lot of the world:

A pretty blouse or shirt can be worn a lot in the warm weather - with a skirt, certainly, but maybe shorts?

At a distance, this skirt doesn't seem to have much pink in it - you need to ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Keichitsu – Awakening of Hibernating Insects

March 8, 2023

I can't really make a good connection between emerging insects and a well-planned wardrobe... except...

Maybe we should start thinking about how we will dress when we can bring our knees, ankles, elbows and other body parts back out into the fresh air! Heaven knows that my knees haven't seen sunlight in months!

If you're in the mood to freshen up your warm weather wardrobe, THIS is the time to start looking. I think that the hang-over from the pandemic has made retailers reluctant to stock up on merchandise; I'm seeing lots of things sell out, far before the clothes are in season. Hmm...

I think it makes good sense to take a careful, critical look at things like flip flops, white pants, and anything that ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Ursi – Rain Water

February 22, 2023

We've had as much rain as we have had snow in the last month! Not an "average" February in Chicago!

But if you've got a rainy day facing you, a cozy outfit with warm socks for indoors, and with sneakers for later, when the rain stops, is just the thing...

This is a good time to find sweatshirts and sweaters in pretty colors - the cheer of spring to wear during the cold of spring!

While these outfits are great on their own, they also give you new garments and new accessories for your wardrobe:

If you can hear the rain on your roof, it could lull you into a nap!

Even if your wardrobe is traditional colors, you can still snuggle up!

Sweatpants are so useful in changeable ... View the Post

Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Signature Peacock Print Scarf by Luna & Avery

February 13, 2023

Our heroine didn't even TRY to resist this scarf!

She knew, with a long weekend trip ahead, this would be a great inspiration:

For travel, she mostly wants to be comfortable! She chooses to wear her short boots, rather than try to pack them. And her scarf is the perfect accent for her navy "suit" and lavender tee shirt...

She knows that she wants to bring jeans, and her favorite navy cashmere crewneck sweater. Then she hesitates... her lavender cardigan and shirt? They will be perfect with either jeans or navy pants, and the cardigan can also be worn over the tee shirt in which she is traveling.

Hmmm, what else? She knows that she is going to a dinner that's going to be crowded and noisy - she ... View the Post