I Love It But How Will I Wear It? Archives

I Love It But How Will I Wear It? Seasalt Cornwall Fair Isle Cardigan

September 25, 2026

Some of you have been over the Seasalt Cornwall website with a fine-tooth comb! There have been questions about how to incorporate Fair Isle sweaters into a wardrobe, so I'm going to address one of the (at least) three Fair Isle sweaters I see there.

This sweater is lovely, and the colors are unusual:

Our friend who wants to buy this sweater is interested in using it as the fulcrum around which she will assemble a small autumn wardrobe. She only needs clothes for weekends, and an occasional week night, so she feels like the Slot Machine will work for her...

Just as a reminder, this is our plan:

Pants are pretty straightforward - taupe, olive, and my favorite ivory cords!

I grabbed my favorite ... View the Post

I Love It But How Will I Wear It? A Liberty Floral Skirt from J.Crew

September 21, 2026

Autumn shopping - so much fun, so much stress!

When in doubt, don't.

Take the time and effort to figure out what you need, what you REALLY want, and how it can be happily integrated into your wardrobe.

One among you is longing for this skirt, to use as a "keynote" item for a quick weekend trip with her sweetheart. She's a big fan of crewneck sweaters, button-front shirts, and flowers...

So first let's admire this lovely thing:

She likes the Slot Machine approach to packing for a long weekend, so let's start there:

First - the sweaters! Simple, classic, in her three main wardrobe colors. And to make it just a bit romantic - a beautiful rose brooch and pink pearl earrings:

Now that she ... View the Post

I Love It But How Will I Wear It? Brown Striped Sweater from Seasalt Cornwall

September 18, 2026

I finally remember why Seasalt Cornwall ISN'T a strange brand to me - there's one on the main shopping street where my uncle lives in England! I'm occasionally crazy, but I'm not completely gone. Yet...

So one of you - at least - has a longing for this sweater, and isn't at all certain if it will work for her. My first instinct: if you have brown in your closet already, this sweater is going to fit in like it was born there!

THE LINK IS WORKING! AND YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THE FIVE COLORS IN WHICH THIS SWEATER IS OFFERED...

Maybe our heroine is headed to Garrett County Maryland, for the Autumn Glory Festival?

At any rate, she's got a long weekend of "leaf peeping" ahead, and wants to build a tiny ... View the Post

I Love It But How Will I Wear It? Black Floral Print Cardigan from J.Crew

September 16, 2026

Oh, so MANY of us right now are seeing lots of things that tempt us - my email is full of queries about what to buy, what to ignore, and what's not to be missed!

How did Monday's heroine miss this cardigan? If it's still around by mid-October, when she next shops, I suspect she may have to have it!

This particular heroine is heading to her college homecoming - just for Friday night arriving late, and then Saturday night, departing Sunday after brunch.

Yes, her college's "colors" are black and red...

She knows she doesn't need to pack much, and so she decides to go with a foolproof approach to packing:

She starts with pants and skirts - no jeans, but cotton twill pants, and corduroy pants, are ... View the Post

Can Chinos be Pretty? Starting with Flat-Front Cotton Pants

August 31, 2026

So Friday's version of "what to wear with chinos?" focused on a pair of pleated, warm-hued pants, worn with neutrals. Today, I've found a pair of more grey-ish, taupe-ish pants - (they call it stone), and I'm pairing them with pastels and soft accents!

I love dressing like this - I can wear a sweater or top that's distinctly pretty, but I don't look twee, or over-dressed, because the chinos take the mood in a more relaxed direction:

The first thing I tried was putting these pants into the very LAST outfit from Friday - the one with the labradorite jewelry, and the perfect scarf and boots:

After that, I just looked around for pretty scarves or sweaters! I love this mixing of shades of pink:

This ... View the Post

Love Brown, but Want A Surprising Accent Color? How About Hot Pink?

June 19, 2026

I could have titled this post "the best laid plans of mice and women...". Turquoise was going to be the accent color with brown - I was SO eager to do this. Turquoise and brown are gorgeous together...

BUT - finding a matching set in turquoise wasn't happening. I couldn't even really find individual garments from which I could assemble a decent grouping of clothes.

What to do? Think again! I looked about for a different accent color, available in enough different garments (in the full range of sizes!), with which I could pull together a variety of outfits.

I finally had surprisingly good luck at the GAP, so we're changing horses in midstream!

There's a lesson in here - of course there is! Be flexible. Stick to ... View the Post

An Investment in an Accent Color – I Love It But Will I Wear It?

May 29, 2026

One last look at a bunch of matching garments - unless more things turn up in the next month of clothing "releases."

I remember when pretty much EVERY clothing company released new garments once a month. A few still do - I know that Alex Mill, J.Crew and Eileen Fisher stick to that schedule. Some companies have new releases on their site every day. Literally. Seems excessive...

Anyway!!!! Let's say you're a heroine with a good core wardrobe in navy, camel, beige and white. You're longing for an accent color that's not obvious. For warm weather, you've considered pink, Kelly green, and true red. All of them feel too bright for you, and you think you're just eschew an accent this year.

Then you see Sundried ... View the Post

Lots of Bright Summer Print – I Love It But Will I Wear It?

May 27, 2026

If you're going to indulge in florals, go big or go home! (I don't believe this, but the phrase "go big or go home" is an ongoing joke chez moi...)

I was very inclined to include the sleeveless top that matches these pieces, until I found that it's a DIFFERENT FABRIC. While I've chosen 100% linen garments, the sleeveless top is a linen blend. Would that wear the same way? Would it take on the same softness? Would it last as long?

Oh these retailers... but it's always worth looking for ALL of the matching items that might be available.

If you already have a stash of white clothes for hot weather, incorporating these garments into your wardrobe will be simple:

And if you like green, you're in luck - I ... View the Post

I Love It – But Will I Wear It? Navy Striped Blazer & Pants

May 25, 2026

I was looking for two-piece dresses - or tops and skirt that match. Two-piece dresses is such an odd term, isn't it?

And I bumped into this:

I often hear that "I don't want to buy a patterned suit" because there's a concern about being able to wear the two pieces frequently enough to make it worth the while.

I have ideas!

This is a relatively easy suit with which to work, because the print is classic; if it were floral, paisley, or a novelty print of tiny chickens, it might be more difficult...

I'm imagining a heroine with green eyes, for what it's worth. The accent color could be pink, yellow, purple, or even red. Red might be too "flag-like" for some of us...

The striped tote and multi-toned shoes ... View the Post

I Love It, But Will I Wear It? A Matching Shirt and Skirt

May 20, 2026 Yes, this shirt sort of feels like a pajama top... but tucked into the skirt, maybe with a belt...

I followed the same images that I showed on Wednesday, so a few outfits will look similar, and you may recognize some accessories too!

This is NOT done because I'm inherently bone-deep lazy (although I could make a case for that!), but because I really want everybody to grow accustomed to wearing things frequently. But better, buy less, wear the heck out of it!

First up - a white cardigan. Always so useful in warm weather. And pink pearl jewelry... big deep sigh of smittenness...

Roll the sleeves just a bit, and pile on the gold! If one was inclined to try to make it through a season or two without buying ... View the Post

A Two-Piece Dress in Pastel Floral – Some Ideas

May 20, 2026

So pretty! And a top that will cover bra straps, for those of us who founded our "lingerie under wraps" opinions decades ago:

I've been thinking of a system by which one could evaluate a two-piece set... Can it be worn with a light neutral? A dark neutral? Is there an accent color that will look good?

For example, this two-piece dress is just right with a light neutral (in this case white) cardigan:

The dress also looks good with an accent cardigan in orchid pink. (going to a wedding, anyone?)

The top is just the right touch with a simple linen set in light blue:

And this top can be really casual, with wild lilac shorts and a hoodie:

The skirt could be worn with a plain white tee shirt ... View the Post

Three Ideas for Two Dresses

March 18, 2026

I'm sitting here right now in a dress and a velvet jacket, with black "sneakerinas." For no good reason - I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to see anybody outside of my building. (which is not to say that my doormen aren't tremendously important to me!)

So I'm in a rebelliously "wear whatever you blinkin' well please" mood. And I think that almost every woman should have a fun dress..

How about something like this?

(I know, it's sleeveless. Your arms aren't perfect. YOU HAVE LIVED YOUR LIFE, AND YOUR ARMS REFLECT THIS. IT'S OKAY!)

I'm really on a rant...

First, it's easy to wear this dress with a classic cardigan and the normal accessories. This is the kind of outfit you ... View the Post