light neutral Archives

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #40: A Light Neutral Cotton Turtleneck

December 20, 2021

Is it cold yet where you are? (Northern Hemisphere, obviously!) Chicago is NOT "Winter cold" - more still like Autumn... With the first day of Winter tomorrow, I still don't think it's going to suddenly snow and get freezing cold!

That said, it's still cold enough to wear layers - I've been layering 2 tops, and then wearing a down vest as my outerwear. With a scarf and gloves, I have been warm enough, so far.

So all of these outfits are right in my wheelhouse!

Cotton turtlenecks are great for warmth, for bringing some much-needed light and plainness under a bold or bright top, or for giving you some softness under a scratchy sweater. My favorite fisherman knit crewneck is itchy as heck, so I never wear it ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #34: A Light Neutral Top

November 8, 2021

Before we plunge headlong into 24/7 sweaters (at least in Chicago!), we need to pause and make certain that we have an essential light neutral top to layer UNDER all of these warm things!

I can personally vouch for the usefulness of waffle-fabric tops - I'm currently alternating between my grey one and my black one every few days. They're perfect on their own when I'm in the (quite warm) apartment, but then they are nice and warm under a cardigan or flannel shirt...

Even for those of us who don't do all that well with things that button down the front, I think it's worth the effort to scare up at least a couple of tops with buttons. This next one would be great fun for dressing up just a bit through the ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 40: A Light Neutral, Sleeveless Top

May 5, 2020

Yesterday felt like summer; does that count?

Today feels like autumn... sigh...

But lets prepare for warm weather - we all know that it's going to get here eventually!

Every summer, I buy at least 1 or 2 of these, to take the place of the ones that I wore to PIECES the previous year; I keep these in my closet all year, because they are great under winter clothes too!

As always, I've thought of a few things to keep in mind as you consider your summer supply of tops:

These outfits all appeal to me right now; maybe it's because I'm inside, and maybe it's because we've only had intermittent 1 day periods of nice weather!

And as always, accessories seem to make a LOT of difference! I know you're ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 29: A Light Neutral Tee shirt

January 20, 2020

If black tee shirts are the backbone of my winter wardrobe, then white ones are the warm-weather backbone!

Seriously, for those days when you just need clarity, simplicity, and a feeling of freshness, nothing's better than starting with a white shirt of your desired style, coupled with your dark neutral pants or jeans, and a snazzy cardigan to brighten up the world...

These tee shirts can be real life-savers when you travel; after I'm through packing, I will often tuck another tee or 2 into my bag...

There's frankly not a lot of variety in the world of light neutrals - grey, white, ivory, and pale pink are the colors that come to my mind. Maybe camel, if your lightest neutral isn't exactly ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 8: Light Neutral Shirt

August 19, 2019

Wait! Don't just skip over this because you've never had luck in the past finding button-front shirts that fit properly. They DO exist... (and of course, these outfit ideas would work beautifully with light neutral blouses or tee shirts...)

Not all that long ago, I got a job working in a bakery. It wasn't exactly the job of my dreams, but I wanted to work there for a few months so that I could learn more about how everything was done. It was fascinating...

I had to wear a long-sleeved, button-front white shirt every day. Happily, I found that Lands' End Petite sized 12 fit both my strong torso and my rather short arms. So don't give up!

I've given some thought to what you need to keep in mind when you're ... View the Post