Wardrobe and Capsule planning references

[Lisanne]

Here’s a novel method of closet purging  :

http://www.befabulousdaily.us/post/8929573623/on-curation

[Janis]

On the topic of color, I just had a color analysis.  Here is the color palette I got with the analysis:



I've already had some success with my new color palette.  I've written about it on my blog, if you are interested.

[Karendee]

Janis,

What an interesting and nice palette. I also enjoy every one of those shades along with some others. I'm going to read your blog, now.

Karen

[marciae]

janis - looks like my colors!!  off to read blog

[Lisanne]

Imogen Lamport has a new blog post with links to her posts on defining your personal style

http://www.insideoutstyleblog.com/2011/11/style-is-a-journey-not-a-destination-7-ways-to-define-your-style.html

[medea]

Imogen Lamport has a new blog post with links to her posts on defining your personal style
http://www.insideoutstyleblog.com/2011/11/style-is-a-journey-not-a-destination-7-ways-to-define-your-style.html

Thanks for this link. I'm really trying to find my style so I hope I will get some advise in this post.

[Susan in Saint John]

Some of you might be interested in Connie Crawford's fall/winter forecast http://www.fashionpatterns.com/download/Predictive_Fall11-12.pdf

[sdBev]

Some of you might be interested in Connie Crawford's fall/winter forecast http://www.fashionpatterns.com/download/Predictive_Fall11-12.pdf

Susan -Thanks for the link.  I read it and enjoyed it but I noticed my thinking was "oh good the black/grey's I'm using for my 6PAC are in".  I paid attention to the fiber content comments- like lycra being replaced with polyester and other synthetic for greater controlling power- rather than thinking I should be adding such and such because it is in. 

That got me to thinking.  How do the rest of you use these articles?  Do you read and dismiss them like I seem to, or do you actually use the content somehow in your own wardrobe choices?  Please don't take this as a negative.  I'm really curious, is there a way to utilize the information provided in these fashion forecasts?

[Susan in Saint John]

I don't use them a lot for colour because the "in" colours don't always work for me.  Black is a case in point -- it makes me look like death warmed over.  I've completely purged it from my wardrobe and my stash.  Sometimes the forecasts tell me that it may be a good year to find RTW and accessories in my colours or perhaps buy fabric [not that I need more].  I'm interested in the types of fabrics, e.g., sheers, shirtings, lace, more/less stretch.  Sometimes the types and colours of fabrics put together are new to me and perhaps something I can consider adapting.  For example, the range of textures shown in black is something that I might try in browns.

I'm always interested in the shapes and lengths of the garments and how they are combined.

Wearing your best colours, in your best shapes, and your best lengths is certainly a "safe" way to dress [not that I've got this all figured out yet] but perhaps at the risk of looking dated.  I look at the fashion forecasts and try to use the suggestions to tweak my wardrobe.

[Karendee]

Bev, to me this article was more helpful than most. While I don't slavishly follow it, I do like to be aware of "what's in."
LOL, then I do my own thing.

Karen

[shams]

I agree with Karendee.  I am interested to know the fashions.  Both for myself and my daughters, I find it interesting.  However, I do what I want. What pleases me.  I find I am having more and more fun with my clothing.

I thought the American Age Fashion blog had an interesting review of a book by Terry Agins.  Basically, she explains that the fragmentation of the fashion industry eventually led to women dressing more to please themselves, rather than to adhere to a dictated standard.  I don't usually read books about fashion, but this sounds interesting.

[sdBev]

...I thought the American Age Fashion blog had an interesting review of a book by Terry Agins.  Basically, she explains that the fragmentation of the fashion industry eventually led to women dressing more to please themselves, rather than to adhere to a dictated standard.  I don't usually read books about fashion, but this sounds interesting.

Shams, thanks for interesting link which includes another reason why we "women of a certain age" find it so hard to buy RTW.   I don't personally know a woman who doesn't dress to please herself.   I did like Susan's idea of "this is the year to buy" a particular color.  I have classic spring coloring.  There are many years I can find my best colors.  Especially difficult are spring colors in winter fabrics i.e wool in coral.  So yes, this could be valuable to me, especially since the tangerine-red has just been declared to be the color of year for 2012 (and a good color for me.)  I'll know that 2012 is the year I can replenish my stash.

[Bunnykins]

sdBev - Thanks for the heads up.  I usually have problems finding fabric for me as most of the ladies who sew around here are dark haired winters.  There's always lots of purples and greys to choose from, but my oranges/dead greens/yellow browns are much harder to find, except in those years when my colours are 'in'.  Coral-red is for me! I have 5 or 6 yards of bright mellow yellow melton in the stash, and some very nice soft yellow/brown plaid there, too, that I bought years ago when a fabric store was going out of business and they dragged the unsellables out of the back room. I used to love going to the jobbers as they usually had colours I couldn't buy, like teal wool suiting.

[Lisanne]

Isn't personal style fascinating !  I've been looking at an interior designer book by a famous designer "Kelly Hoppen Ideas".  All shades between black and white with texture and hard edges.  Stunningly beautiful.  And there isn't a single room in the book that I would be able to relax in.  In fact it goes deeper than that.  In those rooms my body would shrink and shrivel, and my mind would stop working. . .

We need to make sure we don't wear clothes that make us feel like that !

[ejvc]

Just updating this thread with my current thinking on seasonal collections, which owes quite a bit to Ms Nix-Rice:

I now think seasonal collections should be seven-piece rather than six-piece.  This allows for a better variety.

The collections come in sets:

Set 1: "Inner Column" -- a bottom and an underlayer top (or a dress but this is not quite as helpful usually).   Usefully in a neutral (unless you love accent-coloured bottoms, and some do).  A necklace and shoes in this colour are useful.

Set 2: "Outer Column" -- a bottom and an overlayer top.  Usefully in the same or co-ordinating neutral (actually neutrals should all co-ordinate, right?).  A necklace and shoes in this neutral, a scarf in both neutrals, a bag in one or the other or both neutrals are helpful.

Set 3: "Accent Pair" -- an over and underlayer top in the same/similar accent colours.  Easy to switch in and out of the columns, or to replace the top.

Set 4: "Print link" -- only one item in this, some kind of versatile top in both or all three colours.  Classic shirts can function as both under or overlayer, so they would be my go-to piece here.  You could add a printed skirt to have an actual set, or replace the top with a skirt.  Printed trousers? Not so much for me...  Print dress?  Possible, but again less useful.

Now for example I'm making my spring collection in white (neutral) and blue (accent), with a blue and white striped shirt.  White skirt and trousers, white T-shirt and white linen shirt.  Blue T-shirt and blue zip stretch-lace jacket.   Jewellery pearls, crystals, silver and some blue and silver necklaces.  White and blue scarf.  Blue canvas shoes and light tan shoes (I don't do white shoes).

Could have done:  White inner column (white trousers and T-shirt); Blue outer column (blue skirt and lace jacket); pink accent pair (pink T-shirt and hoodie coat); print link: pink/white/blue liberty cotton shirt.  And that's part of the SWAP plan.  This is easy to extend.

[vtmartha]

I've been following along on some of the sewing threads where I'm not actually participating and finding this sewing in columns idea (inner and outer) really interesting.  I don't really need any sort of 'wardrobe' yet it is so difficult for me to get dressed when I'm going somewhere other than the barn or a special occasion.  Neither black nor white works near my face.  Does that leave me with navy and camel?  I wear orange and chartreuse well but I'm not going to wear an orange column.    Are there other options of two coordinating neutrals I'm completely ignoring? Blue and gray seems too military.

eta:  I might actually wear an orange column with a purple jacket.  But then it becomes an outfit, rather than part of a 'collection'.

[ejvc]

Martha, white and black are both "clear" and "cool" in the world of the colour consultant.  If you can wear orange and yellow-green, then I'd steer away from navy or grey as well.  Instead I wonder how you look in olive green, rust, etc.  Like these colours from the "warm spring" palette:



It has a bright purple in it too...

[vtmartha]

Thanks, Elizabeth.  I have definitely been classified as a 'warm spring'.  If you were to pick primary and secondary column colors for me, would you think of something like putty and teal(ish)?  Looking at your chart, they might be top row - second to left and bottom row - second from right.  I'm a magnet for brights but have trouble coming up with two warm spring neutrals which coordinate yet don't overwhelm alone.  Pastels are on my chart but not my among my favorites.  I'm thinking of your inner and outer column concept.

It's funny (to me) that for years I envied red-heads who could wear chartreuse and then I had a color consultation and found that, even as a fading blonde, I could wear that color.

[elizajo]

My sister is a tiny, dark blond with the most gorgeous emerald green eyes.  When we had our colors done years ago, she was a "spring", but she rarely follows their advice.  She has worked in managerial positions for years and veered towards lots of black suiting with white or blue shirts.  When she pairs the black with an ivory top, it just lights up her face. All of those greens and teals would be so pretty on her, yet still remain professional.   

An ivory, darkest olive, or putty column would be neutral, but I bet it would be very flattering by itself or used with the other colors.   I wish I could wear them.

[Janis]

Gosh, Martha, I think you have so many options with that beautiful pallet.  I consider the darker greens and the rusty colors to be neutrals, as well. 

My columns are going to be the same color, just because of the mix and match factor for traveling, but I would pick a dark neutral for the inner column and a lighter neutral for the outer column (actually, you could probably do it either way, since you are already tall and thin - darn you ).  I think the putty and teal sounds beautiful.

[ejvc]

Well, lucky guess from me then!  I don't think I would class "teal" as a neutral because I personally wouldn't wear teal trousers, even if it were a good colour for me...  The "trouser test" is my own personal way of thinking about it though.  I'd say that any of the first four colours on the upper row, which on my monitor appear to be something like fawn (like a dark goldenrod), olive (you called it putty but it doesn't have much grey on my screen), olivey-brown, very dark olive (like a olive version of navy blue) would be my first go-to neutrals.    I wonder how they organise these palettes?  Is the first row the "best" and then the others the "accents"

In any case, I'd do fawn and olive of some variety.  You could easily add your orange as an accent to either colour - my husband, who is a similar colouration, has a bright orange sweater that he wears with fawn trousers and an olive coat and looks dynamite!  I think chartreuse would work with either colour as well.

That rosy beige, fifth from the end on the top row, makes me look like I've risen from the grave - but that also could be a nice neutral I suppose.

[vtmartha]

Thanks!  You are all so helpful that I feel inspired! 

Elizajo, I have so many black fabrics that I was really disappointed to learn that black doesn't work for me.  Of course, I realize that a bright scarf would make all the difference.  And plenty of white and ivory tops, which I purchased years ago on the advice of a fashion 'consultant' when I realized that I could no longer wear sweat pants to DH's departmental parties.      In summer, when I'm tan, they are fine but most of the year I prefer deep colors.  Your sister sounds lovely - emerald green eyes - ahhh!

Janis, you really are my inspiration.  I love what you've sewn.  Do you not have the same pallet?  I figured it was related to our Scandinavian heritage.

Elizabeth, thanks for setting me on the right path.  It was the 'trouser test' that was giving me pause but I could definitely see them in fawn and olive.  You have reminded me of how differently our monitors portray colors so, as I have to purchase online, I'll have to be careful.

[Janis]

Martha, of course Elizabeth is right.  Teal is not a neutral when you put the trouser test to it.  But, I do love it so .

I'm not sure I deserve to be your inspiration, but I do appreciate your kindness.  If you are a spring and I am an autumn, then the difference is that you look better in clear colors and I look better in the same colors, but a bit muddied.  So, my teal has a bit of gray in it.  It's not as bright as your teal.  Also, I'm a "medium" autumn, which means that I look better in the mid-range of color, not too dark nor too light.  And yes, I think it's our Scandinavian heritage that pushes us toward the warmer tones.  I guess our colors need to be warm since the weather up there is so cold

[blue mooney]

Martha, you are getting a great color consultation right here at SG! You bring up a good point about the difficulty of making columns when shopping is done online. With patience you can request swatches to get colors right, and then order sufficient fabric to make both top and bottom. Provided that the fabric is suitable to be used for both pieces.

What about combinations where the fabrics read as a column but are actually different in weight, texture, or where one is maybe a subdued print? Are more and more swatches the only way to put them together? Its the only solution I can think of right now, but it would take heaps of patience.

[vtmartha]

It seems to me that the majority of fabric shopping options favor those with cool palettes.  Do the rest of you feel similarly about your needs?    I think that Apple Annie's may be an exception although, for whatever reason, I'm not sure I've shopped there.  From photos I've seen, Anne appears to have warm coloring.  I would love to buy more of the fabric you are using from Marcy, Janis, but even the brown leaves me 'cold'.  I purchased some of the black to try.  And the colors are limited for the EOS poly 4ply silk replica.  Please keep me in mind while you're shopping.   

eta:  Robyn, I was thinking more about your suggestion of using different fabrics of similar colors to make a column.  This has a lot of merit.  When I move away from my colors and onto my figure, I realize that the soft fabrics Janis uses are really not the best for my lower half.  My legs are very long and bony.  From what I've read, my pants should use fabrics with more structure.  And from making numerous knit pants, I can attest to that.    My upper body has a softer look, so I could benefit from fabrics with more drape on the top.  Does this further complicate things?  I'm inclined to think so. 

[marciae]

Going to jump in here - and say - yes, Martha, it's hard to find colors if you're a warm palette!!  I'm an autumn and need bold colors - emerald, brown, gold, bright tourquise.  I've ordered some from AA and was extremely happy with the fabric - that's why I was sooo excited to see her new Resort Collection.  I ordered a lot from Marcy T - but I planned, and did, use it for pants.  I had one piece of sweater knit that had tourquise in it and I wear a deep tourquise with it and it looks ok.  My personal opinion is that a fabric vendor knows they can sell black, gray, etc - but not too many folks can wear emerald, drab olive, etc.  Maybe that's why I like the mystery bundles from FM.  Last time I got a beautiful piece of green with all the shades of green I can wear - it's cotton - so it will have to be a shirt.  If you go into a quilt shop you can find a lot of pieces of fabric you "could" wear - but again - it's all cotton.  I have found some nice batiks, however.  OK - off the bandwagon and back to regular topic!!

[vtmartha]

OK - off the bandwagon and back to regular topic!!

Ooops!  Did I hijack something?  I can try to do better. 

[Lisanne]

I found Imogen Lamport's (Inside Out Style) comment about neutrals very helpful - they don't appear on the colour wheel.  Too lazy to look up the link, but she has a video on it.

I think teal does appear on the colour wheel, so it doesn't count as a neutral - though for some colourings it does make a good 'background' colour.  Like burgundy or mustard.

I don't find the colour wheel at all helpful, as my favourites are all the off-white, cream, taupe, caramel, honey, muted browns etc etc which don't appear there.  I think the colour wheel is most helpful for clear springs and winters who don't need muted 'summer' or browny 'autumn' colours.

[marciae]

OK - off the bandwagon and back to regular topic!!

Ooops!  Did I hijack something?  I can try to do better. 

Oh no Martha - you were fine - it was me, who has not been a part of this discussion, that ranted about poor choices in color.  You only made a comment!  Sorry I said anything.

[Susan in Saint John]

It really depends on which colour wheel you use.  I like "Color Play" by Joen Wolfrom.  http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-3---1-Color-Tool/dp/1607052350/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1330271146&sr=8-4  It's designed for quilters but I use it for clothing too.  Except for true black and true white, all the "neutrals" are there.  Neutrals are tints [white added], tones [grey added] and shades [black added] of certain colours -- mostly colours from the red through yellow section of the colour wheel -- typically hair colours with white, grey or black added.  I find using this tool explains for me why a cream is not working with a taupe, for example.  It's because they are not derived from the same base colour, e.g., an orange yellow vs. a golden yellow.

I've been thinking about the "trouser test".  The idea is a good one but I think what passes/fails the "trouser test" depends on whether you're top or bottom heavy, your confidence in your appearance, and where you live -- the quality of the light perhaps.  In big cities clothing is often more somber.  In the southern US and Carribean, you see more colour.  Then, some of us just do what makes us happy!

I do actually have some teal corduroy pants and I don't feel conspicuous wearing them.  I have another pair of teal trousers cut out but they are really very dark -- about the same value as navy.

[Janis]

I think there is WAY too much black and gray in online shopping.  But then, that is just my opinion .  There also seems to be a lot of red, which is not in my color range either.  My red is deep orange color, and not easy to find.

The other thing I'm having trouble with is finding prints that are small.  I am a small-boned gal, and large prints overwhelm my frame, but they are very popular right now.

Martha, it's interesting what you have discovered about soft fabrics vs. "structured" fabrics.  Our bodies really do tell us how to dress if we pay attention .

[PattiH]

I am in a similar position regarding the color thing.  I recently realized that I am a warm spring, so that means that I need brighter colors than the summer colors I thought were good ... and I am having trouble finding them.  Apple Annie's has a lot of beautiful colors, but I want to be careful that I do not slip over into the autumn palette, though it would not be terrible as my DD and DGD are autumns.  But I want fabric for ME!     Hopefully as we get into spring, more of my colors will show up and I can start adding to my stash in the correct colors.

PattiH

[Lisanne]

Janis - have you tried quilt shops for small prints - huge numbers of them, though they are all cotton.

[bookish]

This is a wonderful discussion!!!

I don't know what I am, but I know what looks good.    And it's not what looked good a few years ago.  Finding 'your' colors is a challenge... perhaps especially so when we sew (since many of us do so because we can't find what we want in RTW in either fit or color).  I love gray as my neutral... but it has to be a soft gray and well, I could on... but let's just say not all grays are created equal.  And then there's that periwinkle....

Small prints!  Oh Yes!!!  I always study your style, Janis, because I'm short too.  grumble, grumble, when did 5'8" become the norm?  You've encourage me so much.

Martha, I had a pair of favorite jeans, RTW,  in the most delicious dark teal/spruce... (long time ago... before I sewed, when I had a waist).  Teal isn't exactly a 'neutral' but it could be, especially with the different textures.

[vtmartha]

Connie, I think dark teal could be a neutral for me because it would make a great backdrop for the cardigans I could make in bright colors.  I was told that periwinkle is a universal color which would work for anyone.