The snowy season has arrived in Minnesota so I am ready to add some more warm items to this wardrobe!
In November, Janice supplemented her capsules with small collections (such as two tops, a bottom, two jewelry pieces, and shoes), each from a given store/brand. I did not attempt to coordinate my additions to be all from a single store! While I have certain brands I wear often, I'm not quite that dedicated to any one store.
Outfit #1 uses the classic long-over-lean outfit formula with a long knit tunic T and cowl neck poncho over slim fit knit pants in a versatile taupe-beige color that happens to work perfectly with my older thrifted taupe suede smoking slippers (another of those pleasing pairings that I wear on repeat). I can wear a scarf with this poncho, but I really like it with this bold thrifted pendant necklace. I finished up with a pair of large dark red crystal earrings. I think this two neutrals + 1 accent color combination makes for an easy to wear colorblocked outfit.
Navy long-sleeved knit tunic - CJ Banks - 2X - $8.99 - 5/2020
Taupe-beige Starfish pants - Lands End - 2X - $17.98 - 5/2020
Burgundy-maroon cowl neck poncho - Coldwater Creek - 1X - $14.97 - 7/2020
Dark red crystal earrings - ?
Gold chain drop necklace - thrifted - $1.80 - 12/2019
Taupe smoking slippers - thrifted, Gap - $9.99 - 7/2015
Outfit #2 is based on the same pants + shoes but switches up the top portion significantly. A medium wash denim shirt and a utility vest in a similar beige-like color to the pants create a coastal chic color palette for the base outfit, which could be accessorized in many different ways to achieve different looks. For this one, I added a navy-based floral scarf to introduce some accent color and a deeper neutral to the outfit. A simple mixed metal bracelet completes the look.
Denim long-sleeved shirt - Remade/ThredUp - 2X - $18.98 - 4/2020
Same as above: Taupe-beige Starfish pants - Lands End - 2X - $17.98 - 5/2020
Stone utility vest - thrifted, CJ Banks - 2X - $12.99 - 12/2019
Chunky gold/silver bracelet - CJ Banks - ?
Navy/red/white/tan floral infinity scarf - thrifted, H&M - $1.50 - 12/2019
Same as above: Taupe smoking slippers - thrifted, Gap - $9.99 - 7/2015
Next are a couple of outfits based on a bright salmon-pink knit skirt for some "Barbiecore all grown up" outfit inspiration. I am pairing the skirt with tall cognac riding boots, which are a classic style you can't go wrong with, but that are having a fashion moment for fall/winter 2022, so why not pull them out and put them into high rotation? For those in warmer climates in which you can rock boots and bare legs, go for it. For the rest of us, depending on the outfit, I think you could use nude-to-you, cream, brown, or navy tights/leggings with the pink skirt and cognac boots. (Black is another option in outfits with black instead of navy.) If this vivid pink is too much for your taste, you could easily substitute any other shade of pink and it would work fine.
Outfit #3 is a fun double stripe print mix in classic navy and white. The striped T and cardigan with different widths/styles of stripes reminds me of a wonderful outfit Brenda Kinsel shared on her blog (under "pairing stripes with stripes") with a medium striped T and wide striped jacket. She even wore hers with warm brown boots. For a more Brenda-looking outfit you could substitute the denim skirt (introduced to the wardrobe later in this post) for the bright pink one, but I love the pop of color from the bright pink against the neutrals. A solid navy scarf adds warmth without competing with the base outfit (which was an uncharacteristic act of restraint on my part, I must say!).
Navy/white striped long-sleeved seamed T - ana/JCP - 2X - $5.59 - 1/2020
Salmon pink ribbed skirt - Bissou Bissou/JCP - 1X - $16.79 - 6/2017
Navy/white striped long cardigan - Lane Bryant - 22/24 - $11.99 - 6/2020
Navy/pink and light pink seed bead bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Navy scarf - Target - $12.00 - 12/2013
Tall cognac boots - Sam Edelman/Nordstrom - $126.60 - 11/2014
Outfit #4 utilizes the colorblock color formula with a print scarf added for warmth and as a bridge piece for the colors. While the skirt is a very warm, bright salmon pink, the earrings and bracelets are lighter and cooler pinks. There's a bit of visual tension to me, which is where the floral scarf comes in...it has several versions of peach/salmon/pink/purple that all the various pinks in the outfit can relate to. Unlike in Outfit #3, where the pink skirt is a color pop, this outfit has a more integrated/balanced look due to the addition of a bridge piece.
Same as above: Denim long-sleeved shirt - Remade/ThredUp - 2X - $18.98 - 4/2020
Same as above: Salmon pink ribbed skirt - Bissou Bissou/JCP - 1X - $16.79 - 6/2017
Ivory cardigan - CJ Banks - 2X - $17.99 - 5/2020
Mixed pink 4mm glass pearl bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Navy/salmon pink floral scarf - Kohls - $11.17 - 5/2015
Same as above: Tall cognac boots - Sam Edelman/Nordstrom - $126.60 - 11/2014
Finally, Outfit #5 is an all-neutral look based on the denim skirt alluded to earlier and a bold plaid moto vest. I added in the knit tunic T, navy scarf, and cognac boots from before and completed the look with simple lapis lazuli bead earrings (I like the triangular shape of the lapis beads with the round hoops and rectangular plaid print.) In this navy/denim/white outfit, the cognac boots really stand out (in a good way).
Same as above: Navy long-sleeved knit tunic - CJ Banks - 2X - $8.99 - 5/2020
Denim skirt - Lands End - 24W - $25.58 - 5/2019
Navy/white plaid moto vest - Chaps/Kohls - XXL - $21.20 - 11/2018
Navy lapis lazuli/gold hoop earrings - made by me - winter 2022
Same as above: Navy scarf - Target - $12.00 - 12/2013
Same as above: Tall cognac boots - Sam Edelman/Nordstrom - $126.60 - 11/2014
For today's feature garment, I am sharing OOTD from my archives based on the bright salmon pink skirt for more Barbiecore with neutrals outfit ideas. While Barbiecore in its purest form might mean head to toe bright pink, that's a lot, even for me. I think pairing bright pink with neutrals is a great way to participate in the trend in a more moderate manner. Of course, if you want to go 100% in on bright pink, go for it! Pair the bright pink with other pinks, absolutely. Create wild color pairings with the bright pink, yes. What you'll see below are more low-key neutral-based Barbiecore-adjacent outfits for fall that I have worn in a business casual workplace.
OOTD #1 and #2 are very simple black and white outfits jazzed up with the addition of the bright pink skirt.
OOTD #3 is the same color scheme but with a striped T + plaid moto vest (yes, the cousin of the navy one in the capsule) print mix.
OOTD #4 uses various shades of grey for the T, cardigan, tights, and tall boots tied in with the bright pink skirt using a bridge piece bird motif scarf...but I think this would look fantastic as a colorblock look also.
OOTD #5 has a delicious mix of various beige and brown colors with the bright pink skirt, and once again a print scarf acts as the bridge piece (again, fully optional in my opinion). I love how this pairs a classic fall color with an unexpected bright accent for a really fun color combination. I probably would have substituted a darker brown cardigan for the light cool beige if I'd had one, but I like this combination too. Those lightest areas of the leopard scarf are a good match to the cardigan color, which always pleases me. This is a good reminder that we can often find something in our closets to work in an outfit; we don't always have to buy something just because our first idea (dark brown cardigan) isn't immediately available to us. I could easily have worn a white cardigan or a denim jacket in this outfit too.
OOTD #6 uses the color palette of our capsule wardrobe and includes both the floral scarf and tall cognac boots added this month. A simple white T forms the backdrop for a small scale print vest + large scale print scarf print mix...I think the varying sizes of the prints make this a terrific combination. You can also see here what navy tights look like with the pink skirt and cognac boots.
Now to add our penultimate rabbit mascot to our menagerie! I was inspired by the mix of browns in OOTD #5 to select a bunny with a gorgeous multiple-shades-of-brown fur coat. This is Cheri, the chocolate Polish rabbit! That's "polish" as in "paw-lish" (referring to the polish of their shiny coats) rather than "Polish" (referring to Poland). No matter how you pronounce it, this is a beautiful rabbit. I love the neatness and alignment of their ears. This is what the breed standard says about them: "Ears are to be small and balance with the body. They are to be well formed, of good substance, set close together, and touch each other all the way up."
The Polish is a dwarf breed with a weight of about 2.5 pounds, making Cheri the second-smallest rabbit in our collection. (Bella the blue-eyed white Netherland Dwarf at right center is the only smaller one at 1-2.5 pounds.) It was easy for the other rabbits to shift slightly and make room for her in the menagerie!
Hard to believe that we are almost at the end of 2022 with only one set of capsule wardrobe additions and only one more rabbit to join the crew! (I think we need to add a really big bunny to finish off the year, don't you?)
Are you attracted to the bright pink Barbiecore trend? How would you wear it?
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