I shared my March additions earlier this week, so what's the topic of this post? Well, part 1 of this post showed my picks based on Janice's selections for March, but I felt the need to expand the wardrobe a bit to more strongly represent a January-March capsule for my lifestyle in Minnesota. That's what's great about reading about other people's capsule wardrobes...you get the benefits of their knowledge and experience, but you are totally free to adapt their methods to meet your own unique personality and situation. You absolutely aren't limited to copying what other people do in terms of colors, silhouettes, pieces, and numbers of items! For someone like me, who is more "maximal" when it comes to outfits and wardrobes, that means adding on to what the more minimalist experts recommend.
Specifically, I wanted more items in my wardrobe, with a greater emphasis on cool-to-cold weather options and with a stronger representation of the pink accent color from the capsule's palette. (Doesn't that pink T look lonely in this capsule?) While I do love navy + red, I don't want to wear that combination every day!
So to add more variety, I selected these winter/spring items as my "St Paul" additions.
-The blush pink quilted vest is the matching color to the pink T and creates a useful spring-y colored "modern twin set" for the cold weather that continues in March here.
-A white T is just such a necessity for me, I had to add one.
-This dusky rose cardigan is a somewhat difficult piece for me since it doesn't match anything else in my entire wardrobe, but I thought it had possibilities with the blush pink as well as the white and navy pieces.
-Is another pair of jeans strictly necessary? No, but I wear jeans quite a bit these days (2-3 times per week), and these offer a lighter wash of denim and a different cut of jeans from the dark skinny ankle jeans in the capsule.
-With the white T, I still only had 5 tops in the capsule, so I added this cute striped top with the banded hem. A capsule needs a good bit of color and prints to be Sally-in-St-Paul-compatible!
-While I can do a lot with the navy pullover sweater, having one in an accent color will go a long way to ramping up the overall color level of the capsule. This one introduces yet a third shade of pink, but it has a soft, muted quality that works well with the other pinks, I think.
Light sepia rose long quilted vest - CJ Banks - 2X - $27.60 - 12/2020
White long-sleeved seamed T - ana/JCP - 2X - $9.10 - 9/2017
Dusky rose cardigan - CJ Banks - 2X - $14.40 - 1/2021
Navy and white double striped top - CJ Banks - 3X - $11.01 - 7/2020
Medium wash straight leg jeans - Lee/JCP - 18W - $36.00 - 9/2017
Dusky pink pullover sweater - Loft - XXL - $24.75 - 10/2016
The accessory selection so far is looking very good, but I definitely want another scarf and some more pink to work with the latest clothing additions.
I decided to add a full complement of accessories...which means scarf, necklace, earrings, bracelets, and shoes...using pink as my main color and motifs like flowers and butterflies to bring a spring-like element. The DIY bracelet stack is one of my most recent sets, consisting of one bicone paper bead, one tube paper bead, and one glass bead bracelet.
Navy/green/pink/mustard floral scarf - Loft - $8.94 - 7/2020
Pink bow flats - Amazon - $14.99 - 2/2020
Pink floral necklace - Target - $13.25 - 9/2014
Pink crystal Edelweiss earrings - gift
Blue/Pink/Silver paper bead + glass bracelet set - made by me - winter 2022
Rose gold stretch bracelets - Amazon
As we did in March Part 1, let's review a few of the possible outfits from these additions. In the first outfit (Outfit #4 for March), the pink sweater and jeans could stand alone, but for extra warmth, the blush pink quilted vest is a great choice. (I actually haven't tried putting a long quilted vest + straight leg jeans silhouette together, but I think it could work.)
Outfit #5 shows a simple way to wear that "doesn't match anything in my closet" cardigan or other topper layer...with the modern era's most neutral base outfit, the white T and blue jeans. Against this plain backdrop, the pink cardigan is the stand-out piece, and the accessories in a range of different-but-compatible pinks can really shine.
Outfit #6 is still a little bit aspirational for me right now, but when the weather warms up a bit, it's nice to wear a long-sleeved top without a top layer! This one with the elastic at the hem is a nice stand-alone piece. Of course the scarf could be worn long to add a vertical element to the outfit, which is my go-to, but don't forget that an oblong scarf can be easily braided into a wonderful chunky fabric necklace! I will wear a scarf this way year-round, but spring is possibly my favorite season for it. I love a striped top + floral scarf combination.
Here are a couple of OOTD featuring the pink pullover sweater. In this January outfit, it is layered under a dark blue quilted vest and worn with a denim skirt and blue/pink scarf. Navy tights and boots would be the obvious choice, but I decided to try burgundy/maroon for an unexpected look. It's true that this "sacrifices" the leg-lengthening properties of matching the color of your skirt, tights, and boots to create an unbroken expanse of color, but I thought this non-matchy option gave the outfit a modern, slightly eclectic vibe that I enjoyed.
The second OOTD, also from January, shows how the pink sweater and medium wash straight leg jeans look together. While skinny jeans remain a staple of my wardrobe, I am happy to see straight leg jeans have a resurgence in popularity. I'm old enough that the straight leg silhouette are the "standard, normal jeans" to me and the skinny and bootcut versions are variations on the norm. Dramatic flares feel very before-my-time, and wide-leg crops still feel strange/"why??" to me.
Are you trendy with your denim? Or do you tend to stick to your tried-and-true silhouettes?
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