Oh, color! I’ve missed you! Let’s never part ways again, okay?
What are your colors for spring? Obviously, mine are blue, blue, and more blue. I’m okay with this. For me, a little color goes a long way.
Right now, I’m really into playing with one color + multiple shades all in one outfit. I can see this outfit becoming a sort of color template for me: a washed out top with a saturated scarf. That way, I can always remove the scarf if I get a little tired of the color.
While I don’t have these colors in my closet, I could see this template working really well with greens (soft seafoam + fern green scarf) or pinks (faded salmon top + coral scarf).
How are you planning to use color in your spring wardrobe? Got any fail-proof combinations?
Top: J.Crew
Scarf: Madewell (also, similar + similar for less)
Shorts: Nordstrom
Shoes: Converse (similar)
Bag: Nordstrom (also, leather option)
What is your climate like? I love the outfit, but where I live if my top half is comfortable in long sleeves and scarf, my bottom half would be blue from the cold in shorts and sneakers!
I went in the opposite direction with my spring capsule (I switched at the beginning of March) and went for mostly black and white and so far I love it! I do still have a bit of color though. Last season I discovered blush and plum and it became a favorite fast. I’m also considering cobalt and blush, but that might be too colorful for me! Going on your saturated/unsaturated theme, I think a light chambray is amazing with almost any louder color because it can function as a neutral, like with plum or cobalt or even a darker red.
The seafoam is perfect for spring, and I love it with the indigo. Indigo seems to be such a thing these days. I think it must be the recent turn towards denim based outfits. That reminds me- what do you think of overalls?
Kate
Myteacherstyle.blogspot.com
What a simple but smart method for wearing color for those of us who are color shy
I’m doing shades of blue this season too. I have sweaters in midnight blue, true blue and violet blue, a sapphire blue skirt and a light chambray blue cardigan. But I’m more inclined to wear them all with neutrals. I’m not very bold. :)
I LOVE this color palette. That blue family with the cognac bag …. UGH. The best. I’m excited to see color in your capsule again.
First and foremost, can I say how jealous I am that you are wearing shorts right now? I’ve had to bring back quite a few pieces from my winter capsule because it’s just not warming up here in Philly! I have a lot of that soft minty blue in my spring capsule and love pairing it with navy so that the mint pops but is still feels like a monochrome look. xo Bonnie @ http://www.cocktailsandquinoa.com
I didn’t really do it on purpose, but my spring capsule looks pretty much the same as my fall and winter one, colorwise. Lots of gray with reds and purples for pops of color. I don’t know if that’s boring, or if those colors are just “me.”
That scarf is really lovely! This spring I’m going for blues, khakis and a little splash of red in additon to my neutrals :)
http://capsulewardrobeexperience.blogspot.no/2015/03/why-i-shop-online.html
inspired by you I decided on green for spring, ranging from olive to kelly, after a very black and white and gray winter. It seemed like the natural choice since I already have a lot of it and I’m still on a self-imposed shopping freeze.
I it possible that we get a close-up photo of your shoes from the side? I love your selection of shoes and would like to see them closer.
For my spring capsule wardrobe, I took a scarf I liked and built my wardrobe around all of the colors in it: white, navy blue, hot pink, blush pink, mint, light yellow. I would have never thought to put these colors together, but having a color palette to work from really helped! To put my capsule together, I just ‘shopped my own closet’ and picked all of the clothes that were those colors. Then I put them into Stylebook and mixed/matched to create different color combos. It’s working really well! Plus, I happened to get two new, beautiful scarves and a mint pair of earrings for my birthday that also work well with the capsule. Score! :)
That is a great idea! So simple and at the same time so innovative :)
Caroline, I love that you’re playing with color in this way!
I think going the monochrome route is great for adding color into you wardrobe in a way that it will always mix and match without even having to think about it! That is the best way, right? It should work perfect as long as you keep the same color temperature – i.e. warm versions vs. cool versions of the same color. Although there are probably exceptions to this rule…
Other classic color theory routes would work as well —- choose two complimentary colors, choose 2 or 3 analogous colors, etc. Can you tell I was an art teacher? Here is a little color theory info for those so inclined: http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory
I think I naturally tend to go the analogous route :-)
BTW – I for one am loving all your blue!
Oh, jeepers, Jodie! Thanks for mentioning this! The tone and warmth of colors matter a lot to me! I guess I’m a little OCD about it.
I’m adding in color to my spring wardrobe, but more in the form of “pops” of color, or accents. I’m doing a base of primarily navy, gray and white, and adding in kelly green and coral here and there. It’s been fun.
And yeah, sadly I’m wearing four layers and a scarf right now – wacky spring weather!
http://maepresss.blogspot.com
I absolutely love your idea of combining different shades of the same color… I might try blush and candy pink at some point this spring or working with greyscale. My colors for spring are army green, teal, pink and purple, and of course grey/black/ivory/denim as neutrals.
I love that scarf! So pretty. I have a really pretty hot pink silk shirt and a bright cobalt silk shirt that I use to bring a pop of color to an otherwise neutral wardrobe.
Kari
I LOVE yellow!!!!! I personally think that it never gets old, and it’s all about finding the right shade of yellow. There will definitely be yellows and whites in my next capsule! :)
I tend to wear only neutrals (black, grays, and navy) For spring I am being brave and adding in some more colors. I chose one because of this one royal blue workout tank I have that every one tells me is “my” color, I I decided that would be my main spring color with a bit of teal and coral mixed in. I have added a couple extra colored tops that don’t go with as much but rather then my usual sea of mismatched colors I only have a couple tops that don’t mix with as much in some reds, greens, and magenta.
This will be my first real capsule once New England actually gets spring weather, this weekend is round one and I am pulling all the wool out of my closet since it is warm enough I won’t be needing that.
I am loving pastel colors! I bought a light blue, light pink and on the hunt for a lavender top! I find that bright colors or “plain” black and white make the pastel colors really pop which is perfect for my Spring style!
http://www.mylittlenest.org
Hey there! I just realized, you have the styling of bangs that I’ve been wanting, and I was just wondering who you went to for your haircut? I live in Austin, and I have baby bangs that are growing out into awkward teenage bangs. If you cut them yourself: WOW I’m impressed, and far less talented :)
Uh…my color in my spring capsule is a rainbow of soft colors that I chose willy-nilly because I love them. I don’t really do a ton of rules with my capsule wardrobe. I try to have enough neutrals that I don’t look like a walking circus, but other than that I figure that if I really, truly love each item that I choose they will all work together just fine. My sloppy method of color choosing has working surprisingly well so far.
I actually sort of meld “color” and “neutral” into one monochromatic sort of look.
I wear all shades of blue, and all shades of grey, with an occasional pop of red in the winter, and orange in the summer.
No black, because I have a cat and lint rolling is a pain (even though I like black), and no white because I don’t want to do a separate load of laundry just for that handful of white things. Light grey is good enough a substitute for me!
Ah shorts… Mine never get worn until June at the earliest. It actually snowed all day here today! I wore my winter boots even though they are not included in my spring capsule (because that would be depressing).
My colors for spring are denim/ chambray blue, navy (mostly from dark wash jeans), dove grey, army green, camel and cream. I also have a pair of wine colored jeans and a fabulous hot coral pink slouchy cotton sweater to mix things up :) Now, if only it would stop snowing so that I can wear my light army jacket and camel booties instead of my black snow boots and down-filled winter coat…
love this outfit!
– michelle of dritgirl.com
I’m wearing mostly blue this spring too!
At the moment I’m wearing different shades of peach/beige in the one outfit, and loving it! I also have a few shades-of-green outfits that I want to try.
looks gorgeous, I love your scarf!
I built my capsule on lots of white, grey, some black and blue- these colors really bring up my beauty type so I decided to go with them, they are so fresh for spring too.
I think about getting some light scarfs in a bit cold, dirty pastel shades to accessorise and maybe a bright yellow clutch to add some color :)
Hi Caroline, I very rarely muster up the courage to comment but I just wanted to say I totally loving the discovery of your blog! You are part of my morning my daily reads at the moment and I am so inspired by the capsule wardrobe idea and have been looking for a way to reduce my wardrobe ever since I moved house.
I realised that I have a LOT of clothes that I keep but never wear. This post is great as I love a simple palette and I don’t often over accessorise and wondered if it would make my clothes too dull (also love a good scarf!). I have just started my own blog but it is more to practice my photography and writing for the moment. Hoping to keep it up and meet new friends. :)
I LOVE the scarf!
Thank you so much for this blog. I just made my very first capsule and feel so much happier and lighter already. I wrote about it here (http://oldgraysweater.tumblr.com/post/114777264706/the-first-capsule) and was sure to link to your blog and direct everyone to your expertise.
Yup, I’ve got a neutral section of capsule (cream, white, charcoal, and navy) and then I have a couple of items each in teal/turquoise, purple/lilac, and mustard yellow. I’m pleased with it so far! Let you know if “allowing” color and limiting color to these feels good or challenging at the end of 3 months! The palatte was determined by stuff I had a missed – teal jeans, a deep turquoise sweater that’s always been surprisingly easy to wear, the mustard stuff carried over from both fall and winter. The purple because…it’s spring and I missed purple.
One thing I know is that this formula of washed out to more intense in one tone is a terrific one – but i have to start a little farther down the intense spectrum with my color, as I look pretty terrible in any color with enough white in it to be called pastel. But I don’t mind more intense color, I’m not afraid! (you should see my mom’s wardrobe – shoot, her house paint schemes – all beautiful, but wild in most people’s books!)
Boy do I love this outfit! Blue is one of my fave colours and this look is just super. I’d do a thumbs up emoji if I could. That minty top with that indigo scarf…plus I love the new length of the shorts! I love denim shorts and have two vintage levi’s – but feel kind of self-conscious wearing them as they’re the “cut just under the bottom” type. Not quite the right type for my legs but the only high waist ones I could find last summer.
After my almost-100%-neutral winter wardrobe I went the other way with spring. I was just craving colour! So I have lots of cream and blush pink + any shade of blue + a little of washed green. Not colours I’d normally pair but they work great! And it instantly cheers me up to look at my closet and see more than grey and black. Ugh. I guess I’m just not that into neutrals as I’d thought :)
But anyway- Love this outfit, would wear it right now!
(well actually, would have to wait for summer but you get my drift)
Thanks for sharing it!
Kat
Working on the capsule planner has definitely helped me zero in on my style and colour preferences. I’ve always gravitated toward jewel tones and I plan to wear them right through summer, but I will be trying to incorporate more navy blue (I have enough dark teal) as it goes really nicely with the gold/dark mustard pops of colour I have in my wardrobe. My sister mentioned offhand the other day that those are basically my ‘signature’ colours, not knowing I had just bought a navy sweater that morning. So I’ve decided to try to make those colours work for my summer wardrobe in Europe. And I LOVE that beautiful block print scarf so much, but now knowing my style better I know I’m even more print-shy than I am primary-colour shy!
Such a cute outfit. I love the mint with the indigo. I think the scarf looks so good on you, but tried it on at Madewell and found it to be really itchy. Sigh. I’ll have to keep looking.