Earlier this summer, I decided that for at least the next year, I want to work only with certain colors, and only specific hue angles within those. Here they are:
I’ll be working with the colors where my Bright Winter palette and my custom palette from John Kitchener overlap.
Now the question is how to plan a wardrobe around these colors. In the past, whenever wardrobe planning came up, whether as a SWAP, 6-PAC, wardrobe capsule, or one of those minimal wardrobe concepts, the idea has been that everything should go with just about everything else. In other words, totally mix-and-match. I’ve worked with it many times, making plans complete with pictures and fabric selections. But I rarely finished any of these plans. And when I did, I ended up not wearing several of the pieces. So it’s time for a rethink.
I am not a mix-and-matcher. I have certain outfits I like and wear often. I’d like to have some variation, mostly in terms of color, but not so the whole outfit is different. I love bright colors but I don’t wear more than one bright color at a time, preferring instead to combine each with black, white, and/or gray. I’m also not big on separates. So let’s say the base of an outfit is a black dress. What I need is different colored collections of accessories that work with this dress. A red collection. A yellow one. A green one. You get the idea.
The beginning of my yellow collection.
Right now I’m working on the yellow collection. It started in June when I ordered a custom hand-painted scarf in yellow and black, and some custom-dyed yellow fingering merino yarn as well. When I started working on yellow jewelry ideas, it turned out that glass beads are not quite right. So now I’m playing with polymer clay. I have made a pair of earrings, a set of two bracelets, and a matching necklace. The black and yellow Cameo shawl belongs in this collection too, and I am currently knitting a tweedy cardigan in black, gray, and yellow.
I have yarn in all of my selected colors, and fabrics in most of them. Polymer clay colors are easy enough to mix up to match just about anything. Over the next year, I’d like to get a reasonable start on each of the colors – a set of jewelry, a scarf, and a cardigan or shawl (or some other shoulder warmer). I’m going to give it a good try to see if this way of wardrobe building will get me further than the mix-all-match-all way.
Stay tuned for some colorful polymer clay news.
See you soon!
K-Line
I totally hear you about figuring out the system that work for you. And I’m so impressed by the jewelry!
frugalscholar
These are beautiful colors for you. I love the idea of having little coordinated bundles.
I still have fimo clay from kids’ obsession with it. Perhaps I’ll set them to work again! Great idea.
Trish
Love your ideas! I have the Cameo shawl pattern and will be knitting it in Miss Babs Plum and Oyster-I’m a True Summer. I have also tried the capsule idea and found it didn’t work, since I also like a variety of colors. I’m currently working with groupings of rose, blue-green, medium jade, blue and plum. Neutrals are grey, navy and chocolate.
Sandi
Another former capsule afficiendo here. I felt like a failure, but now I see I’m not alone, lol. Miss your updates – hope all is well!
Myrna
Alex: did you get my email a couple weeks ago? Just want to make sure that you’ve still go the same email address. If you have time, please let me know. Thanks.