Shopping Our Closets: Monochrome Madness

I know I typically talk about color in my Color Play column at the end of the month, but this week I decided we should shop our closets for similar colored pieces to create a little monochrome magic. After all, I wouldn't go out shopping for same or like colored pieces to create a monochrome look, because generally we have pieces already in our closets that match.

The creation of a monochrome outfit in the fashion realm occurs when clothing pieces of similar or same color are combined to make an outfit that appears to be a column of a single color. Once you get started this is as easy as matching pants or skirts with tops or sweaters. An easy way to create a monochrome look is to use a dress, either short, midi or maxi with matching shoes and even, if you dare, matching hose.

Today I will show you step by step how I came up with this perfectly fall outfit.

I guess I should have taken these pictures outside because I am blending in with the cedar planking in our house. Ha, ha. I decided to use this cognac color to create my monochrome look. Here are the steps I took to put this look together.

Step 1 - Choose your color.

This might seem rather obvious, and for some this will be easier than it was for me, because I have so many darn clothes in just about every color. I thought this cognac brown a good color for fall, but I also thought about rust, burgundy and green. You can also use prints in a monochrome outfit as long as it stays mainly within the color scheme.

I started with my StitchStar jeans as I knew I had a pair of ankle boots that matched perfectly. My top is older and is Mudd brand. The idea that your shoes, pants, or skirt and top should all be pretty close to a match makes sense for a monochrome look.

Step 2 - Decide on a topper.

For my topper I chose an open front Tahari cardigan that I had found on clearance at Kohl’s a number of years ago. You could pick anything that matches your monochrome color from a pullover to a blazer.

Step 3 - Choose your jewelry.

I chose a piece that was in the same color scheme as the rest of my outfit, but you certainly don’t have to do that. Your jewelry can be whatever your choose and the outfit will still exude a monochrome vibe. My goal was to stay as close as possible to the cognac colors.

At this point you could be done with your monochrome outfit, but you know me! Why stop there? Ha, ha. While I love monochrome looks, I am too much a fan of color, texture and interest, so I had to add a few colored accessories.

Step 4 - Add a little interest.

I chose a scarf and a thrifted Liz Claiborne bag that matched the green in the scarf.

Step 5 - Finish it off.

Since fall is truly just around the corner layers are going to be essential, so I decided to finish this look with a recently thrifted Merona utility jacket. When I saw this cognac colored jacket I knew I had to have it. While it is a little snug for me, it works great as an open front piece and still allows the under layers to be visible.

Style Tip: When thrifting make sure to look at all different size racks. You never know what you will find if you think outside the box in how you wear various pieces.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gave you quick and easy tips on building your own monochrome look. Shop your closets with new eyes. You will find new outfits you never knew existed. No shopping links today, because I know you are all running to your closets right now to see what you can create!

Until next time, think creative and be creative. Your wardrobe is yours to explore and have fun with.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Adobe, Rhodonite and Olive Branch

Due to my illness, I have neglected this little blog for a few weeks. While we are still trying to get all symptoms under control and actually find diagnoses for said symptoms, I hope to be able to get back to some semblance of regular posting, so please bear with me. To all of you who have been so supportive and loving on Facebook and Instagram, thank you. Your kind words, thoughts and prayers have been so appreciated.

The last two colors on the New York Palette for the Pantone Autumn/Winter series are my favorites. Adobe is certainly what I expect on a fall color palette and Rhodonite is a completely different blue, that I think works fabulously for the fall season. Once again, I am using Olive Branch as my classic color. As I have mentioned before, olive works well with so many other colors, and makes the transition from one season to another, smooth and seamless.

These thrifted Michael Kors jeans might be just a smidge lighter than Adobe, but I think they work quite well. I know the world is saying skinny jeans are not in right now, but I like my skinnies and I will continue to wear them. Sure I will wear other silhouettes as well, but I especially favor skinnies in the cool weather to wear with boots.

The dark blue tunic top, is an older Christopher and Banks piece. After I put the outfit together, I realized the tunic is less like the Rhodonite color, while the bluish purple in the print of the jacket is a closer fit.

My jacket is a thrifted Christopher and Banks piece. It fits similarly to a jean jacket and the print is perfect for bringing on all the fall feels.

My thrifted olive bag is Fossil brand. This is a great piece if you want something you can throw all sorts of things into. Ha, ha. A hobo bag is a good choice for travel, as it easily fits into many different spaces and yet has plenty of room for all the goodies.

You can see in the previous two pictures, I kept my jewelry simple by adding a few olive bracelets and a string of olive beads.

You’ve seen numerous pairs of SO ankle boots on the blog, because I have them in SO many different colors. Ha, ha. See what I did there? These are great little ankle boots for fall and work with jeans, trousers, skirts and even dresses. Apparently, the affiliate program I work with is no longer using Kohl’s as one of their retailers, so here are links to the Kohl’s website for a few different styles of ankle boots. Here is the Averyy, the Chantilly, and the Barb 2. These are not an expensive boot, and that is one of the reasons I like them. They also still look pretty good after a number of seasons, but then, I don’t wear the same pair every day. I am not getting any sort of compensation to recommend these boots, I just really like them.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like this outfit? Let me know your thoughts by leaving me some love in the comments.

I’m including a few shopping links, although it was very hard to find this color in the pants. Anyway, these are affiliate links, brought to you at no extra cost. If you purchase something through one of my links, I get a few cents. You are not charged any extra to make a purchase through my blog.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Winter Trend - My Take on Color Block and Shearling

The trend of color block isn’t new. It has been around for a very long time. Some attribute the inspiration for color blocking to Piet Mondrian, an artist who used dark lines and bright colors to form paintings with block like components in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In fact, in 1966, Yves Saint-Laurent designed a line of dresses called Mondrian dresses, after the work of the late artist.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

Often when color blocking is done, it follows a formula of sorts, where one color will be paired with an opposite color from the color wheel, creating a bold, bright outfit that really stands out and makes a statement. You can easily make your own color block outfit by combining solid colored pieces from your closet.

I am not a huge fan of color blocking, because I love patterns and textures so much. I did, however, find a beautiful color block sweater when my girls took me out birthday shopping, so that is what I built today’s outfit around.

I bought this glam brand, color block sweater at Eden Fashion Boutique. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it on. It is so soft and cozy. We have some below freezing temps coming down the pike and I know I will be wearing this to stay warm. I also like the drop shoulder sleeves and the more neutral color tones. I’ve included a shot of the back. As you can see the back is a little longer than the front.

My cognac colored pants are another pair of thrifted jeans. They are Michael Kors brand. I like the color and feel it is one of those colors you can use for all seasons.

You can also get a closer look at my thrifted Unisa wedge heeled shearling boots. I have not really had the opportunity to wear these for anything other than the blog, but they are so cute, I can’t stand the thought of letting them go. For now they still have a home with my many other boots. You can see the fun side decorative gold zipper and the shearling trim in the next picture.

You can see how I styled these on the blog with a fringe vest, and with a floral dress.

My thrifted, leather, Fossil bag is making another appearance in this post. This bag is so durable and goes with everything, plus it is a cross body bag which is my go to when I am going out shopping.

The only jewelry I added was this necklace which was a clearance purchase when I made my Christopher & Banks store closing run. I love the peachy coral colors on the beads. This will be a nice piece for spring and summer.

You noticed that these pictures were taken inside (sorry about the glare on my glasses). I just didn’t have the energy to trudge out into the snow with the camera in tow and take pictures. My incision is starting to heal, and it occasionally hurts a little. I have no complaints, because I think the doc did a great job getting rid of my little fatty tumor, but I decided to take it easy this week, until my appointment on Monday for a recheck.

Here are a few other posts I did, that show off how you can do color blocking with solid pieces from your wardrobe. These do not follow any particular formula as far as colors go, but you get the idea. If you don’t particularly like print mixing and have lots of solid colors in your closet, this is a great way to create outfits that are colorful, fun, stylish and trendy.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am including a few shopping links for you to enjoy. Have fun with it. These links are affiliate links and are brought to you at no cost. If you click on a shopping link I get a few cents and if you purchase something through my links, I get a little bit more. Think of it as a way to get yourself something special and buy me a cup of tea. Ha, ha.

Have a great day everyone. Be sure to check back Thursday for a post on how you know it is time to get rid of certain pieces in your wardrobe.

Photos in photo grid Rebecca Trumbull.