Age of Aquarium (Warm-Weather Clothes 2022)

The Age of Aquarium: A Warm-Weather Clothes Story (Only Partly True)

Part One: First Try

No, she's not an oceanographer or a photographer. She just happens to love art glass, like millefiori paperweights, and particularly pieces shaped like turtles. 

So when this purse decorated with mosaic-patterned sea turtles appeared at the thrift store, she snapped it up. (Turtle joke.)

Bflairs PU leather purse

She's read that there's an amazing glass paperweight collection at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, Wisconsin. And, coincidentally, she sees on their website that they will be having a Glass Festival this August. So she talks her two best friends, who happen to be her parents, into driving to Wisconsin with her. 

But first she has to pull out her box of summer clothes; and if she needs to think out a travelling wardrobe, she might as well stretch it out for the rest of the warm weather. 

She starts with some neutrals: a white sleeveless top, blue jeans, an off-white linen pullover. Oh good--she was hoping she hadn't gotten rid of these navy shorts.

When she finds her old blue and navy print top, and the navy ankle pants with a sort of embossed floral design, she knows she's going to enjoy this game.

Another sleeveless top, also with a same-colour embroidered pattern; a striped t-shirt; and a striped button-up shirt. Hmm...maybe she'll keep that one in, maybe not.

A "greige" cardigan, and a rose-brown jersey top.

Her neutral-coloured pants, that go with most of her clothes except for anything too pink. Maybe she'll find a replacement for them, but they'll have to do for now.

She definitely wants to wear this silk blue and white print dress (a recent thrift find).

While she's making travel plans online, a store she follows suddenly offers a very good flash sale on summer clothes. She puts a linen-blend sleeveless striped top in her cart, because it looks like all the right colours, and she likes stripes. Then she decides to add a V-neck t-shirt in "marshmallow," because her white tees are all thrifted, all in different sizes, and not in great shape. When the package arrives, she's a little put off at first with the "marshmallow," as it's more the colour of French Vanilla ice cream. (The computer photo looked a little less yellow.) But, after trying it on, she likes the cut, and the Tencel fabric, and the colour is not so bad on her, so she decides to keep it.

What else does she have/need? She looks in the summer clothes box again. Oh, of course she wants this flowered top, even if it's another sleeveless one. She'll just have to keep enough cardigans and shirts around for coverups.

Part Two: Clothes

OK, time to make a serious plan.

Core Items

White sleeveless top

Navy sleeveless top with same-colour embroidery

Blue and navy sleeveless top

Rose-brown jersey top

Floral sleeveless top

"Marshmallow" Tencel t-shirt, new

Striped linen top, new

Blue/greystriped t-shirt (old but handy)

Jean shirt

Bright blue button-up shirt

Teal top with buttons and bottom ties (second layer)

White linen pullover sweater

Greige cardigan

Neutral-coloured pants 

Navy embroidered ankle pants

Navy jean-style shorts

Blue jeans

Blue print silk dress

Her wardrobe now has 18 items, and looks something like this:

And she can make over a hundred basic outfits:

White top, neutral pants, (white pullover/cardigan)

White t-shirt, neutral pants, (jean shirt/cardigan)

White top, navy pants, (white pullover/cardigan) 

White top, navy shorts, (white pullover/cardigan)

White top, blue jeans, (white pullover/cardigan)

White t-shirt, navy pants, (jean shirt/cardigan)

White t-shirt, navy shorts, (jean shirt/cardigan)

White t-shirt, blue jeans, (jean shirt/cardigan)

Navy top, neutral pants, (cardigan)

Navy top, navy pants, (white pullover/cardigan)

Navy top, navy shorts, (white pullover/cardigan)

Navy top, blue jeans, (white pullover/cardigan)

Striped top or t-shirt, jeans

Striped top or t-shirt, navy shorts

Striped t-shirt, neutral pants

Blue and navy sleeveless top, neutral pants, (jean shirt)

Blue and navy top, navy pants, (jean shirt)

Blue and navy top, navy shorts, (jean shirt)

Blue and navy top, blue jeans, (jean shirt)

Jean shirt, navy shorts, (white pullover)

Jean shirt, neutral pants, (white pullover/cardigan)

White top, neutral pants, (teal top/cardigan)

White top, navy pants, (teal top/cardigan)

White top, navy shorts, (teal top/cardigan)

White top, blue jeans, (teal top/cardigan)

Navy top, navy pants, (teal top/cardigan)

Navy top, navy shorts, (teal top/cardigan)

Navy top, blue jeans, (teal top/cardigan)

Rose-brown top, blue jeans, (teal top/cardigan)

Rose-brown top, blue jeans, (jean shirt)

Rose-brown top, navy shorts, (jean shirt/cardigan)

Dress, teal top

Dress, white pullover (not her favourite choice but it would work)

Dress, greige cardigan

Dress by itself

 

Six More Things

1. She obviously has enough clothes now to get by. But there are a few things left in the summer box. She happens to own another long, lightweight cardigan in rose brown (the same shade as her jersey top). She decides that, while she won't want the second cardigan on the road trip, it's not too much of an extravagance to keep it in the rotation at home.

2. She pulls out her black and white print ankle pants. They don't go well with navy, but they do work with blues and greens; and they go with last summer's grey sandals.

3. She wants to include this green t-shirt dress, because the silk dress is a little more fragile.

4. Thinking about green things, she puts this t-shirt on the pile. It just needs to be there.

5. Thinking about short and long sleeves, she adds a teal sweatshirt, because some days are cooler.

6. Last year she thrifted this embroidered navy skirt. Not so strangely, it goes with navy, and it goes with white; so she might actually get some wear out of it. Not on the road trip, but maybe to one of the street music festivals that are promised to happen this year.

And that makes 24 pieces of clothing, plus a couple of outdoor jackets.

Outerwear

Jean jacket

She also has a quite-old rain jacket for serious downpours.

Part Three: Accessories

Jewelry

It's not surprising that much of her jewelry is glass, somewhat turtle shaped, and/or water-coloured.

Scarves and Ponchos

Large scarf in jade green, periwinkle blue, and navy. (new thrifted find)

Some older scarves

Poncho

An Extra Purse

Shoes

Part Four: Outfits

Last updated April 27, 2022.