Fall 2019 Project 333: Stand Fast

Home page of Courtney Carver's #Project333

Part one

Tiny wardrobe intentions are nice, but they involve real people, real bodies, real clothes...and real white t-shirts that get ruined in the wash (and that's not the first time). "Grey pants are so versatile," but when you try them with this sweater, they look too baggy; or that shirt, the waistband is wrong. It's also pretty hard to cut out this sweater, that shirt, or those pants, when that's what you have. 

When it seems like you're making it too hard, you probably are. If you think there are too many rules, there probably are. Here's one of mine: I'm counting clothes, but not shoes or accessories.

Part two

Confession time: since we moved, I'm hanging my clothes in the biggest walk-in closet I've had in my life. Actually the only one I've had in my life, aside from a cavernous closet-of-mystery (briefly) when I was eight, and that doesn't really count (it did make a fun clubhouse). My clothes share the new closet with Mr. Fixit's, plus towels and some other stuff; but it's still huge. Does it give you the idea if I say it's big enough to have its own window? Yeah, that big. Well, I didn't build it.

So it may be out of embarrassment over this unlooked-for wallow in luxury that I'm aiming at keeping my clothes very disciplined over the coming months. And activity-realistic as well...my life right now is 90% casual. I'm still volunteering in the back room of the thrift store, and that means jeans. The biggest time commitment this fall will be working on my last online course, which could mean typing on the computer wearing pajamas; but I prefer pants and sweaters.  I have one dressed-up weekend away on the calendar, around the time it gets seriously cold.

(Cold? Hot? September is unpredictable here: sometimes we get a serious heatwave mid-month. But by October it cools off, and we might see snow anytime in November.)

Part three: inspiration

Tom Thomson's The West Wind has the usual dark shades of water and hills, but it also includes bits of bright blue and dark red. To paraphrase this reviewer, there is nothing wussy about this tree: it's ready to take on the cold winds.

Inspiration #2 was this thrifted-but-still-with-its-price-tag floral scarf.

I like navy and grey, and the blue, pink, and raspberry flowers were a bonus. But the best part was the large amount of ivory! It's easy for me to land in too-dark territory, so this was the perfect way to brighten things up.  (Colour names are often subjective:  I found the original product description, and it says the scarf is Milkshake/Dusty Rose/Black. These photos also make it look more black. But I'm calling it dark navy.)

Part four: Eat dessert first (accessories)

I went through my scarves and picked out the most West Wind-ish ones.

Burgundy purse

Tote bag

Black boots

Ankle boots

Black heels for dressing up

Belts

Beads

More necklaces

Brooches

Part five: Clothes

(Sorry for the occasional wonky spacing here. I'm working on it.)

First is something different for me: a taupe-brown wool-blend cardigan.

What's that doing in a wardrobe full of grey and navy? Well, giving some variety! I found out that it works with a wine-brown top I don't wear enough, and the two of them together look fine with a recently-thrifted pair of stretchy navy pants. Plus then I can wear my  Naot shoes with the shiny toes that I like but also haven't worn much.

OK, there's one outfit, good for weekend errands.

1. Taupe cardigan
2. Wine short-sleeved top
3. Navy cotton-blend pants

If I were Janice at The Vivienne Files, I'd then be looking for at least one other top in decent shape that works with the sweater and the pants, or with the pants alone. So let's do that.

4. T-shirt with stripes in different shades of blue

4b. Bright blue t-shirt

5. Blue and white striped button-up shirt

And these all work with blue jeans too.

6. Dark-wash jeans

I also have a navy zippered jacket that would go with all of the above.

7. Navy zippered jacket with quilting

And a pullover with 3/4 length sleeves, that could work over a shirt.

8. Navy marled pullover

Here's the grey-based group:

9. Grey plaid shirt
10. Dark grey denim skirt (will probably switch with a longer grey skirt when it gets cold)
11. Grey sweater with a bit of a cowlneck, short sleeves

12. Dark grey pull-on pants
13. Grey and navy striped lightweight pullover

14. Off-white long-sleeved t-shirt

I added a few basic things that stretch the outfits:

15. Plum slightly cropped pullover sweater

16. Jean-style shirt made of tencel fabric

17. Marine-navy long tank top

18. Off-white button-up shirt

19. White lacy knit short-sleeved pullover sweater (for heat waves--it's also long enough to wear over leggings); when it gets colder, swap with long grey cowlneck sweater

20. Grey-brown leggings

Two dresses that also work with leggings:

21. Berry-red long-sleeved mock-neck dress

22. Plum t-shirt dress


Things that go with the pink and berry shades of the scarf:

23. Berry-coloured textured cotton-knit pullover

24. Pink sweatshirt

Some outerwear:

25. Jean jacket (thrifted)

26. Berry-coloured lined coat  (thrifted)

27. Sage-green jacket (thrifted/DIY) (swap with an old but warm snow jacket when needed)

Wild cards:

28. Grey-blue cotton turtleneck pullover, because one of these weeks it really will get cold. This was a long dress that I shortened, but I'm cutting it down again to sweater length.

29. Dusty green corduroy shirt jacket

30. Purple wrap-style top, for poetical occasions

31. Grey blazer, on reserve in case I need to dress grown-up

32. Purple jersey dress, same.

33. Grey poncho, because I've forgiven its getting me into trouble at the Nashville airport

34-36. Later thrifted additions

 

Source for most of the clothes: Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Store
Occasional extra sources: consignment store, yard sales, Salvation Army Thrift
Very occasional extra sources: discount department store; Canadian indie sustainable clothing designers (but not this season)

Last updated September 10, 2019