Wednesday 2 April 2014

Spring holiday capsule: touches of blue and red

My final holiday capsule is based on neutrals of navy and grey, however this time I have livened it up with both red and blue. I have created this especially for Robin after her comments on my previous post, so I'm looking forward to seeing what she says!

I don't have many clothes like these in my wardrobe, but I would be quite happy to pack any of them for my Spring holiday. If you take a look at my Polyvore set by clicking on the link, you will see that most of these items aren't particularly expensive, as I know from experience how frustrating it can be to spot items on a blog that I love - only to discover that they are way over my budget!


Can you guess which is the most expensive item in this holiday capsule?  No, it's not the Mango grey blazer, as that only costs €48 from John Lewis, which means it's even cheaper than the red striped t-shirt from Gap at €50. The navy Nine West kitten heels are also a bargain at €38, having been reduced by €19, so it's not them either.  The most expensive item - at a price of €190 - is the Radley Aldgate leather handbag. If I was going to take this capsule on holiday I wouldn't splash out on the handbag though.  Instead I would use the money to buy all six tops plus the blue open front blazer, taking me slightly over budget at €196.64.

My reasoning is that I already have a perfectly good grey and navy satchel that would go well with the above capsule, as well as bags in different colours that would match the other holiday capsules that I have been considering. If it wasn't for that I might seriously consider buying the handbag,: it is worth spending more money on good quality accessories in neutral colours that won't date and that should last you for several years.

If this was my holiday capsule I would throw in a couple of scarves, but I know from her comments that Robin wouldn't do so. She might like to consider adding a couple of necklaces or bracelets though, especially if going out for dinner in the evening.  Nowadays, even in cities, women can usually get away with wearing trousers in the evening, especially with a dressy top and a pair of heels. However, if I was going to pack this capsule for my forthcoming Spring holiday, I would probably add my new blue dress in case we decide to dine out in a particularly smart restaurant. When we go on holiday, we usually like to have at least one occasion where we dress up a bit.




13 comments:

  1. Great capsule and all my colors, if a little grayed down. Thanks. Love the handbag.

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  2. Glad that you like it Nancy. Yes, that handbag is very tempting, isn't it?

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  3. I'm traveling so this topic is especially pertinent! But I'm visiting family, not on holiday.

    I like this polyvore better for holiday because it's more lively and bright, and I think of holidays as being about liveliness. I also know that having worn a more neutral blue color and being told it wasn't my best color (ahem--and not just by Sue either!) that a neutral wardrobe would probably make me feel more drab. So signature colors that mix and match with each other and with neutrals, like this polyvore does, would be great.

    As for the bag, I'd splash out but not for travel. For travel I want something lightweight that can be tucked into my carryon personal item (a small backpack) AND something that wouldn't draw the attention of thieves!

    Now that I've said all that, some people have said neutrals are best for big cities because you don't stand out. I think that's true. No easy answers.

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  4. As always, you make some very good points here Robin. When I look back at the days when I worked full-time, the clothes that I wore to work were pretty neutral though even then I enjoyed a touch of colour. As you say, when going on holiday it's all about feeling lively and I was happy to indulge my love of colour.

    People do tend to wear more neutrals in big cities, but I feel the need to wear brighter colours when surrounded by so much gloom!

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  5. Sue
    Looking at some other blogs this morning (when I should be grading papers and doing other things!) I see a recurring theme of French chic: monochrome or neutral, everything mixes and matches easily. Maybe a scarf has color. So is our love of color near our faces a Brit/American thing? Although, since Imogen is also a fan of color, maybe it's a British Empire thing!! (LOL) Must we wear neutrals to be (French) chic?

    I'm also noting a trend of praising Eileen Fisher. Yes her clothing might be high quality but...neutral and boxy and shapeless.

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  6. Robin, I know how tempting looking at blogs can be, especially when there are other things that you should be doing - housework in my case, being retired!

    That is a very interesting question about our love of colour near our faces rather than French chic neutrals. I wonder though if it is because Paris is a city - and many people living and working in cities in other countries wear neutrals - and we tend to look at Paris as the epitome of French chic. I think I need to research fashion in the south of France to see if it is different there!

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    1. PS I forgot to comment on Eileen Fisher. I know what you mean, having seen many of their clothes on-line, though I haven't had the chance to try them on. Occasionally clothes do look better on, but to me they appear shapeless, plus they're not cheap! I'm sure I could buy a baggy top and yoga pants a lot cheaper and achieve the same look!

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  7. I would love to know what your research turns up!

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