Capsule wardrobe - take two

This is the colour palette for my second travel capsule, which includes my favourite accent colour - red. I thought this would be an easier challenge than my first one however, looking through my wardrobe, it became clear that wasn't the case. My bottoms were fine, as I  had a pair of brown trousers, some dark red trousers and my dark brown jeggings, but what about the tops to go with them?

The next three items were just asking to be included (my favourite red!), though I doubt if I'll be wearing the red skirt this week as the weather forecast isn't very promising, and the red blouse may not be warm enough either. I would probably include them in a travel capsule though, as they would be ideal if we were going out for dinner. My first choice bottoms to go with the first red top would be navy, so will it work with brown?

Looking at the forecast again, the dark red jumper. dark green jumper and orange-coral cross-over top shown below are all lovely and warm so are sure to get an outing. The red v-neck top may need to be worn with a cardigan or jacket.

Finally, an olive green cardigan and top plus another two warm jumpers. giving me plenty of options if it's as wet and cold as the local weatherman is predicting!

Outfit for day one

Having selected the different items for this week's capsule wardrobe challenge, the next step was to make it work. As soon as I put on the dark red jumper with the chocolate jeggings, I realised that the combination was a bit dark for me. My solution was to select a bright scarf with a touch of deep red in it, however I must admit that if I hadn't been doing this challenge I would have changed into a lighter top or bottoms.

Outfit for day two

I anticipated a similar problem with my outfit for day two, so tried a couple of scarves to give contrast to the dark green jumper and dark red trousers. My hair and eyes are dark so deep colours do suit me, however my skin is light, giving a high value contrast, so I also need something light and/or bright such as a scarf or necklace whenever I wear dark tops.

Outfit for day three

I felt that this outfit was far more flattering on me, with the bright top in a colour that suits me and isn't too dark. I could also have worn the top with the chocolate jeggings from day one. I didn't have to worry about finding a scarf to wear near my face, so chose a necklace that matches the colour of my top as well as my gold shoes.

After three days of this challenge,  it has become clear that outfits need to have the right balance and it's not enough to grab clothes randomly in your neutrals and accent colours. I think my first two outfits prove the point: the colours go well together, however overall the outfits are too dark on me. You need to think about combining them in ways that flatter you, with the right value and colour contrast. Accessories are a great way to help get the balance right. Let's hope that I can do better for the rest of the week!