ysabetwordsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2019-03-27 07:46 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2019-03-27 07:46 pm
Content notes for "The Quickest Way to Know a Woman"
Here are the content notes for "The Quickest Way to Know a Woman."
Omaha weather for January 5, 2015
A moderate breeze of 13-18 mph stirs small branches.
Shrewd Dude is a T-American clothing store for men that supports a wide range of formulas for capsule wardrobes. They carry everything from hats through clothes to shoes, mostly in midrange quality and prices. Style ranges from casual to business, with most of the items in the middle. Staff are trained to assist men, and they have a body scanner. So you can walk in, tell them what colors and dress mode(s) you want, set a budget, and they'll dress you for it. You can pick a capsule if you want to, but it's not required; the staff can suit one to your price range and clothing needs. It's an easy and relatively affordable way to fill a closet with essentials that look nice together, for men who don't like fiddling around with fashion themselves but want to look decent.
This graphic shows a range of men's dress codes for various occasions. Using a visual interface makes it easier for someone like Shiv to indicate what he needs to buy.
Some people use more color words than other people. Here are similar colors lists indicated for women/men and artists/normal people. Regardless of what the label says, it helps for a shopkeeper to know what level of detail in color vocabulary a customer prefers to use. This is one palette offered to customers who are fluent with colors, with 32 colors in classic shades used in menswear. This simplified palette is for kids, men who don't care much about colors, English language learners, people with mental issues, and other folks who may struggle with a larger palette.
This 5-point scale uses hand signs to indicate customer feelings about colors: Love, Like, Ehhh, Dislike, or Hate. Salesmen will offer first the Love and Like categories, broken up with Ehhh if necessary, and not items from the Dislike or Hate categories.
This simplified 3-point scale uses faces to indicate customer feelings about colors: Happy, OK, or Sad. Salesmen will offer first the Happy category, broken up with OK if necessary, and not items from the Sad category.
Color theory can be shown in detail or in simple form. Here is a blank worksheet for the simple form. This fashion spread for women's clothes demonstrates how to use color theory in creating outfits; the same principles apply to men's clothes. Colors also have connotations that you can use to express yourself.
Fashion palettes are often created by color season. This chart compares different features to derive a season. Here is a palette for winter men. Different systems may yield different results. Regardless of which chart you use, always check your results by holding the palette against your skin. That will tell you which set of colors look best on you. A very easy mistake to make in color seasons is putting someone with pale icy colors (in Shiv's case: cool porcelain skin, blue eyes, and white-blond hair) in Summer. Those soft summer colors look terrible on them. They need either icy pastels, pure bold colors, or deep shades -- all of which are in the Winter palette. Shiv also wears earth tones and khakis because they're good for blending in. They're not his best colors, but looking drab is great when you want to disappear. He knows perfectly well what to wear to dress up, hence his attraction to blues. He hasn't noticed nearly as much that certain warm colors will also look good on him.
The first seasonal palettes underserved people of color. Now there are guides for Asian and black folks, among others. Luci's coloring makes her look good in many autumn and winter colors.
Double-sided towels are good for cleaning, but also for wiping away unpleasant skin sensations. While most people don't sense anything from a body scanner, some people with super-senses, sensory processing disorder, or other sensitivities may detect the scan and then either like or dislike the sensation. Shiv is sensitive enough to feel it, and hates it. Since he also hates having other people's hands on his body, that leaves him with no comfortable way to get measurements. He settles for the scanner as more detailed and less dangerous.
Fashion seasons run ahead of calendar/weather seasons, so that people can buy things just before needing them. In Terramagne, most brands release either two seasons (spring/summer and fall/winter) or four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) of clothes.
Originally, boyfriend fashion was simply wearing clothes borrowed from a boyfriend or brother. Later, women's clothing introduced garments with a masculine look but still subtly shaped to accommodate female bodies. In T-America, menswear stores often have a section of boyfriend clothes that are either from women's designers, or men's designers that fit well on women. Common choices include blazers, jackets, work shirts, and jeans. Boyfriend fashion overlaps with tomboy style, but is inherently more feminine due to the implied heterosexuality. The masculine clothes are usually worn one at a time as accents against a feminine backdrop.
Whatever's Clean 13 is a template system for creating a capsule wardrobe that can't clash. It often goes from one extreme to another, such as warmer to cooler. Check out this men's capsule wardrobe of cool colors for cool weather. Shiv would be perfectly happy in that.
The 4x4 Wardrobe uses blocks of four garments: the Core of Four (2 tops and 2 bottoms in a neutral color), the Expansion Four (2 tops and 2 bottoms in an accent color; or at least 2 tops with maybe a bottom or a dress in various colors), the Mileage Four (4 tops in the same neutral and/or accent colors), the Integration Four (accessorites in the same neutral and/or accent colors, often multicolor). You can build a wardrobe just from blocks of four, or start with a focal item like a scarf.
Building a capsule wardrobe requires a little thought and a lot of choices. Since Shiv doesn't know what he's doing and quickly gets overwhelmed by choice paralysis, he sensibly delegates much of the work to an expert. This leaves him with 4 Oxford shirts (pink, white, light blue, light gray), 4 long-sleeved t-shirts (tan, white, gray, navy), 6 sweatsuits (red, navy, light gray, medium gray, olive, black), 4 sweatshirts (light gray, black, khaki, navy), 4 dark blue jeans, 2 trousers (black and navy), gray flannel trousers, a gray wool sweater, a black-and-white plaid overshirt, 2 vests (brown and blue), a blue striped wool sweater, 6 sets of long underwear (black, medium gray, light gray, blue, khaki, white), 6 pairs of cotton boot socks (2 black, 1 each of gray, white, khaki, blue), 3 pairs of wool boot socks (dark gray, medium gray, light gray), tall winter boots, chelsea boots, a wool coat, and a set of hat-scarf-gloves. Such service creates intense customer loyalty for Shrewd Dude.
The Patagonia Black Hole duffel bag holds 120 liters and is one of the best duffel backpacks. Shiv has the blue one, and this is how a Black Hole looks when carried. For comparison, this is the canvas duffel that Shiv was considering. He's far enough along now to choose a nicer product when he can, even though it's a bit flashier. A set of bungee cords and carabiners makes it easy to lash things to the outside of the duffel bag.
In T-America, assistance cards are readily available for a wide range of challenges. Official ID cards require a diagnosis, but simple notices do not. Many organizations offer them in premade or customizable versions, typically disclosing a problem and a solution(s). Shiv's says "Please be patient. I have difficulty with math. Thank you!" on the front and "This person helps me with math:" plus Dymin's contact information on the back. He loves it because it requires no official registration and saves him a ton of arguments.
Outfit making apps allow you to drag-and-drop images either online or on a smartphone.
Revitalizing foods help people to recover after expending energy. Shrewd Dude stocks such snacks because shopping tends to make their customers feel drained.
Luci's TOHO Bead Round 8/0 Dichroic Lined Aqua Blue Rainbow, 8g bag
Code: TBRD8-995 $0.62
These TOHO seed beads are perfect for bead weaving or for use as spacers. The versatile 8/0 size is an excellent choice for peyote stitch projects, looming, or even stringing. They are the perfect way to add small accents of beautiful color to your designs. These seed beads feature colorful stringing holes that shine through the iridescent aqua blue glass.
Each 8g package contains approximately 350 beads.
Size 8/0, 8g bag
Luci's 1 Kilo Fancy Mixed Glass India Lampwork Beads Loose Bulk Bead Lot 2+ lbs Jewelry US $29.99
This lot contains approximately 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of India lampwork glass beads, similar to those pictured in the photos.
The beads vary in size, but are mostly larger beads in varying designs, colors, and shapes, most with metallic or other embellishments.
Most hole sizes are approximately 1.5-2mm.
We have tried to sort through and remove any broken or malformed beads, but some may have escaped our notice, so additional beads will be included to compensate for any that are broken.
You will receive beads randomly selected from the lot displayed in the photos
Shiv's 1/2 Pound Dichroic Glass Scrap 96 Coe - Fused Glass - Jewelry Making - Dichroic Jewelry $49.75
This listing is for a (1/2 lb) assortment of 96 Coe dichroic glass scrap ON BLACK AND CLEAR.
You will receive a variety of textures, patterns and colors including specialty glass ie: fracture glass ect. Glass pieces range between 1/2" - 3" square or larger.
Great for jewelry making! This is a wonderful starter kit to get you introduced to the world of fused glass. This is unfused glass ready for you to cut up and fuse in your kiln. You will receive a variety of sizes and shapes. The pictures included are an EXAMPLE of the glass you may receive and will vary depending on the glass that is on hand in my studio.
Textured yarn comes in many styles.
See Shiv's sari yarn and monochromatic twist yarn.
Sometimes you see yarn of different types bundled together to make a project. Here is Shiv's blue-and-yellow batch and his mauve-and-white batch for Luci's hat.
Shiv finds yarn in super chunky ripple (aqua or multicolor) and this caramel ripple.
This yarn, More People Love You Than You Will Ever Know in basic sock reminds Shiv of Halley because it resembles the maybe-colors that thon likes to wear. But he has no active plans to make anything of it.
Once Shiv has seen examples of bundling different yarns to complement each other, he starts doing it himself. The furry black yarn will go with the white-tufted black. The slub yarns go from white to gray, then there is a gray with red tufts.
Luci has Self-Care is NOT Selfish in classic worsted. She also buys tie-dye silk and indigo multicolor. The Orion set includes the colors Dark Orion, Orion, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Mintaka, and Rigel; the color family is shades of indigo blue.
Double-pointed needles allow knitting in the round. Read text instructions or watch a video for knitting with double-pointed needles. Shiv buys packages of single-pointed and double-pointed needles for learning to knit.
There are handouts for flat knitting and a classroom booklet. Patterns include hats and mittens, sweaters and vests. This flyer shows how to knit in the round.
Stitch markers are valuable accessories for knitting. See Shiv's numbered rainbow stitch markers. It's not rare for a shopkeeper to throw in little perks like this when someone drops a lot of money on one purchase.
Omaha weather for January 5, 2015
A moderate breeze of 13-18 mph stirs small branches.
Shrewd Dude is a T-American clothing store for men that supports a wide range of formulas for capsule wardrobes. They carry everything from hats through clothes to shoes, mostly in midrange quality and prices. Style ranges from casual to business, with most of the items in the middle. Staff are trained to assist men, and they have a body scanner. So you can walk in, tell them what colors and dress mode(s) you want, set a budget, and they'll dress you for it. You can pick a capsule if you want to, but it's not required; the staff can suit one to your price range and clothing needs. It's an easy and relatively affordable way to fill a closet with essentials that look nice together, for men who don't like fiddling around with fashion themselves but want to look decent.
This graphic shows a range of men's dress codes for various occasions. Using a visual interface makes it easier for someone like Shiv to indicate what he needs to buy.
Some people use more color words than other people. Here are similar colors lists indicated for women/men and artists/normal people. Regardless of what the label says, it helps for a shopkeeper to know what level of detail in color vocabulary a customer prefers to use. This is one palette offered to customers who are fluent with colors, with 32 colors in classic shades used in menswear. This simplified palette is for kids, men who don't care much about colors, English language learners, people with mental issues, and other folks who may struggle with a larger palette.
This 5-point scale uses hand signs to indicate customer feelings about colors: Love, Like, Ehhh, Dislike, or Hate. Salesmen will offer first the Love and Like categories, broken up with Ehhh if necessary, and not items from the Dislike or Hate categories.
This simplified 3-point scale uses faces to indicate customer feelings about colors: Happy, OK, or Sad. Salesmen will offer first the Happy category, broken up with OK if necessary, and not items from the Sad category.
Color theory can be shown in detail or in simple form. Here is a blank worksheet for the simple form. This fashion spread for women's clothes demonstrates how to use color theory in creating outfits; the same principles apply to men's clothes. Colors also have connotations that you can use to express yourself.
Fashion palettes are often created by color season. This chart compares different features to derive a season. Here is a palette for winter men. Different systems may yield different results. Regardless of which chart you use, always check your results by holding the palette against your skin. That will tell you which set of colors look best on you. A very easy mistake to make in color seasons is putting someone with pale icy colors (in Shiv's case: cool porcelain skin, blue eyes, and white-blond hair) in Summer. Those soft summer colors look terrible on them. They need either icy pastels, pure bold colors, or deep shades -- all of which are in the Winter palette. Shiv also wears earth tones and khakis because they're good for blending in. They're not his best colors, but looking drab is great when you want to disappear. He knows perfectly well what to wear to dress up, hence his attraction to blues. He hasn't noticed nearly as much that certain warm colors will also look good on him.
The first seasonal palettes underserved people of color. Now there are guides for Asian and black folks, among others. Luci's coloring makes her look good in many autumn and winter colors.
Double-sided towels are good for cleaning, but also for wiping away unpleasant skin sensations. While most people don't sense anything from a body scanner, some people with super-senses, sensory processing disorder, or other sensitivities may detect the scan and then either like or dislike the sensation. Shiv is sensitive enough to feel it, and hates it. Since he also hates having other people's hands on his body, that leaves him with no comfortable way to get measurements. He settles for the scanner as more detailed and less dangerous.
Fashion seasons run ahead of calendar/weather seasons, so that people can buy things just before needing them. In Terramagne, most brands release either two seasons (spring/summer and fall/winter) or four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) of clothes.
Originally, boyfriend fashion was simply wearing clothes borrowed from a boyfriend or brother. Later, women's clothing introduced garments with a masculine look but still subtly shaped to accommodate female bodies. In T-America, menswear stores often have a section of boyfriend clothes that are either from women's designers, or men's designers that fit well on women. Common choices include blazers, jackets, work shirts, and jeans. Boyfriend fashion overlaps with tomboy style, but is inherently more feminine due to the implied heterosexuality. The masculine clothes are usually worn one at a time as accents against a feminine backdrop.
Whatever's Clean 13 is a template system for creating a capsule wardrobe that can't clash. It often goes from one extreme to another, such as warmer to cooler. Check out this men's capsule wardrobe of cool colors for cool weather. Shiv would be perfectly happy in that.
The 4x4 Wardrobe uses blocks of four garments: the Core of Four (2 tops and 2 bottoms in a neutral color), the Expansion Four (2 tops and 2 bottoms in an accent color; or at least 2 tops with maybe a bottom or a dress in various colors), the Mileage Four (4 tops in the same neutral and/or accent colors), the Integration Four (accessorites in the same neutral and/or accent colors, often multicolor). You can build a wardrobe just from blocks of four, or start with a focal item like a scarf.
Building a capsule wardrobe requires a little thought and a lot of choices. Since Shiv doesn't know what he's doing and quickly gets overwhelmed by choice paralysis, he sensibly delegates much of the work to an expert. This leaves him with 4 Oxford shirts (pink, white, light blue, light gray), 4 long-sleeved t-shirts (tan, white, gray, navy), 6 sweatsuits (red, navy, light gray, medium gray, olive, black), 4 sweatshirts (light gray, black, khaki, navy), 4 dark blue jeans, 2 trousers (black and navy), gray flannel trousers, a gray wool sweater, a black-and-white plaid overshirt, 2 vests (brown and blue), a blue striped wool sweater, 6 sets of long underwear (black, medium gray, light gray, blue, khaki, white), 6 pairs of cotton boot socks (2 black, 1 each of gray, white, khaki, blue), 3 pairs of wool boot socks (dark gray, medium gray, light gray), tall winter boots, chelsea boots, a wool coat, and a set of hat-scarf-gloves. Such service creates intense customer loyalty for Shrewd Dude.
The Patagonia Black Hole duffel bag holds 120 liters and is one of the best duffel backpacks. Shiv has the blue one, and this is how a Black Hole looks when carried. For comparison, this is the canvas duffel that Shiv was considering. He's far enough along now to choose a nicer product when he can, even though it's a bit flashier. A set of bungee cords and carabiners makes it easy to lash things to the outside of the duffel bag.
In T-America, assistance cards are readily available for a wide range of challenges. Official ID cards require a diagnosis, but simple notices do not. Many organizations offer them in premade or customizable versions, typically disclosing a problem and a solution(s). Shiv's says "Please be patient. I have difficulty with math. Thank you!" on the front and "This person helps me with math:" plus Dymin's contact information on the back. He loves it because it requires no official registration and saves him a ton of arguments.
Outfit making apps allow you to drag-and-drop images either online or on a smartphone.
Revitalizing foods help people to recover after expending energy. Shrewd Dude stocks such snacks because shopping tends to make their customers feel drained.
Luci's TOHO Bead Round 8/0 Dichroic Lined Aqua Blue Rainbow, 8g bag
Code: TBRD8-995 $0.62
These TOHO seed beads are perfect for bead weaving or for use as spacers. The versatile 8/0 size is an excellent choice for peyote stitch projects, looming, or even stringing. They are the perfect way to add small accents of beautiful color to your designs. These seed beads feature colorful stringing holes that shine through the iridescent aqua blue glass.
Each 8g package contains approximately 350 beads.
Size 8/0, 8g bag
Luci's 1 Kilo Fancy Mixed Glass India Lampwork Beads Loose Bulk Bead Lot 2+ lbs Jewelry US $29.99
This lot contains approximately 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of India lampwork glass beads, similar to those pictured in the photos.
The beads vary in size, but are mostly larger beads in varying designs, colors, and shapes, most with metallic or other embellishments.
Most hole sizes are approximately 1.5-2mm.
We have tried to sort through and remove any broken or malformed beads, but some may have escaped our notice, so additional beads will be included to compensate for any that are broken.
You will receive beads randomly selected from the lot displayed in the photos
Shiv's 1/2 Pound Dichroic Glass Scrap 96 Coe - Fused Glass - Jewelry Making - Dichroic Jewelry $49.75
This listing is for a (1/2 lb) assortment of 96 Coe dichroic glass scrap ON BLACK AND CLEAR.
You will receive a variety of textures, patterns and colors including specialty glass ie: fracture glass ect. Glass pieces range between 1/2" - 3" square or larger.
Great for jewelry making! This is a wonderful starter kit to get you introduced to the world of fused glass. This is unfused glass ready for you to cut up and fuse in your kiln. You will receive a variety of sizes and shapes. The pictures included are an EXAMPLE of the glass you may receive and will vary depending on the glass that is on hand in my studio.
Textured yarn comes in many styles.
See Shiv's sari yarn and monochromatic twist yarn.
Sometimes you see yarn of different types bundled together to make a project. Here is Shiv's blue-and-yellow batch and his mauve-and-white batch for Luci's hat.
Shiv finds yarn in super chunky ripple (aqua or multicolor) and this caramel ripple.
This yarn, More People Love You Than You Will Ever Know in basic sock reminds Shiv of Halley because it resembles the maybe-colors that thon likes to wear. But he has no active plans to make anything of it.
Once Shiv has seen examples of bundling different yarns to complement each other, he starts doing it himself. The furry black yarn will go with the white-tufted black. The slub yarns go from white to gray, then there is a gray with red tufts.
Luci has Self-Care is NOT Selfish in classic worsted. She also buys tie-dye silk and indigo multicolor. The Orion set includes the colors Dark Orion, Orion, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Mintaka, and Rigel; the color family is shades of indigo blue.
Double-pointed needles allow knitting in the round. Read text instructions or watch a video for knitting with double-pointed needles. Shiv buys packages of single-pointed and double-pointed needles for learning to knit.
There are handouts for flat knitting and a classroom booklet. Patterns include hats and mittens, sweaters and vests. This flyer shows how to knit in the round.
Stitch markers are valuable accessories for knitting. See Shiv's numbered rainbow stitch markers. It's not rare for a shopkeeper to throw in little perks like this when someone drops a lot of money on one purchase.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2019-03-28 05:19 am (UTC)(link)Fixed!
Re: Fixed!
(Anonymous) 2019-03-28 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
I was wearing good jeans and a polo shirt. (Same thing I wore to work as a computer support specialist for a large company).
First strike was when we got there. It was held in a *mansion* that took up the whole (small) block. Ratchet up the nervousness.
There were others there dressed like I was or even more casually. but there were also people in black tie and evening gowns.
*Bang* social anxiety feedback loop. *shudder*
Like the article says, most folks don't understand the "code words" for dress codes (not that I'd seen anything about the dress code for the event, if any), And being very much clueless about a *lot* of social rules....
I'm sure Shiv would understand my reaction :-|
On the color palettes, I note two things. first, that I'm a lot closer to "women" or "artist" on those lists, and second that whoever made those images, they *seriously* need to calibrate their monitor.
I might have thought it was my monitor that was out of whack, but the colors aren't even the same in the different images.
I ought to try replicating those charts using HTML color tags.
The tomboy style link is giving me a few ideas. Even if my body is way chunkier than hers.
I grabbed the assistance cards PDF and am forwarding it to a friend who could use a few of them Thanks.
Thoughts
Oh dear. Yeah, dress codes have gotten so sprawled out that they no longer do a good job of telling people what the fuck to wear. >_<
>> I was wearing good jeans and a polo shirt. (Same thing I wore to work as a computer support specialist for a large company). <<
Okay ...
>> First strike was when we got there. It was held in a *mansion* that took up the whole (small) block. Ratchet up the nervousness. <<
That was a failure on the host's part to specify the type of venue. Most people either know, or if they do not know will ask about or look up, some general parameters for what is appropriate dress at common locations. Casual clothes at a casual restaurant, smart causal or business casual at a nicer restaurant, most churches want you to dress up, etc.
>> There were others there dressed like I was or even more casually. but there were also people in black tie and evening gowns. <<
What a fucking mess. No, that's never okay, and this is one reason why:
*Bang* social anxiety feedback loop. *shudder*
The other is practicality. It's a real distraction to have radically different dress modes. It's also a nuisance for planning, because the types of activities suited for black tie (e.g. ballroom dance) are NOT the same as for smart casual (e.g. croquet).
My experience was in a Pagan event with no dress code. Some people were in t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Some were in elaborate regalia. Some were topless or nude. Any of these would have been fine, but when we did a double-ring dance with people moving past each other, it was t-shirt t-shirt WOW antler t-shirt t-shirt BOOBIES! And that was my reaction. It was one of the most distracting events I've ever been to. That's why ours always set a dress code, even if it's just an esbat after we've all sat down: do we stick with street clothes, change to robes, or go skyclad? All the same.
>> Like the article says, most folks don't understand the "code words" for dress codes (not that I'd seen anything about the dress code for the event, if any), And being very much clueless about a *lot* of social rules.... <<
I don't really approve of code words, which are synonym words/phrases for the actual dress codes. If it has a name, use the name; at least then people can look it up if they don't know. For a fancy event, I'd recommend a webpage to organize information, and either summarize the dress code onsite or link to a larger description. It also helps to list activities. We often say things like, "We'll be doing a bonfire, so dress for outdoor activities" or "We're starting out with the house cold and then we'll light the Yule fire, so dress in layers."
>> I'm sure Shiv would understand my reaction :-| <<
No shit. I'm sure he's gotten in trouble for wearing the "wrong" clothes in the past.
One thing I like about Blues Moon is that while it doesn't have a dress code or uniforms per se, it does have a consistent range and mood. Boss White wears a suit. The serving staff and busboys typically wear a light buttoned shirt and dark pants. Often the entertainers will wear one of those two looks, or a little more casual. Some of the ladies wear skirts or cocktail dresses, but not ball gowns -- once in a while you'll see an entertainer in a longer, flashier dress. Staff may scruff around in a t-shirt while the place is closed, but not while it's open. It's kind of a borderland between blue-collar and dressy; people like to neaten up a bit when they go out.
Dropping by to meet with Shiv, Dr. G sticks out like a sore thumb in his ridiculous sweaters, but he thinks it's hilarious. At night with the club open, a sweater over trousers is a perfectly reasonable thing to wear, and only the decoration is atypical.
>> On the color palettes, I note two things. first, that I'm a lot closer to "women" or "artist" on those lists, and second that whoever made those images, they *seriously* need to calibrate their monitor.<<
Yeah, the concept is good but the execution is awkward. :/
>> I might have thought it was my monitor that was out of whack, but the colors aren't even the same in the different images.
I ought to try replicating those charts using HTML color tags.<<
That would be cool.
If you do, consider that languages add words in a specific order:
The first two are always black and white (basically, light and dark). If there is a third word, it is red. If there is a fourth, it is either green or blue, or a word that covers both. After that it breaks down more as you add things like orange, purple, brown, etc. The important stuff needs to be in there, and then it branches out in a predictable pattern.
If you want a hand sprucing it up, let me know. I would also say there's a different between the women/men split and the artist/nonartist split. That is, women will name things by fashion colors (like teal or ecru) while artists will name them by pigment colors (viridian, cobalt).
Watch Shiv's vocabulary as you move through the series. He starts out with a very limited one, and routinely misreads or mispronounces words. Then he picks up bits of more sophisticated words from hanging out with nerds. But his color vocabulary is coming heavily from art. He's looking at the labels and probably talking to staff in the art stores. He knows the difference between cobalt and ultramarine.
>> The tomboy style link is giving me a few ideas. Even if my body is way chunkier than hers. <<
:D Tomboy is a very flexible, practical style. It still comprises a substantial portion of my wardrobe. I often buy flannel shirts, vests, and sweaters from the men's department. If you like the basic concept, search around for more examples. It overlaps with butch, but butch connects to dapper on the fancier end so watch out for that.
>> I grabbed the assistance cards PDF and am forwarding it to a friend who could use a few of them Thanks.<<
I'm glad I could help!
If you want to make a generic version:
Please be patient. I have trouble with _____. You can help by _____.
Optional back:
This person helps me with _____. (space for contact info)
These things make everyone's life so much easier.
Re: Thoughts
https://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_names.asp
I found a bunch of the colors, but far from all. And I'm not really sure some of their names match up with the more normal names.
Here's my first cut at a matchup.
maraschino
cayenne
maroon Maroon #800000
Plum Plum #DDA0DD
eggplant
grape
orchid Orchid #DA70D6
lavender Lavender #E6E6FA
carnation
strawberry
bubblegum
magenta Magenta #FF00FF
salmon Salmon #FA8072
tangerine
cantaloupe
banana
lemon
honeydew HoneyDew #F0FFF0
lime Lime #00FF00
LimeGreen #32CD32
spring SpringGreen #00FF7F
MediumSpringGreen #00FA9A
clover
fern
moss
flora
seafoam LightSeaGreen #20B2AA ????
spindrift
teal Teal #008080
sky SkyBlue #87CEEB
DeepSkyBlue #00BFFF
LightSkyBlue #87CEFA
turquoise Turquoise #40E0D0
Re: Thoughts
You might consider changing the names of colors and making a list of ones that have pretty good matches.
Re: Thoughts
As for "pretty good matches', that's part of why I posted the link to the color names page. I'm not entirely sure about what some of the colors are (like cayenne), and I thought maybe people could make suggestions.
I don't *have* to stay with the named colors, but I'd prefer to.
Re: Thoughts
maraschino Red #FF0000
cayenne FireBrick #B22222
maroon Maroon #800000
Plum Plum #DDA0DD
eggplant Indigo #4B0082
grape Purple #800080
orchid Orchid #DA70D6
lavender Lavender #E6E6FA
carnation Pink #FFC0CB
strawberry PaleVioletRed #DB7093
bubblegum HotPink #FF69B4
magenta Magenta #FF00FF
salmon Salmon #FA8072
tangerine Orange #FFA500
cantaloupe LightSalmon #FFA07A
banana PaleGoldenRod #EEE8AA
lemon Yellow #FFFF00
honeydew HoneyDew #F0FFF0
lime Lime #00FF00
LimeGreen #32CD32
spring SpringGreen #00FF7F
MediumSpringGreen #00FA9A
clover SeaGreen #2E8B57
fern DarkGreen #006400
moss YellowGreen #9ACD32
flora ForestGreen #228B22
seafoam LightSeaGreen #20B2AA ????
spindrift Aquamarine #7FFFD4
teal Teal #008080
sky SkyBlue #87CEEB
DeepSkyBlue #00BFFF
LightSkyBlue #87CEFA
turquoise Turquoise #40E0D0
Re: Thoughts
The two color blocks are a compatibility check. The first uses the color number, the second uses the color name.
Final version will have column headers and merge the duplicated entries in the first and last columns (I gotta look up how to make that happen. I know it can be done, just don't remember how)
Grr. The color blocks aren't showing. I'll futz with it more, later.
Re: Thoughts
no subject
Yes ...
I love yarn. Shiv loves yarn. (Cat!) Let there be yarn!
Now imagine him at a faire ...
Graham: "Has anyone seen Hugo?"
Chorus: "No" "Nope" "Not recently"
Molly: "Okay, he wouldn't have left the grounds, so let's just set up a search pattern ..."
And they find him in front of a spinner's booth, utterly mesmerized by wool turning into yarn.
Graham: "Hugo, we were worried. Come on, let's regroup."
Hugo: "But I just got here!"
Spinner: "That was two hours ago."
Hugo: "... oh. No wonder I'm starving."
Guess where he's going to spend most of his pocket money. :D
Re: Yes ...
Re: Yes ...
Mine is Le Moutton Rouge.
>> And someone needs to get him a t-shirt that says "I crochet so I don't stab people."<<
I love that idea. This is the closest I could find, and he'd adore it:
https://www.lookhuman.com/design/147041-i-knit-because-stabbing-people-is-frowned-upon/baseball-shirt
Re: Yes ...
https://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Because-Stabbing-Needles-Relaxing/dp/B07K79PF96
I think I need that one ...
Ok, I went down the rabbit hole on this one, but I can see this happening :
https://pics.me.me/i-stitched-this-just-so-i-could-stab-something-3000-12684348.png
Re: Yes ...
Capsule Wardrobes
I'm fairly certain I'm Warm Spring, with the possibility of being able to wear Warm Autumn. I certainly like the Spring and Autumn colours from the "comparing features" link better than Summer or Winter. I just don't know how to pick colours that match with each other, or with the neutral colours, to get a coherent look.
I really wish we had stores here with staff like the ones at Shrewd Dude. That would make me life so much easier. But at most stores with clothes for female bodies, either the staff is just there to do a job and not much help for fashion, or they dress or act far more ... preppy (snobby) than I want to deal with.
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
Yay! I'm glad I could help.
>> I'm not so great at fashion, and I find the 4x4 wardrobe makes sense to me.<<
I have found the 4x4 wardrobe a fantastic capsule for when you need a good selection of clothes in different types. If you made one for each season, or sets for different purposes like home and work, you could easily fill a closet this way.
For a weekend to a week, I highly recommend Whatever's Clean 13. You literally cannot clash that. It has a couple of cool tricks using this template. 1) It's arranged in a spectrum, so you can go cooler-warmer or casual-dressy, etc. 2) If you put all your patterned pieces (plaids, florals, etc.) in one row, they will never be worn together so they won't clash and don't have to match each other.
>> My problem is in figuring out how to match colours. <<
Okay, there are some hacks for that.
1) You can use standard rules.
* All the neutrals (black, gray, white, brown, tan, cream) go with each other, although some specific shades work better than others; you can't clash neutrals. To avoid boredom, consider animal prints or colorblocking.
* One bright color with one neutral is also a pretty safe bet. Most of those look good. Some are very common, like blue/white, pink/gray, red/black.
* Lighter and darker shades of the same color almost always work too: navy/sky, red/pink, violet/lavender, etc.
2) Adaptive equipment helps too:
* Upload a photo of your face to Color Chromatic to get suggestions of colors that would look good on you. Colors that are close to each other on the wheel will probably match too. The pastels are on the inside, the darks are on the outside, and if you follow an arc you see shades of one color.
* Use color theory. You can actually buy a pocket color wheel to carry while shopping to help you match things. Warm colors usually match each other; cool colors match each other. Using contrasts is harder to get right.
* Try some fashion apps.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/03/readers-favourite-style-and-wardrobe-apps.html
https://www.lifewire.com/best-color-matching-apps-4178379
3) Get someone else to do the matching for you.
* Start a capsule wardrobe with one garment or piece of jewelry that uses 2+ colors. As it was made by a professional, those colors will almost certainly match. Buy other things in solid colors equivalent to those represented in the example.
* Search "clothing capsule" and what you want -- "blue" or "summer" etc. -- and look at pictures until you find a set you'd enjoy wearing. Print out that image (for store shopping) or bookmark it (for online shopping) and then try to find pieces that match those as closely as possible. Here's a main page for 4x4 since you like that.
4) Minimize shopping to avoid stress. A good way is to rely on a basic wardrobe plus accents.
* Use a Common Wardrobe in whatever color(s) or purpose you like. These things will go with a wide range of other garments.
* Use the French 5-piece wardrobe. The idea is to rely on a classic core and add just 5 new things per season. In your case, it'll be easier if you buy a set of 5 things in the same or similar color together, so you know they match, rather than one at a time. Here's a periwinkle F5 with gray & white common wardrobe. If you update your wardrobe twice a year, then chuck out the previous year's F5 from that season, and you'll minimize the chance of clashing while keeping your wardrobe fresh.
5) Buy things in sets.
* Many designers make a "line" of garments meant to mix and match. If you buy a several of those, they'll go together. Vacay is a great example, despite the expense, because they show how to add a few essentials from your wardrobe to their capsule, like this Hamptons set. To make it into a larger wardrobe, add: a denim jacket, long blue jeans, a white cardigan, a white midiskirt, white shorts, a coral sweater, coral capris, a short-sleeved T-shirt of each color, and a long-sleeved shirt of each color. If you don't add more patterns, everything matches. If you want more diversity, though, consider a tricolor tie-dye, floral, or Breton stripe.
* Get on a manufacturer's website or store rack and buy a bunch of different garments all in the same color. Frex, Vacay uses a lot of black, white, and navy so that most of their garments match easily. Building a 4x4 or Whatever's Clean 13 this way is a snap. One navy 2-piece dress, one navy/white 2-piece jumpsuit, 2 navy convertible dress/skirts, 2 navy tops = two 4x4 cores. Do a Core of Four each in white, navy, and black -- that's most of a wardrobe, just tie it together with some bicolor prints.
* When you find a garment you love, buy it in several colors. Any package of 4 compatible T-shirts = 1 Mileage Four unit in the 4x4 template. 7 different flannel shirts + jeans = autumn wardrobe.
* You can also find sweater sets (cardigan and blouse) or twinsets (top and bottom) which are fantastic if they have a pattern because they match each other but can be mixed with other solid colors. Vacay sells 2-piece dresses and rompers designed for maximum versatility. If you are willing and able to pay a premium to reduce closet stress, this kind of clothing is an excellent investment.
* Most things sold in sets will be compatible. Frex, a batch of T-shirts in red, yellow, blue, and green will all go with jeans. I made a Disability Pride Flag capsule post along these lines.
* If you pick your favorite of the Pantone colors offered new each season, it will be easy to find things in it and you will be "in fashion." You can buy a 4x4 or French 5-piece set that matches, and call it done.
6) Conversely, you can emphasize one thing.
* I had a professor who wore only purple, counting jeans as indigo. It worked for her. If that's too much, consider a single category. My partner prefers black t-shirts with pictures or words on them as his "uniform shirts" because he can wear them without needing to worry about color matching, as he favors black or gray pants.
* A wardrobe emphasizing one-piece garments will minimize the amount of matching required. Here's a dress capsule for example.
>> I'm fairly certain I'm Warm Spring, with the possibility of being able to wear Warm Autumn. <<
Well, you're confident of "warm." Use that as a search term. Some ideas:
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2012/10/another-common-wardrobe-warm-colors.html/
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2017/11/warm-winter-common-wardrobe.html/
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2015/08/a-summer-common-wardrobe-in-warm-tones.html/
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2014/09/a-4-by-4-wardrobe-in-teal-wine-olive.html/
>> I certainly like the Spring and Autumn colours from the "comparing features" link better than Summer or Winter.<<
Always pick colors you like and feel good in.
>> I just don't know how to pick colours that match with each other, or with the neutral colours, to get a coherent look.<<
As mentioned above, color + neutral will usually look good, and even if not the best possible match, won't look garish.
>> I really wish we had stores here with staff like the ones at Shrewd Dude. That would make me life so much easier. <<
I wish that too. It's why I describe them; maybe someone will try the ideas here. On the women's side, they have Basic Babe. Classique and Cinq Francs are more upscale but still easy to shop in. Then there's 4x4 for Her and 4x4 for Him, usually placed side-by-side. Feel free to prompt for those if you'd like to see more.
>> But at most stores with clothes for female bodies, either the staff is just there to do a job and not much help for fashion, or they dress or act far more ... preppy (snobby) than I want to deal with.<<
Yyyyyeah. I ran into one place where the staff pestered me, wanted to write my name on the fitting room door, and there were only three sizes none of them standard ones. 0_o (Lady, ignore the tits stuck to my chest and look at my face, do I LOOK like I'm having fun in here?) If I hadn't already found a hard-to-find item, I would've bailed. But I never went back there.
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
This is very useful. I especially like the template, so I can see the break down of how it's supposed to work.
>>* All the neutrals (black, gray, white, brown, tan, cream) go with each other, although some specific shades work better than others; you can't clash neutrals. To avoid boredom, consider animal prints or colorblocking.
* One bright color with one neutral is also a pretty safe bet. Most of those look good. Some are very common, like blue/white, pink/gray, red/black.<<
This is good to know. If I pick the wrong shade of neutral, it might look a little off, but at least shouldn't clash. The one bright colour with a neutral is also useful, and I did start to do that already. I have black and grey as my neutrals, with bright pink as the accent. I a trying to find one more colour to add with it though.
>>* Lighter and darker shades of the same color almost always work too: navy/sky, red/pink, violet/lavender, etc.<<
This one is harder for me since shades of certain colours really don't look right together, like some shades of pink for example.
>>* Use color theory. You can actually buy a pocket color wheel to carry while shopping to help you match things. Warm colors usually match each other; cool colors match each other. Using contrasts is harder to get right.<<
I really like the pocket colour wheel. I might have to look into getting one of those. I haven't checked out the fashion apps yet, but that is on my to-do list, and it's helpful to know resources like that exist.
>>* Start a capsule wardrobe with one garment or piece of jewelry that uses 2+ colors. As it was made by a professional, those colors will almost certainly match.<<
This is a really good tip, I like it! :)
>>* You can also find sweater sets (cardigan and blouse) or twinsets (top and bottom) which are fantastic if they have a pattern because they match each other but can be mixed with other solid colors. Vacay sells 2-piece dresses and rompers designed for maximum versatility.<<
This sounds like something to look into, especially the sweater sets, since I have a particularly hard time with finding an outer layer and usually don't wear one.
>>* If you pick your favorite of the Pantone colors offered new each season, it will be easy to find things in it and you will be "in fashion."<<
That is an interesting idea for adding colour. I will definitely have to look into it. It would make finding the same colour easier too.
>>As mentioned above, color + neutral will usually look good, and even if not the best possible match, won't look garish.<<
I'll try to keep that in mind, though I can be nit-picky about shades matching, should if the colour and neutral aren't the best match, my brain will usually notice but not necessarily be able to figure out how to make it look better.
>>Feel free to prompt for those if you'd like to see more.<<
I just might do that. I like when you write examples of how things could be, or in some cases, should be. It makes it a lot easier for me to see how to get from where I am to where I'd like to be, with less guess work and stress than if I try to do it myself.
>>Yyyyyeah. I ran into one place where the staff pestered me, wanted to write my name on the fitting room door, and there were only three sizes none of them standard ones. 0_o (Lady, ignore the tits stuck to my chest and look at my face, do I LOOK like I'm having fun in here?) If I hadn't already found a hard-to-find item, I would've bailed. But I never went back there.<<
That's never fun. Hopefully you have better places to shop.
Thank you so much for your response! It was really helpful! Now to wait until my next pay cheque so I can do more shopping...
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
Yay!
There are different templates that do different things, and many of the capsules have 2-3 templates. Use what works for you. I have found this version the most useful.
>> This is good to know. If I pick the wrong shade of neutral, it might look a little off, but at least shouldn't clash.<<
Even if you mix black and brown, it's never going to be as bad as brown and blue or rust and pink.
>> The one bright colour with a neutral is also useful, and I did start to do that already. <<
Yay!
>> I have black and grey as my neutrals, with bright pink as the accent. I a trying to find one more colour to add with it though. <<
You have made excellent choices.
Black is the safest neutral as it has the least variation. It pretty much goes with everything.
The tricky thing about gray is that it comes in 'warmer' and 'cooler' tones.
https://thevirtualinstructor.com/blog/warm-vs-cool-grays
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2017/10/warm-grey-vs-cool-grey.html/
Here is where you'll want to check your skin tone, because most people look better in matching tones than contrasting tones. I can wear almost any cool color, but only a few shades of orange and yellow, as I have cool-toned skin. If you have warm skin, look for slightly sandy or smoky grays; if you have cool skin, look for foggy or slatey ones. Taupe is a brownish gray that usually looks great on warm skin but ghastly on cool. It's worth a mention because it's a popular neutral unto itself.
Pink goes very well with both black and gray.
Here's a great pink-black-gray 4x4 wardrobe that shows how to add accents:
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2017/05/how-to-add-accent-colors-to-your-capsule-wardrobe-hot-pink-and-green.html/
This Whatever's Clean 13 uses a different template for similar colors. Imagine putting your black on one side, gray on the other, and pink in the middle. If you like patterns, get patterned pink tops which are easy to find -- as long as you keep the bottoms solid, they can't clash.
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2017/05/how-to-add-accent-colors-to-your-capsule-wardrobe-hot-pink-and-green.html/
>>This one is harder for me since shades of certain colours really don't look right together, like some shades of pink for example.<<
You're probably looking at warm/cool versions of the same color. This is a more sophisticated concept than warm/cool on the color wheel and harder to detect. Here it is in pink lipsticks:
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/99/77/d3/9977d3abfed65e822b52d83c2ef40daf--pink-lipsticks-soft-summer.jpg
Now split that circle in half down the center, and you've got a shade guide to warm pinks on the left and cool pinks on the right. Which do you think is prettier unto itself?
Next, blow it up, then put your hand over the middle. Which set looks better against your skin?
Multicolors can help blend different colors in your outfit too.
Here's a rainbow watercolor scarf with cool pinks, blues, and greens:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/b1/81/f7b181632deac0473a2edc7059914bdb.jpg
This is a very warm, peachy pink scarf with bits of blue and yellow:
https://www.modaville.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DSC_0684-1.jpg
Adding black and gray to icy pink:
https://tshop.r10s.jp/purpose-inc/cabinet/ecsystem/img900494/90049409-01.jpg
Black, gray, taupe, and warm pink:
https://d2h1pu99sxkfvn.cloudfront.net/b0/12345419/465778505_WT9ZxpbOQV/P6.jpg
>>This sounds like something to look into, especially the sweater sets, since I have a particularly hard time with finding an outer layer and usually don't wear one.<<
If you can find a sweater set in pink, that's a good bet. If not, a black fitted jacket looks dressy and a flowing gray cardigan is relaxed. Those two will cover most needs, making them a good place to start. If you like vests and patterns, consider adding argyle. Or here's a patterned cardigan with warmer pink. One patterned overtop will make your solids mesh much better.
Regarding Pantone:
This is a very pale warm pink.
PANTONE 12-1110
Crème de Pêche
An embracing light peach, Crème de Pêche speaks of softness and ease.
This is a very deep warm pink.
PANTONE 17-1926
Fruit Dove
An extroverted pink, Fruit Dove creates a presence that can’t be ignored.
This is a pale gray that looks like it could go either way, and designers will probably field both. Put it with one of the warm pinks. If it looks good, you've probably got a warm gray; if bad, probably a cool gray. Paloma/Crème de Pêche would be suble; Paloma/Fruit Dove would be bold.
PANTONE 16-0000
Paloma
An unpretentious, yet at the same time elegant gray, Paloma endures.
If what you need are cool pinks, Pantone's not helping you this season. I am probably shit out of luck on everything but Galaxy Blue and Eden. :/
>>I'll try to keep that in mind, though I can be nit-picky about shades matching, should if the colour and neutral aren't the best match, my brain will usually notice but not necessarily be able to figure out how to make it look better.<<
Unless you utterly adore that bright color, chuck it and keep the neutral. Neutrals match many things. Some bright colors are a royal pain to match, and are better bought as whole outfits.
>>That's never fun. Hopefully you have better places to shop.<<
It's in a factory outlet. There are plenty. And I said exactly that.
>>Thank you so much for your response! It was really helpful! Now to wait until my next pay cheque so I can do more shopping...<<
Between now and then, consider taking an hour or two for exploration. Look at what you own now. Can you make a Whatever's Clean 13 with garments you love? If yes, great. Use that for a week or longer and see how you feel about it then. If you can't fill a template, what's missing? Those would be good items to hunt for.
In this comment, I listed links for closet cleaning that you may find helpful.
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
Thank you!
>>The tricky thing about gray is that it comes in 'warmer' and 'cooler' tones.<<
I noticed that when looking through my closet. I think I have mostly warm grey, but I do have at least one cool grey top, and I noticed it doesn't seem to go very well with the pants. I think both greys look ok against my skin, but some of the other cool colours don't.
>>Here's a great pink-black-gray 4x4 wardrobe that shows how to add accents:<<
That bright one is pretty much the colour of pink I have, but I don't have the light shade. I'm not sure it would look good on me and it doesn't catch my eye as much. I might try the green, but I might need a slightly different colour. On the other hand, I have enough grey and black to make a 4x4, so I can just wait until I find more of the hot pink.
>>Now split that circle in half down the center, and you've got a shade guide to warm pinks on the left and cool pinks on the right. Which do you think is prettier unto itself?
Next, blow it up, then put your hand over the middle. Which set looks better against your skin?<<
I like the cool pinks better, but I think warm looks better against my skin. I am fairly certain I could get away with warm or cool for the darker pinks though, which works out because I like those better than pale pinks.
>>Adding black and gray to icy pink:<<
That scarf actually reads warm to me, but I do like the idea of multicolour items bringing things together. I should probably buy them at the same time as other items though, otherwise I'm liable to end up with all different shades that don't match. I like the taupe and pink scarf too.
>>If not, a black fitted jacket looks dressy and a flowing gray cardigan is relaxed.<<
I have a grey one and and working on acquiring a black jacket. That is proving hard to find at the moment. I'm not much for vests, but some long sleeved shirts have the argyle pattern. I might look into those.
>>Unless you utterly adore that bright color, chuck it and keep the neutral.<<
Luckily most of the bright colours I like and have match a neutral, or at least my jeans. They may be less versatile, but it does let me keep a slightly greater variety of colour.
>>If you can't fill a template, what's missing?<<
I went out amd did some shopping, and now I have enough clothes for my neutral parts of the capsules, so I can actually see what's missing. I need a few outer layers, a few bottoms and accessories. I don't actually need many accent colour pieces, so I can take my time on those and find ones that I like and match what I already have. And I shouldn't be lacking for options in the mean time.
I did do some cleaning of my closet before starting all this and I think it's actually in pretty good shape.
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
If you find it hard to match the cool gray with your other clothes, you might want to get rid of it. But if you have things you like to wear it with, then it can stay.
Cool colors that don't look good on you should also go, unless you really love them and they can be worn farther from your skin.
>> That bright one is pretty much the colour of pink I have, but I don't have the light shade. I'm not sure it would look good on me and it doesn't catch my eye as much. <<
If you don't like the light pink, avoid it. Hot pink looks fantastic with black and gray, it really pops. As long as you feel comfortable and confident with a color that bold, go for it. Hot pink is one of the very few pink shades I like.
>> I might try the green, but I might need a slightly different colour. <<
Here is a serape showing a Mexican palette of mostly warm, super-saturated colors. Hot pink is at the bottom. A little above that are some bright greens that lean toward yellow, from lime to deeper leafy greens. You might also think of bougainvillea with its lipstick-pink leaves against darker green ones. These might help you find greens that would fit well in your wardrobe.
>>On the other hand, I have enough grey and black to make a 4x4, so I can just wait until I find more of the hot pink.<<
Yay! That's a good idea.
>>I like the cool pinks better, but I think warm looks better against my skin. I am fairly certain I could get away with warm or cool for the darker pinks though, which works out because I like those better than pale pinks.<<
If your skin is neutral or nearly so, you may be able to wear both. Another trick for wearing colors that you love but don't look great with your skin is to use them away from your face. Bottoms usually work. So does a pink belt on a black or gray dress. Try small spots of color on a safe background -- pink flowers on a black or gray blouse, for instance.
>>That scarf actually reads warm to me,<<
That can happen due to differences in personal perception, or computer screens.
>> but I do like the idea of multicolour items bringing things together. I should probably buy them at the same time as other items though, otherwise I'm liable to end up with all different shades that don't match. I like the taupe and pink scarf too.<<
Ideally, yes, buying things together makes matching easier. If you can't do that, try to choose multicolors that use many shades of a given color. Sunset and floral scarves often do this.
>> I have a grey one and and working on acquiring a black jacket. That is proving hard to find at the moment.<<
That's one you have to wait on, then. A fitted jacket needs to fit. With a cardigan, close enough is good enough. I have one in my office for when it gets chilly, and that thing is several sizes too large -- so it'll fit over other clothes.
>> I'm not much for vests, but some long sleeved shirts have the argyle pattern. I might look into those.<<
Check menswear stores right about now. They should get their fall fashions any time. I've got argyle cardigans, maybe a sweater, as well as a vest or two. If you get the kind where only a few diamonds on the chest are the contrast color, that can be any color you like, as long as the background is a good color for your skin.
>>Luckily most of the bright colours I like and have match a neutral, or at least my jeans. They may be less versatile, but it does let me keep a slightly greater variety of colour.<<
As long as they match other things, and you like them, they're worth keeping. It's the stuff that's hard to match which you want to toss out. Here is an example of a black core wardrobe with three accent clusters: one blue/yellow, one pink/peach, one red/green. Each cluster consists of one multicolor scarf, two solid sweaters, and two pieces of jewelry. That makes six accent clusters for the same core wardrobe. They don't match each other, but they don't have to. Another good accent option is a set of four: two garments (such as a sweater set) and two accessories (such as a belt and a necklace).
Try this with your random cool colors and that black/gray 4x4. Can you put together each colorful garment with 1-2 matching accessories and your neutral core, to create at least 2-3 outfits with each? If so, it's probably worth keeping. If you can only do one thing with it, or there's nothing else to match it with, ask yourself how much you really love it if you only have that one piece. If you love it but can't match it, maybe look for an accessory that will. That would encourage you to wear the piece more often.
Because your base neutrals of black and gray take bright accessories so well, consider building clusters of those in your favorite colors. Here are two great posts showing sets of 6 accessories in 26 colors with popular meanings:
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2016/04/lharmonie-des-couleurs-and-13-accessory.html/
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2016/04/part-2-lharmonie-des-couleurs-and-13.html/
>>I went out amd did some shopping, and now I have enough clothes for my neutral parts of the capsules, so I can actually see what's missing.<<
Yay!
>> I need a few outer layers, a few bottoms and accessories.<<
Now is the best time to shop for outer layers, when everyone has them coming in. You'll pay more than you would at the end of the season, but you'll have a much easier time finding specific things.
Accessories: when you buy a new garment, think what you'll wear it with. Do you have a hat, gloves, shoes, belt, scarf, jewelry, bag -- whatever you wear -- that will match it? If not, check they store. They often have things that will match the current clothes, and you'll have the garment right there to match. Do you have jewelry with black or gray pieces? You'll need those for your neutrals. Something to match each accent color is also good. It doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the best hot pink jewelry is done with enamel or nylon cord.
>> I don't actually need many accent colour pieces, so I can take my time on those and find ones that I like and match what I already have. And I shouldn't be lacking for options in the mean time.<<
That's good.
>>I did do some cleaning of my closet before starting all this and I think it's actually in pretty good shape.<<
Go you!
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
I like the idea of using flowers to find different shades of green I can use to go with the pink. However, I also found another colour scheme I like. Purple with grey. I think the purple is really pretty. I'm not sure I would add the light pink, but the purple would give me something else to wear with the black and grey, even if I don't mix the purple with my hot pink.
>>If you can't do that, try to choose multicolors that use many shades of a given color.<<
That's a good idea!
>>Check menswear stores right about now. They should get their fall fashions any time. I've got argyle cardigans, maybe a sweater, as well as a vest or two. If you get the kind where only a few diamonds on the chest are the contrast color, that can be any color you like, as long as the background is a good color for your skin.<<
I'll have to try that. I've never shopped for shirts from the men's department before, though I have bought jeans because pockets! I'll take a look and see what kind of patterns I can find. :)
>>As long as they match other things, and you like them, they're worth keeping. It's the stuff that's hard to match which you want to toss out. Here is an example of a black core wardrobe with three accent clusters: one blue/yellow, one pink/peach, one red/green.<<
I think I can do that with all of my current colours, and I think I have more than one shirt of every colour I do have, no real standalones. I like the idea of clusters, which is basically what I've decided to do now that I have my neutral cores. I might look into adding more accent colours, depending on if there is anything I want that I don't have, but that will probably take a back seat until I get a few more basics.
Outerwear and accessories will probably be the biggest struggle for me, but I think I will pick an item or two per paycheck, starting with the most important, and look around until I find things I need, like and that match my colours. :)
Re: Capsule Wardrobes
Yay!
>> However, I also found another colour scheme I like. Purple with grey. I think the purple is really pretty. <<
That's good to hear.
>> I'm not sure I would add the light pink, but the purple would give me something else to wear with the black and grey, even if I don't mix the purple with my hot pink.<<
Some shades of purple will go with hot pink, the more intense ones.
>> I'll have to try that. I've never shopped for shirts from the men's department before, though I have bought jeans because pockets! I'll take a look and see what kind of patterns I can find. :) <<
Argyle and plaid especially appear in autumn and winter. Stripes are year-round. Heather, tweed, marle, etc. are much more subtle variegations.
>> I think I can do that with all of my current colours, and I think I have more than one shirt of every colour I do have, no real standalones.<<
Yay!
>> I like the idea of clusters, which is basically what I've decided to do now that I have my neutral cores. I might look into adding more accent colours, depending on if there is anything I want that I don't have, but that will probably take a back seat until I get a few more basics.<<
Once you have a solid foundation of neutrals, or signature colors that you treat as neutrals, you can add as many accents as you like. 2-4 each of garments and accessories will make a very robust cluster. These appear in various proportions.
Goldenrod
Marsala
Orange
Sea Green
Ultra Violet
This also works with multicolor items.
>> Outerwear and accessories will probably be the biggest struggle for me, but I think I will pick an item or two per paycheck, starting with the most important, and look around until I find things I need, like and that match my colours. :) <<
That is an excellent idea. Watch for things that come in sets, like earrings and necklace or hat/gloves/scarf. Other things like a charm bracelet have lots of different parts, making it easier to match some part of them later. Jewelry with a metal and a color will match any plain item of the same metal.