As promised: Santa Fe Wardrobe, the shopping edition!

I like to start by “shopping my closet”. I know, I know, it’s much more fun to go out and get new stuff, but hey, it can also be rewarding to unearth something you haven’t worn in (she said with a blush) over 2 years, and find that it works perfectly with your travel wardrobe color palette! So into the closet I go, and find all these pieces that fit not only the color palette but my actual clothing needs for my trip to Santa Fe:

Digressing for a moment: I’ve had the theory for a long time that if I consistently buy (or make) clothes in colors that I’m really in love with, I will have no trouble at all finding things in my closet for the new ones to pair with. And this Santa Fe wardrobe project proves my point— look how many things I found, all purchased over a period of at least a few years, and yet work perfectly with my just-created color palette! (I guess it helps that I love aqua, teal, green, and metallic colors.) So if your wardrobe is more what-was-I-thinking than ooh-can’t-wait-to-get-dressed, try this: pull out only the items you are madly in love with. Then look at how many things are left. The ones you pulled out are most likely the most compatible with your intrinsic taste, and therefore most likely to express your personal style. (And isn’t that what fashion is all about?)

Okay, back to the topic at hand: shopping! I promised you an online-shopping alternative to planning a wardrobe to sew, based on my Santa Fe Wardrobe color palette. And here it is, courtesy of Polyvore. It’s got all the colors of my palette: sage green, turquoise, blue-green/aqua/teal, chartreuse/gold, bronze, and pewter— and the pop of fuchsia in the scarf doesn’t hurt. I’m sure you can see how many different outfits can be made with these pieces! (I would wear that sheer green dress as a swimsuit cover-up, and even over the pants and the gold top.) And by the way, I only chose pieces for this collection that I would actually wear myself (i.e. appropriate for my age, body type, the climate, etc.).