If I were asked to suggest an 11th “key” piece it would have to be a trendy piece.
That said, following trends can defeat the purpose of a capsule wardrobe and the less-is-more approach to conscious consumerism. To avoid the trend-trap my suggestion is to be intentional about what you choose (will it have longevity?) and narrow your selection to one or two items per season.
This season I chose two pieces from the much buzzed about 2016 Pantone Colors of the year: “Serenity” and “Rose Quartz.”
Serenity
These buttery soft leather shorts from Theory were found at Jeremy’s Department Store in Berkeley, CA a high-end consignment boutique. These beauties originally cost $895 before being relegated to salvage. After dutifully checking-in on (or stalking) these shorts for several months I acquired them for $28 ( let’s take a minute of silence please).
Rose Quartz
I also found this cute pair of ankle length trouser from J Crew after online searches for all things pink, mauve, and dusty rose turned up nothing but out-of-stock merch. Seems I wasn’t the only one on the lookout for this trend. Finally I spotted the Martie pant in store and on clearance for $25.(yes, let’s pause to reflect)
The 2016 Pantone Colors of the year are actually quite wearable even if your aesthetic tends towards minimal.
Keep these pastels more feminine by paring with neutrals like this camel coat by J. Crew and caramel patent loafer by Everlane.
Toughen up the pink by paring it with black accents such as a peep toe ankle boot, blazer, or turtleneck (all from my ten key wardrobe essentials).
One of the current trends in fashion is “He for She” : Think Pink is for Girls and Blue is for Boys?
Think again! During one of my construction internships I was responsible for overseeing the restroom renovations in the historic Oakland City Hall. I was perplexed at why the men’s room has pink tiles, while the women’s room had blue. “This must be a mistake”, I thought. I was informed by the historic preservation architect that around the turn of the 20th century pink was the color for boys and blue was traditionally reserved for girl babies. What you can be certain of is, fashion is fickle and rules are meant to be broken!
Xoxo
TenKeyPieces
The Modern Loafer ; J Crew Martie Pant
