The 4-5 piece French wardrobe

[salomelovesjohn]

It just became wintery here. So I need a couple of more things before I start looking at spring . Then again I will be in South Florida during Christmas, so perhaps I should look at some resort wear! (Actually I like this time of year because I can look at fall/resort/and the spring shoes and pick out things that may work well for awhile, rather then one season).

I did just order shoes (I'm hoping they fit my arch). I've been looking for a pair of classic-ish work heels and I liked the rounded toe and tortoise heel on these. They're by Giuseppe Zanotti. If these don't work I may break down and go the Choo or Manolo route.

picture from Saks.com

[fashionista-ta]

^ I like them, salome ... I like tortoise details ... I think they do a good job of walking that line between classic and interesting

I agree about this being a good time to shop for versatility. I've occasionally bought from pre-fall, but it's not the same

That said, I haven't seen anything delectable from resort yet. OTOH, I need to finish my Christmas shopping before I start on another season

[HiHeels]

wow salomelovesjohn, those are major shoes. i could never walk in those. very impressive!

while i said before that i'm not thinking about spring/summer, the reality is that i have picked up a few things that i can't use until then. i wasn't thinking about any particular season - i never do - i was just looking and found pretty things that appealed, and we seem to have blown right through fall - i think it lasted a week - and have gone straight into winter, so some of my favorite new things have to wait.

[nogoodforme]

i feel like this thread is a little support group for mindful fashion, so in that spirit, i thought i'd share...

i cleaned out my closet awhile ago in the spirit of getting rid of stuff i don't truly love and find useful, vowing to only get things that will last me a long time and i will love. but i waited till today to take my haul of discarded fall/winter clothes to the resale shop, hoping against hope that there would be some nice blazers/jackets, since i only had two left in my closet that i really loved. (and i am definitely a jacket/skinny jeans/boots type of girl, so this was a severe shortage!)

anyway, i guess i was lucky because i found a black wool riding jacket from chloe and -- my absolutely favorite -- a rick owens blazer. i traded in a huge garbage bag of clothes (and a lot of it good stuff, just not quite 'me' anymore) and used my credit for just two things. my roommate thinks i'm insane because i did pass up a lot of things that i would have gotten in the past because they were 'prizes': a max mara cashmere tank top, for instance. but it was totally worth it because i know they will last forever and they totally suit my style and it's not cluttering my life and closet -- and i could theoretically pass them on as 'heirlooms' in the future because the quality is so good.

by the way, has anyone read that article in the latest 'vogue' with jennifer connolly on the cover, the one titled 'why less is more'...it features a bit about stylist aleksandra woroniecka and how she basically has, like, ten pairs of jeans, six jackets, four bags, a bunch of flats and a stack of shirts and that's it. i felt so inadequate in my quest to pare down!

[HiHeels]

oh nogoordorme i am totally impressed. i love what you chose, totally beautiful and long long-term pieces. and i love what you passed up, and that you passed it up, that max mara tank top. those type of things always distract me and i'm always disappointed later on, and then add them to that garbage bag full of odds and ends that weren't quite right.

now tell me, jacket/skinny jeans/boots girl, how do you translate your style in the summer months? are you one of those people who don't get heat stroke when they wear jeans in the summer? i would love to be one of those people (but i'm not).

re. that vogue article, they got off on the wrong foot with me when in the caption they referred to her birkin bag as "serviceable." i'm not denying the bag can be a total workhorse, but "serviceable" is a bit of an understatement. it's not really that she has so few clothes, but that she has her aesthetic extremely edited down to a very spare core, and doesn't deviate. to me, that's harder to do than living with a 24-piece wardrobe or whatever amount it is that they imply she has. she's wearing a scarf and 2 bracelets, but they don't mention those. i'm sure she has quite a nice supply of little extras (dresses, skirts, blouses, etc.) she keeps on hand, but that's not what the story is about. i am very jaded about fashion features. i love 'em, but i take them with a nice big chunk of salt. there was a feature on one of the olsen twins recently and in it she said she never wore flats, didn't own a pair of flats, or something to that effect, yet here on tFS, in a thread about the twins, there are pictures of them both wearing flat shoes. oh well. i hardly mind that type of inconsistency, but don't go holding yourself up to a standard that doesn't even exist. you did real real good!

[misstarshine]

I'm seriously addicted to this thread. It really makes me re-think every purchase i make because i then think that i could save the money and get something even better, because i do already have too many clothes.

[HiHeels]

Originally Posted by misstarshine

I'm seriously addicted to this thread. It really makes me re-think every purchase i make because i then think that i could save the money and get something even better, because i do already have too many clothes.

i was thinking this the other day - in my effort to clear out and start over, i've repeated many of the same mistakes. admittedly with better stuff and i guess it's an improvement in that it all seems to work much better, but the truth is.... i still have too many clothes. so guess i did the "save the money and get something better" plan, but still am ending up with too much of a good thing.

[nogoodforme]

Originally Posted by HiHeels

re. that vogue article, they got off on the wrong foot with me when in the caption they referred to her birkin bag as "serviceable." i'm not denying the bag can be a total workhorse, but "serviceable" is a bit of an understatement. it's not really that she has so few clothes, but that she has her aesthetic extremely edited down to a very spare core, and doesn't deviate.

i think this was what struck me, or about anyone who has a true 'uniform' and sticks with it, no matter what else is going on. in some ways i am completely in awe of such decision and commitment; it's almost ascetic in a way. i think having that edited of an aesthetic is a rare thing; in my own real life i know about three people who truly have a uniform and stick to it. (and two of them are men.) but then again, these are people who works professionally in fashion, who have had access to a lot of different things and no doubt get to experiment in that professional context. sometimes i feel like my 'mistakes' in terms of shopping are my experiments, i suppose. and yes, i'm sure she has a lot of 'extras'...they were pretty vague on the 'stacks of striped sweaters and tees' she had. at any rate, i did like the gist of the article: the whole idea of being more thoughtful about what you buy. i really do think the key to it all is self-knowledge...which is of course a life-long process!

at any rate, i kind of feel myself veering towards a uniform at the moment myself with the jacket/skinny leg/boots thing; it works for me because it's a competent uniform, a little downtown but a little polished, to take me through all the different aspects of my life. (in the summer i pretty much wear dresses, to answer your question HiHeels! and then i wear them over my leggings or skinny jeans or tights in colder weather, so they sort of double as tunics.)

and i get you on the 'serviceable'...wow, who thinks of an hermes birkin as merely 'serviceable'?! that's just nuts!

[baRose]

My problem is not having enough clothes. Three wearable pairs of pants, 4 button up shirts, one sweater and one pencil skirt is pretty much all I have. I have a few jackets and a few more shirts but thats it. I have bags of clothes including coats that I need to get rid of. I have two dozen items in consignment shops that are getting sold. Everything I'm getting rid of is too big so I am waaay behind when it comes to having enough to wear. Even my shoes are too big or worn out now.

I need more pants, jeans, at least one coat, shoes, boots, sweaters, shirts, t shirts, jacket, etc....uggh!

[katebug]

I find this thread so inspiring! It's definitely made me reconsider my whole wardrobe.
I've just emigrated to Australia and so the climate is now completely different. I have always been a bulk buyer...buying tons of cheap t-shirt and weird sale items that I never wear. You know, the worst kind of shopper! I got rid of loads, but I now have a small walk in wardrobe and still cant fit all my clothes in it.
So I've started chucking things out. I already have a nice pile. I'll post a picture of the quantity I am getting rid of soon

The trouble is, unless you are financially able to go out and buy yourself some good staple pieces (how can I have so many clothes and not one decent pair of black trousers or a white shirt?) it's hard to get rid of all the crap stuff. There has to be a transition phase so that you literally aren't left with nothing to wear!

But thanks guys, I find all of your experiences so helpful

[baRose]

Originally Posted by katebug

The trouble is, unless you are financially able to go out and buy yourself some good staple pieces (how can I have so many clothes and not one decent pair of black trousers or a white shirt?) it's hard to get rid of all the crap stuff. There has to be a transition phase so that you literally aren't left with nothing to wear!

But thanks guys, I find all of your experiences so helpful

The worst is when you're a totally different size and NOTHING you have fits anymore - at least its a good thing.

[salomelovesjohn]

Ta-ta and HH, thanks! I was really trying for the classic but interesting look! I'm crazy about the tortoise detail. They might be a little high but I'm thinking about wearing some winter boots and bringing my shoes to work in a tote. I just can't take destroying any more heels on the pavement walk to the metro.

In other purchases I also bought a pair of high waisted navy wool blend slacks which I'm wearing now with a grey vest and silvery grey shell, black jacket, purse, and boots, but I can pair them with my blue seersucker jacket in spring. I hope this grey/navy/black thing is working for me. LOL.

HH, I'm sad that we didn't have a real fall too. I have a few things that really only work for fall and I barely got to wear them. Then again one thing I've had since last year and plan on wearing next year too, so eventually I'll get to use it more.

[salomelovesjohn]

Nogoodforme, wow what a great clean out! I love the idea of getting rid of (as HH said) 'odds & ends' that don't quiet work. This has been a major problem for me. I've discovered its better to pay more and get something that works in my existing wardrobe/style then a fantastic item that's marked down and goes with nothing. Btw. what an amazing resale store, are you in NYC?

Barose, I'm the opposite end of things not fitting from going up rather then down some sizes. Still my plan has been to buy some nice basics, like black slacks, brown slacks, a black skirt...to mix up with my tops that still fit ok. I also try to focus shop, like I'm on the hunt for a bottom and not get caught up in the purse section or some cute tops.

As for the Vogue article, my problem was that it works well if your life can be distilled into one look. For me, I can't wear jeans to work (I wish) I have to wear business casual, but outside of work I don't want to wear my work clothes. Then again I liked her basic fashion philosophy. She obviously focuses on classic or semi-classic pieces such as the Birkin or a Chanel bag or the ballet flats. I have no idea how much money she makes but I think if your a stylist there could be overwhelming pressure to spend spend spend on trendy clothes. I know exactly how much I've spent on clothing and accessories in the past two years and its a scary number for me, then again if I would have put some of that towards a classic flap (which just might not be my style) the initial payment would have been painful but maybe I wouldn't have bought so many other cheaper items. Also, I thought she really spent on her day to day look, I often make the mistake of spending $$$ on my special events items that I barely get to wear. HH, good point thought those articles are edited and not realistic.

[fashionista-ta]

My take on the Vogue article y'all are discussing was that I believed that uniform is pretty much how she dresses. I mean, she's a professional stylist and documenting in Vogue what she wears ... there has to be some truth to it, right?

My eyes widened as well at the "serviceable" Birkin. I'm not certain Birkins are really the antithesis of the It bag ... surely that would be the ripstop nylon bag from a discount store favored by someone of my acquaintance?

There's a part of me that likes the idea, but I know I don't want to wear a uniform myself. Since I started having a planned wardrobe, that's been one of the biggest effects. I have much less of a uniform, more color, more diversity--i.e., the mostly black thing (which I guess is what I will do if I don't give any thought to it) is over

Congratulations on the great finds nogoodforme

[misstarshine]

Ages ago i had heaps of great items but nothing that matched, so i decided to only buy black, white, navy, grey and the occasional red items. This really helped because everything started going together. Some sales girls at the shops where i live actually remember this and don't show me items out of my colour scheme

I kind of wear a uniform on a daily basis to classes because sometimes its just too hard to have to decide what to wear e.g. winter i wore layers of tees, jumpers or cardigans and coats with skinny jeans and boots, ballet slippers or converse. Now its nearly summer i wear the same thing with less layers and sandals or thongs, and if its too hot a dress.

So because i mostly wear these things i've invested money in jeans, boots, coats, tees and jumpers. I've got millions of dresses but usually buy about 2-3 each season.

But i don't always wear my uniform outfit. When i'm not going to classes i vary what i wear every day. Luckily i've got so many clothes i don't really need to buy anything for these times. Or if i do i usually have a list of the holes in my wardrobe. At the moment i need a pencil skirt and nice black trousers.

But for winter the most important thing for me is coats because you wear them every day and it gets boring if there's no variety. I'm not sure what i'll do when i move somewhere warmer next year and don't need to wear coats anymore