The 4-5 piece French wardrobe

[maiden voyage]

Originally Posted by fashionista-ta

everything in my closet is beautiful, useful, or both

i think i'm more than half-way there, i can't wait until i can say the same thing!

cambry, that's a good point. not everybody has the kind of 'eye' to be able to spot those details. most people get caught up in the overall effect and can't deconstruct it very well. recently i looked thru a bunch of photos i'd clipped and made a mental note of the commonalities... and then i wrote down some of the main things to help me stay focused. it helped a lot - i was much more immune to the onslaught of images/styling in stores, more clear on what i really wanted.

[quimby]

well, i packed up another box of clothes to try to sell at the secondhand shop before they make their way to Goodwill.

i have adjusted my goals, though. there is no way that i'll ever just buy 4 or 5 pieces in one season. i love shopping and acquiring too much. i'll be charitable and say it's the magpie in me.

but i still want to pare down my wardrobe to its most edited, functional form. and i still like the challenge of constant revision, if for no other reason than it makes me pull things out from the back of the closet.

[HiHeels]

Originally Posted by quimby

i have adjusted my goals, though. there is no way that i'll ever just buy 4 or 5 pieces in one season. i love shopping and acquiring too much.

i've concluded that my ideal situation would be to have a wardrobe of maybe 8-10 items, max. but toss it and replace it all (or most of it) after a season. i haven't done the math, but i'm pretty sure that this would not be a realistic option. but that would be perfect in terms of keeping my wardrobe very small, yet allowing me to frequently flex my shopping/hunting/styling impulses.

[salomelovesjohn]

We're entering a heavy sales season, how is everyone doing? I need to return the heels I ordered online because the arch is too high. I think I might just need to buy some classic ones while in store. I'm waiting for a Saks spend some get some event though! Not counting the shoes I've only bought a pair of pants this month. It feels really good to be buying less. I'm also returning some costume jewelry and a top from Target's Go Int'l line so I'm almost negative for the month.

[HiHeels]

Originally Posted by salomelovesjohn

We're entering a heavy sales season, how is everyone doing? I need to return the heels I ordered online because the arch is too high. I think I might just need to buy some classic ones while in store. I'm waiting for a Saks spend some get some event though! Not counting the shoes I've only bought a pair of pants this month. It feels really good to be buying less. I'm also returning some costume jewelry and a top from Target's Go Int'l line so I'm almost negative for the month.

WOW. we need a trophy smiley!
sorry about your shoes though.
sales, they are my achilles' heel. i'll probably blog about them in a few days.
i'm avoiding all of them. i end up with "close but not quite right" pretty much every time. there are always exceptions, but in general, i find that they are a distraction from a coherent wardrobe. i rarely find the thing i knew i needed and was looking for, and i often come across "too good to pass up" stuff that just clutters up my wardrobe, even if it's good stuff. i don't want to scavenge anymore. i want to decide what i want, and then go out and find it. and if i see something unexpected that i fall for, that's fine, but i don't want it to happen under the pressure and chaos of sales, where it's "now or never" or the great price makes the item seem more appealing than it would ordinarily be etc.

[fashionista-ta]

^ I have gotten some great stuff on sale (Helmut Lang pants ), but it's always a coincidence ... a very happy one when it happens

My goal is for all the key pieces I buy to be so great that when something happens to them I want to hold a memorial service So I have no desire to discard things ahead of time ... I find, though, that I can still style things I've had for years in new ways.

[mie]

I am so envious of you ladies with well-edited wardrobes and the strength to exercise some sensible restraint when shopping. I'm in the middle of cleaning out my closet and it's been quite a rude awakening. My problems would be half-solved if I would wear more than 5% of my wardrobe 95% of the time. I also have this irritating tendency to forget that just because I like something doesn't mean it'll automatically work with everything else in the closet. There's this whole "I like X; therefore X is 'my style' and I'll actually wear it" thing that happens. Not so!

I hate having clutter/unused stuff lying around - makes me anxious - but I'm such a packrat. It's always "what if I need..." this and "just in case" that.

[cambry]

mie, i think that's what the main goal of getting your wardrobe pared down and edited, so to speak, is. to get to know everything in your closet well, so when you're out shopping, instead of buying something pretty impulsively, you're able to immediately match it up with something in your wardrobe or decide that it doesn't fit. you should concentrate on that 5% and what about it makes you want to wear it more often that your ignored pieces, then think about that when you shop. i have the same problem, i'm like a magpie, and pretty things attract me, but my rule is that if something i want to buy doesn't fit into my wardrobe at all and would require the purchase of something more than one other minor piece to work, then i don't get it. i know some people don't even give themselves that much leeway, if something doesn't work with what they already have, then too bad, but i'm not that disciplined (yet!)

[quimby]

Originally Posted by HiHeels

WOW. we need a trophy smiley!
sorry about your shoes though.
sales, they are my achilles' heel. i'll probably blog about them in a few days.
i'm avoiding all of them. i end up with "close but not quite right" pretty much every time. there are always exceptions, but in general, i find that they are a distraction from a coherent wardrobe. i rarely find the thing i knew i needed and was looking for, and i often come across "too good to pass up" stuff that just clutters up my wardrobe, even if it's good stuff. i don't want to scavenge anymore. i want to decide what i want, and then go out and find it. and if i see something unexpected that i fall for, that's fine, but i don't want it to happen under the pressure and chaos of sales, where it's "now or never" or the great price makes the item seem more appealing than it would ordinarily be etc.

HiHeels, you might be interested in a site I heard about on another thread here. It's called SavvyCircle.com, and it allows you to bookmark items you like and then get an email when that item goes on sale.

[HiHeels]

Originally Posted by quimby

HiHeels, you might be interested in a site I heard about on another thread here. It's called SavvyCircle.com, and it allows you to bookmark items you like and then get an email when that item goes on sale.

i will check it out, but karma to you for sharing the information. it sounds like a brilliant idea!!!

[HiHeels]

Originally Posted by mie

There's this whole "I like X; therefore X is 'my style' and I'll actually wear it" thing that happens. Not so!

ACK, it's my past coming back to haunt me!
i can totally relate.
i realized i am just a total clothing enthusiast. and every time i love/appreciate something, it doesn't mean it has to come home with me. i've realized that a whole lot of people don't have this problem, and can simply shop for what they need/want. go figure.

[Beautiful Stranger]

ok guys, i know this isn't the yay vs nay-thread, but this is cooler, so what the heck. im considering getting these boots, and now, i need a few opinions on wether they would work in my wardrobe or not.. i posted my wardrobe a few pages back;

Tops: Striped l/s /sweaters(i have 7-8), plaid shirts(5-6), black l/s(4), t-shirt + cardigan. All oversized.

Jeans: Grey distressed Cheap Mondays (slightly baggy), black Cheap Mondays(slightly baggy), blue april 77's (skintight), black ksubi's (skinny). All tapered + waiting on these by Acne:

Shoes: leopard vans, westwood pirate boots, leather all stars, two pairs of plimsolls, one dirty and old, one newer and cleaner, wine-red allstars.

Bags: One blueberry besace by Balenciaga and one black by Tiger. Both leather.

Acessories: Lots of scarves (15+), alot of bracelets and a few necklaces. Vintage pair of brown leather gloves and a vintage pair of black sunnies (though i kinda want a plain pair of rayban aviatiors)

Jackets: darkgreen, slightly M65-ish.


ok, anyway. the boots, undercover by jun takahashi. Velvet/leather:

..but i plan to wear them low, like this:



pics: private/sufu/ebay

[laurette]

I wouldn't like the boots on me or on a "regular" guy, but as far as I know your style they would look very cool and suit you!

[salomelovesjohn]

Love the boots, I might do them in black or grey though. Then again you're good with color! Actually I just love velvet in general and when guys wear it I think it looks very rock and roll, just got my fiance to buy some grey velvet Armani pants actually!

[salomelovesjohn]

mie, I think if you do a wardrobe clean out it will help you narrow down what you really wear and love.

HH, it's such a process, but I've moved away from sales, although I still look b/c you never know when you'll find something amazing!

tata, I'm cracking up at the memorial idea. I've had a few items of clothing that caused many a sigh when I finally retired them. We need a little clothing RIP headstone or something icon...