The minimalist's wardrobe - Page 3

fashionista-ta · 16-06-2006

^ Very good advice from Curious

One mistake I think people make when paring down their wardrobes IMO is thinking that duplicates necessarily point to a mistake. I have one pair of black pants and one pair of black jeans ... some would say that's all you need, but that assumes nothing ever has to go to the cleaners

I definitely don't have enough ivory tops in my wardrobe, because every little thing that happens (from a flying drop of spaghetti sauce to a dog licking me at the dog park

) shows and it's off to the cleaners again.

So my advice would be, be very careful about paring to the absolute minimum, because any little thing can leave you with a hole in your wardrobe that has the potential to create a state of emergency

If you have basic items that you like, even if you're not wearing the item this season, hang onto it for the future.

There's a prior thread where we talked about some of this stuff, I know it includes the word "French" if you want to search on that ... this was based on the rumor that French women are the best-dressed on earth, and buy only 2-5 pieces a season ... and what that might actually mean. I think this may be more what you're talking about than minimalist style in the strictest sense?

I too have suffered from the "Oh, I bought that thing I already had six of again" syndrome, but I don't anymore because I meticulously plan now. Each season I buy a new pair of jeans, a new piece to facilitate what's already in my wardrobe (with an eye to what I discarded at the end of the prior corresponding season), a new (usually complete) outfit of separates, two new pairs of shoes, new makeup, haircut, etc. There's generally a color scheme and all the new stuff goes together. So there's no random shopping with random results ...

inAbottle · 16-06-2006

I'm starting to clean out my wardrobe too. Lately I've been shoppnig with my mind focusing on less can be more.

fashionista-ta · 16-06-2006

PS Forgot to say, I also agree with Curious that (regardless of what you might read in magazines) there are no universal wardrobe rules. You can make a minimalist wardrobe that works for you out of almost anything. You can do without virtually any must-have ... I have lived my whole life without the perfect LBD, something that my life apparently doesn't require

When my perfect black pants finally bit the dust, I lived for awhile with no black pants (except for my velvet ones--there's a handy thing to have btw) ... although that's something I'd rather not do

I wear skirts a lot, but I know women who never wear them. So really it's up to you. What I've done is build a little series of capsule wardrobes. Life would be easier if I'd stop throwing so many different colors into the mix, but that's what makes it fun

just_me · 16-06-2006

What rules is there to say that you got a minimalist wardrobe?

Is there enough not to wear any frills or particular colour just stick with simple but strong designs.

I've always considered yself as a bit of a minimalist but this thread makes me reconsider, some of the pictures just seem a bit too plain for me.

But I always think quality over quantity.

Tushka_BeLLa · 16-06-2006

Can anyone post some examples of minimalism? Like from the runway?

whiteshells · 16-06-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tushka_BeLLa

Can anyone post some examples of minimalism? Like from the runway?

There was another thread a while back based on minimalism on the runway for a certain season. I saved some of the pictures and I'll add some of my own too.

From style.com

just_me · 16-06-2006

I like minimalism when it's done in more interesting ways as on the runway, not just a jeans-and white tshirt look, that's so boring.

whiteshells · 16-06-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by just_me

I like minimalism when it's done in more interesting ways as on the runway, not just a jeans-and white tshirt look, that's so boring.

I agree. I always want to look my best. But not by digging through three baskets of clothes in the morning like I used to do. Or making myself dizzy with too many accessories at once.

I've concluded that the whole subject is complicated and very personal. For me it's mostly about philosophies. Also trying to accept that what I have is enough and feeling really fabulous with what I have on. It's an aim to be stricter, and live richer.

cheiby11 · 16-06-2006

I've chosen some black (grey) and white (cream) outfits based on a white shirt. It doesn't need to be boring - you just can add an interesting accesory, the cuts and style are different, but it all depends on your mood/taste/...

Narciso Rodriguez

Ralph Lauren

Ann Demeulemeester

Junya Watanabe

Martine Sitbon

Carolina Herrera

Narciso Rodriguez

Stella McCartney

Fashionista - you said it very well.

I'd got the "Oh, I bought that thing I already had six of again" syndrome as well. And it was a big mistake. If you look at the closets of people who are said to have style, you can see that they pick up pieces that fits them and they have more pieces of them. If you love a grey trousers - you can have six pairs of them or more, just how you want. No grey trousers are identical - different material, cut, shade, ...

newprincesita · 17-06-2006

I´ve just written a long and (I thought) inspired reply but this bloody PC erased it before I could post it.

To sum it up, I think new additions to wardrobe should feel like you already owned them.

If you feel in your guts that something is dubious, less than perfect... It´s better to refrain from buying.

The better clothes I bought were like a love affair...I knew right away that I was gonna love them. And when I bought stuff having second thoughts....I regreted it.

The world is full of clothes, and somehere lays the perfect item you search. It´s better not to be tempted by "not so perfect" things...because eventually you´ll find the one you love and that will be with you for a long time.

The perfect clothes ane the one that always work, that never let you down and the ones that when you see yourself in a mirror during the day you think...Yay! This looks good on me! instead of... What was I thinking?
The same thing with uncomfortable stuff that can look good but makes you feel contrived or simply NOT yourself.

It´s awful to buy stuff and regret the money you´ve payed for them, even if it´s only a few dollars.

Something you pay 20 bucks is expensive if you look bad in it or you never wear it.

McGovLau · 17-06-2006

got some nice pics of minimalism, im very interested now after reading this hahah

Little Star · 17-06-2006

Minimalism: black and white/cream, sharp lines, minimal detail...
style.com

Little Star · 17-06-2006

Perhaps not such a typical view...but i think colour (in blocks) is an element of minimalism

lalablossoms · 20-06-2006

i'm becoming more and more of a wardrobe planner than spontaneous shopper, i used to have tons of stuff but it never lasted more than a year, i'm 26 and i feel like i'm finally getting a clear vision of how to shop, what looks best on me, and how to be true to my libertine/hipster spirit while embracing classic silhouettes, i'm not an expert ( yet ) but i've learned alot working in boutiques and just through personal experience and these are my tips:

-find your favorite stores, this helps so much to prevent time wasting and if you are lucky you get to know the staff, my favorites are screaming mimis for affordable vintage, rampage and arden b. for pretty blouses, urban outfitters and h&m for trendy basics, joyce leslie for dressy basics, buffalo exchange and beacon's closet for great deals on current used items, any place i work for the discount, trash and vaudeville for skinny jeans, zappos for shoes, ebay for random stuff, i shop other places too but these are my holy grails... but i hope in the near future more comes from my sewing machine, "designer" vintage boutiques, and barney's

-i do the lookbook thing as well and it really is very revealing

-clean those closets, two days ago i did this and removed 3/4 of my wardrobe, i went shopping yesterday and realize i should probably get rid of more lol

-make lists, i've always been into list making but now i apply it to my wardrobe and break it down by season, very mathmatical, and it helps you focus on pieces you really, like instead of looking for "blouses" if you realize you need one long sleeve, one short sleeve, and a cami for spring/summer and fall/winter you really get great ones and spend more wisely plus consider how it matches with everything, also consider budget for each item

-find a color palette that suits your skintone and haircolor, once i had alot to spend on clothes and i made the huge mistake of buying lots of brown, but i'm black and solid brown really washes me out but i can do brown in a print blended with a lighter color ( which is why i do like leopard print in moderation ), now i realize my best colors are black, white, grey, and cream for neutrals, soft muted tones of rose, green, blue, merlot, and violet, and gold for accents

-be conscious of fabrics and care, i cant afford to buy a completely synthetic free wardrobe but i do the best i can to get nice cottons, cashmeres, and silks and take care of them, i dry clean as lil as i can get away with, and i plan on investing in really good silk lingerie maybe 4 sets of bras and panties that i will hand wash cause i'm tired of nylon undies

-know your figure, i have an unusual shape, i'm 5' 0", weigh 95 lbs, and i'm skinny but have curvy hips, with a full but still petite butt and chest ( how that happened i dunno but i'm happy ), the problems are barely any pants ever fit me right in the waist or butt, i realize i have to hem everything but very few brands fit so i found jeans that work and focus more on skirts and dresses, hopefully one day i'll be able to afford nice slacks that fit but for now i give up, in shirts i must try for sure cause sometimes im xs but because of a slightly larger chest than most xs girls i sometimes need s if its a more fitted shirt, hemlines and layering must be paid extra attention to so i dont look like i'm playing dress up

-pre-shop to know whats out there and you wont buy the first thing you see, this can be difficult if you go into stores where employees are commission based ( trust me i know and those "i'm just looking"s make my heart and wallet sink ) but in those cases check online to see the inventory, and again magzines are great for this

happy outfitting

GabiChic · 20-06-2006

^^^^^ OOOhhh, good advice, especially the part about knowing what stores work for you as to not waste anytime.

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16-06-2006	31
fashionista-ta Power to the 99% Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hardly ever at Barney's Gender: femme Posts: 13,029	^ Very good advice from Curious One mistake I think people make when paring down their wardrobes IMO is thinking that duplicates necessarily point to a mistake. I have one pair of black pants and one pair of black jeans ... some would say that's all you need, but that assumes nothing ever has to go to the cleaners I definitely don't have enough ivory tops in my wardrobe, because every little thing that happens (from a flying drop of spaghetti sauce to a dog licking me at the dog park ) shows and it's off to the cleaners again. So my advice would be, be very careful about paring to the absolute minimum, because any little thing can leave you with a hole in your wardrobe that has the potential to create a state of emergency If you have basic items that you like, even if you're not wearing the item this season, hang onto it for the future. There's a prior thread where we talked about some of this stuff, I know it includes the word "French" if you want to search on that ... this was based on the rumor that French women are the best-dressed on earth, and buy only 2-5 pieces a season ... and what that might actually mean. I think this may be more what you're talking about than minimalist style in the strictest sense? I too have suffered from the "Oh, I bought that thing I already had six of again" syndrome, but I don't anymore because I meticulously plan now. Each season I buy a new pair of jeans, a new piece to facilitate what's already in my wardrobe (with an eye to what I discarded at the end of the prior corresponding season), a new (usually complete) outfit of separates, two new pairs of shoes, new makeup, haircut, etc. There's generally a color scheme and all the new stuff goes together. So there's no random shopping with random results ... __________________ Luxury is living a simple, elegant, and responsible life. Luxury is a reduction. --Steven Volpe

16-06-2006	33
fashionista-ta Power to the 99% Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hardly ever at Barney's Gender: femme Posts: 13,029	PS Forgot to say, I also agree with Curious that (regardless of what you might read in magazines) there are no universal wardrobe rules. You can make a minimalist wardrobe that works for you out of almost anything. You can do without virtually any must-have ... I have lived my whole life without the perfect LBD, something that my life apparently doesn't require When my perfect black pants finally bit the dust, I lived for awhile with no black pants (except for my velvet ones--there's a handy thing to have btw) ... although that's something I'd rather not do I wear skirts a lot, but I know women who never wear them. So really it's up to you. What I've done is build a little series of capsule wardrobes. Life would be easier if I'd stop throwing so many different colors into the mix, but that's what makes it fun __________________ Luxury is living a simple, elegant, and responsible life. Luxury is a reduction. --Steven Volpe

16-06-2006	39
cheiby11 V.I.P. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Czech republic Gender: femme Posts: 6,278	I've chosen some black (grey) and white (cream) outfits based on a white shirt. It doesn't need to be boring - you just can add an interesting accesory, the cuts and style are different, but it all depends on your mood/taste/... Narciso Rodriguez Ralph Lauren Ann Demeulemeester Junya Watanabe Martine Sitbon Carolina Herrera Narciso Rodriguez Stella McCartney Fashionista - you said it very well. I'd got the "Oh, I bought that thing I already had six of again" syndrome as well. And it was a big mistake. If you look at the closets of people who are said to have style, you can see that they pick up pieces that fits them and they have more pieces of them. If you love a grey trousers - you can have six pairs of them or more, just how you want. No grey trousers are identical - different material, cut, shade, ... __________________

17-06-2006	40
newprincesita tfs star Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,646	I´ve just written a long and (I thought) inspired reply but this bloody PC erased it before I could post it. To sum it up, I think new additions to wardrobe should feel like you already owned them. If you feel in your guts that something is dubious, less than perfect... It´s better to refrain from buying. The better clothes I bought were like a love affair...I knew right away that I was gonna love them. And when I bought stuff having second thoughts....I regreted it. The world is full of clothes, and somehere lays the perfect item you search. It´s better not to be tempted by "not so perfect" things...because eventually you´ll find the one you love and that will be with you for a long time. The perfect clothes ane the one that always work, that never let you down and the ones that when you see yourself in a mirror during the day you think...Yay! This looks good on me! instead of... What was I thinking? The same thing with uncomfortable stuff that can look good but makes you feel contrived or simply NOT yourself. It´s awful to buy stuff and regret the money you´ve payed for them, even if it´s only a few dollars. Something you pay 20 bucks is expensive if you look bad in it or you never wear it. Last edited by newprincesita; 17-06-2006 at 07:51 AM.

16-06-2006	32
inAbottle trendsetter Join Date: May 2006 Location: where the heart is Gender: femme Posts: 1,433	I'm starting to clean out my wardrobe too. Lately I've been shoppnig with my mind focusing on less can be more.

16-06-2006	34
just_me trendsetter Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,449	What rules is there to say that you got a minimalist wardrobe? Is there enough not to wear any frills or particular colour just stick with simple but strong designs. I've always considered yself as a bit of a minimalist but this thread makes me reconsider, some of the pictures just seem a bit too plain for me. But I always think quality over quantity.

16-06-2006	35
Tushka_BeLLa V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Africa Gender: femme Posts: 7,676	Can anyone post some examples of minimalism? Like from the runway?

17-06-2006	41
McGovLau front row Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Boston Gender: femme Posts: 361	got some nice pics of minimalism, im very interested now after reading this hahah

20-06-2006	44
lalablossoms front row Join Date: May 2006 Location: new york Gender: femme Posts: 217	i'm becoming more and more of a wardrobe planner than spontaneous shopper, i used to have tons of stuff but it never lasted more than a year, i'm 26 and i feel like i'm finally getting a clear vision of how to shop, what looks best on me, and how to be true to my libertine/hipster spirit while embracing classic silhouettes, i'm not an expert ( yet ) but i've learned alot working in boutiques and just through personal experience and these are my tips: -find your favorite stores, this helps so much to prevent time wasting and if you are lucky you get to know the staff, my favorites are screaming mimis for affordable vintage, rampage and arden b. for pretty blouses, urban outfitters and h&m for trendy basics, joyce leslie for dressy basics, buffalo exchange and beacon's closet for great deals on current used items, any place i work for the discount, trash and vaudeville for skinny jeans, zappos for shoes, ebay for random stuff, i shop other places too but these are my holy grails... but i hope in the near future more comes from my sewing machine, "designer" vintage boutiques, and barney's -i do the lookbook thing as well and it really is very revealing -clean those closets, two days ago i did this and removed 3/4 of my wardrobe, i went shopping yesterday and realize i should probably get rid of more lol -make lists, i've always been into list making but now i apply it to my wardrobe and break it down by season, very mathmatical, and it helps you focus on pieces you really, like instead of looking for "blouses" if you realize you need one long sleeve, one short sleeve, and a cami for spring/summer and fall/winter you really get great ones and spend more wisely plus consider how it matches with everything, also consider budget for each item -find a color palette that suits your skintone and haircolor, once i had alot to spend on clothes and i made the huge mistake of buying lots of brown, but i'm black and solid brown really washes me out but i can do brown in a print blended with a lighter color ( which is why i do like leopard print in moderation ), now i realize my best colors are black, white, grey, and cream for neutrals, soft muted tones of rose, green, blue, merlot, and violet, and gold for accents -be conscious of fabrics and care, i cant afford to buy a completely synthetic free wardrobe but i do the best i can to get nice cottons, cashmeres, and silks and take care of them, i dry clean as lil as i can get away with, and i plan on investing in really good silk lingerie maybe 4 sets of bras and panties that i will hand wash cause i'm tired of nylon undies -know your figure, i have an unusual shape, i'm 5' 0", weigh 95 lbs, and i'm skinny but have curvy hips, with a full but still petite butt and chest ( how that happened i dunno but i'm happy ), the problems are barely any pants ever fit me right in the waist or butt, i realize i have to hem everything but very few brands fit so i found jeans that work and focus more on skirts and dresses, hopefully one day i'll be able to afford nice slacks that fit but for now i give up, in shirts i must try for sure cause sometimes im xs but because of a slightly larger chest than most xs girls i sometimes need s if its a more fitted shirt, hemlines and layering must be paid extra attention to so i dont look like i'm playing dress up -pre-shop to know whats out there and you wont buy the first thing you see, this can be difficult if you go into stores where employees are commission based ( trust me i know and those "i'm just looking"s make my heart and wallet sink ) but in those cases check online to see the inventory, and again magzines are great for this happy outfitting

20-06-2006	45
GabiChic windowshopping Join Date: May 2006 Gender: femme Posts: 39	^^^^^ OOOhhh, good advice, especially the part about knowing what stores work for you as to not waste anytime.

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