Building or rebuilding a wardrobe from scratch

[fashionista-ta]

^ We have a thread called Starting the fashion thing that you might like ...

 

[ChrissyM]

clemence i think when rebuilding your wardrobe you should definitely start off with some nice basics and then evolve from there...

look for the perfect white and black t-shirts...
a pair of slim black pants...

you mentioned liking sofia coppola's style...
she definitely goes for a lot of classic pieces i think... in solid colors..

you can add interest with accessories...
especially if you're not really sure what your style is at this point..
you don't want to spend a lot of money on trendy pieces that in the end are not and never will be "you"
and you don't want to buy a lot of things that you wouldn't want to wear a year or two from now...

just go for things that fit really well...
you'll have to do a lot of trying on, but it will be worth it...

and invest in a great pair of jeans...
doesn't have to be an expensive pair...
just something that fits you really well..
probably in a dark wash...
that's the most flattering/slimming and is also versatile.. can go easily from day to night, dress up or dress down...

and since budget is a concern, that's another advantage of basics...
you can do lots of mixing and matching

 

[xing]

^ We have a thread called Starting the fashion thing that you might like ...

I did a search but can't find it. Can you direct me to the thread please?

 

[xing]

clemence i think when rebuilding your wardrobe you should definitely start off with some nice basics and then evolve from there...

look for the perfect white and black t-shirts...
a pair of slim black pants...

you mentioned liking sofia coppola's style...
she definitely goes for a lot of classic pieces i think... in solid colors..

you can add interest with accessories...
especially if you're not really sure what your style is at this point..
you don't want to spend a lot of money on trendy pieces that in the end are not and never will be "you"
and you don't want to buy a lot of things that you wouldn't want to wear a year or two from now...

just go for things that fit really well...
you'll have to do a lot of trying on, but it will be worth it...

and invest in a great pair of jeans...
doesn't have to be an expensive pair...
just something that fits you really well..
probably in a dark wash...
that's the most flattering/slimming and is also versatile.. can go easily from day to night, dress up or dress down...

and since budget is a concern, that's another advantage of basics...
you can do lots of mixing and matching

thanks!
There was a sale today at a local store for T-shirts(what luck!) and I got basic round neck tees that aren't too tight, nor too loose, nor too thick/thin in white,light navy, grey and light yellow. I also got the same tee, but small V neck, in black.

So now I've got non-school tees to wear, I'm looking at my jeans options but jeans are slightly harder to find when one's short and pear shaped.

What do you mean by accessories?

Also, where do I go from here? Basic tee + pants/jeans(one pair each) won't last very long before people realise that I have nothing else to wear.

 

[ChrissyM]

^^by accessories i mean things like jewelry, shoes, bags etc...
they can add some interest to outfits that might otherwise be overly simple

since you're in a warm climate you might also want a denim skirt.. something basic like that?
dresses are also great...
so easy to throw on and you can accessorize with belts, fun shoes etc

but again... building your wardrobe depends strongly on what you feel comfortable in and what fits your figure...
i think it's great that you have style inspirations....
maybe go through some of their threads here on tfs, take a look at the candids and see what pieces they go back to over and over again in their wardrobes...
could give you some really great ideas and starting points for pieces to acquire and ways to style them so that you can make the most out of your clothes without feeling the need to amass a huge wardrobe

 

[ATM1985]

^ Accessories are really a great way for people to not "recognize" you are wearing similar outfits. A few bright bangles and a scarf around your neck or in your hair is a great way to make an outfit look completely different. Another option is layering with basic tanks or tees to get various looks.

I have a question for the thread as well. I just finished a giant overhaul of my entire spring/summer wardrobe. Since I've been exercising regularly, very little fits. On the one hand, this is quite exciting for me health-wise (and, shopping-wise, I have to confess...), on the other, it's a bit daunting to start from scratch. I have a few basic tanks, two short sleeved shorts, and a denim skirt. I also have a uniform for work, so my focus can be entirely "fun" clothes. I figure if I start thinking now, I can make a mindful list of things to buy, instead of going wild and ending up with a whole bunch of cheap things that don't work well together.

So, what do you consider to be essentials for Spring/Summer?