Building or rebuilding a wardrobe from scratch

[nabiha]

I love you all!

You've also given me such reasonable advice -- I went shopping today and came home with: skinny jeans, a velvet jacket, too many silk blouses, and a pair of beautiful white trousers. None of which, I'm afraid, could be classified as "basic" or even useful. and good call on the scarves/coats/boots/UNDERWEAR...silly me. I did have a carry on with a few essentials...and my laptop and a photo album, because I'm nostalgic and missing home already. Not too many reasonable things. Building a wardrobe again is hard!

You're lovely for giving me advice -- not that I meant to hijack the thread completely, so y'all must keep listing what *you* would want for an ideal wardrobe!

 

[fashionista-ta]

I love you all!

You've also given me such reasonable advice -- I went shopping today and came home with: skinny jeans, a velvet jacket, too many silk blouses, and a pair of beautiful white trousers. None of which, I'm afraid, could be classified as "basic" or even useful. and good call on the scarves/coats/boots/UNDERWEAR...silly me. I did have a carry on with a few essentials...and my laptop and a photo album, because I'm nostalgic and missing home already. Not too many reasonable things. Building a wardrobe again is hard!

You're lovely for giving me advice -- not that I meant to hijack the thread completely, so y'all must keep listing what *you* would want for an ideal wardrobe!

Nabiha ... you certainly know how to present us with a challenge

So you can wear your jeans instead of trousers, velvet jacket instead of tweed, silk blouses for layering instead of cotton (although your dry cleaning bill may send you running back to the store). The white trousers ... there's that whole b/w thing going on this fall, so suggest pairing them with black on top ... and the black boots you're going to buy if we let you go shopping again by yourself ... you will buy something practical next time, won't you? B)

PS Let me know when little fashionista-ta is born & I will send you some very practical baby presents

 

[GasolineRainbow]

Rebuilding a wardrobe

Ugh. My suitcase got stolen yesterday, and as the hours pass, my chances of retrieving it are growing slimmer.

I must now focus on replacing the items I lost. I had packed mostly my favorite things. I was away for two weeks and lost most of my transitional spring/summer clothes and shoes, my beloved basics (jeans, jackets, t shirts etc.), accessories (belts, scarves etc. luckily no expensive jewellery!), and underwear, including bras. Not to mention cosmetics, and stuff like my glasses, hairdryer and cell phone charger.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience? I need both practical and philosophical advice on how to go about rebuilding a wardrobe. I feel so overwhelmed right now that I don't know where to start. I wish I could see this positively as a fresh start, but the truth is I'm heartbroken. I get very attached to my belongings, and a lot of the items had great sentimental value. I'm also on a quite limited budget, though thankfully my parents have offered to help me out. I would appreciate any helpful advice.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Oh no, that totally sucks

I'm so glad your parents are helping you out.

I'd suggest taking a look at the 4-5 piece French wardrobe thread. I would go ahead & take time to mourn for the things you've lost--have a good cry if you want to. I would then make a list of what has to be replaced right away (hair dryer, glasses, etc.), and then one of what you'd like to replace mid-term.

I have not experienced this large scale of a loss, but I have had key pieces destroyed by the cleaners that literally forced me to rethink my entire wardrobe. Painful though that was, it did get me out of a rut

What I found is, you can't always replace that favorite item--sometimes you just have to branch out in a new direction. So I would make as general a list as possible ... some things probably aren't negotiable, like jeans will need to be replaced with jeans. But maybe they could be a different color, or cut ... There are some good example lists in the French wardrobe thread.

Good luck, & may the shopping gods be with you

 

[GasolineRainbow]

^^ Thank you for your thoughtful advice, Fashionista-ta.

For anyone interested, trying to dress for work these past two days has been really funny. For example, I try on a pair of pants and realize that I don't have a belt for the loose waist. I wear a skirt, and realize I don't have any suitable tights for daytime. I put on a light-colored shirt and realize that the only bra I have is black, so it shows through the shirt. I have to make a choice between freezing my butt off or wearing a much too warm coat or cardigan, because my spring-appropriate jackets are gone.

The even funnier thing is, I'm totally a 4-5 pieces type of shopper, and although I love fashion, I don't own tons of clothes and accessories. Partly for economic reasons and partly because I prefer to keep things simple. Now that's actually hurt me. Like you said Fashionista-ta, losing those key items has forced me to completely rethink my entire wardrobe.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I would def add those "pain points" to your short-term shopping list It is the exact technique I use to determine whether I need to go shopping again after I've already bought a few things for a season.

I really think that anyone who packed their favorite things would be hurting right now, though maybe not experiencing all the pain points--maybe they'd have some more backup. Although I kind of picture the unworn 80% being (in some cases anyway) weird unwearable completely useless "moody shopping" stuff--maybe I'm wrong I do suspect though that most people don't have a whole "second string" ready to kick in.

Perhaps those with non-compact wardrobes would like to comment on what would happen if they lost all of their favorite pieces & essentials for a 2-week trip ...

Like you, I would be screwed, no question ... I would have to go shopping for lingerie & nightwear immediately, and I would be missing some very important key pieces.

 

[5-Hour man]

If you buy good basics you can pretty much do with very few pieces. I wear mostly black-on-black with a lot of layering, which makes it easier for me to get by with a limited wardrobe. But here's pretty much what it consists of:

A few black t-shirts and tanks and a few white t-shirts as well.
One black oversize mohair knit cardigan.
One black oversize cotton knit cardigan.
One black shirt.
One white shirt.
One black blazer.
One black tie.
One black vest.
One black wool jumper.
One black cotton jumper.
A pair of shorts.
A pair of black leggings.
A pair of black pants.
A pair of black boots. (well - they're on their way, anyway :-D)
A pair of black low-top shoes.
A pair of high-top shoes.
And of course accessories: black scarves of different material, length, texture, necklaces, stuff like that.

So I pretty much have one of each item. If you are good at styling you can pretty much have a new great look every day.

 

[5-Hour man]

On a side note... Of course I have more items in my wardrobe than those I mentioned above. But I can easily get by with just those pieces. Most of the stuff I haven't mentioned I rarely every use.

If you buy good basics you can pretty much do with very few pieces. I wear mostly black-on-black with a lot of layering, which makes it easier for me to get by with a limited wardrobe. But here's pretty much what it consists of:

A few black t-shirts and tanks and a few white t-shirts as well.
One black oversize mohair knit cardigan.
One black oversize cotton knit cardigan.
One black shirt.
One white shirt.
One black blazer.
One black tie.
One black vest.
One black wool jumper.
One black cotton jumper.
A pair of shorts.
A pair of black leggings.
A pair of black pants.
A pair of black boots. (well - they're on their way, anyway :-D)
A pair of black low-top shoes.
A pair of high-top shoes.
And of course accessories: black scarves of different material, length, texture, necklaces, stuff like that.

So I pretty much have one of each item. If you are good at styling you can pretty much have a new great look every day.

 

[solg]

I agree with what fashionista-ta has said. Take a look at the '4-5 piece French wardrobe thread', it will help you a lot.
Even though i'd be heartbroken as you are if my stuff was gone, i would look at it as a positive experience to start over. Think of basics; the items you had and used & the stuff you didn't. This time when you go shopping, you'll be smarter & buy exactly what you need. I think it could also be kind of fun
Also, take these days for experimenting with what you've got left & try to see if you could put some good outfits together

I would recommend playing with Polyvore also. It may sound silly, but i've selected a few basic items i had on my wardrobe & created outfits so whenever i felt like 'i had nothing to wear', i could go back to them and feel a little inspired I did it for fun, so maybe it may help you too.

I wish you the best of luck creating a new (& improved, why not?) wardrobe

 

[fashionista-ta]

Please note that I've merged with another thread where the OP lost her entire wardrobe with the exception of shoes ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

Gasoline Rainbow, I hope you'll give us an update on how it's going ...

 

[bigb3n]

I actually strongly disagree with the skirt advice few posts up...with getting full, a-line, pencil skirts etc

Different skirts flatter different body shapes and the material in question as well drapes very differently.

Skirt length should be the answer here, and not cut. While it might seem awesome to have a skirt of every cut out there, if it doesn't flatter you, it doesn't deserve a place in your wardrobe.

 

[GasolineRainbow]

Hi everyone, I thought I might re-ignite this thread, and let you know how my wardrobe rebuilding has been going.

Buying skincare and makeup was a lot of fun, as I got to try new products, colors, and brands. I realized how easy it is to get stuck in a skincare/makeup rut, so instead of replacing the items I lost, I tried to look for something new. Buying new clothes on the other hand has been very tiring. I enjoy shopping for basics, but not JUST basics, you know? Still, these were the most necessary items that I had to replace. If anyone is interested:

- I'm not really into prints or loud colors, so I've bought quite a few cotton t-shirts and tanks in white, black, gray, and light blue.
- A medium blue pair of jeans from Zara. They have a skinny fit which doesn't flatter me 100% (depends on what top I wear), but the fabric was really soft, and that cinched the deal for me.
- A pair of straight black slacks. The fabric is lightweight enough for summer, and I can fold them up for certain looks.
- Two medium-wide belts, one black and one silver, that I can wear over dresses and hold up my pants/jeans with. Who knew I was so dependent on belts? I hadn't realized it before.
- A pair of gladiator sandals (flat), the infamous Nine West gladiator wedges, and ballet flats (all black). I don't know how smart it was to give into the gladiator trend, but I really like it.
- Three simple cotton knee-length dresses, in black, light gray, and white. Nothing terribly exciting, but I live in such dresses during the summer, and they can look different according to how I accessorize them.
- A nude bra and some comfortable thong-type underpants, but could not be as extravagant as I wanted, as everything I liked was extremely expensive. Hopefully in time I will manage to upgrade to prettier items.
- Finally, I decided to hold off on any cold-weather and transitional clothes, purely for economic reasons. I'll have to buy tights, socks, long-sleeve shirts, scarves, and jackets when the summer is over. Summers are extremely hot here, and I can make do with what is already in my closet.

My question now is this. My daytime summer wardrobe has been sorted out for the most part. Do you have any suggestions for more dressed-up occasions? I lost my favorite going-out dress, skirt, and tops, and I don't know what to look for.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Glad it's going well, GasolineRainbow

I think you've done well ... I find it dreary sometimes shopping for basics too, and not from scratch, so I know what you mean.

Lately I've found some pretty lingerie on sale, so maybe you can have a bit of good luck on the sale rack too ...

As for evening, I have a favorite silk/cotton voile blouse that works for both day and evening. I try not to get too many dedicated evening things because I end up feeling I'm not getting my money's worth from them ...

 

[Kora]

Definately start with the basics such as:

Great black slacks
Jeans
white tee's & tanks
black tees
basic cashmere sweaters
a basic coat that will match anything
a DVF wrap dress
white pair of linen pants
etc.
then as the seasons & fashion changes add the latest styles (i never spend a lot on those)

 

[fashionista-ta]

bump for merging

 

[LoveBug]

University starts soon and I am looking for new things to wear. I never had a proper waredrobe so I will be starting pretty much from scrach. Any ideas ? What are the basics items I need and what are the fashionable stuff I should get. I am 26 , thin and not tall.Pics would help, thanks

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Do you know what people at the university you'll be going to typically wear? In a situation where you're starting from more or less scratch, I would take that into consideration, possibly waiting to do most of the shopping until after at least a couple weeks of the school year ...

 

[LoveBug]

Oh I never tought of that !! You are right ! I will buy a few items now, and later on the rest ! Thanks a lotttt!

 

[fashionista-ta]

Bumping for vanilla fairy ...