Building or rebuilding a wardrobe from scratch

[darlin]

hello everyone! i've lived in los angeles all of my life, and i'll be moving to baltimore in the fall to attend MICA. it'll be interesting to live in a place with actual seasons, and i've begun to prepare by buying a heavy coat. my first substantial/"investment" piece of clothing!



i'm a little concerned it's almost too heavy, or maybe that's just my puny southern californian's grip on temperature? it's very thick and warm. what should i look for in adaptable/versatile outerwear? and how else should i prepare for living in a place with seasons?

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You'll want gloves too (if you'll be driving, leather or leather palms [what do you call that? ] is good), and cardigans, and nice warm things to sleep in ... nice warm socks. I like the 'butter' ones ... You might also like some flannel sheets & PJs. I always have a nice warm sweatshirt for wearing at home.

 

[Melisande]

Nice coat! You'll need a wool scarf to go with the coat, tights and boots. Perhaps a warm skirt or pants. Wool sweaters/turtlenecks you can layer. But you can buy those as the weather gets cooler.

 

[luluposh]

hello everyone! i've lived in los angeles all of my life, and i'll be moving to baltimore in the fall to attend MICA. it'll be interesting to live in a place with actual seasons, and i've begun to prepare by buying a heavy coat. my first substantial/"investment" piece of clothing!

i'm a little concerned it's almost too heavy, or maybe that's just my puny southern californian's grip on temperature? it's very thick and warm. what should i look for in adaptable/versatile outerwear? and how else should i prepare for living in a place with seasons?

I know a little about having to build up a wardrobe that deals with all seasons, I moved to Europe when I was 16, having spent my whole life in Africa ... my first purchases were; a decent coat - cardigans (of all lengths/materials/ colours) to suit most seasons - a pair of sturdy boots - tights (thinner as well as thicker that can be worn with a skirt/dress for A/W) - scarves - gloves.

I would say opt for a few pieces in the beginning that you can use to work with some of the perhaps "thinner" pieces in your wardrobe, and see how far you need to go in terms of getting very heavy pieces. I am a complete wimp in the cold weather, and I've been told Europe is not that cold , so my clothes tend to be quite thick when it gets cold, but I know others that just add a little more to their normal outfits and get by..

oh and an accessory that I never forget to carry with me: an umbrella!

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Agree with what luluposh is alluding to ... your personal thermostat is part of this. I grew up in a cold climate, and now live in a warm climate that has a few months of winter. I liked wool flannel skirts and pants (and one of each will probably take you far), but I always felt wool sweaters were too hot indoors with the central heat (and after all, you do always come back in from the cold ). I suppose it depends on how old the buildings you'll be in are, and how well they're heated. It might be a good idea to scope out the stores and wait till it actually gets cold to buy sweaters. By that point you might even be able to score some things on sale ...

I have also had a wool vest with deep armholes and a widish neckline. Something like that would allow your body to breathe, while providing warmth.

But I find that layering cotton works for me now.

 

[luluposh]

^ You have raised a good point that I forgot about - depending on how large your classes are, and what the room sizes will be like, you may find yourself with adequate heating in classes in the midst of winter I remember being able to get by wearing a tank and light cardigan to classes since my lecturer theatres were so warm!
You can also find sanctuary indoors, so there the clothing worries should not be too bad, you could decide how hot/cold to make your settings at home.
As for the wetter stages of the year, I think a good pair of boots is vital, and perhaps umbrella/rainmac depending on your preference.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You may also want to think about the soles of your shoes/boots in relation to snow and *ice*. It used to be a point of pride with me to wear regular shoes in the wintertime ... it can be done if the sidewalks are shoveled, etc. But walking on ice in a regular shoe, especially a flat with a smooth leather sole, is not necessarily for amateurs

There's a Prada Mary Jane with a chunky heel and ridged rubber sole that would be a decent choice ... not for wading through deep snow, of course.

 

[papa_levante]

I would love to rebuild my wardrobe.

Did anyone here find it difficult to incorporate their old style into their new style? For example, I bought certain items from a certain store that was much less than minimal -the style I'm going for- since many things sold there were covered in plaid or tiny flowers and other types of colorful patterns. But, I do not want to give these things away since I spent good money on them. So, when rebuilding a wardrobe, did everyone here at least attempt to incorporate old things into their new style though it didn't exactly go with the idea of their new style in mind? I hope that makes some sense. I'd like to keep what I have and attempt to make it match, or did a lot of you find that you ended up tossing?

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I don't know if I've ever really started from scratch, except perhaps at the very beginning, when I first started buying things for myself, in junior high/high school?

It sounds like you're wanting to make a major shift, which I haven't really done, it's been kind of gradual.

You might try just wearing the two looks together, on different days. You could focus on building a capsule wardrobe for fall in the new style (the 4-5 piece thread talks about how to do this).

 

[papa_levante]

^I love The 4-5 Piece Thread so much. I just read it, rarely contribute. Lots of inspiration there.

I feel I may need more pieces than that since come winter, I end up wearing hoodies to cozy up in class and I have no "decent" winter wear. I feel like the direction I will be taking will take some money. Consignment and thrift stores are now in my future. It's more difficult there since you have to shop based on what you find when you get there rather than a store that you know carries what you need.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Yes, it's definitely a challenge.

Remember the 4-5 pieces are the key pieces per season. The great jacket, the perfect jeans/skirt/pants/boots. I can imagine including a hoodie on the list if it were Rick Owens, but something basic I probably wouldn't count.

 

[gius]

i'm building a wardrobe from scratch too :-)

i'd like to design it..

there are so many ideas, choices out there. how will you boil it down ?
colours, shapes, fabrics. i like fashionista-ta's idea of a season capsule. starting with basics

sometimes something that will make it easier is to think about function. how does it fit into your lifestyle , everyday life. you need certain fabrics for certain weather. you need pockets to put your wallet in (or purse).


also i think the fabric and colour themselves have their own abstract impression / expression. like when you pay attention to the type/font/lettering in these two pictures:

they feel different, no? ^^


img src lab-curio.com

 

[luluposh]

I'm bumping this since it seemed like the best place to ask this question...I have basically never owned a belt, and I realised that I should think about building a little collection from scratch, since it seems to add to an outfit.
How does one go about buying belts - what should i look for in terms of material, style etc that may be essential for a wardrobe, or are belts not considered an essential?

 

[William_St_Girl]

Well I don't wear belts that often... I have 5 though and they seem to cover most instances...

1. Quite a wide patent Crock Leather Black Belt... Good for over blouses, knitwear, dresses, tops etc etc...

2. Pencil Thin Red Belt again for smart with skirts

3. Brown Leather jeans belt... mines is ralph lauren and I bought it in the menswear dept.

4. Broad Brown Woven Leather belt... wear loose or tight and again for casual only over knitwear or a top Etc.

5. White and Sparkly leather belt

Hope that helps they cover most of my bases... basically its tight belts you put through the loops... and over the top belts for me anyway that go over things...

How are you anyway???

WSG x

 

[Melisande]

I'm bumping this since it seemed like the best place to ask this question...I have basically never owned a belt, and I realised that I should think about building a little collection from scratch, since it seems to add to an outfit.
How does one go about buying belts - what should i look for in terms of material, style etc that may be essential for a wardrobe, or are belts not considered an essential?

I'd first think about what I usually wear. Do you usually wear jeans and need a belt that fits in the loops and flatters your tummy and hips or holds up your jeans? Or do you need a wide waist belt to cinch your waist over tops/cardis skirts and create an hourglass figure? Maybe something more low-slung and soft?

I definitely don't think belts are essential. I had one pair of jeans that needed a belt, but since those retired, I haven't worn a belt for months.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I don't wear belts either now ... I think they are non-essential If you really want to start wearing them, that's fine ... just don't think that you have to Is there a reason why you haven't till now?

 

[luluposh]

WSG and Melisande
I do not need belts for jeans or trousers, although I might look for a tan leather (maybe vintage) belt that I can wear casually with jeans...

I guess I was thinking more in terms of wearing belts with dresses and skirts/tunics to break up the outfit. I realise now that I will probably have to examine all my pieces and think of what belts will work with them, and I have a feeling that since there are different looks I am hoping to create, I might have to buy a variety of colours/sizes/textures

Ta-ta: I haven't worn belts until now because whenever I tried belts with jeans I always felt they made me look wider than I really am, perhaps I was trying the wrong belts though and should have not given up.. I didn't view them as essential either, but the reason I decided now after all this time to try them is just because I have seen how much they can change the shape of a simple dress/tunic/outfit etc., and also add a little extra.

 

[xing]

What advice would you give to someone(me) who is starting from scratch. Like literally NO clothes, NO accessories(shoes, bags, stuff), NOTHING and doesn't know what suits her or not. Doesn't have a lot of money. Currently lives in a tropical climate.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ What kind of things do you like to wear?

 

[xing]

^That's the problem. I'm not sure! I'm attracted to a lot of different pieces. From that studded leather jacket to that lace sheath dress, but I'm not sure what my style is or if it suits me. I've been wearing the tropical equivalent of velour tracksuits(school t-shirt and fbt shorts) for as long as I can remember.

Generally speaking, I'm attracted to Sofia Coppola's style but I don't know if it's the way she carries it or what. Because I think it's going to look very plain and boring if the person isnt sofia coppola. I also like Taylor Tomasi and a little Audrey Tautou. I used to like Kirsten Dunst and Kate Bosworth but now I think their style changed and I don't like them as much anymore.

I'm short(5'2 or 158cm) and pear shaped with longer torso and shorter legs(29inch inseam is slightly pushing it). Which is really different a body type from all the people I've mentioned.