The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #1

[fashionista-ta]

style.com, saks.com

Thick strappy sandals have been looking good to me for spring ... like these ...

 

[maiden voyage]

^ nice!

...on the topic of purging/weeding one's closet -
i have been a little more conservative in what i get rid of, putting things i'm not sure about in storage for awhile before i pull the trigger.
today i was starting to put together a shopping list of things i need for an upcoming trip to india (i live in northern california, so i almost never wear summer clothes)...

first i looked through the 2 boxes of things i've filed away - i ended up finding an entire, perfect, fully coordinated little capsule of things. everything works with everything else, i can pack it all up in a small duffel and have all the variety i'll want for 3 weeks.

the funny thing is that to me, these were a motley collection of things, a couple of gifts that never worked out, a dress i've never worn, etc. but somehow even though i wasn't wearing them, i had a feeling not to toss them.

now i can see that they're just not things i'm likely to wear much in my usual life...
but really perfect for a summery climate, and especially perfect for mumbai and goa, where i'll mostly be.

and, as per ta-ta's suggestion awhile back, i'd already gotten 2 pairs of sandals for my trip, to build from, and they magically worked with everything i found today.

so, while i'm using these "4-5' principles in what i'm adding to my closet these days, and buying quality over quantity... today i was appreciating the 'quantity'. and especially glad that i had not been too ruthless in my purging!

 

[GasolineRainbow]

OT, but Northern California doesn't have hot, extended summers? I knew that it has a colder climate than SoCal, but I always assumed that the winters were mild and spring/summer was hot.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ It stays pretty cool by the Bay. And the winters are absolutely bone-chilling

I know what you mean, maiden voyage. Since I don't have crazy stuff or huge quantities in my closet in the first place, I tend to get rid of things that are actually worn out. Just because I'm not wearing something right now doesn't mean it won't come in handy in the future. And it's always a good idea to listen to that sixth sense

 

[maiden voyage]

^ yes i'm talking about the coastal areas, it's actually much hotter inland in the summer. (ta-ta, you sound like one whose bones have been chilled by that bay breeze)

...this year i have been really thinking about buying things i love.
and things that feel really "me".

i got a little 'off track' in some ways, because i had to change my work wardrobe a good bit (new job) and bought things more quickly than i would have liked. so i did get some things purely for function, kind of as 'place-holders' until i find things i love...

these are the things i loved most from last season -
- black wool bomber
- black trench (60's style from APC, extremely cute and the gabardine sheds water amazingly)
- dark, high-waist jeans
- black short moto-inspired boots
- vintage handmade belt made of brass and leather links

these are some of my choices for spring/summer -
- gray straight-leg ankle-length jeans
- white tiered ruffle tank with macrame bib
- black sparkly repetto BB flats
- little denim jacket (photo: www.lagarconne.com)
- plain leather belt (photo: www.apc.fr)
- striped tee (not quite like the photo, it has buttons & 3/4 sleeves)(also apc)

i'm also on the lookout for another pair of summer pants, a simple dress and a plain cotton skirt...

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Well I was born in the Bay Area and lived there for awhile, but I don't remember the weather as I was too small ... I added some vacation time in Half Moon Bay & surrounding area to a trip during the winter and good Lord The temperatures were similar to the ones at home so I didn't pack anything special, and I was sooooo cold ... I suddenly understood why men from the Bay always own wool shirts

I recently lost my blue denim jacket, and it's so strange, I rarely lose anything, and I don't even know where it is. Am waiting to see what I need. I'm sure I need some kind of jacket as it's the only short outerwear I had, but I may get a different kind ...

 

[The_Ida]

I think that a nice denim jacket is a fantastic buy...it's been a while since the denim jacket overload in the late nineties, so it doesn't feel as funky anymore I will get one if I win the lottery.

 

[CaitlinC]

That would do that for each season but realistically, that is not going to happen. lol

 

[maiden voyage]

it's been a while since the denim jacket overload in the late nineties, so it doesn't feel as funky anymore

that's so true.... i was wondering why i had 'gone off' denim jackets, lol...
yes, if it works out, that'll be my splurge for the season

ta-ta - i was thinking of this OT discussion when i got a down vest the other day, i came across a really cute one in white and thought "that'll come in handy for summer", i'm not even joking. i have been caught off guard so many times in the 10 yrs i've lived here, now i always keep a warm layer with me at all times.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Brrr! I remember the down comforter I slept under on that trip quite fondly ...

Anyone making progress on spring wardrobes? I've been wearing & loving all three of the cardigans I posted earlier ... the red is most striking.

 

[Hebden]

Anyone making progress on spring wardrobes?

A little...which I suppose is a good thing as this is the 4-5 piece wardrobe thread So far my only spring/summer purchase has been this top by Hazel & Jaloux.

I'm not a warm weather person so I'm trying to be more choosy and not make random, panic, summer purchases. We'll see how it goes...

Images from 80's Purple

 

[maiden voyage]

So far my only spring/summer purchase has been this top by Hazel & Jaloux.

I'm not a warm weather person so I'm trying to be more choosy and not make random, panic, summer purchases. We'll see how it goes..

^ that is a very pretty top.
i'm not really that into summer clothes either, so i usually try to get warm weather clothes that i can mix and layer so i can wear them year round. that top looks pretty versatile that way.

 

[Hebden]

^ Thanks. The ability to layer/wear at other times of the year was definitely a consideration...plus I desperately needed some color.

I meant to say on my last post...add one more person to the denim jacket club. Recently I've found myself dragging mine out from the depths of my wardrobe and throwing it on...I can see myself wearing it all the time once the weather gets a little better.

 

[The_Ida]

I've ordered a pair of light blue denim jeans from Tiger of Sweden...why are the Swedes so great at jeans? They just opened a mens store in Århus, and BF nearly wet himself He actually picked the jeans out for me. He owns a billion pairs, so he must be quite an authority on them

 

[The_Ida]

BTW I think coral is going to be huge for spring. I saw tops the same colour as Hebdens lovely blouse all over the shops today (and it's still snowing). I don't think the colour suits me very well, so I bought a coral nail polish in stead Cassi by Zoya:

zoya.com

 

[floodette]

such a pretty color!!!!

 

[misstarshine]

I love my denim jacket but its too hot here at the moment I'll wear it with my summer dresses when it get a bit cooler.

for my autumn/winter wardrobe I'm eying off some black knee-high flat suede boots to replace my old black boots that are seriously dying.

I also need some sort of parka jacket.

Finally I'm going to be buying a pair of dark blue skinny jeans maybe levis, probably sass & bide.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Michelle Obama has some really great flat black suede boots--there's a picture in her thread.

 

[quimby]

I haven't bought much for Spring yet. My closet is imbalanced anyway, heavily favoring summer/spring clothes because of my former location, so I don't know that I should.

But recently I acquired two Goldenbleu clutches during its going out of business sale. I was wanting to get a wristlet for weekend nights, but opted for these instead because of the tremendous savings.

So, now I have a patent yellow foldover clutch and a black leather clutch. I'll probably start using them during the day, a la Carrie Bradshaw.

As for clothes, I have a few things earmarked for sales. I love everything A.P.C. and want to get a dress and a few striped tops from them this year. I also want to get a little more black in my wardrobe, maybe just a mini.

 

[karmacoma]

4-5 pieces are a realistic amount, again a decent base wardrobe is needed . I think depending on how much you wear something, smoking also means you wash more so u need more clothing.!