The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #2

[Belowen]

Looking back I didn't actually purchase that much in A/W this year. I bought:

Sambag Black Cashmere Sweater
Silence & Noise Black All Over Studded Tank
ASOS Black Chain Neck Sweater
Bear Print Raglan Sweater
Sportsgirl Dark Denim Straight Leg Jeans
Black Jersey/Satin Tiered Dress
Sussan Black Long Length Blazer
Shopbop Basics Black Cashmere Scarf
Shopbop Basics Red Cashmere Tube Scarf
Warehouse Lace Scarf (in Mink)
ASOS Black Enamel Panther Cuff
Ella Moss Hyde Top
& I was also gifted a no-brand black leather handbag from Italy from my parents.

This is a vast improvement over previous years! Hopefully I can continue to cull down my spending as time goes on... So now I guess I should post my spring/summer list as I've already organised it... ( despite it still being the dead of winter, )

Tops
* plain american apparel v-neck tees
*** sheer/floral print blouses (need 3 more)
peacock print empire waist top
* ella moss portico tunic in ‘army’
* joie delano top in cranberry/off white
* cooperative sailor back tunic in turquoise grey
elizabeth & james black satin blouse
black/silk jersey t-shirt
peach silk t-shirt
* pins & needles lace dolman top in black
* ‘event style’ short sleeved top
* 'casual style' short sleeved top

Bottoms
* dark denim straight leg jeans (need 1 more)
*** black pencil skirt (need 2 more)
* denim a-line skirt
* boyfriend style roll-bottom jeans

Dresses
asos purple floral sundress
gap black cotton sundress
gap purple cotton sundress
target purple/green peacock print maxi dress
* pins & needles knit ditsy print babydoll dress
basque green/black peacock print dress
* ‘event style’ dress

Outerwear
cropped denim jacket
** lightweight black cardigan (need 2)

Accessories
* black bathing suit (need 1 more)
mimco oversized handbag
no-name black italian leather shoulder bag
stella mccartney for lesportsac black canteen shoulder back
see by chloe yellow cutout bag
marni purple clutch
vintage peacock feather clutch
* oversized clutch
* see by chloe two can big shopping bag [ on order ]
* elizabeth and james bar pendant necklace
* fallon jewelry isis cuff
chloe leather aviator sunglasses
ray ban tortoiseshell wayfarers

Shoes
* black thin strap havaianas
* black leather ballet flats (need 1 more)
black country road t-bar flat leather sandals
black elastic strap flat sandals
** black flat leather sandals (need 1 more)
white converse low-top sneakers
dark teal nine west peep toe wedges
cream leather/suede charles & keith peep toe wedges
* black leather peep toe wedges

I've ordered my first piece for the season - this See by Chloe Two Can Beach Tote... (shopbop.com)

 

[Belowen]

I already have another thing to cross off my list. When my other half went to the shops this morning to do the grocery shop (I was too sick to go) I asked him to keep an eye out for these jeans. He came back with a pair in the right size, and with the good news that they were on sale marked down to $29.95! (sussan.com)

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You had best hang on to Francis A man who can save you from going jeans shopping is priceless

Looking at your list, I got curious ... how come you need 2 pairs of black ballets and 3 pairs of flat black sandals?

I've been clearing out my books & was looking at the book I read as a teenager that includes wardrobe planning advice ... it has some quotes that are relevant to this thread so I may share a couple ... one interesting thing I notice about it is that it really encourages the use of color--having a compact wardrobe + buying in adventurous colors.

 

[Belowen]

^ You had best hang on to Francis A man who can save you from going jeans shopping is priceless

Looking at your list, I got curious ... how come you need 2 pairs of black ballets and 3 pairs of flat black sandals?

I know, he's a good egg

I always have 2 pairs of black ballets in my wardrobe because I literally wear them to death I wear them that often. I recently wore one pair out, so I need to replace it As for the sandals, I am looking for a pair of flat peep toe leather sandals that would be appropriate for work, and a pair of casual sandals that aren't as dressy as the black t-bar sandals I currently have. So one casual pair, one dressy pair and one pair for work

 

[xing]

I did a cleanup of my closet and this are mainly the things that I can/want to actually wear out. Anything ill-fitting or for some reason or another I wouldn't or cannot wear has been edited out. Socks, bras and panties aren't in the list but for socks it's block colours in 1001 colours of the rainbow whereas for undergarments, it's just multiples of the same piece in either black or nude.

TOPS
Loose long sleeve cotton shirt in white(Uniqlo +J)
Even looser long sleeve cotton shirt in powder blue (Uniqlo +J)
Fitted long sleeve shirt(G2000)
2 oversized lycra v-neck tee in white(Giordano)
Fitted crew-neck lycra tee in white (Giordano)
Fitted crew-neck lycra tee in grey(Giordano)
Fitted v-neck lycra tee in black (Giordano)


BOTTOMS
OMG NOTHING?!?!?!

DRESSES
Racer back floor length knit dress in black/navy/in between(Gap)

ACCESSORIES
Jack Purcell white leather sneakers(Converse)
Brown suede moccassins(Clark)
No bags, no belts, no jewellery.

OUTERWEAR
Also nothing. I think I'm going to freeze to death in the cold cold NY.

This is very lacking. So lacking that I don't even know where to begin. I probably can't get everything I want to make the backbone of my wardrobe so I need help. Where do I begin?

 

[legendofzelda]

okay, lusting after...
PS1 in black or blue leather
rich brown tribtoos
a perfect silk blouse
a perfect black silk dress
and a black slightly-above knee-length skirt
...too bad I'm, uh, poor.

 

[Belowen]

This is very lacking. So lacking that I don't even know where to begin. I probably can't get everything I want to make the backbone of my wardrobe so I need help. Where do I begin?

Looking at the list you've got there, I would probably start with a pair of black pants that you can dress up or down (to get more wear out of them while you build up the rest of your wardrobe) a jacket to suit your style (classic trench would go well if you want something that will stand the test of time) and perhaps a good quality leather handbag?

I'm wondering if our wardrobe lists perhaps belong in another thread... I don't want to hijack this thread and take away from the original discussion point... I'll go have a browse and see if there is anything more appropriate for us.

 

[Belowen]

Okay guys, those of us more focused on building our basic/capsule wardrobe should probably head over here to the capsule wardrobes thread. Then I guess once we've completed that we can head back over to this thread and live by the 4-5 piece rule

 

[fashionista-ta]

xing, I wouldn't really recommend editing your closet down to the point of nothing to cover your nakedness I certainly have things in my closet that aren't perfect and that I wear anyway. Hey, I could step in there myself & be one of them And that continues to be true even when you're trying for quality pieces ... for example, my black Dries pants that I wore today ... I think they are looser lately & that helps, but the fabric wrinkles in a way that I never thought I needed to test for at that price point. Ah, well ... lesson learned and you just keep moving. But I made three trips to the other side of this great metropolitan area to ensure they were tailored correctly, never mind my initial investment ... you better bet I'm going to wear them, perfection or no!

Black pants, black skirt are great pieces, of course. A great black skirt is a wonderful thing. If you're a jeans person, jeans ... I like them in color (not blue denim), right now I have black, coral, and khaki. They're more versatile that way.

I think you're moving for school? If so, you may wish to get a backpack or tote & also use that as your purse. You will need something bigger for books/notebooks/laptop/whatever. You could get a little wristlet or something like that that you can throw into the bigger bag, and also pull out and take to dinner. I had a mid-size tote, kind of a doctor bag style, in which I could keep all my makeup, a small umbrella or bottle of water or paperback. And I just carried my books & notebooks because I hate backpacks--there was no laptop back in the day But there are some very good looking backpacks now.

 

[xing]

Thanks Belowen and ta-ta The thing was I put on some weight and my jeans, which were already tight to begin with, no longer fit. The rest are really just either pajamas or lounging attire and not something I can wear outside the immediate vicinity of my living quarters.

I'm looking for a good saddlebag or canvas/leather tote right now. I actually made a list of things I need to get to cover the basics. I'm going shopping later with my friend. For fitted pants, how do you check for quality? Have been looking but they're mostly too tight(ie cat whiskers) or too loose or too stretchy or I'm scared that they'll be too wrinkly.

For jeans, what's the best material to get so it's tight but not uncomfortable? Mine always stretches out throughout the day and what looks like fab butt turns out to be mum butt at the end of the day.

 

[timber]

As always, this thread is an inspiration!

I'm currently in the process of culling my closet of all clothes that don't 'fit' me, either size, style or by being untouched for years...

I'm finally going to basically stick with a colour pallet (greys, taupes, black and ash browns) and the occasional bright pop of color, so I can mix and match and not have to worry about clashing. That is STEP ONE.

 

[fashionista-ta]

xing, as far as pants ... be sure to do what I didn't do--grab the fabric and scrunch it hard & see what happens! You can tell a lot from how a garment fits and falls on your body. If that works (and I've tried on Lanvin pants that were a fail on me & everyone else--every size was still there on the sale rack), look at the seams and the quality of the fabric. You can't do better than wool gabardine. I had a pair of wool gabardine pants for 10 years or more once (yes, they got shiny and I decided to consider that a feature--I got compliments on it! ) Raw silk may be a bad choice ... I've had issues over the years with silk giving way at the seams. So you want to be sure the fabric is tough, because you're going to give it a workout.

For jeans, I always get cotton + Lycra. It is possible to get too much stretch, but I usually don't have that problem--most fabrics seem to get it right.

Do you have Nordstrom in your area? Try to buy someplace that has a liberal return policy.

And don't forget that you can and should get pants tailored. I have ... it has been called a bubble butt, I like to think of it as shapely! and I still usually get some fabric taken out of the back. If you find a pair you're pretty happy with, but aren't perfect, talk to the tailor about what they can do. (You want to be at a good store with a good tailor ... and ask the SA who the best tailor is, and work with them. Have the pants held and come back when that person is working if you have to.) Later you could take things elsewhere to be tailored, but first you have to learn about what a tailor can and cannot fix. Once you get something tailored, it is generally yours to keep.

 

[xing]

ta-ta, you are a wealth of information. really really. return policy where i am is horrible. the standard return policy is exchange only, no returns. and only within 3-7days of purchase with original receipt and tag intact. oh wells.

i know how to tell if something is wool or what's not by looking at the tag and reading 100% wool. did a quick search on wikipedia but I'm still not sure how to identify gabardine. in the event that wool is not available(tropical country. very very few wool products. most clothes aren't lined at all) what would be the next best alternative?

 

[fashionista-ta]

fishmansfabrics

^ Here's a picture of wool gabardine below ... notice the slight herringbone effect.

Maybe you should wait to get where you're going before going shopping. You're always better off shopping for clothes where you intend to wear them, if you're going to be there awhile. There is no better shopping in the US than in NYC ... I'm sure you can get lots of tips in the NYC shopping thread.

Here are the Nordstrom's in NY ... looks like they have a big presence in White Plains. Nordstrom Rack is their outlet. Not sure where you're going to be? http://about.nordstrom.com/MapPoint/PrxResults.aspx?GSTATE=NY&statesearch=1&FC=Nordstrom%2cSpa%2cRack

PS I had a job summers/Christmases when I was in college at a store that had great tailors. It's a good way to learn ...

 

[Belowen]

I picked up a black pencil skirt (on sale, yay!) yesterday while shopping, so that leaves 1 more to buy for spring/summer as I'll be living in these at work... I was also browsing around and found the perfect black leather wedges at Nine West. It's hard for me to find wedges that I like because I have to like the actual wedge part of the shoe, and usually they can be quite ugly &/or too thin and hard to walk in. Hopefully these are suitable... Typically I can't find them on the website

 

[Belowen]

So I ordered a dress tonight and can cross another thing off of my list already. I tend to opt for dresses with sleeves, and because this has sheer sleeves and is cotton, it should be great for summer
ezybuy.com.au

 

[PonyShow]

I'm sorry, I've been trying to figure out what this thread is about...can someone explain to me?

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ See post 63 on p 5 of this thread ... it might be helpful to link to it in the first post of this continuation thread ...

 

[Belowen]

^ done.

 

[farou7a]

im thinking of getting more shoes..

not sure if i should get all colored.. ive quite forgotten black lately!

any ideas on what to do ladies?