The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #3

[barbaraaa]

barbaraaa: actually I'm not sure you need to replace your wardrobe before you can start doing this. We often think we need way more than we do to look smart / casual / different than usual. You will do fine with two pairs of really good trousers to start with, maybe a white blouse and and a good pair of pumps or whatever suits your job. Try to pick the absolutely most urgent pieces for now and go on working from there. I think the most important thing that you try to set yourself goals and try to stick with them. Of course there might be a moment when you absolutely want something that you didn't plan. That's fine. But let these be exceptions and be "under control" most of the time.

Thank you for replying Since July I have already bought two pairs of black trousers, a black blazer and a few blouses, and I've recently ordered a black skirt. I've been really careful not to buy anything more "casual", as I already own a lot of that, and I also bought things I actually needed. If I get the job I'm aiming at I will have to buy actual suits, however.
That being said, I'm not much of a shopper, except for during the sales: but for the past three seasons I have been more careful with what colours, styles, etc I do wear and suit me, rather than going "oooh pretty! cheap!". So I really think this could be a thing for me, just I might have to go beyond the 4/5 pieces/season limit

 

[twistelette]

barbaraaa - starting out your working life after college seems like a perfect time to start implementing this strategy for building a considered wardrobe! it sounds like you've already got some pieces down. I'm with RedandNavy in thinking that you won't need a lot of pieces to be able to look good and appropriate in different situations, as long as the pieces that you own are good ones!
on going beyond the 4-5 piece per season limit, for me it's more about the spirit of this thread than about the actual number of pieces. it's more about building a considered wardobe/a wardrobe that works for the different 'roles' I have in my life, a wardrobe full of pieces that I love, that flatter me, that work well together... you get the drift. shopping is secondary to that, and in shopping it's more about making considered purchases than not buying more than 5 pieces per season per se. (though I would not feel comfortable buying, say, 25 pieces per season)

 

[RedandNavy]

Barbaraaa: I'm with twistelette, it's more the spirit of being careful with what you buy and have some limits - but you define what they are. Actually I buy around 4 pieces a season but I do count for seasons instead of the two main seasons I usually buy one item per month. As I've said I don't think it really matters whether it's four, five or eight items per season. It's more about chosing carefully, do some planning, try to find things that are versatile and good quality etc.

I've actually seen a dress that I love and that looks perfect for me But I'll try to give me some reflection time. Somehow I don't feel sure enough about my spring / summer shopping yet, I have to reconsider what I really want to get. I see tons of things that I want these days and I feel I need a bit more time to focus. I'm pretty sure about my color scheme now but the actual items that are highest on my priority list aren't really determined yet.

 

[nuitblanche]

Hi all... first time visitor to this thread. Does anyone know the name of the French trainer brand that basically every Parisian girl has been wearing lately?? It's almost Converse-like, but not as clunky.. starts with an L but I can't get it off the tip of my tongue.. HELP!

 

[fashionista-ta]

thanks, twistelette, betinapple, and r&n surgery did go well and no incision was necessary to relocate my thumb--yay! have 2 pins now--working on getting the pain under control. wore my new navy shoes for the occasion i never pay for overnight shipping, always do ground, but in this case they only offer a single option, fedex overnight, so they got here immediately. wow, kinda fun

barbaraa, not sure what you will be doing, but wearing suits all the time for women (men too) is pretty rare now & confined to a few fields like banking & accounting. i think it's a good idea to buy versatile pieces, but i usually recommend that when buying a wardrobe for a new environment like school or work, people wait & see what others are actually wearing. if you look back in the thread, we discussed this recently when melisande had a career shift. she found the new workplace a lot less formal than she expected.

i think this approach always works, you don't have to wait for anything to start it ... as others have mentioned, each of us tweaks the rules (such as they are) for ourselves.

r&n, would the baby pink work with the accessories you have now? does it appeal to you as a building block of an additional color scheme?

 

[fashionista-ta]

just wanted to add re suits ... i wear them only for important meetings & interviews, but mine aren't actually suits (though people think they are), but black separates--different brands bought years apart in complementary fabrics. So that is definitely possible ... i end up with the 'suit' i need on occasion, as well as useful pieces on their own.

something that would be a good candidate for investing in is a pair of serious black pumps appropriate for interviewing. i even got my last pair 40% off.

 

[Betinapple]

@Twistelette: They do not have the same amount of detaling but Benneton make real good 100% wool things. I have been wearing my black Benneton sweater at least 3 times a week since I purchased it in October, and it still looks great. The pilling is minimal - I have only needed to use my lint shaver once. I think they also make cardigans.

@RedAndNavy: I was contemplating just waiting it out since spring is juuuust around the corner, but I am sick and tired of wearing the same black sweater every single day So I'll buy at least a white one and maybe a bordeaux (if available). Fortunately my favourite sweater (from Benneton) costs next to nothing (around 50$)

Don't you have a lot of neutrals (like beige and navy) in your wardrobe? I think they would go well with baby blue. I understand your concern though and I am sure you are way ahead of me in this manner - it is your wardrobe, right ?

@Ta-ta: glad to hear surgery went well. Does it change the recovery time?

 

[RedandNavy]

Betinapple: I can understand you are getting bored with always wearing the same sweater. As I've said I know the feeling very well... Can't wait for spring! I remember I wore lots of Benetton sweaters during university but somehow I was getting tired of them. It is true though, they seemed to be good quality. I might have to reconsider next winter.

Baby pink: While I really love the look of that baby pink dress I think I won't get it for now. I'm sure I could pair it with black pumps and a neutral bag. The good thing about dresses is that they stand on their own and don't need lots of matching items. But... I dream of a closet full with things that look just right with eachother. My goal is to one day open my closet and get the feeling that it all makes sense. And baby pink just doesn't really make sense with the rest of my things. No. I think I would feel vexed every time when I opened my closet to see that one baby pink dress that ruins the whole picture... Sorry for the nice dress though!

But the good thing is that I've seen another lovely lovely dress It's more of a mustard/cognac kind of color. I will give me some more thinking time for now but I have a feeling that one might end up in my closet. On verra.

 

[fashionista-ta]

betinapple, not sure ... he only ever told me recovery for plan a but i know i can't end up with a scar from an incision that was never made.

one thing i like to do is make a mental note of 'shortage' items (like wool sweaters in this case) & start collecting them in future seasons if i feel like my shopping for the current season should be complete based on what i've already bought. sometimes i'll also 'borrow' an item or two from the next season and buy things right away. it all balances out in the end ...

so next year you could buy another warm wool sweater, and so on each year till you're happy with the selection.

i have a heavy hand-knit cotton sweater that i wear on cold days ... someone complimented it & asked if it was new. that's when i realized it was 15+ years old it's teal with an intarsia southwestern pattern--i enjoy the color.

 

[barbaraaa]

barbaraa, not sure what you will be doing, but wearing suits all the time for women (men too) is pretty rare now & confined to a few fields like banking & accounting. i think it's a good idea to buy versatile pieces, but i usually recommend that when buying a wardrobe for a new environment like school or work, people wait & see what others are actually wearing. if you look back in the thread, we discussed this recently when melisande had a career shift. she found the new workplace a lot less formal than she expected.

i think this approach always works, you don't have to wait for anything to start it ... as others have mentioned, each of us tweaks the rules (such as they are) for ourselves.

First of all, glad your surgery went well and you won't be left with a scar!

I'm trying to get into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here in Portugal. Being the government, it's still very conservative. It is a long shot, however, so I am doing the black separate thing right now - as that will do me for most any job. In the past seven months I got a blazer, two trousers and a skirt, so I guess I'm pretty much done with that for now!

I guess I might indeed start with this now. I really like the rationale behind this, of investing in good pieces and actually thinking about what items one buys. I have a couple of things in my wardrobe that I really like and want to wear - but practically never do because nothing I own goes with it! And whenever I go shopping, I never remember buying something that will look good with it. I don't make clever choices. Now I feel like I need to go over what I own, get rid of some, and make a note of what I need so that all that I keep is wearable and always go from there

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ it's a fine line, those pieces that don't go with anything. sometimes it's worthwhile to build on them, other times it's best to cut your losses ... sounds like based on what you're saying it would be worth building on them?

 

[RedandNavy]

Barbaraaaaa: Good luck with your job wishes! I've worked in that sector in the past and it's indeed quite conservative. Anyway, I don't think you need more than three suits even in the very conservative environments. You can make your looks more interesting with the tops you wear under the suit or with accessories. A black suit is a black suit. All you need to do is find one that fits really well and then vary it with other pieces in your wardrobe.

Also, about those pieces in your wardrobe that don't go with anything... Maybe you should invest more in very basic neutrals? A pair of nude or black pump with a classic heel goes with almost everything. Or if you buy a bag for example try to buy one in a color that goes well with your basic shoes and different colors in your wardrobe.

Personally, one of the most important processes for me was (and still is) to really learn what my style / my colors should be. I feel it's sooo much easier to buy few pieces when you really define how your wardrobe should look like. There are still tons of things that I see and that I find great, but now it's easier to say no to something when it just doesn't really fit in.

My list: Yesterday I've been rethinking about my spring/summer list. I'm counting no less than 15 items on my list right now... I think I'll get about half of the items I want even if right now it feels as if I need everything... I'm sure I'll survive the summer without getting everything this year. Two "special" items I hope to get though are a denim jacket and a skirt. I've seen many skirts in the spring collections that actually could work on me so I think I'll give it a try. And the denim jacket is something I wanted to get for several seasons but somehow it didn't really fit in with what I have. But now that I have been buying more dresses I feel it would work nicely with those.

 

[barbaraaa]

RedandNavy, I know how you feel about skirts I find so few that work on my body! In fact, the very items I have nothing to go with are a couple of skirts that don't look weird on my hips or too short on me (I'm 5'9''; dresses are even worse). As that is a combination that is too rare to find, I'd really like to keep those.

One of them is a knee-lenght skirt in a check print in a mossy green/lavender combination. For some reason it just screams brown to me... and my basic colours are black, gray and cream/off-white, so I don't really have shoes to go with it. I actually have my colours defined, and brown isn't one of them... Nude pumps could be an answer to that!

I think I'll do one piece per month. I probably will not even buy that much, unless out of sheer need or if I find a bargain. It will make me ponder more about the pieces. I've already been avoiding certain colours and cuts, but this will make me have to be more rational.

I think I could apply this to my boyfriend too he wants me to give him a makeover (all he has is ill-fitting jeans and old t-shirts and feels the need to change), and last time we went shopping it was so overwhelming we didn't buy anything! One piece per month would be more manageable.

 

[Betinapple]

@RedAndNavy: I totally know where you're getting at regarding the color scheme. When we moved in to the apartment I got an open wardrobe with to clothes racks and the one looks really pretty with all my stripes, whites, creams, beiges, reds, pastel blues, light pinks etc. but the other one is a mess with blacks, greys, one yellow item, one pink item and one purple item. I would like my wardrobe to be more colour cordinate. Should work on that.

I just have no clue what colours suit me. I think I look good in bright red, baby pink and maybe light blue. But else I am lost. I don't even know wether my skin tone is cold or warm.

Looking forward to see the other dress you are talking about - it seems like it would go better with the rest of your clothes.

@Ta-ta: I was considering just putting the sweater on my wishlist for the next fall but we should get snow fall again during the next month so I really need them now. Of course buying summer clothes would be more fun, but it seems like spring wont be here for a looong time and my already existing summer wardrobe can actually stand on it's own. So I'll buy a white sweater and maybe a bordeux or a baby pink one depeding on what Benneton can offer. I have the money and since I only bought one thing i january (a silk slip) I think it is okay. Then I can start my ss purchases in March where me season begins.

It is nice that they were able to fix your finger without making a cut!

Me: I am feeling really good about my self these days. I unsubscribe from a lot of mailing lists and saved searches on e-bay to avoid temptation. Now I am only on the lists of the brands that I actually like. Two of my favourite webshops, InWear and People Tree recently reduced their sale items further but I was good an did not buy anything. If I did not act when the sale started, why would I know? Actually the most tempting item was a tee for my boyfriend which I might end up buying depending on how my finances looks when I get my February salery.

Unfortunately the shipping is 20 $ and that is quite a lot for having a 40 $ tee sent.

 

[RedandNavy]

Betinapple: I have given up limiting myself to three or four colors, but I do want to find colors that can be combined and look well with eachother. When I open my closet now it does look more focused than two years ago but it's still quite a way. I usually feel attracted to a certain color each season / year. I have been feeling very attracted to mustard for quite some time now and do think that's something like a basic color for me. In fall / winter I felt attracted to burgundy and now for the spring I long for mint and teal. So whenever I buy a new color now I try to ask myself how it will look hanging next to my mustard / burgundy / teal pieces. For example there are some shades of purple that work with those colors but many do not. I try to visualize that and it has helped me.

But honestly, sometimes I'm not even sure that those are the colors that suit me best. I have the impression that I look good in white and black, which would make me more of a "winter type". But somehow I have been longing for those rich autumn colors for several seasons now. I guess there is more than theories about color schemes, there are your mood and your feelings that influence what you like. And isn't it most important that we feel good and happy with our clothes?

Btw, I love your black and white and red looks. Absolutely stunning. These colors look so right on you right now, at least for an outsider.

 

[barbaraaa]

I actually dislike the "types" thing because I find it not also limiting, but limited. I'm very pale with yellow undertones, have light brown/dark blonde hair and hazel eyes, so I fit in none of the types! I also think some colours are universally flattering: I've never seen black, red, navy or white look bad on anyone.

I do find that most blues (except for navy) and pastels make me look worn out, so I now avoid these, but I think the only reason I was able to figure this out is because it's so, so obvious.

 

[Betinapple]

@RedAndNavy: I like your thinking especially since it is very relatable to me who always thinks of how a new piece will go with my already existing colour. I also think you are right regarding wearing the colours you like and not what goes with your skin tone. And if it is a total mismatch you can always wear it as a skirt or on pants - or with a scarf that makes you look great.

I am not especially drawn to much a lot of colours since I do like my black, but I have really been wanting some more colourful items in my wardrobe these past weeks.

I do however really like bright red and nothing makes me feel more pretty than wearing red lipstick. - thx

 

[Juliette]

Hello! I'm new to this thread, but have been reading it for years. This idea of buying fewer pieces per month intrigues me! I would love to try it this year. But I'll have to buy a bit more than 3-4 as I don't have the very basics. A lot of my items got ruined recently and I gained some weight, so instead of waiting to lose the pounds (which I probably won't), I just want to start building my wardrobe. I can get my things altered later.
I'm just a bit lost on what I should get. I already got a gorgeous pair of ballet flats, they are exactly what I wanted. Nude, with two strappy elasticated ribbons. They look like ballerina shoes. Also got the perfect denim oversized jacket in a lighter wash. I wanted something 90s and grungy to wear with my floral dresses (which I don't own yet... )
Now I'm having trouble with what I should get. I have some ideas, but I want items that I'll be able to wear for a long time. Things that I'll love for years to come!
My style is really girly, but I like certain grungier pieces too (like denim jackets, plaid shirts, denim cutoffs...). I love pastel colours and metallics. I'm 5'10'', have really long light brown hair with ombre tips and green eyes. My makeup is always lots of mascara and liquid eyeliner, quite a bit of blush and some lipstick. I really love experimenting with lip colours.
Why did I write all this? I guess I'm just looking for some help from people who have more experience with fashion than me. So what do you think, what should I buy? Also have to mention that I just can't afford to pay more than 120€ for an item. I'm a student. I know that limits my choices, but I'm hoping you'll still have some advice for me... Right now, I'm craving an LBD

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ i don't think that price range presents a problem my suggestion is to kind of be an observer for the next month or so, and see what you're craving, what you're missing as you plan outfits & get dressed. how much of winter is left--is it really time to start working on spring? you should probably start an inspiration board ... you could do this on pinterest, a real board, or both ... you can also start saving for that first investment piece. quality is important--you want the piece to last a minimum 2-3 years in heavy rotation.

 

[Juliette]

^Yay, that's good to hear! You gave me some great suggestions. But I still think I'll focus on spring - we probably only have a month and a half of winter left, and I can use that time to save up, like you said. I already have some money put on the side, so I think I have enough saved up for two quality items. And I already have a Tumblr, plus about a million folders on my computer that I'll have to organize in order to see what I really need to buy.
Right now I think I need a little black dress. I'm craving one and I know I would wear it a lot - I wear skirts and dresses almost everyday! I already have two great spring jackets, one is a recent buy, a denim jacket from ASOS which is amazing quality, and an olive green parka which I got in last year's sale and absolutely love. I did try on another parka with the trendy leather sleeves, but it didn't suit me and I figured it was for the best.
Do you have any suggestions on what else I should get?