The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #4

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fashionista-ta

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The 4-5 piece French wardrobe shopping list thread

This thread is for those who are already buying 4-5 key pieces per season, or would like to start, as discussed in The 4-5 piece French wardrobe thread, http://forums.thefashionspot.com/showpost.php?p=10063835&postcount=1

The idea here is to
  • Create a Pinterest board illustrating your personal style--things you own, style icons, inspirations, color schemes, favorite designers/labels, etc. You can link to it here, or PM it to people who will be creating shopping lists for you.
  • Specify the pieces you would like to find for the upcoming season, including price range and other criteria
  • Specify your body type and coloring
Then, you can post here a pictorial shopping list for yourself, invite others to create one for you, or both.


Let the games begin ...


PS I do have a Pinterest board ready. I have pretty much finished my shopping for fall, and will start thinking about spring shortly. What I would really like to find, though, is a leopard print cardigan, preferably not wool as it's not very practical for my climate. I prefer cotton, silk, or a cashmere blend, something like that.

My coloring is similar to my avatar, chestnut hair, brown eyes, and my shape is curvy but not hourglass.

As far as price point ... I try to keep it under $1000/piece, but am willing to spend more for something very special. I used to be able to get good quality casual pants for less than $100, but I can't always do that now that my go-to brand has become unreliable. Ts and knit tops, I'm looking for something under or slightly over the $100 mark. Other tops and sweaters I will buy in this range, up to the limit mentioned above, depending on detail level, materials, label, etc. Shoes, I typically want to spend at least $250+ (or I want the retail to be that, I'm open to spending less :wink:), because I find that below that, the shoes don't last the way I want them to, and the quality materials and construction aren't there. Bags, $1500 or less ideally. Willing to spend a bit more for what I really want.
 
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Thanks for opening this thread, Ta-ta!! I really like the idea of it and think it might help us to better understand what the others are looking for. So I'm totally in!

I've created my own pinterest boards. Anyone interested can get the link via PM. I've done one for things that are already in my closet and another one for "fashion dreams": pieces that I'm thinking about adding to my closet or things that I will never add but that are very much to my liking (like things from older collections or things that would never be affordable to me).

What I'm looking for...:

In general:

In general, I don't stick to only three or four colors when shopping, but they should "fit in" with the pieces in my closet and the color scheme from my "fashion dreams". Burgundy, mustard, teal, terra and possibly some warm shades of purple are my favorites. I'm a bit insecure about the neutral colors sometimes, but I like camel, brown, gold (a neutral??), navy and a rich shade of grey. Black can be a nice contrast to my colors and I do use it, too, though I don't buy as much black as I used to.

Now as to the prices, I'm quite similar to ta-ta. I think so far I haven't crossed the 1000 Euro mark and I do try to avoid that. However, I am ready to pay around 500-1000 Euro for jackets and bags, 250 to 500 Euro for shoes, sweaters, cardigans etc. I try to pay a little less for t-shirts and simple cotton items. If something is an absolute must-have, I'd consider paying more.

I generally try to buy one piece per month and additional two pieces in the sales. I still haven't bought my October item.

My body is petite. I'm short and rather thin but with a heavier bottom half. A pear shape one would say. I try to accentuate my upper body more than my legs but I don't mind showing them when wearing a dress. Anything oversize can be tough for my tiny frame. I try to buy clothes that are rather close to the body but that don't show everything. Pleats can be nice in that aspect but I've only recently started to discover them.

Fall winter pieces:

I still need a few items for fall:

  • A sweater for cold days. I prefer cashmere because it's warm without being heavy, but wool could be an option.
  • A pair of pants. I think I need a "formal" work pant but I really struggle with this. I tend to wear dark washed straight legged jeans a lot. A great skirt that isn't too heavy/stiff could be an alternative.
  • A down jacket. Another item I'm struggling with. I need something for the really cool and wet winter days (we're talking Switzerland here), but I hate anything too bulky. I'm looking for something with a certain elegance - if that is possible in a down jacket.
  • Shoes: I need a pair of heeled ankle booties, a pair of knee high boots flat or heeled, a pair of pumps and a pair of shoes for wet winter days, preferably a good flat ankle boot in biker style. Of course I can't buy them all but if I find two great pairs of shoes per season I'm happy - the rest can be done later...
  • A piece of jewellery, gold or propably gold-pleated. Can be a necklace or earrings but I like this to be bold and fun.
  • A handbag or a clutch. I need both sooner or later and I plan to buy one of it during the sales. I wouldn't mind this to be colorful as long as it fits into my color scheme.
  • A wool dress: I always love the look of dresses on me. Preferably empire waists or nipped in at the waist, it somehow has to accentuate my slim upper body and be loose around the legs. I try to get at least one great dress per season - if I see one...

Okay, this makes seven items. I think I'll only get five or six, but that's okay. In general I try to get what really is great and if I cannot fill a hole in my closet I try to work around it and fill it later.

In general I think I need most help with the pants/skirt and with the down jacket....
 
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^ I will work on a list for you in the next several days ... :flower: Looks like you have some good items already identified. I'm especially a fan of the MiuMiu boots, I think you should get those ... assuming the leather will be practical?

In my climate, I have rain, but very little snow and ice, which is nice. So there are definitely days when the ground is dry. I know what the snow is all about as I grew up with it! Not sad to leave it behind ...
 
RedandNavy: For a sweater, have you considered Benetton? I hadn't bought anything from them in... well, ever, but recently I got a V-neck cardigan from them that I really love - more than I had expected for such a basic item. The length is just right, and moreover: it's really warm for how thin it is.

I'm still deciding if I'm going to join in in this Pinterest thing! It sounds lovely, but Pinterest feels somehow too public to me. I don't know. Also, I get the majority of my wardrobe at the thriftstore, and to create a very specific shopping list is just silly for that type of shopping. But I also do some 'regular' shopping, and a specfic shopping list/input from knowledgeable people would maybe be wonderful for that... still deciding :smile:
 
Thanks Ta-ta!! I have been looking for leopard cardigans but so far I haven't really found one that I thought would suit your style. I'll definitely let you know once I see one.

The boots are gorgeous, aren't they? I would however wear them in dry winter weather only. They are suede and with the stones in the heel I don't think they are made for walking through lots of snow. That would be okay for me though since I would wear them with skirts/dresses and I tend to avoid those when it's really rotten weather. I do prefer biker style boots when it's wet and cold since I don't care when they look worn. And the really bad winter weather is definitely nothing for any shoe that shouldn't look worn...

I love that knit dress that I posted btw, but it's rather expensive and I can't really bring myself to spend that much. Maybe I'm lucky and it will make it to the sales? I'm kind of hoping for sales with the boots, too... We'll see.

Twistelette: Actually I used to love Benetton when I was in my early twenties. They have many basic pieces that made it into my wardrobe back then. But then I made two bad experiences with the quality and since then I've mostly avoided shopping there. Until my pregnancies, when I shopped there again and actually was happy with what I bought. So you are right, I could consider Benetton again!

As for the pinterest thing, I think it depends on how you do it. I don't follow anyone so far but Ta-ta and I'm not showing my real name. I've also set privacy settings so that search engines can't find my profile. What is kind of nice is that you can collect things you like there and you can get a better picture of your style.
 
@tata, I really like J.Crew's cardigan in wildcat which has a leopard feel to it (perhaps more cheetah really). I'm wearing it today actually. It is wool, and not perhaps fancy enough but I thought I'd mention it. Right now you can only get it on Ebay.

@redandnavy I'd be interested in seeing your board. For work pants I love my lined wool Brooks Brothers pants - but I don't know if they are only available in the US and I don't know how they fit petite sizes. I'm also a pear shape and they fit very well, but I have gotten them altered a bit as I've lost weight. I find them to wear well and look classic - which is what I need for work. Also, what is your jewelry budget?

I might list a board or wish list as well. Right now I have a pinterest fall board, but it isn't really filled in that well at the moment. I'm going to mull this over but I know my biggest problem is finding tops that I like to wear out with jeans that are more dressy but not too dressy and not too shapeless since I'm heavier on the bottom and that look does nothing for me.
 
Salomelovesjohn: I sent you a PM with the link. As for the pants, I think I will take my time in December (I'm very busy with school and work till then) and go to a good store in Zurich and let them know my problem. And I'm determined to try on every single pant they have :lol: I think this is just maybe the most difficult item for me and I definitely can't buy it online :blink: And usually I love shopping online, so practical. I will have to get a better feeling for what I need, but I'm very open to seeing styles that could fit a (petite) pear shape and my color scheme.

As for the jewellery budget... Something around 100 to 400 Euro I guess? Not too expensive... I love my YSL earrings and my necklace that you can see on the "in my closet" board on pinterest. I like things that are a gold, fun and maybe with a colorful stone. I usually wear only one piece of statement jewellery at a time though, things should never look overwhelming on me.
 
I've just moved this over to the shopping section of the forum, FYI :flower:
 
I was drawn tot his thread after realising that my wardrobe is full of impractical things which don't go together. So, I've decided to spend however long it takes to build up a decent capsule collection of good quality pieces.

I'm thinking of starting with this trench coat, in stone.
http://shop.mango.com/GB/p0/mango/c...150_N1&n=1&s=prendas&ie=0&m=&ts=1351034140756
mango.com

And these knee high boots.
http://www.office.co.uk/womens/office/general_knee_boot/17/12664/35693/1?fs=12664
office.com
 
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Thanks, salome :flower:

R&N, I was wondering how you were going to buy slacks online, so I'm glad to see you're not :wink: As far as cut, I would think the same cut you wear in jeans?? If you can find wool gabardine you like, it wears like iron. Otherwise, I was thinking a mid-weight wool ...
 
ylang23

R&N, here's my jewelry idea ... these are bold & go nicely with your color scheme. $685 and they ship to 106 countries. They are 14K gold, with a silver backing for the stones. I believe they're also one of a kind.
 

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Hi Ta-ta, these are indeed very nice!! Thank you very much! The price is a bit on the upper scale of what I'm willing to spend on a piece of jewellery at this very moment, but I think I might be able to get them later this year. I think they'd look lovely with mustard, terra cotta/rost or burgundy... Where did you see them??
 
^ Glad you like them :smile: They are from ylang23.com (see source :wink:). This is a local brick and mortar shop where I've bought probably most of my non-vintage jewelry. I don't know about this designer or these stones, but I know once when I went back after a few months and the ring I wanted was gone, the designer custom-made one for me and I was thrilled with the results. It's the most beautiful grey pearl I have. So you may want to check if that is a possibility. These are categorized as 'one of a kind,' so I think there's just the one pair.
 
Ta-ta: I looked at the Ylang23 page and they have other great pieces as well! Definitely I'll consider buying my piece of jewellery there - but I'll probably focus on shoes or a down coat/jacket first (in November). That feels pretty urgent :shock:

I know it's not really what you are looking for but I had to think of you when I saw this:

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/christopher-kane-leopard-print-coat-item-10291034.aspx

I also saw this while looking for your cardigan and thought it was so cute (maybe even for me :wink::(

http://www.luisaviaroma.com/index.aspx?#getData.aspx|CallType=Product&prodId=01I4&des=EUG&cat=&gender=women&group=&vendorColor=R09MRC9MRU9QQVJE&season=actual&seasProdID=56I

(But I remember you having bad experiences with Luisa Via Roma)

Personally, I really like this one but I don't know if it's what you like:

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/yves-saint-laurent-leopard-print-cardigan-item-10281810.aspx

If it's not, maybe you can tell me what you would change so that I can improve my search :blush:

I wonder if you prefer tops with a V-neck? I remember saying your bust was quite well formed ;-)
 
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^ OK, getting clear on the priorities now :wink: Is it the biker boots that are first on the shoe list? Are the pumps a priority too?

I do like that YSL cardigan ... the price is pretty eye-popping though :wink: Dolce did some great ones a couple years ago, and they were in the $700-900 range or so. I loved everything about them except the wool part, but I may have to reconcile myself to that.

For animal prints, I tend to do them in the natural colors--tan, black, white, cream. I had some Dalmatian print jeans that were really great ... I think I still have them somewhere, but I'm not going to be able to get back into them ever again I don't think ... ah well.

I do like V-neck cardigans, but they're hard to find, so I buy crewnecks too and just kind of drape and partially button them to my liking. For regular tops, I usually get some form of scoop neck or modified (not too sharp) V. For the bottom layer, you're quite right, a high neckline tends not to be flattering.

Just saw your 2nd post, and that Dolce one looks pretty perfect!! Thank you. Also more expensive than before, but lighter weight I think, which is good. I only have Dolce shoes, not sure what my size is ... I know the Italian sizes are smaller (I usually wear US or French). There must be something I can try on locally ... I'll have to find out who carries them (not Barney's here).
 
patagonia

Just saw the leopard beret--so cute!! I typically don't wear anything on my head, but this is a great piece. It should come as a sweater :wink:

Here's my idea for a puffer down coat ... $379 and they accept international orders. Love the color. Slim fit (this will not make you look like the Michelin man :smile:).

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-downtown-loft-parka?p=28465-0-672

I've dealt with Patagonia before ... it's a great company and the quality is good. I believe they donate 1% to environmental causes.
 

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I was drawn tot his thread after realising that my wardrobe is full of impractical things which don't go together. So, I've decided to spend however long it takes to build up a decent capsule collection of good quality pieces.

I'm thinking of starting with this trench coat, in stone.
http://shop.mango.com/GB/p0/mango/c...150_N1&n=1&s=prendas&ie=0&m=&ts=1351034140756
mango.com

And these knee high boots.
http://www.office.co.uk/womens/office/general_knee_boot/17/12664/35693/1?fs=12664
office.com

Looks like a good starting point :flower: I still have and wear the trench coat I bought on sale when I was in college, and that has been a few years :wink: It is definitely worth investing in, as you always hear, 'the best quality you can afford.'

R&N, I remember you bought a trench recently ... did that work out for you?
 
Trench: I bought a Burberry Brit Trench this spring and wore it a lot the past few month. Absolutely worth it! Great detailing, great quality, great cut... If such a brand is much too expensive, consider brands like APC, MbMJ etc... Or some smaller local stores maybe? Anyway, a trench is a fantastic and versatile item!

Tata: I'm sitting in a train and I won't be at home till Sunday so I am not able to write much right now. Anyway, I will look at the leopard hunt when I get the time and write more about my priorities then. :heart:
 
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