The 4-5 piece French wardrobe #8

[Melisande]

Yes, very cute top and great idea Betina!

I finally "Konmaried" my ENTIRE wardrobe, including shoes, bags and accessories . About six big 40-liter garbage bags of stuff sent to Emmaüs, including 14 skirts (!) and 12 sweaters and 7 dresses among a bunch of other things. I think I had about eight black skirts, kept only three.

Now I have major holes to fill (I also got rid of things that I was still using regularly but wasn't loving). Now it's much easier to cherish and care for what I do have and also easier to select new purchases--great feeling.

*Finally got my grey cardi at Uniqlo, lambswool. It was so warm and inexpensive and the right color and shape so I couldn't resist. Hopefully will hold up.
*Black booties/boots should be easy enough to find, though no contenders so far.
*Annoyed that I know I need a puffer or fur coat (super coldy-cat) but I don't love puffer coats (nor fur, really--although I might crack for a discreet navy one--obsessed with navy blue lately!). I'd love a wool coat like this one from &other stories, but they're not really warm enough I fear. This one from Massimo Dutti is the only puffer contender I've found so far because it has a nice silhouette, it's dressy enough for work, and that's the maximum I'm willing to pay. I wish it were in navy though...maybe I'll start scouring vintage/consignment stores for that navy fur...

Other holes:

*Casual skirt. Knee-length, flared. Question mark. Will see what I can see.
*More tees. White, grey, navy...
*Yoga pants or PJ bottoms. Loungewear.
*Sneakers. Question mark. Will see what I can see.

These are the major holes to fill, and then I'll be consulting my wardrobe again to see what more I could do with or do without.

stories.com, massimodutti.com

 

[Laces]

I must share this blog with you. I don't know if you're familiar with it or if it was mentioned here before but her apartment, kitchen and wardrobe are very inspirational. She even has a list of things she owns.

http://www.paris-to-go.com/

 

[eizhowa]

A 10-piece wardrobe?! That woman is nuts.

 

[Fewormany]

She must like doing laundry. And being clumsy isn't an option.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I'm counting 13 pieces, 20 with bags and shoes, and it's only for summer. It's a casual wardrobe, no work, warm weather only. I have to say, though, that there is zero chance that at 29 she will never need to buy another handbag. That is pure fantasy.

 

[Melisande]

I must share this blog with you. I don't know if you're familiar with it or if it was mentioned here before but her apartment, kitchen and wardrobe are very inspirational. She even has a list of things she owns.

http://www.paris-to-go.com/

Oh thanks, that's pretty amazing--so I guess I'm not alone, I feel better now having left only a few items! Yes, she shows ten items for one season...hmm...which means it still is possible that I now have less than her ...it will be interesting to see how long I can go like this, although I'm bored of my skirt already and my feet hurt from wearing the same boots, so those have to be taken care of very soon. She does mention that she wears her nice stuff every day and that she does laundry by hand. That DOES pare things down quite a bit.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Yes, it's true that it's not good for your feet or the shoes to wear the same ones every day ...


How are you guys getting only 10 items? There's one dress, 8 tops, and 4 bottoms ... plus 5 pairs of shoes. And she doesn't work. She also has all her pre-pregnancy clothes, so this is just a capsule wardrobe. She may not be wearing that stuff, but from what I read, it's still there.

Just want to take this opportunity to say (for the benefit of anyone new to this thread who may be wondering what it's about--not 4-5 pieces total!) that I have never done a massive clear-out down to nothing, myself. I find that way too scary and expensive a proposition! But I am interested to sit here on the sidelines and hear how it works out


"Have nothing in your houses which is not useful or beautiful." I always try for both, but failing that, I do think useful is enough. I also think (OK, I know ) that perfection is difficult to achieve, and requiring that of yourself can be a lot of pressure. I try to make every buying decision a good one, but sometimes things don't work out exactly as I'd hoped, and I still make the best of it. A disaster you do have to cut loose, but I don't get too many of those. I do get things that are only 80% of what I'd hoped, and I think that's OK. I suck up the 20% and learn from that experience for next time.

 

[Laces]

Tata, she was never pregnant and she works. She also has winter coat.

Edit: I see now. That's actually some guest post not the authors This is her wardrobe.

 

[Melisande]

Ta-ta, I love that quote about usefulness and beauty. I heard somewhere that a good gift should be "useful and beautiful" and I think that's a great rule of thumb.

For me it's not about perfection or even paring down--as far as clothes were concerned, it just turned out to not be that much that I really loved and needed . It's ultimately about pleasure. I remember when I was strict vegan, my senses heightened considerably and I was able to savor and appreciate every bite of food so much more, and you feel so energized and ironically way more abundant. It's kind of like that for me now with my wardrobe and household items. I've moved countries enough in my life that letting go of massive amounts is not a foreign idea, but rather welcome.

I remember when I didn't like bags and resented having to carry one, but I learned to love mine to bits. I'll need to get there soon with my coats!

I wonder if I dare count my clothes now...a bit scary. I could do it in three minutes.

 

[EvaH]

Talking about boots, I have recently acquired the Jimmy Choo Method ankle boots and I love them to pieces They are very comfortable (despite the 6.5cm heels), seems quite durable (survived the poor London weather so far). I love the fact that the heel is metallic so very easy to clean and maintain ! The leather is not smooth butt grainy which makes it even better for me. The other feature I absolutely adore is the fact that it is actually an ankle boot as in, it is very narrow fitting at the angle and that is great because I have tiny ankles weirdly enough and not even the pistols worked properly (I had to wear chunky socks with the newbury to achieve the same finish)

I also took my Ted Baker dress for a spin the other day and I can say that is is my favorite dress in my closet. I wore it with Stuart Weitzman heels I got 2 years ago (but never wore them because I thought the heel might be too high for me and I wouldn't be comfortable), turns out I now understand why those are so popular. I survived in 12cm in the paved streets of Rome and my feet didn't hurt !

Quick question: does anyone have any experience with the Anouk wool cape from Stella McCartney? I really really love it and thought it might be a good transitional piece for fall + they go well with the method boots but I never wore those type of items so I was wondering how practical they were for daily use (it would work as a mid season outwear for school) and what you did when it came to handbag? I mainly go to University with my 2j tote with the long strap as the other bags that I own are too small (it is either big tote or small crossbody for me). So I am wondering how convenient would that be... I don't want to buy it just to return it (especially since I am thinking of slimming it down a little bit..

I also think (OK, I know ) that perfection is difficult to achieve, and requiring that of yourself can be a lot of pressure. I try to make every buying decision a good one, but sometimes things don't work out exactly as I'd hoped, and I still make the best of it. A disaster you do have to cut loose, but I don't get too many of those. I do get things that are only 80% of what I'd hoped, and I think that's OK. I suck up the 20% and learn from that experience for next time.

I came to the exact same conclusion. I buy things that I love and that I need and even if it's not 100% perfect or what I pictured in my mind, as long as it is beautiful to me and useful at that specific time then I go for it. That being said, I learned to not settle (except if it is just a question of size or a details - nothing a good seamstress can't work magic on!)

Regarding cleaning out closet, I LOVE doing that as well but I have decided to stop myself I really hate to accumulate things so I am very happy to donate things when I feel like my space is becoming overcrowded. To me having too much just messes with my head.

All in all, I am very happy of my version of the 4-5 pieces as it really helped me to structure and develop my style, work on a proper budget and realise where I could use it (daily life, short weekend getaways, private functions) or when I could not (travelling to remote places, backpacking). This means I have 4 separate wardrobes (AW/SS for both) but it doesn't necessarily mean I have a lot of stuff or spend a lot of money. Those boots have been my first 4/5 pieces in months as I was happy to work with the capsule wardrobe I created at the beginning of this adventure.

Credit: jimmychoo.com, my own

 

[eizhowa]

Quick question: does anyone have any experience with the Anouk wool cape from Stella McCartney? I really really love it and thought it might be a good transitional piece for fall + they go well with the method boots but I never wore those type of items so I was wondering how practical they were for daily use (it would work as a mid season outwear for school) and what you did when it came to handbag? I mainly go to University with my 2j tote with the long strap as the other bags that I own are too small (it is either big tote or small crossbody for me). So I am wondering how convenient would that be... I don't want to buy it just to return it (especially since I am thinking of slimming it down a little bit..

Oh, I love capes Crossbody bags don't really work with capes, but it works great with other bags, big and small. A large clutch also works for daytime. A small crossbody can be worn under the cape.

How to wear a bag with a cape (The official guide

boholondon.nl
wonderland-london.com
elementsofstyleblog.com

Did I mention I love capes?

 

[Jinadaze]

Tata, she was never pregnant and she works. She also has winter coat.

Edit: I see now. That's actually some guest post not the authors This is her wardrobe.

She's insane. Saying that she doesn't care about designers and believes that brand doesn't equal quality, yet all of her clothers are from designers and very commercial ones at that. And stating that she can't take seriously other jewellery brands other than Cartier (of which her wedding ring and watch are from). I mean, is she even serious?

Also I really dislike her wardrobe and think this kind of lifestyle is often more stresful and tiresome rather than free and liberated.

 

[Jinadaze]

Most of my bottoms are black (besides from two pairs of black jeans)

That shouldn't go unnoticed; you rock!

I really admire you sewing skills and think the shirt is just gorgeous! Looks like you've got some really nice additions to you wardrobe lately.

 

[Melisande]

EvaH: the boots are gorgeous. I find 6.5-7 cm heels are the perfect height.

eizhowa: Kate looks great in the cape.

I ended up getting the navy blue coat above from &other stories and I love it, it goes with my wardrobe and it seems happy to join the rest of the gang

 

[Jinadaze]

^ I have a black wool coat from &other stories from last year and it's one of the best purchases ever.

 

[Melisande]

^ I have a black wool coat from &other stories from last year and it's one of the best purchases ever.

Really? Aww, thanks for the encouragement! I was afraid it may not be warm enough for the deepest winter, but I also desperately needed a warm springtime coat so I figured this would be worthwhile.

ETA> thanks to Fewormany for reminding me of the beauty of a navy coat.

On a roll, just popped down to my trusty shoe store next door (at 7:50 pm "oops the store is closing at 8:00, must go see!") and at 8:00pm I'm walking out the door with my dream boots...thigh-high black suede flat boots with nice gold zips all down the back, uber comfortable, soft, warm and elegant. I've been looking for boots like this for years, and they almost literally came to my doorstep.

So now I've welcomed my two main winter wardrobe players within a matter of a few hours, yay!

 

[fashionista-ta]

Tata, she was never pregnant and she works. She also has winter coat.

Edit: I see now. That's actually some guest post not the authors This is her wardrobe.

OK, thanks--it's a bit confusing! She has pretty things, but I don't think that would be enough choice for me. Especially when a few things are at the cleaners ... I would not want a spill to throw me into a panic. I have enough urgent tasks as it is without having to keep every piece of clothing I own in commission at every moment ...


One of her pairs of shoes I have in a different colorway, the YSL espadrilles. Those are the least practical shoes I own, so I'm amused that she has them!


Also found it amusing that she is 25 and was "the first" to wear leggings with skirts. I was doing that before you were born, darling


I like the boots as well, Eva. Very statementy heel. I am looking for something blocky, but it seems to be more available in boots than shoes right now. Who knows, maybe I'll get some boots for the first time in years!


Congrats on the purchases, Melisande. That is three of you now with black boots + metallic accents

 

[Fewormany]

ETA> thanks to Fewormany for reminding me of the beauty of a navy coat.

You're welcome!

Hopefully the coat will work great with your truly loved items after your cleaning sweep. I must say I admire your courage for purging your possessions that radically. I don't own that much (being a guy helps for some reason ) but cleaning out the way you did would be a bit too much for me.

 

[Melisande]

Aww, thanks Ta-ta and Fewormany!
I agree with you EvaH, it does clear your head and simplify life having fewer items.
Your dress is lovely by the way, a happy dress

A bunch came back from cleaning and I glanced over my stuff. I still have plenty of tops and about 5 sweaters. 7 or so dresses, 5 skirts, a pair of jeans and a pair of black pants I hardly wear but still like having. About six or so jackets. The above is for all four seasons, so this is not enough, but it's a decent place to start. I'm looking forward to welcoming new additions to the team provided we all get along. Yeah, I don't think that blog-person's wardrobe is realistic either...it looks slightly uncomfortable, to begin with. ...hmmm.

 

[floodette]

hello, there

i used to frequent this thread way back then, then i stopped.

now i come back, not because i have list of 4-5 items. in fact, am quite content with what i have now. quite strange coming from me the shopaholic (or maybe am just realistic given the forex is really really bad that stopped me for thinking bout shopping). i won't stop shopping though, if i find a great great deal (like escada cashmere outer for a song in my consignment store or my dream biker lether jacket by massimo dutti 85% off). but pls let me document what i want to buy, and how i survive without buying it (or buying it with what justification).