One of my “things” is trying to perfect a wardrobe/outfit type of system that works for me. Every year I read one or two wardrobe books and I try to take bits and pieces of what I read to cobble together a system that benefits my lifestyle.
The things I’ve learned the past few years have given me this foundation:
- Stick to a basic color scheme. 90% of my wardrobe is black, 6% grey, 1% each of camel, olive green, pink, and white. (any print I own is mainly black, so prints count towards the black category)
- I try to keep my wardrobe at about a total of 130 pieces- (excluding gym clothes) I came to this number by trial and error- this number of articles seems to be a solid basis of a four season wardrobe, as NYC has all four seasons. (if you think 130 pieces- including shoes and outerwear- sounds like a lot- count how many clothes you have- you might be surprised by the number)
- When I buy something new, I get rid of something that I have. For the most part, when I am buying something it is as a replacement for something that has seen better days
- I have one dress that I wear for weddings and fancier events. I don’t care if I wear the same dress to every wedding I go to. I don’t need to shop that often for clothes I wear no more than twice a year.
- My goal is to wear 85% of my clothing for at least three seasons- I have a few winter or summer only things, but keep these to a minimum
- I limit the amount of clothing and accessories I buy each year- Per season I will not buy more than 6 new things. This spring I bought two dresses, a scarf and a pair of shoes.(again- some might think this sounds high, but as I donated 4 things, recycled 6 things that were no longer wearable, and tossed a pair of broken shoes in March, April and May- I’m actually down seven items)
- I donate clothes that I no longer like. Some people have a hard time with this because they think to how much they spent. Newsflash: the money is already gone. Keeping it in your closet won’t make the money reappear. Sell the item if you want, but keeping it won’t make you feel better. It’s ok to change your mind about an article of clothing. It’s not a catastrophe.
- I have a wardrobe of clothes for the person I am NOW- not the person I was, not the person I want to be- just the person I am now. Your wardrobe should reflect you and how you spend your time in the present.
- I have a uniform. I tend to wear a monochromatic silhouette (all black dress or black top/black bottoms) and then I add a fun layer- Blazers, jackets, cardigans, scarves, funky necklaces or bracelets. If I want to add color or drama or fun, I do it with this extra piece.
This year I read the book: The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by Anuschka Rees. Rees suggests figuring out your outfit formulas. Simply, when you are getting dressed, what are the go to pieces that you look to to put together an outfit.
This is something that I’ve unwittingly done for years, but never had a name for it- it’s the basis of my monochromatic silhouette. But I drilled down and realized that I have the following “formulas”
slim fitting dress, over sized jacket or such, knee high boots-
loose fitting pants, slim fitting top, short jacket or scarf, flat shoes
slim fitting pants, tunic style top or sweater, pareo or large shawl, flat shoes
The jewelry I tend towards are big statement necklace, slim stackable bracelets, small stud earrings
But I only realized this when I started keeping an outfit notebook…
What is an outfit notebook?
Well, you take one of those gorgeous little notebooks you couldn’t help but pick up at Paper Source, and every day you write down:
- What you wore- every item you put on including undies if the outfit required something specific
- How you felt in the outfit ( seriously- if the outfit didn’t make you feel confident or happy or whatever adjective you live your daily life by, why are you wearing it?)
- What was the weather that day and if it was appropriate for the weather conditions
- What you did that day and if it was appropriate or comfortable for what you did that day (when my daughter was about two or three my, at the time, childless sister in law met us at the children’s museum in an all white ensemble. Gorgeous outfit if you are literally anyplace other than a spot that caters to kids under five)
- rate the outfit- if you are giving an outfit a score of 3 out of 10, why are you wearing it? Also- I can wear joggers and a t shirt and rate it a ten because it is comfy and perfect and I feel confident in it if I am running errands. Outfits don’t have to be tricked out to be a perfect 10 for your lifestyle
What is the benefit to this outfit notebook?
- Once you identify how you wear clothes, it is easier to shop for them- you know what silhouettes your prefer, fabrics and such
- You will instantly see what clothes you wear all the time and what clothes you never touch. So much easier to donate or repurpose things
- When you need to get dressed quickly, you can pull up an idea and it makes getting dressed effortless
No one needs to spend a lot of time, money or effort into getting dressed.
You don’t need to buy more than a few basics a year once you realize what you like.
There is never a need for fifteen (or more) articles of clothing to be strewn across a room when you are getting dressed.
It should never take more than five minutes to pick out an outfit and get dressed- no matter what the occasion.
You should rarely say “I have nothing to wear”.
I realize that some people are fashionistas. This is awesome. If fashion on the daily is your thing, have at it. But most people are not fashionistas- they might buy a lot of things but usually say they have nothing to wear…
You don’t need to own a closet full of clothes and say you have nothing to wear.
Simple, easy, organization leads to simple, easy decisions.