Last year I shared with you that I keep a fairly minimal wardrobe. I like the idea of capsule
wardrobes because to me, rather than just having a bunch of clothing, I have a
more intentional closet. The pieces of
clothing I have in my closet are used, I wear them on a regular basis. There is nothing hanging in my closet that
does not see the light of day at least once a month except for one special
occasion dress. My wardrobe works really well for me and my lifestyle. I work full time, I enjoy weekend outings and
activities, I like to walk, hike and ride my bike and I'm an avid DIYer. I have items to wear that work for all of
that regardless of the season.
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| Simple accessories & jewelry |
I like to layer my outfits so as the weather changes, even
from morning till night, I'm not only well styled, but also comfortable. For work I keep it very simple with a basic
foundation of black or dark gray slacks, socks and black leather shoes. On top is where I change things up a
bit. I love color and jewel tones look
best on my. Deep rich reds, purples,
pinks, blues, green, even orange. I have
acquired a nice collection of sleeveless tops in a variety of those colors and
most of them are patterned. I like to
top them off with a nice cardigan and have a selection of long and 3/4 sleeved
solid colors to coordinate with my tops.
I find this way of dressing works nicely in an office setting where it
is chillier in the winter and the A/C is on in the summer. And I always look nice and professional too.
Weekends I can use my same tops and sweaters depending on
the activity. I keep a nice pair of
jeans to wear when I need to dress more casually for things like grocery
shopping, dance competitions, football games and so forth. I also keep a small amount of active wear on
hand for walking, hiking and more physical activities.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I have a few items of older
worn clothing that I keep for messy DIY projects that have paint on them. I wear them when I change the oil on my truck
or paint the house. I also keep an old
pair of jeans for less messy projects and yard work like tree pruning. I keep an old pair of tennis shoes in our
garage to wear too.
I've been working off of this particular wardrobe system for
several years now and find it works for me extremely well. The best part is that I don't worry about
what I'm going to wear, no matter what the occasion and it is quick and simple
to pull an outfit together each day. No
muss, no fuss and no stress either. I
really like having one all season wardrobe.
What you've done is a great idea. I had a similar wardrobe, sleeveless tops and sweaters or blazers with black, grey or navy pants for work. When I retired, I didn't all of that clothing anymore and got rid of all but a few pieces - sadly, mostly for funerals.
ReplyDeleteI've added to my casual wardrobe with a couple more pairs of jeans, several pairs of Capris. Some of my sleeveless tops weren't too dressy so I use those regularly. It certainly good when one keeps to a color palette though it annoys me when the color I prefer is no longer "trendy". Good thing thrift stores don't follow the trends. :)
I have really good luck finding things at the thrift stores. I don't care about trends at all. I prefer the classics. ;0)
DeleteEven in a regular store, I cannot shop unless a salesperson helps me. However, I do shop great sales. I have nothing against used or thrift stores. I have even shopped for my grandchildren and my children do not mind the kids wearing old clothes. But, they are no longer little, so I do not know what they wear or like. Oh, thrift store items for larger women are rare and usually worn out and pilled.
DeleteI do much the same thing. I only eliminate sweaters in the summer. I only wear cardigans in winter and maybe late fall and early spring. When my house was destroyed, I bought two outfits on sale--top and pants. I could not find pants in the fall, so I have worn the one black top and pants with a sweater all winter. I got a black and a red thing like a cape or poncho--it is like a rectangle with a slit halfway up. Then, they both have a slight ruffle. I wear one over a sleeveless outfit and a sweater.
ReplyDeleteSo far, it has worked. I mostly like solid colors. The one summer out if a black with floral print. I love it. Another with high-water type pants is a wavy black and white stripe--sleeveless. I do have old and a bit of new costume jewelry. Between jewelry and sweaters, the black outfit looks different every Sunday...lol.
I buy all my short sleeve things in the spring to wear all year since I cannot stand long or 3/4 sleeves.
I have a pair of black and a pair of white sandals I bought on sale from SAS just before the house was destroyed. I managed to save those. Someone had given me gold sandals that I mostly wear for house shoes. I wear a new pair of SAS sandals that are not dressy (flat and sturdy) all the time, even in winter for everything but church. I have to figure out why my feet are swollen before I buy closed shoes for rain. It rarely gets cold down here, and then it does not last for long.
I love your wardrobe.. great efficient way to have the clothes you need. When I was pregnant many years ago) I had five or six dresses to wear for work and church and one pair of pants and a shirt to go with them. It was the easiest time of deciding what to wear in the morning. Now my closet is stuffed and sometimes I go thru two or three outfits before I settle on one. Pathetic, I know. �� I really need to downsize my wardrobe. Look forward to your post each day. Sharon D.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. When my closet was stuff I never had anything to wear. So strange. Much better now since I downsized.
DeleteEnjoyed reading this -
ReplyDeletein the process of doing this and this gives added motivation!
Thanks!!!
Yay!!
DeleteOMG I have the same figurine for August. My Mom-Mom bought it for me for my First Communion...1971. So nice to see yours.
ReplyDeleteBarb in PA
This is a recent acquisition for me. I had one just like it as a young child given to me by my great grandmother. I broke mine, several times, until my dad could no longer fix her. I'm very happy to have this "new" one now.
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