It's snowing outside on a Monday afternoon as I write this. Cold, wet, spirit dampening snow. I suppose that's why, more than ever, I feel the need to wish spring here faster. I've made it all the way through my winter blues chasing list and my last ditch effort to stay happy is to window shop and gather inspiration for my spring wardrobe purchases. Notice I didn't mention anything about actually buying any new clothes. That's because I've given myself some pretty strict guidelines for making new purchases this year that require a lot more prep, and a lot less compulsion.
5 Pieces French Wardrobe
I've been reading this fantastic blog called Into Mind and it's all about creating a minimal wardrobe. Though, I don't think you'll find me going total minimal (20-30 pieces of clothing) I do think the less is more attitude that many people are leaning towards these days is wonderful and so inspiring. What I love about Anuschka's blog is that she approaches clothes in both an aesthetic and practical way. Understanding that everyone has their own vision of what the perfect wardrobe is. Because of this she explores a lot of different wardrobe curation techniques including one I'm going to employ this year called the 5-piece French Wardrobe.
The basic idea behind the 5-piece French Wardrobe is that you limit your seasonal purchases to just 5 new, high-quality pieces (excluding worn out basics that are a necessity). By limiting the amount of new clothing you're buying each season you're much less likely to make impulse purchases, and instead invest in items you'll love for years to come.
I mean who doesn't wish they could be a little more French chic? They're renowned for their individual style and taste, so I'm down with trying any shopping methods they adhere to.
My Plan
I like this method of wardrobe building because it gives me a clear objective, and allows me to put some thought and planning into my purchases beforehand. It also forces my impatient nature to pause before taking the leap into binge shopping regret. A problem I've had in the past. So here are my next steps:
- Donate/toss clothing I don't wear anymore, or is too worn out to wear in public.
- Gather outfit inspiration from recurring themes on my Pinterest boards.
- Create a color palette for spring.
- This is another tip from Into Mind. Creating a color palette ensures the pieces will mix well together and helps focus your eye when looking for potential closet items.
- Reasearch. Research. Research.
- I've started a secret pin board full of products I'm looking to potentially buy for spring. I am constantly adding and subtracting from the list.
- Decide on the 5 and purchase.
- I can't lie this will probably be the hardest part because once the purchases are made there's no adding to the list should something better come along.
- However, I can return something if the fit/color isn't quite what I expected, and there's always the next season's purchases should something new catch your eye.
Why now?
Many of you are probably wondering why I've made this sudden wardrobe declaration. Over the last year I've gotten rid of A TON of clothes, and spent a lot of time deciding what exactly my style is. Though I'm not 100% sure I can label myself anything definitive like preppy, minimal, glamorous, or bohemian I have discovered a lot about the things I like and the things I dislike. The result is a more discerning eye and a desire to grow my wardrobe slowly. Instead of filling it with trendy items I'll only wear for 6-12 months at most I want to invest it items I'll have for a long, long time.
This mentality has also trickled into other areas of my life, like our home. Because we're moving from a studio into a 2 bedroom apartment there's a lot more space to spread out and start investing in home wares that are less roadside find and more heirloom quality if you catch my drift. This kind of shift requires us to budget more than ever and really spend our dollars wisely. No more settling for "ok for now."
Minimalistic Wardrobe Resources
Looking to streamline your wardrobe in the new year? Here are a few wonderful sites to jumpstart your goals:
Into Mind - This is the most comprehensive site I've every found on the topic and my #1 rec
Paule Montes Sketchbook - 5 piece french wardrobe
Wide Eyed Legless - Seeking the perfect wardrobe
Lean Closet Series - Cuyana is a new breed of retail