Better late than never? It's been a long time in the making, and with summer knocking at my door, I'm finally ready to share my five piece french wardrobe selects for spring! I've been enjoying all of the pieces for a few weeks now and I'm extremely pleased with the way this challenge has worked out for me thus far. Being forced to consider each piece I'm adding to my wardrobe before buying is giving me a new perspective on my personal style and the way I shop.

For those of you new to this series I recommend reading part I and II before continuing the post.

Prior to starting the five piece french wardrobe challenge I never really considered myself a big trends buyer. I've never had the expendable income to really do so, or so I thought. But since starting this challenge I've realized that a majority of my closet is made up of poorly made, cheap clothes with no chance of lasting more than a season or two of wear.  It's been really eye opening, and I'm now forcing myself to rethink the worth of clothes and just how much is reasonable to spend when a product is made of high quality fabrics, constructed beautifully, and unique to my wardrobe. A beautiful example of this being my new Elizabeth Suzann top; the Marlena Top is handmade in the US out of gorgeous crepe de chine silk (bonus it's reversible)!

That's not to say I think clothes have to be expensive to be worthwhile. One of my selects for spring was an ASOS jersey swing dress. I chose it because I needed something very basic, black, and wrinkle free for travel. It's been my go-to piece since buying it way back in February and I couldn't be happier. What I am saying though, is that the quality, fit, and construction now trump my immediate need to fill a gap in my wardrobe. I now research, search, and second guess every product I add to my shopping cart.

Another area I'm happily finding myself dig deeper into is seeking out unique, one-of-a-kind pieces to add to my wardrobe. Like the blue embroidered skirt and huipil top I found on Etsy for spring. They're both vintage, handmade items that make me feel instantly special whenever I wear them. Who doesn't want to walk confidently in a room, knowing they'll be the only one wear [fill in the blank]? 

It's a good feeling.

Selects:

1. Blue embroidered skirt - Vintage from Etsy

2. St. James Striped Shirt - J.Crew

3. Marlena Tank - Elizabeth Suzann

4. Embroidered Huipil Top - Guatemalan Vintage from Etsy

5. Black Swing Dress - ASOS

I don't think I'll be stopping this challenge any time soon, and my closet will continue to thank me. I'm half was through my summer selections so I'll be sharing more french five goodness soon. - b.

Wow, we're already almost a month into spring! It's really starting to feel it in Philadelphia, and I thought it was time to share part II of my five piece french wardrobe series (see part I here). The inspiration.

In order to narrow down the seemingly endless sea of clothing choices out there, it's important to pull images that inspire you. Whether they're a mood you want to evoke, color you're craving, or ensemble you just can't get out of your mind- pull/pin/print them all! After awhile you'll start to notice patterns in what you're picking, and from there you can begin to shop for the pieces that will become your five pieces for the coming season.

It should come as no surprise that this is my favorite part. I am a self professed Pinterest addict, and kind of pin a lot for my job too! I thought it would be fun to share a few of the images that are inspiring my choices for this season.

MOOD | There's something very peaceful, and subtly put together about the two images above. They share similar colors, creamy light, and feel minimalistic to me. Though the colors don't really suit my skin tone, I'm concentrating on the way these images make me feel when shopping for clothes this spring. I'm looking for minimal styles, made of high quality fabrics, with unique details that make them texturally interesting.

PATTERN | I'm embracing my love of stripes, and I'm not going to apologize for it anymore! Though I already own 4 striped shirts, I've decided to invest in one more. They're timeless, go with everything, and achieve that laid back feel I'm trying to evoke this spring. Plus, stripes are totally a neutral.

COLOR | Now, let's talk color. I can't help but crave a few vibrant shades here or there no matter what trends are telling me. I'm a color lover at heart and I always gravitate towards more saturated hues regardless of whether I'm in desperate need of neutrals or not. For spring I'm sticking to one really saturated piece, and one additional piece with more colorful accents. The colors I'm gravitating towards live somewhere in the range you see above.

And that about sums up my spring inspiration. It may seem a little haphazard this go round but in my head it all fits into my grander wardrobe scheme. I want a closet that not only fulfills my basic needs with great staple pieces, but also reflects my love of culture, color, and texture. All things that right now I feel I'm lacking in every area of my life. I've just about got everything picked and ordered for the season so you won't have to wait long to see what I ordered. I can't wait to share them all with you here. - b.

---

image sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4- unknown | 5- unknown | 6