Great pieces! I always enjoy reading about your wardrobe choices for each season. I can see how these pieces would create multiple outfits since they all mix and match so well.

I've been looking forward to this post for weeks! So glad you shared your approach with us.

As for mistakes, you are not alone. Your thread is giving me the strength to say good bye to some fabulous orphans, sob. No matter how much I learn about my own style, climate and body type, there is room for mistakes. It is simply impossible to forecast how the item will feel after a full day or week or season of test run. I think my top mistake categories are imaginary lifestyle, poor fit/unflattering and finally the category reserved especially for footwear -- uncomfortable.

I love your colour palette. I have a pretty small wardrobe as well. Neutrals seem to work well when your wardrobe is small (unless you are into black). I love snake print. I can see that would be flattering with your hair and skin.

Angie I missed your comment earlier. Thank you and everyone!

Denise, we can cry together over a coffee for all the mistakes we've made, lol! But just think of all we've learned! I can only hope a little of your fab style will rub off on me.

Claire-- I really appreciate it. If it counts, I think your reunion outfit looks totally appropriate and stunning on you and I totally see how this works for you and your current life and climate. I guess I just wanted to say that not only do I find this interesting, you definitely aren't alone here on the forum. I've done the real minimal thing and loved it when it worked for my lifestyle, especially when I loved each of the pieces. My friends are really casual too, but it is pretty important for my job and career to be networking at these cultural events in the community, and being able to show up at the SOs work events looking "dressed". Thank you for that -- it has been a hard transition for me, but the forum is helping me loosen up and have fun with it.

It just dawned on me... do you not wear skirts/dresses of any sort in winter, Claire? I'm trying to remember if I did or not, when I was in Tucson... I only seem to have memories of pants, except for Christmas dinner.

I had the same question as RachyLou, Claire: are you going to wear just 3 pairs of jeans as bottoms all winter? Do you never just feel like wearing a dress or skirt? Or will you mix in the 2 transitional pieces you have now if the occasion comes up?

I only own one pair of skinny traditional denim jeans, in part because I don't think they're terribly comfortable to lounge in either (I would never wear them during a flight, for instance)! All of the rest of my skinnies are twill or corduroy or just thick cotton instead of denim, and my one other pair of jeans is a more relaxed, worn in slim/straight leg, thus super comfortable. I'm kind of mystified by how many people live in jeans, because every other bottom I own is more comfortable, even if they're just as fitted.

Anyway, I think yoga pants are v cute, and I'm sure you look great in yours. It makes sense to stay in exercise-appropriate clothes all day so you get more exercise in! I only wear regular clothes than I can walk in, especially now that I've moved and go on 3 walks a day instead of 1. It'd be ridiculous to be constantly changing!

Have you seen the movie The Holiday? Cameron Diaz has the *best* cosy loungewear wardrobe in it!

I love how each season you are learning & tweaking & personalising your wardrobe Claire. You & Mo are my YLF inspirations on my path towards "enough".

Very entertaining and well cultivated. You have lots of variety with stripes, floral, dots and snake prints and many textures and weights. I am amazed that you can get by with no black pants. Around here, when in doubt, a woman can always cobble something together with black pants and fit right in, be it a wedding or baseball game.
You are a huge inspiration to us to choose carefully and to edit fearlessly.

Elly, you should definitely have fun with it. This is an exciting time in your life and career. Let us live vicariously through you. Pretty please?

rachylou, I could do dresses or skirts in the Winter during the day (I used to wear a skirt with bare legs and heels every Sunday to church). But where we are now it's much, much more casual. For everyday, I just prefer jeans, especially since our winter is so short and I'm in skirts and dresses closer to 9 months of the year. Back East, we tried to "maximize" our Summer outfits. Here, we do the opposite. It was below 80 the other day and everyone broke out their boots, lol! The other thing is that I don't have any tall boots to wear with skirts or dresses. Or hose. Or tights. Or a slip to wear with said hose and tights. So there you have it. Simplicity rules.

L'Abeille, I answered part of your question in my answer to rachylou, above. Sure, I can get through our short Winter with only 3 pairs of jeans. When I first started here I only had one pair that I actually wore. Three is plenty for me,

Always a great read, Claire! Entertaining and educational I'd love to see you get a pair of slim BF jeans for a silhouette change, they would be extra fun with your Modern Classic pieces. And also very glad to see the white pair, that'll change up your look from the blue denims more than someone might expect. I was happy to recognize many of these fall pieces, particularly the two snake skin pieces (yum!). Do you wear booties much? If you find that you are reaching for your gray pair quite often, I think that it would be worth looking for a second pair because that gray is just sooo hard to find and I'd hate for them to wear out too quickly. Of course if they're not a high-wear item then it's all good. Also, short boots work remarkably well with dresses/skirts. Just sayin.

Thanks Aida! The booties are actually quite taupe, although they look grey on my monitor too. Our bootie season is so short, these will probably last me at least 3 years. The last pair did. I've learned (from having 3 pairs of skinny jeans, two pairs of AGL flats) not to duplicate too much since I keep my numbers so small. One of any particular thing is more than enough. No matter how much I love something, I'll be ready to try something new when it's time is up. That's just how I roll!

Sounds like a good plan to me then! These look like, at the least, 3-5 year boots for you style wise. I know you'll enjoy playing with them while you have them ^^

I truly admire your style and how disciplined you are about the entire process. I think no matter what we all make mistakes (even Angie has admitted to some) and that's part of life. In truth this seems litke it would be the ultimate torture for me to have to choose only 10 items, but I'm weak. You are strong and beautiful. Carry on and keep us all in check please!

Claire, how did I miss this?! I am so glad I found it now! Of course I am absolutely drooling over that taupe sweater, as you knew I would be, but the charcoal one is almost as fab and I am sure that both will look amazing with your denim bottoms and especially the white.

Do you know that my charcoal Lord and Taylor merino turtleneck bought 3 seasons ago is one of the most worn items in my wardrobe? Thank heavens, I bought it "tailored" vs. "super fitted" so it has a bit of ease. Why oh why did the moths go after it? Fortunately, Wonder Woman East was able to remedy that problem because I reach for that sweater so often I might as well have a 10 item wardrobe!

In all seriousness, your pieces look beautiful and you are going to shine in them. Love the high school reunion photos -- you must have wowed them with your radiant modern classic chic!

So interesting what you say about our BR sweater. I still have mine folded in the closet (taken out of the to be donated bin) but I haven't been able to bring myself to wear it now. It's just too snug, I think, and too pilled/ sad looking. And yet this is one item that until I replace it I am not going to be able to let it go!

Your beautiful closet is in good shape for the fall. Can't wait to see some outfits soon. Please show us -- I need some modern classic support here, girlfriend!

This is so impressive, Claire! The discipline and awareness it takes to get to your level is, well, awesome. I hope someday to be more like you:)

Your reunion outfit is stunning, Claire - you are the poster girl for neutrals. You are right about the snakeskin print; I can see it would be super flattering on you. The pattern is smaller and lower contrast than leopard, which makes it a great mixer, I feel. I am inspired by the thoughtfulness of your 10 items....

I always learn something from your process. This time, I'm realizing that I probably end up using a fairly small subset of my clothes every season, even if I don't pare down so drastically to start with. And maybe I need to shop in a more directed, focused way to end up with a few perfect pieces rather than a quantity of hits and misses. Just not sure I have the PPP for it!

Thanks to you, Claire, I cleared out more unworn items from my closet yesterday, and stopped myself going shopping for a new cardigan. Like you, I don't need a large wardrobe and am just changing into "nice" clothes for errands. Must just stop shopping!

I'd also been waiting for this post. Now I cant wait to see the outfit posts! In the dead of our AZ winter, I use Capri tights with dresses if I dont want to look too dressed up. Target's tights always work well for me and they are reasonably priced. I don't run cold so I wear sandals and open-toed shoes throught the winter which works well with Capri tights.

You have assembled a great, neutral based, seasonal wardrobe. This is something I'd like to do with my wardrobe as a next step at some point. Trim it down so I have less season specific clothing. This way I can get even more use out of my clothes.

Thank you so much for doing this. I love it ! It gives me a chuckle that your 10 item wardrobe inspired me so much that is motivated me to downscale and set up an essentials capsule : yet my capsule is 18 !

Claire , do you have a dressy capsule ? Or a sports capsule ? I know that you are gardening. You are really going in the right direction. Consignment is a great hing because you can live with something and then determine how well it works .

Great wrap-up - appreciate all the between-season approach. That would work for me as well - I will look forward to more from Claire!

I'm struck by how much cohesive variety you work into 10 pieces, Claire. In principle I don't strive for that, but seeing it work so well for you is inspiring.