A new purchase should work on three levels. As an item it must satisfy your lifestyle needs, style goals, and sartorial preferences. It should integrate into at least one fab outfit so that you know how to wear it. And it should form part of a wardrobe capsule. 

Ideally each new purchase would offer many styling possibilities within your wardrobe, but this isn’t a prerequisite. It’s fine to bring home an item with the intention of purchasing more to wear with it over time. Wardrobe capsules make this easier.

Informed purchase decisions create a fab, functional, honest wardrobe that’s easier to manage. Think through the item, outfits and capsules before you commit to a purchase. You will prevent closet orphans and enjoy everything you buy to its fullest.

Wardrobe items that I’ve ordered online tend to be delivered in the late afternoon. If I’m home, I try on the items that evening before I change into loungewear and unwind for the day. I get a first impression of the item, but unless it’s really awful, I seldom make my final decision immediately. The artificial light is not ideal and my thinking is not at its best. I prefer to sleep on it before deciding.

I’m a morning person. My clearest thoughts, sharpest thinking, best ideas, and epiphanies happen in the morning. Sometimes early in the morning, right when I wake up. So I revisit my first impressions in the morning, try on items and outfits again, and make my final shopping, wardrobe, outfit, and style decisions then. Also, natural light is better for assessing fabness, or lack thereof.

In fact, I extend this logic to most decisions, because I’m at my most level-headed best in the morning. How about you?

I recently shared that I’m off my item blazers. I love wearing blazers that are part of a pants suit with matching trousers in the same fabric. But I’m less into wearing my item blazers as stand-alone toppers with various separates. Maybe it was the colours and patterns of the blazers I own. Maybe it was their longer length, when I’m preferring shorter jackets right now. Maybe it’s my new softer, longer and darker hairstyle that prefers the more playful look.

Things became crystal clear when I got a bright coral and red plaid blazer for my birthday earlier in the month. All of the factors above played a part. This new item blazer is shorter, brighter, and a lot more playful than most of my current item blazers. It’s a more attractive palette for my new honey blonde hair. Happiness factor is through the roof when I wear my new blazer. I feel magical in it.

I’ve worn my plaid blazer four times in the few weeks I’ve owned it, which is telling. So far it’s been fab with a cream layering top and big tan pants inside an air-conditioned restaurant. I’ve loved it over an orange eyelet dress to keep out the evening chill, which was hubs Greg’s suggestion! I’ve also worn it with white jeans and a white shirt. I’d like to wear it with with my red, blue, and ecru jeans when the weather cools. And red and orange pants. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe.

I’ve passed on my old and longer navy and patterned velvet blazers from Boden to a happy second home. I’ve kept the denim and bright Hobbs blazers because they are shorter and more colourful. It is always good to get to the bottom of why a wardrobe item is working or not working. It sharpens my style tools.

A microscopic bag, high demand for vintage Gap clothing, the death of Jane Birkin, and other news from the July style trenches.

• Actress, musician, and style icon Jane Birkin has passed away at the age of 76.
• Since her death was announced, all things Birkin are booming on resale sites.
• A microscopic bag (less than 0.03 inches wide), created for musician Pharrell Williams, has sold for more than $60,000.
• Thanks to the Barbie movie, the high ponytail is in again.
• Phoebe Philo’s new namesake fashion brand is gearing up for its Fall launch.
• Savile Row tailor Edward Sexton — dubbed “the wizard with the scissors” —  whose military-inspired suits were worn by everyone from Twiggy to Mick Jagger, the Beatles and Elton John, has died.
• From belts and buckles to bright-coloured tights, these are Fall’s biggest fashion trends according to Refinery29.
• A new trend for vintage Gap has seen demand for the high street store’s clothes from the ’90s and ’00s soar.
• Fashionista reports that luxury hotels are fashion retail’s latest target.

Fashion Quote

Over at The Guardian, several writers mourn the products they once treasured that have been cruelly discontinued. I have a feeling Adam Gabbatt’s predicament will strike a chord with many of us:

“Not to be confused with the Clarks desert boot, I’ve had the same pair of brown (beeswax, to be precise) Desert Mali boots for 11 years. They’ve been resoled three times, I’ve worn them in hurricanes, floods and snow, and when I briefly dabbled in motorcycle riding. I planned to buy a replacement pair but they stopped selling them. I’ve tried other, more expensive boots, but nothing has compared.

For the last four years, I’ve checked eBay, Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace twice a month, but have never found a pair in my size. Sometimes stores will tease me by pretending they have them, but they never actually do. I did manage to buy a used black pair off eBay but they’re just not the same. Beeswax is a classic colour for a leather boot: unfussy, untreated, ready for action and the choice of Indiana Jones, it teams easily with black, blue or grey jeans, or smart trousers, and can be worn in the office, pub or, well, the desert. My entire wardrobe is based around a single, now extinct, pair of brown boots.”