https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:32:43 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1324777 Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:23:44 +0000 rachylou 1324777@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Informative!</p> <p>I'm pretty sure 24 pieces would not last the whole year for me. I think that the first season, I'd be shopping for replacements because everything would be looking like a rag. I should probably learn to change clothes for things like housework and hikes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1324735 Wed, 06 Aug 2014 17:57:18 +0000 E 1324735@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Mona! Looking forward to your pics. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1323293 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:40:50 +0000 Mona 1323293@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is brilliant. i must say that i checked out the 6 PAC link before (you had posted in reply some other thread) and it did not make much sense at all. But seeing your items I know what 6 PAC is all about. such a simple and practical idea!&nbsp;<br />I want to do the same with core neutrals of 8 basic pieces. I should post pics soon. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1323089 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:47:57 +0000 E 1323089@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Astrid, I'm so glad you found it helpful! If you expanded to 12 items/season (building from an existing wardrobe), you'd definitely have more options. Hope you enjoy your trip!</p> <p>Thank you CocoLion. I used to purchase things randomly and end up with closet orphans: these days, as long as I stick to the styles I like, I have much better luck. I do make mistakes though: usually things that I was really excited about so I didn't notice that they don't really fit properly. I don't know how this would work in reality for a year: it's meant to provide a 'core' to your closet, more than be the whole thing. I don't know if the clothes would stand up to that much wear. But if they did, it does make a lot of outfits!</p> <p>Alexandra, that's an excellent point re: it's meant to be basics. I did try to include a lot of my basics, in neutral colours and simple shapes/lines, to stay true to the spirit of it. The philosophy behind it, to get your workhorses settled so that you can add fun stuff w/o worrying, revolutionised my own approach to wardrobe building &amp; I'm very grateful for that. Now if only I could sew, so that my basics always looked exactly how they do in my head!&nbsp;:)</p> <p>Sterling, the original idea isn't to limit your wardrobe to 24 items, but to make sure you have 24 basic items in place, so that you can easily make outfits with whatever other pieces you have. I'd only do something this small for travelling, as I said. Or if I had to build a closet from scratch and couldn't thrift anything so needed to pay retail. Scenarios like that. But I use the principals (more tops than bottoms, a good amount of neutrals, etc.) to help build my much larger wardrobe. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322867 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:30:04 +0000 Anonymous 1322867@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I really like what you posted. &nbsp;It is well thought out and really seems to work well. &nbsp;</p> <p>I pride myself on being somewhat of a minimalist, but I shudder at the thought of a wardrobe this small. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322864 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:09:26 +0000 Alexandra 1322864@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nicely done, E! It's so neat to see the 6-PAC concept visualized for the whole year. It's meant to be basics, really. The workhorses of the wardrobe. Most of us sew special pieces all the time because they're more fun and engaging. Then we have little to wear because everything in the closet is icing and there's no cake. The 6-PAC concept specifically addresses this by ensuring the basics (cake) get sewn and/or replaced regularly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322853 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 07:59:25 +0000 CocoLion 1322853@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There is a range of colors but you can see how they have similar qualities so everything works magically! &nbsp;What impresses me is how focused you are from a color and design standpoint. &nbsp;You definitely know yourself and your style. &nbsp;Do you ever purchase things that don't work? &nbsp;It sure doesn't look it from this exercise.</p> <p>It's amazing to think you can get by a whole year with 24 items. &nbsp;I mean, I'm struggling with 34 items in 37 days! &nbsp;Mostly due to work clothes laundry bottlenecks, but still. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322851 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 07:48:30 +0000 Astrid 1322851@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is fantastic! I like the idea in general and seeing your clothes as example was really helpful.... I think I might try this after my holiday, with existing clothes and some pieces that are on the wishlist. I don't think I could do with only 24 items full stop, but 48 sounds like a good wardrobe size to start with. The last time I counted (a while ago) I had something around 80 pieces, but I only wore a part of them regularly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322782 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 04:33:29 +0000 E 1322782@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Beth Ann, you homeschool right?! You guys could go on a round-the-world homeschooling year long trip! Although your husband's congregation might get tired of Skype'd sermons... Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, our winter is usually still in the 60s, 50s at lowest, and I run warm, so a wool sweater or two &amp; a wool blazer would cover almost the whole season. Especially with my heavy duty wool coat for the super cold days.&nbsp;I just love outerwear too much to choose the simple option in real life. If I weren't in love with that wool coat, I would have chosen my trench with a zip-out liner, which is the perfect 1-coat solution to our winter climate.</p> <p>Alana, I agree re: needing more bottoms! It actually wasn't too much work: I pulled up her list, picked out items that matched from my closet, did a bit of shuffling, and that was that. Taking the pics &amp; typing it up took a bit longer, maybe an hour. Plus 10 minutes of putting everything away neatly at the end. ;)&nbsp;Not too bad.</p> <p>Claire, I'm glad the visuals&nbsp;helped! As I said to Alana, it wasn't that much work at all (now, if I'd dressed up in each potential outfit, that'd have taken ages). I think next I'll pull &amp; photograph my actual neutral cores, which are the real backbone. Although you minimalists will be cringing at how much I have! ;)</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322764 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:59:36 +0000 Anonymous 1322764@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>E, you didn't have to do all this work for me, but I sure appreciate the visuals! It's way better than imagining some&nbsp;pants, a skirt, blazer and sheath dress in suiting from Banana Republic&nbsp;(when you and I both spend the bulk of our time at home). That's how<i> I</i> always imagine such "core wardrobe" lists, anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>It helps to underscore that this serves as a foundation, or backbone to your wardrobe, and because you have it, the rest of your pieces mix and match in seamlessly. Your large wardrobe is very disciplined and well behaved. Kudos. I'm sorry you were sick; I'm so glad you're feeling better. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322763 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:58:49 +0000 Alana in Canada 1322763@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is impressive, E! Such a lot of work, too. Personally, there are not quite enough bottoms in this wardrobe to get me through to wash day. Two per season would be fine, though. I love how you have got the basics covered, though. Beautifully done. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322758 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:51:38 +0000 Beth Ann 1322758@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Adult gap year!&nbsp; I'm in, but I'm not sure my kids would go for it!</p> <p>Your capsule is so beautifully consistent.&nbsp; Sticking to the midtones, and embracing your retro loves makes everything so harmonious.&nbsp; I do think you'd need more coats -- even in Tx! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322750 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:44:24 +0000 E 1322750@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>MG, I've changed the title to make clear it's yearly! I agree that after a few years, you might not need to add 6 items/season. On the other hand, if that's almost all you're wearing, your clothes are going to wear out more quickly, so you might need the replacements. It would make 24 purchases a year, which seems low until I start to add up my purchases already made for this year. 1 &amp; 11 do look almost identical: one is warmer weather weight &amp; one is cooler weather weight. If I wasn't taking that into account, I'd swap one of them!</p> <p>I'd only do 24 items for the year if I were on, say, a year long study abroad (or the grown up equivalent...adult gap year?) so needed to for practical reasons. Otherwise, it just makes me sad to think about all of my other clothes, that I love so much, not being worn.</p> <p>The coat arrived when I was taking a YLF break, so I haven't shown it to the forum yet. Do you see the embroidery on the pockets? The cape &amp; hood have embroidery too! It's a total fairy tale coat &amp; I love it to pieces. :DDD&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you Amy! Grey is super versatile for me, but I think it helps that all of the colours I wear are also muted, so they all have grey in them. The latest post just went up in that sewing forum &amp; she mentions what she might do if she already had a core of good clothes, instead of starting from scratch. So it's adaptable!</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322714 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:02:48 +0000 amiable 1322714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love it! &nbsp;I don't think I could or want to go this minimal, but your work is brilliant. &nbsp;And I clearly need more gray in my wardrobe.<br />And yes, adding six pieces per season seems like a pretty great strategy - one that I may consider....</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322712 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 02:58:11 +0000 MuseumGal 1322712@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OMG the thought of 24 pieces for 4 seasons makes me hyperventilate.&nbsp; I thought you were going to do 24 pieces for one season, and even that seems scary!&nbsp; However, this looks like a wonderful capsule for you.&nbsp; I will say that 1 and 11 look pretty much identical on the hangar, but presumably IRL they are different enough to satisfy.&nbsp; I love your tops and toppers, and I don't remember seeing your <i><b>blue wool coat with a detachable cape and hood</b></i>?!?!</p> <p>I do like the idea of adding 6 coordinating pieces each season.&nbsp; However after about 3 years, it would get unweidly it seems.&nbsp; Still, given that I'm still in build the perfect wardrobe phase, it's a strategy for me to consider ... maybe on a smaller scale for fall, like 3 great coordinating pieces, since I'm <i>still </i>jobless, however.&nbsp; Lots of food for thought! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/a-hypothetical-24-item-wardrobe-picture-heavy#post-1322588 Mon, 04 Aug 2014 00:09:18 +0000 E 1322588@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I described how I use core neutral capsules to keep my wardrobe functional/avoid orphans, one of the wardrobe planning links I mentioned was a sewing idea: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ejvc.wordpress.com/seasonal-6pac-collections/">seasonal six piece&nbsp;collections</a>. While that link is to the blogger's original rules, each season the blogger starts a thread in a sewing forum that shows how a variety of sewists interpret the plans for them. You can see them on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php/board,10.0.html">this board </a>if you're curious. In the comments, Claire wondered how I use them when I don't care for column of colour dressing, and I said I'd put together a hypothetical wardrobe following the guidelines (so, 24 items). Then I got sick, so this is a bit delayed, but here we go!</p> <p>First of all, I could only do by reminding myself that I'm not actually limited to those items. Otherwise, I was desperately trying to fit all of my favourites in. If having a 24 piece wardrobe created world peace or ended poverty, this would work well for that; otherwise, I'll happily keep my big wardrobe, thank you very much. I picked items one season at a time, but my goal was always to be able to wear items from different seasons together. I essentially chose pieces for a mild 4 season climate, similar enough to my current Texan one, except with the temperatures evenly distributed instead of the endless summer we really have. And I indulged myself with my favourite coat, so am clearly imagining a cooler winter than we have here.&nbsp;Accessories aren't part of the plan, but I can add a photo of what I envision if it'll help. I wanted to use items currently in my closet, instead of some ideal version I might find on the internet.</p> <p>&nbsp;I ended up opting for all grey bottoms: I think it's easiest to make a mix &amp; match wardrobe if all of the bottoms are the same. That way, you have more options for tops and toppers. Other than that, I used different neutrals and colours at whim, although following the guidelines. I know it looks like I chose blue-green as my accent colour; in fact, I was looking for certain fits/fabrics/formality levels and it just so happened the right ones were often a version of blue-green!</p> <p>Formality was a big issue for me: if I want a versatile closet, I need it to be casual enough for everyday wear, but nice enough to go smart casual/casually dressy if necessary. So I mainly opted for fabrics &amp; finishes that were in the middle of the dressy/casual continuum.</p> <p>Now for the choices: I'll share the guidelines, then my interpretation.</p> <p>SPRING </p> <ul> <li>Skirt or trousers (neutral): I chose my new slim grey trousers (pic 1).</li> <li>3 blouses/tops (1 to match, 2 to complement): I chose 3 that 'go with' the trousers: a sleeveless cotton teal top (casual), sleeveless silk navy blue blouse (dressier), and a silk/cotton blend grey light blue jumper (medium)&nbsp;(pic 2).</li> <li>1 Layering top/cardigan (to match skirt/trousers): I opted for a seafoam green silk/cotton blend cardigan, so it could be dressed up. I felt that colour would work with both sleeveless tops (I enjoy tonal mixing)&nbsp;(pic 3).</li> <li>Jacket (co-ordinating neutral): I chose my Gap cotton taupe one, since taupe goes with everything in my closet. It's a more casual option, but the cardigan's dressier fabric meant I didn't need to worry about that&nbsp;(pic 3).</li> </ul> <p><div>SUMMER</div><div><br /></div></p> <ul> <li>Dress: I chose this patterned dress because it's light enough for a sundress but looks dressier than my other cotton sundresses. I also felt that the colour would let it work into fall &amp; winter, with appropriate layering. It seemed like a fairly versatile choice, although sadly the neckline doesn't lend itself to be layering over blouses, pinafore style&nbsp;(pic 4).</li> <li>Skirt (accent colour): I changed this to shorts, as it's too hot here in the summer&nbsp;for my preferred waist defining skirts. And since I wear shorts a lot, I opted for grey ones so it wouldn't be obvious how much I was wearing them&nbsp;(pic 5).</li> <li>3 blouses/tops (1 to match skirt, 2 to complement): Once again, I chose 3 that go with the shorts, as well as the spring trousers for when I want more leg coverage. I got a bit of pattern in with the silk floral blouse (that also happens to have cream, taupe, and navy blue in it), a new colour in the pink silk/cotton blend blouse, and a soft white cotton one that feels very summery. I made sure all 3 also went with both of my spring toppers&nbsp;(pic 6).</li> <li>1 light layering top/cardigan: This was tricky, but I ended up opting for my navy blue cardigan with cream ribbon detailing. I like that I can wear it buttoned up on its own as well as layered over the blouses, and it went with all of them. Plus, it seemed like it would work well with the other seasons' capsules.&nbsp;I think it would go with the dress too, despite them both having patterns&nbsp;(pic 7).</li> </ul> <p>AUTUMN</p> <ul> <li>Skirt or trousers (neutral): I chose a skirt, since I already had trousers from the spring collection. Another grey piece&nbsp;(pic 8)!&nbsp;</li> <li>3 blouses/tops (1 to match, 2 to complement): I chose 1 fancier silk blouse that can be worn over trousers or tucked into a skirt, for maximum versatility (and oh look, it's teal, hehe). Then I opted for a casual long sleeve tee, a favourite cooler weather look of mine: after some debating, I choose a light grey/white striped one (difficult to tell from the photo) for a bit of extra pattern. Finally, I finished things off with a lightweight navy blue&nbsp;wool jumper that looks classy in a variety of situations&nbsp;(pic 9).</li> <li>1 Layering top/cardigan (to match skirt/trousers): This blue-grey wool cardigan is one of my very favourites; it's cropped for wearing with the skirt and I love the colour. I thought it would go very nicely with all of the tops from my spring &amp; summer capsules, letting them continue to be worn,&nbsp;as well as with the dress&nbsp;(pic 10).</li> <li>Jacket (co-ordinating neutral): I couldn't resist adding a bit of velvet, and this cocoa brown one echoes the brown buttons on the skirt, as well as being cropped enough to work well with skirts and dresses. Since it's a neutral, it goes with all of the blouses, jumpers, and cardigans I've already chosen too, allowing for maximum versatility&nbsp;(pic 10).</li> </ul> <p>WINTER</p> <ul> <li>Trousers (dark neutral): if I had slim wool trousers, they'd be here. But I don't, so I used my corduroy skinnies instead&nbsp;(pic 11).</li> <li>2 Tops (1 to match, 1 to complement): I chose a cream silk collared blouse, because I can wear it on its own or layered under any of the knitwear in my closet. The muted teal cashmere jumper is super cosy, and I like it with both trousers and skirts, so I can keep the autumn skirt in rotation. It's fitted enough that I can layer over it too&nbsp;(pic 12).</li> <li>2 layering tops/cardigans/jackets (1 to match, 1 to complement): This was a tricky category for me too. I knew I wanted a wool jacket, and finally decided this pattern taupe/navy one would work best (it goes with the skirt even though it's longer, because it has a lot of waist definition). Then I decided to add one more wool&nbsp;cardigan, since I like how cardigans can be worn on their own or as toppers. I chose a grey one, in a different shade than all of my grey bottoms, because it gave me a dressier topper option&nbsp;(pic 13).</li> <li>Coat (dark neutral): I got this coat off Ebay in February, and it is my favourite wardrobe item ever. It's mint condition&nbsp;vintage, 100% Loden wool, fits me like a glove, and comes with a detachable cape and hood. I want to live in it forever and ever. It's a bit heavier than the rest of the climate I put the capsule together for, but at least if there's a cold snap I won't be cold. Plus, it's hypothetical, so I don't need to be entirely practical&nbsp;(pic 14)!</li> </ul> <p>Whew. That's a lot of typing, I'm sorry. Because everything coordinates, in various layering combinations, I determined these 24 items can give me 62 warm weather options and 156 cool weather ones (I didn't include the coat in those combinations since it's strictly outerwear). That's before taking any accessories into consideration. I haven't tried them all on, so there might be a few duds, and personally even if they were in different combinations I know I'd get tired of wearing the same pieces over and over, but it is impressive. I admire the plan's focus on tops &amp; toppers that all mix &amp; match; assuming your bottoms don't wear out, it seems sensible to me, as most people are looking at your face so notice the top half of your outfit more. And of course, the plan is meant to provide you with a strong backbone to your closet, not to be the entire thing! </p> <p>I hope that was helpful! It was a fun exercise for me. If you want, I'll try to do a lookbook of potential outfit combinations&nbsp;a la Ingrid, but it'll take at least another week to sort out. </p>