https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 30 May 2026 09:22:11 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small/page/2#post-688979 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:11:48 +0000 cheryl 688979@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mochi, I love these types of posts. I admire people that have a small, functional, disciplined closet. The capsule concept just awes me and I read everything I can about them. </p> <p>In theory I would love perfect, cute little capsules. In reality I am one of those people with a very large wardrobe and I don't want it any other way. The thought of only shopping for an item on a needs list or of limiting myself to a certain color when shopping just seems so stifling to me. </p> <p>I love color, I love patterns and prints and I love more statement-y pieces. My wardrobe is anything but disciplined but I love it, it works for me and it makes me happy. Ultimately I think that is what we should all strive for. No matter the size of your wardrobe it should make you happy. </p> <p>I devour the Vivienne Files every day because I love her capsule concepts and her mix and match capsules. I just don't have a ton of mix and match in my closet and it is ok but it doesn't stop me from appreciating the ideas and examples. </p> <p>Good luck with getting to the size wardrobe that makes your heart sing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small/page/2#post-687592 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 06:34:06 +0000 Rhiannon 687592@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have often problem in selecting items because I am having enough items. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687537 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 03:31:24 +0000 Vix 687537@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi Mochi -- </p> <p>Loving the insights on this thread! </p> <p>I started building my wardrobe up from near-scratch (probably 10 or so items) 6 or 7 years ago and still try to keep it *relatively* small. </p> <p><strong>My personal #1 most effective thing: Plan, buy for, and build color capsules</strong></p> <p>I've also helped a few friends build from near-nothing, and buying with color in mind *from the start* has helped them stay focused. </p> <p>Don't know if it will work for/interests you, but if so...lots (too much!) below.</p> <p>*****</p> <p>I npw purposefully choose color-colors and/or neutral-colors to focus on per season/period of time, then shop to them. </p> <p><strong>Why #1:</strong> I realized I prefer a tonal or monochromatic look vs of color variation, and this ensures I have things that are both matchy enough and contrasting.</p> <p><strong> Why #2:</strong>I do get bored with my stuff sometimes.</p> <p>Limiting purchases to certain color palettes for periods of time lets me create "new purchase" capsules (if buying several items) and extends my existing color capsules when buying items here and there.</p> <p>I'm sure that's clear as mud, so here's how it worked with summer purchases. </p> <p>Note that I layer 9 months out of the year but had some big warm(ish) weather clothing gaps. And that I was cross-referencing with body shape, lifestyle, existing closet items blah blah. ;)</p> <p>Palette Focus: Blues/Purples, Rose/Reds, Black (relapser!); Neutral for accessories</p> <p>Purchases:<br /> * Periwinkle blouse<br /> * Purple/Blue/Brown peacock feather print dress (converts to tunic)<br /> * Navy summer weight cardigan<br /> * Brighter blue summer weight cardigan<br /> * Black knit pencil skirt<br /> * Black skinny twill pants<br /> * Pale rose/blue/green summer-weight scarf<br /> * Cream/Taupe/Red/black/espresso print blouse<br /> * Hats in black and neutral straw</p> <p>Now all of the above work with multiple older items (yawn) already in my closet. And pretty much all will end up as multi-season and I'll get a little sick of them. ;)</p> <p>But the navy sweater works with the peri top while the brighter blue sweater works with the peacock dress/tunic. </p> <p>The print top works with both black items, and I have other printed tops with blue in them that help me tie the blue sweaters with the black items. </p> <p>The rose/blue print scarf is mostly being worn as a dress/tunic overlay, but when it cools down it will work with the blue sweaters too.</p> <p>The lighter hat gets worn with items that are paler, and the black with outfits that incorporate darker shades.</p> <p>In reading through that list of purchases I am thinking, "hmmm, you know a deep brown summer-weight sweater would look awesome with what I bought," ha ha.</p> <p>But despite my not modeling it particularly well, one has to say NO at some point. And possibly remind oneself, "hey, I wear X color or style a lot and wanted to branch out." Or there goes the small(er) wardrobe!</p> <p><em>Does it offset the wall o text if I post a "3 items from summer capsule purchases in action"?</em> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687529 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 03:16:30 +0000 Sveta 687529@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha-ha, it was me and my coworker!<br /> However I find that I get carried away too and sometimes buy things which I should not. Sales are a big culprit, don't you find? I am learning to be more discerning now when I reached the point of very functioning wardrobe.<br /> One thing I wanted to share is about following a color scheme. I had pretty disfunctioning wardrobe before YLF and it was Angie (of course!) who helped me realize that I have too many colors and not enough neutrals. I took it into the account when I was rebuilding my wardrobe almost from scratch and what I find is that when I have enough neutral things - both tops and bottoms - I don't need to keep to a certain color scheme at all. I get clothes and shoes in colors which make me happy and they very often end up playing with each other anyway. I think at least 80% of my things play well with each other - and of course my neutrals come to the rescue for the remaining 20% or when I feel like minimalist.<br /> What I try to avoid is a repetition of similar items which do not provide enough versatility. I will buy a couple of black t-necks so I don't have to launder them often but I will not buy a second black jacket unless it is so different from the one I already own it can create completely different outfit combinations. You got the idea: everything I own must work hard and earn its place in my closet or it does not stay. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687481 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:14:25 +0000 Lisa 687481@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I had a much larger closet when I joined YLF than I do now, I'm easily down to half or less in size (currently 141 items which includes scarves and handbags and shoes for a 4 season wardrobe). </p> <p>For myself a key aspect to cutting down my wardrobe size was identifying the frequency I like to repeat clothing. When I realized I don't mind repeating after 10 workdays, I was able to cull a lot of clothing. I also identified which areas I don't mind repeating more (shoes and jeans are repeated often and my smallest categories) while toppers and scarves are my largest categories and the items I prefer to repeat less often. A lot of wardrobe building is personal preferences. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687435 Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:37:21 +0000 rachylou 687435@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I fantasize about a minimalist wardrobe and really need to reduce the size of my wardrobe... but in reality, I love my clothes and don't find a truly minimalist wardrobe that workable for long.</p> <p>When I moved into my shoebox apartment, I took a subset of clothes and put the rest in storage. What I discovered was that I started wearing out my clothing very fast, wearing just this subset. </p> <p>So, I don't know that it's actually more economical... except on space. Which, I have to admit, comes at a certain premium. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687290 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:23:36 +0000 harmonica 687290@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Intereting thread and I'll need to come back and reread closer tomorrow. I love the idea of a small and versatile capsule and I really thought I had a very small wardrobe, but I've realized that it is closer to regular size, I think. Anyway, small, medium or large depends on a lot of factors, but I intened to keep a wardrobe where I know every item and wear them all. BTW, I don't know if it was me, but I got a comment from someone at work regardign wardrobe size. She was sure my wardrobe was really large, because I always wore new stuff. The truth was remixing, not new pieces. Very nice to get comlements like that </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687247 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 20:32:08 +0000 Charmian 687247@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>" a wardrobe is "small enough" when I actually wear out clothing and discard it "</p> <p>^-- That's <em>perfectly</em> stated. Thanks, Isis! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687224 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:51:08 +0000 Anonymous 687224@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I like the idea of a small, versatile wardrobe...and then I see Teri (who is my style twin!) and suddenly I want gobs and gobs of clothes, shoes and accessories! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687217 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:43:21 +0000 shiny 687217@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes Mochi -- I would love to meet some of the new local YLFers. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687197 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:10:09 +0000 Anonymous 687197@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My DDs think I'm dressed up if I'm not wearing jeans, but I think that's because my tops are rather dressy. You'll never see me in a t-shirt or cotton tank top. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687191 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:02:18 +0000 Mochi 687191@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great ideas and insights, everyone! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687169 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:40:18 +0000 Isabel 687169@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mochi, coincidentally , I have also been thinking about this quite a bit. I learned about Project 333 on the Vivienne files. She brought up the eye popping fact that if one has 33 items in one's wardrobe, one can put over 1000, 3 piece outfits together !!!!</p> <p>I am going to start off with a trial capsule for the Fall and go from there. Since my weight is still all over the place, I am going to pull out things that fit and go from there. I figure that I will start with the following and then adjust accordingly :</p> <p>6 blazers ( I LOVE jackets )<br /> 13 tops<br /> 3 sweaters<br /> 3 dresses<br /> 2 skirts<br /> 5 pants ( 3 different silhouette jeans and 2 ponte pants )</p> <p>This should give me over 600, 3 piece combos. I have 32 pieces, with 1 wild card and that my outerwear wouldn't count. Accessories will be unlimited, using everything that I have. My shoe "wardrobe" is done. I also want to limit myself to one of kind pieces ( such as 1 black blazer....not 4 like I have )</p> <p>I will have a capsule for activities and for dress up ( since the Holidays will be in the middle of this ). The only way for me to get a feel for this is to do it ...or at least try. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687158 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:25:36 +0000 Ingunn 687158@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is a very interesting thread! Thank you for sharing so much valuable information! I'm aiming for a small and versatile wardrobe just as many of you have stated, too. Today's post and Angie's post about Summer capsules are both very informative and inspiring for me. I've made a list in Evernote based on Angie's suggestions for a Summer capsule to find out what I already have, and whether I should supply with anything. I decided that I wanted a dark denim jacket to be able to dress down more of my skirts and dresses. I'm also interested in buying a pair of white jeans and a white casual skirt, but since Summer is in its final stage here, I might postpone that to next year. The list made it very simple to examine my wardrobe and decide on how to improve it. I bought a classic dark Levi's jacket today, and it will probably last me for many years. If you look at the picture you might see how I prioritize based on input from Angie's list. I've noted what I have, and in which order I intend to supply the capsule over time (during next year, probably). The best part is that I can do this whenever I have the money, there's no need to rush. Maybe I'll find something valuable in the final sales, too. A Summer capsule like this is not trend based and will be the backbone of my Summer wardrobe for many years to come. This is one way to keep a wardrobe smaller. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687144 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:05:47 +0000 Isis 687144@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ah, but Shiney, the BF trend IS dressing up! To my mind, anything that is deliberately styled is dressing up, doesn't have to be "fancy".....</p> <p>Mochi, to answer your question, for my tastes, a wardrobe is "small enough" when I actually wear out clothing and discard it.....this necessitates a limited number of clothes so that they can be worn over and over again. I achieve this with many items, but not all..... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687141 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:01:15 +0000 Mochi 687141@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>(Hey, Shiny! Do you ever want to be contacted through PM if/when there's a next Boston meetup in the works? :-)</p> <p>(and thanks for dressing up nicely...we can always use more good examples.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687137 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:57:56 +0000 shiny 687137@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I thought of another strategy that helps: setting the bar high even when simply running errands. What I mean is that I really do not have a "casual" capsule at all (if we are not counting lounge wear/sweats that I wear only at home without company). If I'm just popping out of the house to run to the grocery store, I still dress up. Yes, this often means I'm the most dressed up when I go somewhere, even a simple backyard BBQ or say a trip to an area that is far more casual than Boston. But I like that and don't mind being overdressed. </p> <p>Of course if you still have young children or your lifestyle/area of the country is much more laid back and casual, then you need more in this capsule by necessity. But you could still set an overall "tone" for your entire wardrobe. Maybe all your clothes are more on the casual side. </p> <p>*another reason I should probably just say no to the boyfriend jean trend... sigh... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687126 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:46:13 +0000 Gaylene 687126@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>One of the most enlightening experiences I had was when I had to pack for a month's vacation using only a VERY small backpack (the size used by students to carry their laptops.) I was traveling to three major European centres (including Paris) and through two quite different climate zones (cool and rainy, hot and sunny). My outfits had to take me to a concert, a play, and a conference as well as being suitable for traveling and touring.</p> <p>I was heartily sick of everything by the end of the month, but it was extremely liberating to realize that I could look quite respectable in all of those settings using such a limited wardrobe. I used Zap's strategy--neutral colors that work well together and a few accessories--along with my own strategies--good fabrics and well-fitting basics. </p> <p>The reason you keep hearing about these strategies is because they do work if your aim is for a smallish, but functional wardrobe. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687110 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:32:07 +0000 Carole 687110@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have been struggling to reduce my wardrobe and probably need therapy to actually accomplish this. I have a large closet and it's filled with things I think I need or will use at some point but don't actually use it all because I can't see the tree through the forest, if that makes sense. every time I start to purge I get hung up and bail!</p> <p>I realized when I created a spring/summer/travel capsule how great it is to have a few things that all go together and cover all the bases, I want that for each season , just haven't been able to accomplish it yet. </p> <p>Thanks for this post, it's great reading everyone's responses. Inspiration always helps! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687106 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:28:30 +0000 Mama Susie 687106@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is such a timely post for me. I've been thinking about this type of thing lately and I'm in the same position as you Mochi. I'm pretty much starting from scratch and I think I'd rather deal with a smaller well-edited wardrobe that I can mix and match from without getting bored. It seems like a lot to ask from a small little wardrobe! I realized I've almost always kept to a smaller wardrobe (my mom's wardrobe for instance is more then triple the size of mine) but like Charmian and Mo commented above I lacked focus and cohesion. I used to, and sometimes still do, buy things willy nilly just because it's cute. I'm very much an impulse shopper. I will keep watching this thread with great interest to see what others say and I'll also go check out Angie's blog which I haven't gotten around to reading yet. Thanks all!</p> <p>ETA: I just thought of this after rereading my reply. I think the reason I prefer a smaller wardrobe is because I tend to get overwhelmed to the point of distraction when I'm faced with too many options. Which leads to me choosing nothing rather than making the wrong choice. I remember last year going into a forever 21 store because it was new at one of our local malls. It was three stories! I walked through one story looking at everything, started getting frantic on the second story , and by the third I wanted nothing to do with the store and turned to my husband saying we have to leave now! LOL. It's funny but it was just too much for me to take in and made me feel very anxious. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687101 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:21:16 +0000 shiny 687101@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Small and large are relative, and I have never thought to count the number of items I have. I am constrained by a tiny closet. I do have "overflow" kept in tubs in storage, but have slowly and methodically been whittling this down, with goal of having everything -- all four seasons plus special occasion wear -- fit in my tiny closet plus available dresser drawer space (this includes pj's, sweats, loungewear, exercise gear). There is no longer anything under the bed -- hooray! -- and I've only got about three crates now in storage, including one crate filled entirely with "in case I gain weight" items that have not come out of rotation in years, as my weight has been stable. This is MAJOR progress for me. </p> <p>I have been considering doing another major cull soon, and I imagine I could get my wardrobe down even more. I like culling and watching my empty hanger stash grow; it gives me satisfaction! But, it's true I probably wear 20%-30% most often. I am getting quite used to taking a 20% workhorse and accessorizing it to wear it in different ways, over several seasons, and for different occasions (work to after work to casual). </p> <p>I've probably had the best success keeping the shoe population to a minimum. I have two shoe hangers on the back of my closet doors, to fit 20 pairs of shoes (not counting boots, which line the top shelf). It used to be that I had an under the bed box jammed with out of season shoes and would rotate. I culled way, way down and now all my shoes are in the closet. If I buy a new pair, one pair has to go. </p> <p>Probably the most difficult capsule for me to cull is work wardrobe. That's not because I wear these most often -- on the contrary, I wear them the least, since I work from home. But, I always have to be ready with professional wear for the occasional meeting in office, or for a business trip. I do focus as much as I can on pieces that can do double duty, not just for work, but this isn't as easy with some items, particularly blouses and dress pants. I just don't wear dress pants all that much outside of the office, and for work I prefer high cut modest necklines but for the rest of my life this just isn't the most flattering look on me. That said, every work-suitable blazer I own gets worn to death. Those are easy to dress down with jeans. </p> <p>Well this is long winded-- your post gave me food for thought! I'd say that a couple of strategies are working for me to move towards a more minimal wardrobe:</p> <p>1) Sticking to neutrals for dresses, tops and bottoms, with one or two signature colors for interest. I have learned over time that the most versatile blouse color for me is white. This strategy enables you to use your clothes as the canvas, and to rely on accessories (shoes, purse, scarf, jewelry) and jackets to add interest and change things up.</p> <p>2) I only need ONE pair of bootcut, ONE pair of skinnies, ONE pair of straight legs, and ONE pair of trouser style jeans. Likewise with say, skirts: one black, one patterned, one bright color. Or sheath dresses: one black, one navy, one gray, etc. </p> <p>3) Everything Angie said in her blog today My capsules aren't color based. I have pretty much given up on earth tones, for the most part. I don't look as good in them, and it seems to double my wardrobe. My capsules, instead, are based on purpose: I have an overly large "going out" capsule, next is the "every day running errands" capsule; and smallest of all is the "business/business trip" capsule. Then I also think in terms of seasons: winter/fall is biggest due to our climate, spring and summer much smaller. I look for items that will span multiple seasons. </p> <p>4) Planning for trips helps me a lot! Even if it's all just fantasy planning: "If we were going to Europe in the fall for a week, what would I pack in my suitcase?" Such planning always seems to help me see which are the most versatile workhorses in my wardrobe. </p> <p>5) Giving myself permission to re-wear over and over the items that make me feel like a million bucks. Regardless of the fact I may have worn it last time someone saw me, or even the day before. It's a shame not to wear such items as much as possible! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687084 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:05:46 +0000 Charmian 687084@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I once asked on the forum what it meant for a wardrobe to be <em>too</em> small, and the definition I personally came to was "if you lose the ability to put together smile-inducing outfits when an item is out of commission". You're absolutely right that "small" means different things to different people! Without revealing the number of items in my wardrobe, I would say that mine is small but terribly unfocused.</p> <p>For example, I'm pretty tolerant to repeats so I think temperment plays a part in keeping a wardrobe small: some people like the variety, and some like the focus. I think you're ahead of the game simply by realizing which one you are. Tempermentally, I also prefer small.</p> <p>I've recently run into a situation where all of my blue jeans have been unavailable for the past 2 weeks. I've been able to come up with a few outfits that make me feel good, but I can't do two days in a row, for example. That's where my wardrobe's lack of focus (and -- I'll be honest -- my lack of choosiness in permitting items into it) has bitten me. For focus, I've found that SYB is working reasonably well for me. The not-enough-casual-pants realization plus a need to fit in a budget forced me to evict a cute cardigan from my NAS purchases this year. I liked it a lot, the color was beautiful and flexible, it was flattering, but I needed the money for the casual-pants-hole I found. The flip side is that I CANNOT STOP HITTING REFRESH on the "when will your package arrive" page: that's how badly my wardrobe needs these skinnies. It's that very sense of almost-desperation that tells me that my wardrobe is still "small" by the above definition: because I've proven that I can't put together awesome outfits without it.</p> <p>For SYB, I make a list of goals and assign them to seasons. For my temperment, knowing that I'll get to it "at some point" keeps me from chafing at the budget. For example, I had to adjust this season's purchases to accommodate an unexpected hole, but I can be content with the change because I know that I budgeted money for a cardigan/colored blazer/denim jacket next season (and bumped something from next season into the following!). As you might expect, I've got goals lined up all the way to Spring 2013! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687078 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:59:24 +0000 jayne 687078@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such good thoughts here. Is it 'allowed' to still do 3 seasons and be minimal, or is it supposed to be that ones uses everything all year round? I really like to pack away the darks in summer and the pastels in winter. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687076 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:57:19 +0000 Anonymous 687076@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was going to say Sveta Is who received the comment.<br /> I don't think I have a small wardrobe so I might not be able to help there but I do have a very functional one, especially for work. Since I travel so much, my work pieces need to mix and match flawlessly. I can pack a week's worth of outfits in record time because of this. What has worked for me is to stick to a neutral color palette of blacks, creams, dark denim and whites to anchor my pieces. Then, I have items in color families that go together. Prints are quite helpful in adding additional drama to an outfit, especially because that piece will match or go with plenty of items, depending on the print colors. My closet is mostly made of red and blues so I keep that in mind as I select new pieces. Since I do wear lots of dark colors, I tend to gravitate towards brights for bags and accessories. Also, nude and taupe shoes go with everything. I make sure that I always have a pair of shoes in this color family, depending on season. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687057 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:39:46 +0000 Queen Mum 687057@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mochi, this is something I have to remind myself of when I think I need more clothes...<br /> While *I* might be tired of repeating the same few summer dresses over and over, others aren't tired of seeing me in them. If what you are wearing is flattering, people truly enjoy seeing you in it. In fact, I've had people say things like, "gosh, I love that dress on you... you need to wear it more often" The only time I get tired of other peoples clothes is when they are unflattering on them. I know we aren't dressing for others, but it still helps me to think in these terms.</p> <p>Also, as you build your wardrobe, it will seem much bigger to you if you resist the urge to fall into the trap of just buying variations of the same thing. For instance, you can own 5 button downs in different colors, or you can own one button down, one flowy blouse, one knit top, one pullover sweater, and a tunic blouse. Which option is going to keep you from getting bored? Buy a mix of solids, and different types of prints. Buy variety and your wardrobe will seem much larger to you. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-687052 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:26:52 +0000 rae 687052@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I feel like I regularly get comments like, "You never wear the same thing twice." Hmmm... I've been thinking about this more and more while trying to shrink my closet down. I re-wear my work items like crazy, but that is where I get the comments. </p> <p>I think one thing I've done well is choosing dresses that can be layered under *and* over. Shirts and blouses underneath, blazers on top, or sweaters pulled over to give the look of a skirt. Very handy. Following the layering thought, I try to only get shirts if they can be worn tucked as well as untucked.</p> <p>The other thing that worked out well is a variation on Angie's color capsules. I have way more colors crammed into one capsule, but since it's a "citrus" capsule, everything still goes together - lemon, citron, lime, orange, key lime (emerald/jade), grapefruit... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-686993 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:33:32 +0000 Angie 686993@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nancy, I answered you in this morning's blog post so do go back and check. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-686963 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:06:44 +0000 Mochi 686963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yeah, that's true, Mo. I'm starting pretty much from nothing, so in theory could go anywhere. (Apart from the fact that I have constraints around money and what works for my body type.) Like with anything, I guess you just have to start somewhere and go from there. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-686961 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:05:42 +0000 Aziraphale 686961@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>To me, a "disciplined" wardrobe is one that doesn't conform to the 80/20 rule (i.e. you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. The rule applies to lots of things -- most of us listen to 20% of our music 80% of the time, for example). A disciplined wardrobe has a better batting average than that. Maybe 80% of your clothes 80% of the time? With the other 20% being special occasion clothes?</p> <p>Also, to me a disciplined wardrobe would be one where there are no items, barring cocktail dresses, that have sat there for more than six months without being worn.</p> <p>Which means I don't actually have a very disciplined wardrobe, come to think of it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/keeping-a-wardrobe-small#post-686957 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:03:18 +0000 Mo 686957@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I believe it was Sveta who's coworker thought she had a much larger wardrobe.<br /> I would like a smaller one than I have now, but not by much. I realize I like variety. I am around 140 pieces (not including lounge, exercise, or sleep wear). 100 is more where I want to be.<br /> I think both honing in on what your own style is, and narrowing your color palette can help your clothes to play together better. I used to literally just buy what grabbed my fancy, across all styles and any color, without a thought as to how it would integrate with anything I already had. Not only did I have too many clothes, but absolutely no cohesion between them! Sure I had a lot of fun outfits, but not much remixing.<br /> I am getting much better, but not quite there yet. I still fear 'going without'. Part of me still wants every iteration of something I love, be it blue jeans or cropped jackets. Silly, but it's there. But I am coming at this from a place of too much, going towards less. I wonder if it's a different process coming from starting fresh and building your wardrobe? </p>