https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:58:06 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222678 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 04:18:31 +0000 Sally 2222678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for asking the question chewyspaghetti.&nbsp; I didn't really know what the F5 was.&nbsp; I do admire Jenn's attention to detail and her definite style.&nbsp; I think like Irina I tend to overbuy the essentials. I tend to wear very plain basics so perhaps a statement would be a particular pair shoes, a statement scarf or Jacket.&nbsp; I think I'll go and list my essentials too ...what a great idea.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222571 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:45:00 +0000 chewyspaghetti 2222571@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Back to theTopic at Hand...<br /> Reading all of this has given me some insight into my wardrobe challenges. I think that figuring out what my essentials are is a good place to start. I sort of started doing this recently, but never fully got there. Now that Ineed a work wear wardrobe, I need to manage it better and this will help. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222564 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:20:28 +0000 Sloper 2222564@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenn's been very clear and generous in discussing her process, in this and other posts. I've learned more than one or two<br /> things for sure.</p> <p><b>SF </b>- What you saw as brain-picking seemed to be devolving into the confrontational:</p> <p><i>“I'm surprised your approach didn't get you resituated faster than mine did me…You buy more per year and wear a much bigger percent of your wardrobe, so I would've thought it would adapt faster than mine.”</i></p> <p>And then adding a bit of victim-blaming at the end "Well she's clearly not in the mood..." </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222561 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:01:34 +0000 Sal 2222561@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>SF - just take the feedback and move on. It may not have been your intention to have made Jenn feel interrogated - but she did. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222529 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 16:05:43 +0000 Janet 2222529@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks, CS and Jenn, for this thread and the info discussed. I’ve only been lurking since clearly I don’t use this strategy in building or maintaining my wardrobe, but I could stand to learn a thing or two. It’s been interesting to ponder. And I didn’t really understand what the F5 approach was until now. I could see using an adaptation of this approach to help me focus my efforts better. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222518 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:54:47 +0000 nemosmom 2222518@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Another "thank you" for sharing your process, Jenn! As someone who has struggled for a while to identify why my wardrobe is or isn't working and with shopping habits, I really appreciate you taking the time to share how you do it (and do it so well!). I am a slow learner, but getting there </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222506 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:12:30 +0000 Irina 2222506@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree, thank you, Jenn. Certainly helps me to understand how 5 pieces per season is applied. I want to try something similar. I tend to overbuy essentials and need to get it under control. So, this thread is very informative and useful.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222505 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:11:16 +0000 Toban 2222505@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for sharing what works for you, Jenn. My wardrobe building philosophy has a lot of parallels and similarities to yours. I’ve found the 5-piece wardrobe update a great way to add newness to my wardrobe and intermixing them with existing pieces. And similarly, my “core” is quite different than the “French wardrobe” core. Yours is one of the wardrobe’s that resonates the most with me and that I get the most ideas from. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222502 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 14:49:23 +0000 Anonymous 2222502@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I second Pat P. &nbsp;I find Jenn to be one of the most articulate and thoughtful writers about this subject. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn/page/2#post-2222500 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 14:48:06 +0000 Pat_P 2222500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenn, I’d just like to say thank you for sharing your thoughts on how you manage your wardrobe. I’ve found both your specific choices and your clear explanation of your process really helpful as I consider my own clothing choices. While our styles are different, I love reading your thoughts! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222464 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 10:38:39 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222464@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, she’s clearly not in the mood to discuss or have anyone pick her brain. That’s fair. We don’t always want to talk. But my goodness, “we have similar issues” “I thought you’d do better than me” and “I guess the difference runs deep” are offensive? Whew! I suppose it’s in line with the general angsty vibe of the whole site, but I didn’t think that was Jenn. *Shrug* </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222416 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 00:24:56 +0000 Anonymous 2222416@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Seeing as this thread was addressed to Jenn ….. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222337 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:27:41 +0000 Anonymous 2222337@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>There's no right and wrong way to have a wardrobe for sure! I think it's just about making things work for our changing situations and priorities. It's a lot of trial and error!</p> <p>I like the idea of audition essentials! A few of my purchases this year may end up being essentials. Thinking about it as I do my planning. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222329 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:02:50 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222329@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenn, what on earth? I'm not trying to ask anyone to defend anything. Just commenting on the different processes, because I think it's interesting, clearly didn't know what to expect looking at them next to each other (and made the wrong prediction). So I noted that both you and I are not quite adjusted to where we live, wardrobe-wise, and then circled back to what you've said before about you and I having different systems, as a way to end in agreement. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222325 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 18:55:45 +0000 Jenn 2222325@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>SF,&nbsp;</b>I'm not sure what you want from me here. Do you want me to defend my wardrobe-building process? To convince you it would work for you? I'm not trying to convert anyone. My participation here isn't a persuasive essay.</p> <p>I'm very open about what I buy each year (it's in collections in my Finds) and how I narrow things things down from wishlists to purchases, because I enjoy sharing the process with others who are interested in the topic.&nbsp;I answer questions about it because people ask, and the answers I give may help them to take whatever bits and pieces work for them. Which is presumably why people ask, and how a community works.&nbsp;</p> <p>I understand that you do things differently. You've shared many threads about your process. My approach doesn't invalidate yours. It's clearly what works for you.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222304 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:03:33 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222304@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OK. As we've discussed before, we just have different approaches to this, from the very basics. I'm surprised your approach didn't get you resituated faster than mine did me. I mean, I've lived in this climate before, but it had been a decade, so my gradual slow add hadn't been happening. You buy more per year and wear a much bigger percent of your wardrobe, so I would've thought it would adapt faster than mine. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222298 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:24:13 +0000 Jenn 2222298@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh! I just don't want to dress only in essentials! Even interesting ones. I like having actual statements, and wear them often enough (and have few enough) that most of them reach the 30-wears mark and beyond within a few years.</p> <p>Maybe I won't be so focused on adding "statement-y statements" in a few years, but right now, I'm still rebalancing to suit a climate I've never lived in before. I didn't go out and buy a bunch of "moving to California" stuff, so it's a slow process, and I'm still getting used to how long the seasons are here. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222296 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:15:31 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222296@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You said “ The other pieces are either some middle ground (interesting and updated versions of my essentials)”<br /> And<br /> “but I do spread my purchases across the year, and have tried to be aware of purchasing at least a few (aiming for four) "statementy statements" to keep things interesting.”</p> <p>I was thinking that if you had more in the first category (and therefore fewer plain essentials), they would already keep things interesting without the second category, or at least you wouldn’t have to LOOK for big statements. You could be open to them but also take pleasure in your cat 1 items whether you happened across cat 2 pieces or not. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222294 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:03:02 +0000 Jenn 2222294@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>SF,&nbsp;</b>I don't understand what you're asking here. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222293 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:55:10 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222293@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenn, if you’re leaning towards “interesting and updated” versions of essentials, why not go all the way in that direction? Then you wouldn’t need to get more stuff to bring in interest. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222290 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:28:50 +0000 Jenn 2222290@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just in case this helps anyone, here's how I'd class my purchases this year. </p> <ul> <li>The pieces marked as essentials are direct replacements for the items on my base list.&nbsp;</li> <li>Gear is its own thing.</li> <li>The white dress and the duster (and possibly the balloon pants) are clear statements.</li> <li>The other pieces are either some middle ground (interesting and updated versions of my essentials) or what I think of as "audition essentials" (I suspected&nbsp;that a mini backpack might become an essential for me due to some lifestyle changes)</li> </ul> <p><div>My items aren't really divided up seasonally, and the calendar year splits the fall/winter season, anyway, but I do spread my purchases across the year, and have tried to be aware of purchasing at least a few (aiming for four) "statementy statements" to keep things interesting.</div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222283 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:54:06 +0000 LaPed 2222283@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>While I've always been intrigued by this approach, I'm another who can't quite make it mesh with my own style, or maybe with my wardrobe management system. Looking at my <a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/finds/collections/?collection=9400">additions</a> this year, I can <i>kind of&nbsp;</i>see which would could be considered statements (or maybe novelty items is a better term), and which ones are probably essentials. Moto jacket and floral dress -- statements. Olive pants and navy blue sweater -- essentials, although the pleats and chunky knit/oversized shape could push them into statement territory. Blush jeans -- probably a statement due to colour but the shape (loose fit, high rise) is an essential silhouette for me. Gingham linen dress -- toss-up, probably statement? But even without being able to slot things into those specific categories, everything I've added this year has felt like a seamless addition. </p> <p>It also occurs to me that my inclination is to conflate essential/statement with wear potential (Suntiger's PUPY -- Potential Uses Per Year). Essentials, for me, tend to work across seasons, in both at-home and public contexts (the olive chinos and the navy sweater are perfect examples). Statements are more likely to be seasonally specific and are too fussy to wear around the house/working with little kids (moto jacket and floral midi dress both fall into this category). In this system, the blush jeans would be an essential/high-PUPY (year-round wear) while the gingham linen dress would be a statement/low-PUPY (only wear in summer).&nbsp;</p> <p>The dollar-amount definition of the statements/"five" appealed to me early on, but it's tricky because my biggest-ticket purchases are often utility items -- parkas and boots -- rather than style-boosters. In any case, it's fun to see how many different approaches there are to the question of mindful shopping and wardrobe management! I don't think there's one right way to do it, and most of these systems work best when tweaked to accommodate personal preferences/idiosyncrasies. :)&nbsp; &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222275 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:15:27 +0000 chewyspaghetti 2222275@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenn- you did. I've been reading this and trying to understand it all, but it makes more sense now. Thank you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222272 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:05:59 +0000 Jenn 2222272@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Sal</b> and <b>Shevia</b>, I’d actually argue that it’s the other way around. Doing 5PF allowed me to hone in on and define my signature style. I was never a huge fast fashion person, but I did just sort of buy ”stuff I liked” before going through the process of defining my essentials and limiting my purchases. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222271 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 13:59:47 +0000 Jenn 2222271@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Did I answer your question, chewyspaghetti? Or were you asking about my seasonal buys this year? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222261 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 12:46:28 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2222261@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ginger, I think your style and mine are similar in that they are based in things other people would consider “extra” or statements. You are the only person I know for whom a tiara can be a good, serious part of an everyday look. I don’t have tiaras, but people here have told me that my wardrobe is “statement heavy”, which would be a problem in a 5PFW. </p> <p>I have the idea that I should own a pair of jeans &amp; I do, but I rarely wear them, and don’t consider them any different than other pants. I have “layering Ts” but am just as happy to wear a bodysuit or teddy, or to put another sweater on when I need more layers. So those are not essentials for me. I don’t think I have other essential pieces either. </p> <p>I notice that people sometimes associate shopping for essentials with drudgery—necessary to make their style work, but not fun. I don’t do that. With rare exceptions, like the 501s that wore out recently, I look for pieces that have a little something special, like the pinstripe G-stars with “twisty” legs that replaced the 501s. So now my jeans are apparently statements instead of essentials. That doesn’t change the way I wear them. One could argue that even the 501s were statements, because they were throwbacks/iconic jeans even when they were new, as they contrasted strongly with the paper bag waists, peg legs, bell bottoms, and other trends that had raged for decades. My layering tops all have something “fun”—the texture of knit linen bodysuits, silk/cotton tanks with channels in the fabric, a raspberry LS T… Totally boring/drudgery tops need not apply. My tights are sparkly, or have chunky cable knit, or some other feature. Simple plain ones, like the fleece tights my Cleveland sister got me before we moved here, are not essential for me—they are hard to wear. </p> <p>In an earlier conversation about essentials, I said—&amp; Angie commented to agree—that my berry color scheme is essential for me. I think that can be broadened to include interesting details and my color scheme generally. I call it “lurking quirk”. Without it, my style doesn’t really work. It might be a detail in the clothing itself, or it might be a slightly unexpected way to wear things, like sorta clunky closed-toe shoes with a sundress. (The tricky bit with the unexpected things is to make sure it’s obvious that I’m doing it on purpose). </p> <p>This is probably related to the fact that I don’t enjoy putting on a lot of jewelry. Does decoration in my clothing sub in for jewelry? Seems to me that earrings sub in when there’s not enough going on in the clothes, lol. It’s all a matter of perspective. </p> <p> But anyway, high (nonFrench) 5 to my “extra” sister.</p> <p>ETA Chewy, sorry if this is too far off topic. Clearly, it is not about Jenn’s wardrobe. I’m guessing you posted in the forum instead of DM to start a discussion about essentials and their place in a wardrobe and I tried to stay on that topic. My apologies if I misread your intent. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222252 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 12:05:03 +0000 Ginger 2222252@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>These are good points,&nbsp;<b>Sal&nbsp;</b>and&nbsp;<b>Shevia</b>.&nbsp;I also have a strong signature style, but it is different from Jenn's in being based on color variety. I think mine is closer to Angie's in a lot of ways. I would have to adapt the 5PF so much that it would lose most of its purpose. But that is okay; I wanted to put my finger specifically on the challenge, which turns out to be the type of signature style that's the heart of it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222181 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 02:32:35 +0000 Sal 2222181@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree Shevia - and I think like Colour systems or kibbe or other ways to look at your closet and style - they don’t work for everyone and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.</p> <p>Jenn has a strong signature style so it works well for her- I like it too but find it a bit harder because my work life has some different needs, and I don’t think my style is as clear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222174 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 01:12:36 +0000 Jaime 2222174@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In Jenn's case, it seems to me, the key starting point is a very strong sense of her own style. Without understanding your true essentials - and being satisfied with them - it would seem really tricky to enjoy the special seasonal updates. (May be projecting here !) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/question-for-jenn#post-2222172 Wed, 08 Sep 2021 01:08:35 +0000 Ginger 2222172@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That completely makes sense, thank you! And I do remember you originally discussing the dollar value as being a determinant.</p> <p>"Perennial essentials" and "seasonal updates" makes a lot of sense, too.</p> <p>If I split my wardrobe into two seasons, I could sort of see this working for me. Though my essentials lists would be much longer! Summer essentials (by category) are jean shorts, graphic t-shirts, day dresses, sandals, and sneakers; statements/seasonal updates are maxis and "church dresses," nicer sandals, heels, and cardigans. Winter essentials are jeans, warm skirts, layering tees, sweaters, and flat shoes/boots; while cold statements are again, nicer dresses, cardigans, and heeled shoes/boots.</p> <p>The trick is that this leaves out things I like but just don't reach for as much. I'm okay with that, since I've learned I can get sick of even the most delightful items! The outliers keep me from buying just to have something new.</p> <p>But the interesting thing is that the statements/seasonal updates tend to be my nicer and more expensive items. As others have said, 10 statements a year adds up to a lot of items over time. I don't seek trends so that's also why I have a larger wardrobe (and I'm okay with it). </p>