I kind of ignore all the aspects that seem peripheral to the main issue--when you buy it or what you buy in one month or what type of item, what "season" is not the same as what you "add" , and subtract, over a year. In that sense, I like Mo's counting--arithmetic doesn't really lie.
For example, there is a difference between a large wardrobe that is stable with some toss/replace, and a growing wardrobe; a large wardrobe and a churning (high turnover) wardrobe; a churning or an "evolving" wardrobe.

And, I can always play devel's advocate with myself and say, okay, if 10 "main" items per year is too few, how much is.... enough? 20? 30? 100? And, is doing it "that way" whatever way that is) getting me to a better wardrobe, or not? That's a really probing question for me, since the whole idea derived from, less is more, where even satisfaction and versatility and readiness can be part of the more, not the less.

So, looking at it that way helps me see if I am comfortable or uncomfortable with numbers, with the process, or if maybe I should try another approach.

For me, I don't think this would be a good thing. I'm actually moving in the opposite direction from many....from minimalist to moderate.. I don't like systems, so going by some arbitrary number would bother me. Who picked 5? Why not 4 or 6?!

The other thing is it would make me so stressed, and I already find shopping challenging enough! For example, I need a dress. But on,y one...or two at most. I don't wear them often at all, I just want the special occasion/funeral dress that has been a recent topic. This has been a need for a couple of years, because if I'm only getting one, wow, the pressure! It has to be the perfect one, and I can't identify, decide on, or find "perfect". So I still don't have one.

Now imagine this multiplied! I'm only allowed to buy 5 things so they all have to be perfect. Yikes! Not good for me at all.

Great conversation -
I am going to try something similar but not quite - My current wardrobe is in a great place. What I am going to do is through the NAS and a Lafayette trunk show at my favorite boutique I'm going to buy a fall/early winter refresh a mini-capsule of sorts and then be done until December - heading into winter winter and really I don't even know if I will need anything besides a coat this winter because I am kinda really satisfied with my winter wardrobe.

I am always intriqued by angie's post of capsule shopping with people for a refresh and I am to the point I could try it.

Viva's first paragraph describes me well.

"I love this idea in theory, but like Maneera I get bored. I love
clothing and really beautiful clothing can feed me emotionally almost
the same way really beautiful art can, or a great book, or a film ....
unfortunately, that can mean a lot of quick clicks, especially when I am
in need of beauty -- and I later regret many of those clicks." (although I don't regret most of my choices).

Fashion and shopping feed my emotions and I doubt that I could ever be practical and logical with my wardrobe, despite it overflowing with things I rarely wear. All I can think is that I need a bigger wardrobe space to organise it better, not to pare down. IRL I'm a scientist, but in my other (dream/unrealistic) life I'm a costume designer. My wardrobe feeds my other life. I have outfits for almost any occasion, including fancy dress parties, and vintage pieces when I'm channeling Agent 99 or Mrs Robinson etc.

This thread will be fascinating reading for an emotional bowerbird like me.

I find these discussions so fascinating!! Deborah, I think you would find this VERY hard!

As to my experience, a few years ago I tried to buy only 12 pieces (with the exception, which I ended up using, of buying a wedding outfit for my brother's wedding) I included gear - can't remember if I included shoes.

I also didn't included handed down items, which tend to be a bit hit and miss and come at times you can't plan for (but can extend the wear of other items).

It wasn't that hard if, as everyone keeps saying, your wardrobe is in a good place and your body and lifestyle is stable (though my 12 month period did include preparation for re-entering full time work)

How long I could keep doing it is another question. I have tended to have years - maybe every 3 or 4, where I buy a lot and then inbetween have years with not that much. For me, "a lot" is over 20 items. I have bought 14 [ETA 15!] (minus footwear) so far this year, and could probably get by with only 3-4 more items.

Getting the balance between keeping up the basics and buying the fashionable items is the key, I think.

This sort of prescription--or proscription, maybe--just makes me feel irritable and rebellious even to think about. It's not easy finding clothes that appeal to me visually and fit me well, so if I see a lot of things one season that will work (maybe it's a big year for blue, or a certain store is carrying chic petite clothing for a change, or my favorite thrift shop has a bonanza of interesting designer clothes) I will buy what I like. The idea of wearing the same few things--however good the quality--day after day seems dreary to me. Workhorses are great, but those once-in-a-while oddball mood-changers are a luxury (though not always expensive) I'm unwilling to give up.

Spending so much time sorting clothes has given me a taste for minimalism, but imposing limits would be an unnecessary hardship, like dieting in a chocolate factory. What I do appreciate is the idea of being highly selective about what I keep so as better to appreciate what I have. A work in progress as always.

Well, I did that until high school, then got a job so I could buy clothes. Small wardrobe and limited new things, to me, means desperation buying in a mad panic at the start of the season. You look pretty shabby by then. A kid being raggedy is one thing, an adult another.

I'm enjoying this thread so much!!! CocoC, you make me feel better!!!! I've finally found a kindred spirit here!!!

IRL I'm an architect and writer who works only from home. In my fantasy life I am a globe trotting Editor-in-Chief of a fashion magazine...think Miranda Priestly Another fantasy is that I live on the beach and own a small restaurant with swanky decor and whiz up gourmet delights wearing pretty clothes....think Nigella Lawson. This fantasy has more potential to turn into a reality someday

So when I shop, I also keep thinking of things I would wear when traveling. I do travel quite a bit - 3 to 5 trips to different places are common, and there are more trips to see my parents or my sister. Something's I buy just because they travel well, or are easy to wear when you're living out of a suitcase. For example - knit dresses. No mixing and matching needed. I have gone on trips with nothing other than dresses and felt very happy. Each item was a complete outfit and so easy to pack. I had one topper for evenings for all the dresses and just 1 pair of nude shoes that went with them all.

My wardrobe numbers are very very large. I feel especially conscious of them after hearing Jenn's numbers. For those with large wardrobes - how many pieces do you roughly have?

Gulp!
By the time you add-up Metalicus times 12, the magic 5 plus 5
is already exceeded
These ideas always sound so sensible ON PAPER but I just can't make them work for me.
I woudn't mind trying shopping less often though, as YLF has taught me to find the next must-have piece all too easily

Thanks for participating ladies. Just want to say too, that I have no opinions about small, medium or large wardrobes. It's whatever suits and works for each woman.

Really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts. I think our personalities clearly play a big role in this sort of thing. While I am structured and orderly, I am also creative, so it's working out just how much I need to be able to express my creativity through how I dress. I also not suggesting a prescriptive approach, but for me I view something like the Five Piece French Wardrobe as a goal. I function well working towards a goal. However I might decide that 12 items a year (1 per month) would work better. I do still love the thrill of something new

I am with Shannon on the value of a cohesive wardrobe that all works together. Like her experience with Eileen Fisher, mine with Metalicus has meant I found a design group that 'gets me'. They produced items that are designed to work together, design and fabric wise. I can mix and match so well that the combination possibilities are endless:) I have a high tolerance for a consistent silhouette and colour palette so that is rarely a problem for me. But I do have some "Statement" pieces that come out when I do feel that need for 'something different', but the truth is I don't need a lot of those

Veering off topic, but I recently purchased a jacket that is possibly totally unexpected for me (see Find). Colour and pattern!! The design however is totally me. Haven't worn it yet but will soon. But again, I don't need a lot of these types of items.

I think the trick is tapping into what makes our heart sing. Walking into my more minimal closet seeing things neatly and spaciously hanging in a see of black, grey and white makes me so happy:) Whereas I can imagine CocoC walking into her overflowing closet (her words) and feeling like a little girl in a candy shop... she would be gleeful!

I want to throw in the link to my thread discussing minimalism here, started because of two very interesting blog posts and with a lot of great input and discussion:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....perfection

For the newbies on the forum.

Btw, I've shopped more this year so far, but I feel like I am still on the right track. Shopping and owning nice things is not a contradiction to living as a "minimalist".

I'm with Shannon on how well Eileen Fisher has transformed my closet/dressing. The basics just don't change much from collection to collection, so my closet doesn't get dated. And, the pieces just mix so well together.
It's almost like having a really nice "uniform" to wear. For me, mostly slim pants/pencil skirt, and a nice tank with a nice layer over, or a stylish top.
I have more room in my small work closet than ever before.

I love that jacket, Deborah. Its really something 'special'!

I think the Five Piece French Wardrobe as a goal will work very well for you, because you are in such a happy place both style-wise and wardrobe-wise. Your love for Metalicus and how beautifully their pieces express your sense of style works in your favour here.

I also agree that personalities clearly play a big role in how a wardrobe shapes up....its a very personalized thing.

Thanks again for starting this thread. I really really enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Deborah, you described exactly how I feel about my overflowing wardrobe, gleeful! Sometimes guilty too, but usually more gleeful than guilty..lol.

I can't wait to see how you style your fab new jacket.

Maneera, can I come and visit you at your posh beach restaurant? It sounds like my kind of place!

Off to read Astrid's link.

Read Astrid's link. Really thought provoking....

I think I can safely say that I can never ever be a minimalist. I am a maximalist....with everything actually. I can't say I regret it at all.

CocoC.....you're more than welcome to come to my fantasy restaurant! The food and wine will be on the house for the talented fashion designer you are in the fantasy!!!

Tulle said, "

The idea of wearing the same few things--however good the quality--day after day seems dreary to me."

Ah, but if you already have a large wardrobe, adding 10 things a year shouldn't be a hardship. You still have lots to wear.

I think it boils down to:
1. how much you love shopping (the untargeted, wandering around kind)
2. how much you love new things
3. how much you dislike your old things

I don't love shopping, I love new things (but dislike of shopping curbs the impulse to convert this love into ownership) and I generally love my old things (now). So basically, I score 1/3 on the 'maximal wardrobe' scoresheet, so the idea of only buying 10 things a year is doable, and therefore appealing.

Anyway, there's a theory for ya

I spent some time last night looking over lists of the "basics" that this type of wardrobe seems to hinge on. Understanding that basics are a little different for everyone, I sat down and made my own list of what would constitute a basic for me.

It was a good exercise, but as I looked at the list, I thought, a basic is supposed to be something your wardrobe can't function without. My wardrobe functions. It's not perfect. It has a lot of false starts and things that don't work as well as I would like, but it functions.

So I made another list, consisting of my basics, as of right now. It looked both similar to the first list and a lot different. I could see the roles my pieces were filling, even if they weren't the same items as on the other list. It was enlightening. I'm a lot closer than I thought.

Then, this morning, I read Astrid's links on minimalism and perfection and they fell perfectly in line with what I was discovering with my lists last night, articulating some of the things I was thinking and feeling. Thank you for that!

This is such a fun discussion!

I can see how it wouldn't be that hard for me (I recall only buying 3.5 things so far this year, including shoes.) while at the same time know there are points in time when it won't be practical or fun at all.

I agree that personality plays a huge role in this.

Deborah-- I think that you could do this because it is never feast or famine with you. I think you understand moderation enough to try something like this without being militant or letting it kill the fun or give you a sense of failure if it doesn't work out.

My experience with having a small wardrobe is always this: I have a hard time finding the balance between too many pieces that end up lasting for years because they don't get enough wear and too few pieces that end up lasting only one season because they get TOO much wear. The first leads to spending too much money on fast fashion or on clothes in general that don't get enough use and then regretting them hanging around when I'm ready to move on (and the money spent), and the second leads to more fast fashion because suddenly I have to replace 10 or 15 items in a season and can't afford to replace at a higher cost or simply can't see another $80 top give up the ghost after 6 months. Buying too little for me depletes my basics and decreases my style and ability to create outfits on the fly, buying too many things increases purchasing mistakes and leads to lots of repetition.

I think these experiments are good to help you know yourself but don't necessarily solve any problems beyond that-- but they can be great tools.

Last year I decided to add only 12 pieces during the year. I failed miserably but it did teach me some things.
1. My buying is uneven for many of the reasons tulle suggests.
2. I have learned to look for the one to rule them all to reduce my closet and limit buying. My EF Alott shoes are a good example. They feel stylish and comfortable with pants or frocks. Having them in my closet has saved me money because I have looked stand rejected many pairs of cute ankle straps.
3. I ask myself now, "if I didn't have this, what would I wear?" Often something pops into mind and the I need to decide if that is a good option.
4. I ask myself, "If I buy this to fill a wardrobe hole, will it satisfy or will I still be looking?" Example is my hunt for a red jacket a couple of years ago. I ended up with at least 4 jackets, none of which were quite right because I kept looking.
5. I am willing to spend more if something ticks off all the boxes. I have never regretted it.
6. I still can't be confined to 5 or 12 purchases a year. It makes me want to shop more.

One thing I want to point out is that, in this wardrobe system, replacing basics doesn't count towards your 5 items unless they're above a certain price point. That stipulation is what makes me think it might work for me. It accounts for the ebb and flow of having to replace important pieces and allows for a small refresh each season.

Jenn - I have a question for you.

You say - "So I made another list, consisting of my basics, as of right now. It looked both similar to the first list and a lot different".

How did you go about this? What makes an item a 'basic for you'? I ask because I don't understand the concept of basics at all. And unless I do, I can't make sure that I have the BEST quality ones so that my entire wardrobe becomes more cohesive and interlinked.

It's also worth adding that I am often NOT creative with my outfits. I'm learning to pair items differently only now...with the SYC challenge. Even then, I have a lot of variety and often wear a piece only one way. For example - I would wear a top with just a skirt, or a top with just one particular pair of jeans, another with a particular pair of trousers, and so on. In all this, the idea of 'basics' is lost.

Also, this is not true for winter wear. There, I would say my basics are my jeans that must cover my ankles as I run too cold, corduroy pants, full sleeve knit tees I layer at the bottom, and the coat/jacket I'll wear on top. Jackets for casual home wear, coats for when I'm going out. Also the boots, gloves, woolen beret and woolen socks I can't live without. The only variable would be the middle piece - the sweaters. So would ALL of these winter items be considered 'basics'?

I hope you can help me.

Sorry Deborah....we've taken over your thread and turned it into a personal shopping/wardrobe guide! Hope you don't mind.

I'm interested in trying this but I need the three seasons. It's still a lot less purchasing than the 35 things I've bought so far in 2015. I'd start with fall and not count NAS. I think this sort of plan works better if you have a defined look that doesn't depend on trendiness and best if you have a go to brand or two that have some consistancy season after season.

I loved Allsaints last year, but this year I'm just not feeling it this year. Allsaints has been a lot of things but consistant is not one of them. I'd describe my style as hard edge with soft drape. I think that the brand that fits that is Helmut Lang. The love has been lasting with all the HL and HLish items in my wardrobe.

Deborah - I had to look up the 5 piece french wardrobe. The best site I found was http://www.whowhatwear.com/how.....h-wardrobe As Jenn pointed out basics do not count toward your 5 purchases. But basics are huge!! My two theory suits become basics, that cashmere sweater, trench coat, leather pants, boyfriend jacket, even leather jacket (whatever your true basics are) are considered basics. When I first saw this post, I was mentally saying no way, because I need to replace so many worn out blazers and work dresses, tunics, footwear (hello seural neuritis). But since I have a limited palate, prefer simple dresses, tunics, pants and tops - my 5 per season purchases would represent true statement pieces or upgrade splurge items. That concept to me, is not only totally doable, it's splushy. But in the end, I think the salient point would be that I would be buying much more than 5 items, but only 5 luxury, splurge, milage items irrespecitve of how many basic items I needed to replace or upgrade. I LOVE this!! 5 well thought out and curated pieces is a great goal. Thanks so much for starting this thread! Off to reevaluate purchase plan in light of this

I was just about to post this same link, Gryffin. I saw it when it came out and was very taken by the basics with add ons.

I have not, however, purchased a romper, nor do I intend to.

I echo gryffin "That concept to me, is not only totally doable, it's splushy".

I doubt I would add 10 non basic items a year!! Though it depends a bit how you define "basics".

I don't get bored easily with my clothes. When I first found YLF 5 years ago, there was a lot going on in my life with changes. I experimented a bit and expanded my sartorial horizons. In the end, it was just too much for my lifestyle. A SAHM in a small town.

Last winter I finally decided to map out a small-ish wardrobe. It worked really well...except for one thig. The sweaters I bought in cashmere got so much use over a very prolonged winter that they looked horrible at the end. Otherwise, my plan worked exceptionally well.

I started off with a take on the Vivienne Files' common core. My common core was the following :

jeans, skinny and straight
black pants
black skirt
color pant, red
stripe oxford shirt
chambray shirt
a blouse
2 neutral blazers
1 fun color blazer
striped long sleeve T
Cashmere cardigans, black and grey
merino wool T shirts, black and grey
cashmere v neck pullover sweaters, black and grey

Then I added what was called "expandable" colors in navy, aubergine and olive with my essential core colors being black, grey, denim.

My "extra" colors were teal, green, cranberry, dusty rose. I got two additional cashmere v necks in the cranberry and dusty rose. I also had a couple of vests and waterfall sweaters.

I had a ton of accessories ( mostly scarves ), gloves, wiinter hats and 4 pairs of boots. This worked really, really well. Everything went together and I was prepared for everyday life : school meetings, running errands, casual outings with friends.

Our weather varies an awful lot here and it is difficult to prep for in between seasons. In the Summer, I pretty much stick to dresses. I have 10 of them and waaaaayyyyyy too many shoes . I do have two pairs of shorts, two skirts, 7 lightweight t shirts and linen button downs. When it is really hot, these pieces only get worn once. I find that I need more clothes in the summer, though it is only for a couple of months, than I do in the winter because I launder more in the summer. My main colors for summer are blues, greens and teals.

I could easily go with not buying anything for the year as long as I am covered with my core wardrobe.

Ladies the blog post I read on the Five Piece French Wardrobe is this one. Its simple and basic but she has other posts too.

http://www.afterdrk.com/wishlist-perfect-lbd/

I think when they refer to 'basics' they are actually referring to what Angie would call "essentials"??

Oh you mean what I thought of as basics (underwear ...) are actually essentials? Ah right, we had that in Jenn's post. Then I have to agree with others before, five pieces are A LOT. Assuming your essentials are your wardrobe workhorses that wear out quickest means you can replace most what of what is worn out without substracting from your number...