Essentials - close, but not quite? - YouLookFab Forum

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About: Wardrobe Essentials, 2019

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Essentials - close, but not quite?

Runcarla

Veteran

Still struggling with this, and I think the factor of 'colour' might be throwing me off. I have a very modest assortment of clothes - 54 items - bikini to ball skirt including outerwear but not basics or sports kit. Add to that 12 pair footwear and a dozen bags (backpack to evening bag). I have multiples (Converse sneakers, pointy toe flats, 3/4 length T-shirts, lace tank tops) vs one-of's (tall boot, sandal, leather jacket, gauzy boho shirt).

But what if the item is red or silver? Does it become a statement vs an essential? 3 pair Converse - silver, red, white. 2 puffers - black, red, 2 trench coats - black, red. Amongst the T-shirts: grey, silver foil, 3 mariner stripe, and the slouchey sweaters: grey, white with black flecks, wine (all boat neck and just below the elbow). My favourite bottoms - identical Calvin Klein high waist ankle jeans - 1 white, 1 medium faded blue Jean, 1 wine. Other mid or high waist ankle pants in white, blue Jean and black. But only 1 pair long/flared jeans. So, I go for CK's the most - but they are different colours.

Now I have 7 coats of which 4 are black, 2 are red, and one is cognac. Would black outerwear be an essential? Even if all different styles and fabrics? If I look at navy blue/white stripes I have 6 tops, but 3 are horizontal mariner style t's and 3 are vertical stripe button downs!

Is the style of garment or item the key to it being an essential, or the colour? Or both? Can red items be essentials or are they always statement?

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Helena

Veteran

Carla, not an expert on this particular topic for sure, but I suspect that your red pieces might be more statements, as you use them to add 'pop' to neutral outfits' - even though they might be the same piece as some of your neutral and metallics.

In my case, I have fine-knit crewnecks in neutrals and jewel-tones - but the neutrals are essentials for me, whereas the jewel-tones are statements.

That said - for some people, I do believe red is a funny sort of a neutral - in that it's a color they use in the same way they might use a traditional neutral (i.e. constantly, and with everything) - so perhaps that's the case for you?

Anyone else, please correct me if I'm way off!

SarahD8

Veteran

Carla, I'm with you on the confusion re: color. It seems that essentials have to be neutrals or near-neutrals, but in some categories the neutral item is actually not the one I reach for most. So I'm not really sure what I gain from defining the neutral one as an essential.

Fwiw I suspect you use red as a pseudo-neutral and it makes sense to me that red items would be essentials for you.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

SarahD8, start a separate thread on your own essentials, and I'll help you out

IMPORTANT: Bright red is VERY prominent in my own wardrobe too. I think of red as a "neutral" because it's versatile and goes with everything! But bright red items are too loud to be an essential. They are statement. These red statements can absolutely be workhorses, signature to your style, and the items you reach for the most.

Lots of people are making the mistake of calling their workhorse statement pieces their essentials - and they are not. They are statement pieces.

RunCarla, here are your essentials as I see them:

blue and white CK jeans
black puffer - short
black puffer - long
black trench coat
black Converse
Solid neutral slouchy sweaters
Some tees - but not sure which ones
Mariner striped tees
Some type of boot (but not sure which style)

Runcarla

Veteran

Got it, Angie! Thank you so very much!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*happy dance*

My pleasure

Sal

Veteran

Interesting to see your list....I also like statements so have some really worn pieces that are statements (floral summer dress, blush pink woven tee, red silk blouse)....

In your case maybe half or a third might be essentials I suspect with the balance being statement or completer type pieces...

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

What an interesting distinction: statement workhorses vs essentials.

Chewing it over:
An essential category for me is pointy-toe boots. (To use Suz’s reference point, I feel frustrated if I don’t have access to this outfit element for some reason— they’re dirty or at the cobbler or whatever)
Essential items in this category might include gray OTK boots and shiny black booties
Statement workhorses in this same category might be floral sock booties. I wear them SO often but they are not neutral. So I suppose I often choose them to add zing to an otherwise boring outfit. Whereas the black or gray boots would just be supporting pieces for a statement dress, perhaps.

Runcarla

Veteran

Jesikams - I think you've got it!

After reading Angie's response to me, as well as other threads, I had a bit of an 'Aha!' (Or at least I hope I did!). I'm also adding to what Angie identified as my essentials. Although I don't duplicate a lot in my smallish wardrobe, an essential is something that I DO duplicate, or might WANT to duplicate in the same or similar colour.

Exhibit 1: My 3 striped T's are all variations of navy and white. I HAVE had as many as 8 - navy, black, grey and white stripes - all in multiples. Only once a red and white, and once an orange, black, cognac and cream stripe. These last 2 were 'statement' striped T's. If given the option to buy more than one, I would not, whereas I almost always pick up blue and white striped t's in multiples.

Exhibit 2: The CK jeans. I would duplicate the white and the Jean colour but I would NOT duplicate the wine coloured pair.

Exhibit 3: I think the slouchey knit sweater is replacing the thick turtleneck that had previously been an essential. When I worked I usually had 2 black, 1 navy, 1 grey, but currently I have just 1 black/blue turtleneck sweater. I wear the slouchey sweaters weekly, but the turtleneck not so much.

Exhibit 4: I am short on 3/4 sleeve t-shirts, but I used to have 3 black and 2 light grey. Currently I have 1 light grey remaining, but I will duplicate in a heartbeat when I source a good one.

* I don't believe I would duplicate any of my red items in order to have 2 or more the same, but I would REPLACE a red item if it wore out.

Sal

Veteran

Yes I agree totally with Jessi and Carla....

When my striped black and white tee dies I will replace it with a similar one in the same colours. Same with my cognac bag I think......

If you wear them alot and are confident they are winners duplication really can work..... I don't because I am Queen of Laundry (such a prestigious forum position) so I wash every day..... (I do this mostly because with four people who play sport/gym/swim every day in a humid climate...the laundry basket might walk to the machine on it's own if I did not throw them in myself)

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Interesting, Carla. Your observations about duplication confirm that you are to an extent a uniform dresser. It would not bother you to repeat -- duplication makes sense to avoid laundry tie-ups.

Your wardrobe is extremely tight and hard-working. Amazing, really! I just counted my clothing items and I have about twice as many as you. Now, I could probably stand to pare back a bit, but not a whole lot. I'd struggle to dress for the variety of occasions I need to dress for, if I did. But I do think concentrating on essentials is a really great way to begin the process of paring back, if one wants to do that.

Runcarla

Veteran

Suz - I wouldn't suggest anyone have as few items as I currently do! In fact I will be adding shortly for the summer season. (A dress or three, shorts, and sandals are on the list.) It has been 10 months since I retired and I'm just now getting a handle on what I want to look like going forward!

Just like one has to perform a 'hard prune' to rejuvenate some plants, I had to really clean my closet in order to move forward. My initial spring edit was a start, but didn't go deep enough. The October edit was a purge! Now I'm working on a better understanding of the elements of fashion and style (like this 'essentials' concept. ) to ensure future acquisitions better reflect who I am today and going forward!

*Next conversation - wild cards?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That makes sense, Carla! And I don't think most people would require as many clothes as I have, either! I did fine with about 80 pieces not counting bags/ shoes/ scarves -- or would have/ could have if they'd been really well chosen. If I occupied fewer roles I think I could still do that. Especially if I wore my gear more heavily than I do.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I love your analogy of a hard prune,l think that I m going to apply this to my wardrobe soon in the hope of fresh new growth in the spring.l am in awe of your wardrobe numbers especially as I have started cataloguing my wardrobe and am finding out just how many clothes Ihave,head hangs in shame.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Aha! The mystery begins to unravel (reference to my own comment on Rachy's thread, never mind me ). Hmm. I must think this over a bit.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

The hard prune is necessary sometimes. It allows you to see what you really have that is useful, when you get rid of all the stuff that is NOT useful.

We tend to hang onto things without realizing that they won’t really do the trick anymore. Outdated styles, stuff from a previous lifestyle or location, etc.

rachylou

Veteran

Ok. See here. This is the thing. I have black skirts and black tops. They are neutral. I’ll use them as glue. BUT, and this is a big ‘but’ - I really don’t wear them even once a week. I have a hard time thusly seeing them as a style essential. In some ways they are a style departure, when I do wear them...

Sal

Veteran

I think Rachy that your essential list might be short - puffer, leggings, maybe a type of knit. For some people it could be just jeans. It is all individual.

rachylou

Veteran

Maybe, Sal. I rather think so, but Angie says I have to pick a colour and it all falls apart there! Lol. It’s down to just boots