Inspired by my most worn garments, Angie's formula and French style

In her book Already Pretty Sally McGraw recommends making outfits with your five most frequently worn items. These days mine are jeans, a blue shirt, Chelsea booties, A black A-line skirt, the new navy v-neck, no doubt about that.

Angie wrote about a jeans, blouse, blazer and flats formula about a month ago which I found very versatile indeed.

That's Not My Age had a post yesterday about French style that was very to the point

So - I've put together five outfits based on the mix of my most frequently worn garment+Angies formula+French style. Apparently, not all these are very French, or based on Angie's formulas, but I try to work along the lines of simple, classic, feminine, modern.

#1: Levi's jeans, gray blazer, white button-up, oxfords.
#2+3: Leather moto, blue button-up, brown pants, brown booties, brown brioche knitted scarf+fingerless mittens
#4: Black blazer, sigsag-dress, patterned black tights, Chelsea booties, patterned scarf, neon pink bracelet to pick up an accent in the scarf (shown before)
#5: Turquise cardigan, black t-shirt, black A-line skirt, black patent belt, silk scarf in blues and greens, dark blue patterned tights, peep toe wedges, patent.
#6: Navy v-neck cashmere sweater, black cropped pants, pink clutch, black pumps (shown here today as well, sorry for double posting, but this was part of my style exercise)

I actually learned a lot from this, and will continue playing with my closet. Any comments are appreciated, and thanks for looking!

What are YOUR five most frequently worn items?

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13 years ago

Mona

Veteran

INgunn, this is so inspring. i am going to do this exercise for sure and I love the pink clutch.

JulieJohn

That sounds like a fun exercise, Ingunn! Your outfits are very versatile. I especially like you in #6, very Parisian chic.

It's funny you mentioned envying our t-shirt weather on my post, because I immediately thought when I saw your photos, "look at the lovely autumn colors in the leaves," and was jealous! I guess we always want what we don't have!

Thanks for sharing the interesting links as well!

Transcona Shannon

WOW! These are all fantastic outfits Ingunn. I'm especially in love with #4. You have such fabulous style and I look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous outfits.

Gosh, I don't even know what my five most frequently worn items are...I'll have to think on that.

Ingunn

(website)

I'm glad you find it interesting! Now I hope many YLFers will share their list of five items:)

rachylou

Truly wonderful! I want to say I'd especially do #3, 4, and 6 - but this is a complete lie. I'd do all of them!

It's hard for me to say what are my 5 most worn items. I push myself to wear everything.

My puffers don't count, of course.

Caro in Oz

I love all these looks so polished. #2 #4 & #6 are my favourites.
We are going into spring & the weather is so changeable so I have different weights of some pieces.
My five items would be:
1. Blue jacket (leather for winter but now a lighter weight one)
2. Jeans - skinny
3. Tunic - patterned grey, blue
4. Great shoes or boots depending on the weather (taupe boots or grey shoes
5. Great underwear

Thanks, ladies!

Caro, that is a list I could work with, too. I've recorded what I've been wearing lately, and I was a bit surprised to see that I wear jeans that much. I thought I was much more of a skirt girl! Jeans are probably the most popular garment ever made.

Gaylene

I love all these outfits. They have that effortlessly chic look because you look so comfortable in each of these outfits that you take centre stage. So smart of Sally to think of this way to help refine your style. I'm off to try it with my favorites.

But, I have to add that Caro's fifth pick could make for some interesting looks. Madonna, anyone?? LOL

Anonymous

These are all fantastic. So effortless. I do wear a pair of black skinny jeans a lot. The CPW on them is down to cents, I'm sure!

Aida

Great exercise with great results! I am still really loving #6, it's perfectly clean and modern. Not sure if I have 5 most worn garments, but my blush moto, taupe tall boots, and cobalt heels have been getting some good use recently.

Under the other items thanks Gaylene.......without them the jackets & tunics look slightly less chic to say the least.

Oh, I'm totally with you on that pick then, Caro. I couldn't believe the difference after I finally went for a bra fitting a couple of years ago. And those well-fitting undies are definitely the most frequently worn items in my wardrobe in an "impossible to get dressed without them" way.

Indeed Gaylene - the power of the invisible.............you do make me laugh.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

You look stunningly beautiful in #2 and #4. WOW KILLER! Those outfits are my best. Chic, pulled together, interesting and very flattering. Well done

Jaime

I especially love the last outfit, but you look lovely in every one. My most worn clothes would have to be jeans, a couple of polka dotted tops, my two summer oxfords and, Caro is quite right, my very good bra (I wear more than one but they are all the same model).

Beth Ann

These items work so well because they're of good quality and excellent fit. It's a reminder to me not to compromise in the area. I particularly love #2, 4 and 5.

Asingh

Ingunn, all the outfits are chic. I especially like the first one with the jeans and the blazer and the fourth and fifth one. Also, loving the bright pink clutch.

Thank you, everyone! I'm so happy to read your thoughts. I'm also relieved to hear that caro and Gaylene are not up to a reinvention of Madonna's expressive bra look:)

It's very interesting to do this exercise, and a good place to start if you feel that you are repeating yourself too much. I notice that although all the outfits look very much "me", there is quite a lot of variety here as well. Different silhouettes, different levels of dressiness etc. The next step could be to create a few more outfits around each of the five garments and have a closer look at those. I might try to do that some day.

Lynne

What a great exercise! I heart your dress with Chelsea boots outfit: fab to the power of fab!

Thanks! I think trying to do the same with the five LEAST worn items would be very interesting, too, but more difficult, of course.

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