Fantastic Shannon, and it is interesting that so many of us are feeling the same way as you are!
This solidarity will be very useful for those of us (me) that still manage to buy when we don't actually need anything.
Thanks for the inspiration

I bought a book about interior decoration in the middle of the nineties. It turned out to be a major inspiration for a life in simplicity for me. It doesn't cover wardrobes, but I like how the author gives guidance on how to make do with less and still have more than enough - in style. You might not like her aesthetics, but the ideas are very adaptable, I think. Her name is Jane Cumberbatch, and she has a blog: http://www.purestyleonline.com/blog.asp
I still find her book "Pure Style" very inspiring, although a bit too shabby chic/cottage style inspired for my taste now. http://www.purestyleonline.com.....nBooks_ID={9883CD47-BAF8-4A72-8D3D-D2E3B380C6D2} (The link is too long, so you might want to copy it instead.)

Did you know that you'd have so much company in your quest to simplify? This really resonates with a lot of people. I'm also looking to simplify a bit and will look forward to your posts.

Yay for this post, Shannon! I, so glad you are embarking on this simplicity journey! You continue to inspire me and everyone else here!

It takes so much introspection to really figure out what you want with your wardrobe and how you want it to work for you and your life. I think you are pretty much well into figuring these things out.

You mentioned you want to stop standing in front of the mirror to figure outfits out: that's actually one of my main motivators to minimize (unlike you, I'm actually going for a number AND a system). I am just absolutely non-functional in the morning. No amount of fashion and style gets me excited until I drink my first cup of coffee! And you're right - it does consume time and energy! What I found works for me is adhering to a system of dressing. Basically (almost) every top goes with (almost) every bottom. I say "almost" because I haven't figured out that level of modularity in my wardrobe... Yet. Basically, I set up my closet so I can just sleepily grab anything - and the outfit will work. It usually only takes me 15 minutes to get ready. You mentioned how much you love variety, though so the "modular wardrobe pieces" may not work - unless you can really get creative with it!

I'm with you on buying less but buying better. I've been practicing this and have been successful so far. I shop a lot to look for other outstanding items, but often come out empty-handed. I can't help but feel proud of myself for walking out of huge sales!

I like you next plan of action re: fall and winter. It's good you are taking stock earlier on! I also love the idea of updating your wardrobe with a few trend pieces here and there! That's sort of what I'll be aiming for as well!

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Shannon!

This is so good. I think you could have taken these words straight out of my head! I also love variety but have been yearning for more simplicity overall, as well as in the elements of style itself. When packing for this trip, I put my favorite clothing into my suitcase and the next day, when getting ready for work, looked at a very full wardrobe of clothing and had no idea what to wear! That was a wakeup call for me. If my favorite clothes fit into a carry on bag, what am I holding onto the rest of them for?! I love your description of buying less and making it count in terms of quality and style!

Love the concept!

I've recently done a big wardrobe purge, stripping back as far as possible, and am fully embracing the quality over quantity and cost per wear attitude towards purchases. I'm committed to spending money on the classics, which suits my sense of style (I aim for timeless and seemingly-effortless in my look) and less on the fun, quirky, trendy items that catch my eye now and then.

Similar to you I am looking forward to next season (spring/summer for me as I'm in Australia) to start making some investments though I've also got my eyes peeled on the summer sales now happening in your hemisphere; if I can get quality at a lower price point its a dream come true for me

I find Pintrest is an excellent tool to use to collate your ideas together, plus the finds function on this site is great too, so you can clearly put together your capsules before acquiring them.

Love what you've written, I am on this journey too Shannon

For me a recent aha moment came after I'd been tracking CPW of my outfits for a couple of months. I wasn't tracking CPW with any monetary figure in mind, I was just curious. It taught me to see what I wore (& needed) to get through a season. For the first time I feel I have a handle on how many & what type of clothes I need; which equates to simplicity imo. A big shout out to Mo for this. I never would have started tracking without her posts

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....th-numbers

Also I started to see that what I thought I wore & what I actually wear are two different things. I got a bit snarky with the top that never felt right (so very high CPW) AND with the fact that it cost nearly as much as my go to top which had come down to a very low CPW. More importantly, to me, I loved wearing my go to top & felt great in it. I know I will still make "mistakes" but I also know that I never should have bought that first top - it was annoying when I tried it on & it never changed

I started simplifying my house about 15 years ago. Wanting the same feeling in my wardrobe is what brought me to YLF.

I love the Pure Style book Ingunn.

Shannon really enjoyed reading this, and my hand is up as another who relates strongly and is on a similar journey. I am very much a less is more person in all aspects of my life. My home is more on the minimal side and has been for a long time. I don't own things that I don't need. My wardrobe is becoming more and more like my house:). I don't track things like cpw but my smaller more efficient wardrobe is serving me well. I seem to have found a nice balance between having less but still having enough variety. What I realise though is variety can look different to everyone. For me variety comes in the form of something not black, so incorporating white, blue and grey is what provides the "variety" on a day when I don't feel like wearing all black. Life is busy and our love of fashion is just one aspect, and while it brings me great pleasure, I don't want it to be a source of stress so intentionally developing my wardrobe in such a way adds ease and eliminates stress.

Your post has inspired me to head to my bedroom to purge a multitude of scarves and a number of belts. My square silky scarves feel *so '80s* to me so I haven't worn quite a few of them in years. My ALGO tendencies seem to have moved in a different direction.

Shannon, this is a fabulous post and I want to read through all the replies. I am so in your corner on this.

Just my thoughts.... I have made these kinds of vows myself - when I am in "I need fewer and better items for simplicity" mode. Then I swing back to "I need cheap variety". I WANT to be consistent, but it is so HARD! It's like I need a "simplicity" capsule and a "gluttonous excess of variety" capsule.

How do we reconcile these two paths?

I really enjoy reading your analysis and style musings. They are so well thought out and informative. Thanks for posting these because they really make me think about my own style journey. Good food for thought, and I look forward to your continued analysis...

Just responding to Una's comment "I need fewer and better items for simplicity" mode. Then I swing back to "I need cheap variety". I WANT to be consistent, but it is so HARD! It's like I need a "simplicity" capsule and a "gluttonous excess of variety" capsule. How do we reconcile these two paths?"

I think we can find balance between the two. Nothing wrong with buying a few cheap pieces to provide some (short term?) variety, but I think it's a matter of limiting those types of items. So I might want to buy an inexpensive neon top to freshen up my summer wardrobe, add variety and participate in a trend. I see the practicality in that, however what I would do in the past is instead of buying one, I'd buy five, wouldn't wear them all = waste of money! cluttered wardrobe.

This post definitely resonates with me! For me, having to pare down was out of necessity (living in a small unit with little wardrobe space) as well as re-evaluating my style as I enter the workforce. Overall, trying for simplicity in my living has worked well for me...why not my wardrobe too?

Great goals!
Limits do help though maybe strategic ones. Focusing on a few silhouettes and a color palette can be part of that.
For mr the standing in closet thing is partly related to whether tops & bottoms have the right proportions. This is often not a quality issue in the sense of cost, designer , but very picky selection to get items that have just the right proportions or, conversely, ate very forgiving ( versatile).
Color also-- hold out for those that work well even when one looks good.

Great post!
I have been struggling with this for a while. I would love to have a wardrobe that is simple and looks good, with decent quality items that go well together.
I know I must be pickier when purchasing items, to make sure I really love them, and beware of the bargains that are almost right but not quite perfect.
My closet if full of these "bargains"!
Also I tend to duplicate items I already have, when I should be concentrating on wardrobe holes.
The Vivienne files, http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.ca/ , explores having a simple wardrobe of items that work together, I have enjoyed reading her ideas about this.
I am looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on this.

Dear Shannon,

*emerging from behind the mountain of boxes*
I hope to add my other €0.01 here in a week so, here is €0.01 for now... Not very wardrobe related, but my life at the moment related... There is a good reason you and so many of us want things simpler, more minimal. We all have our version of it: fewer clothes or fewer handbags or porridge for breakfast every single day or the very same dinner on Mon, Tue or Thu or vacation at the same resort every year or quick and familiar make-up routine - once you experience how great it is when your mind is free from useless decision-making and your time is free from stuff-management, you want to gain back more of each.

I'm really looking fwd to this series (I hope to have internet at the new place soon enough so I can follow it, LOL) and hope to sharpen my own focus on simplifying even more. Although I was never a pack rat, there is always something that can leave the house. I've decluttered, minimised and simplified A LOT two years ago when we moved from the UK to here, I have also managed to keep a lid on what comes in for the past two years because I had a vision of this very day - today - when I'll be wrestling all the potential junk and I reap the rewards of that now when I have to pack all of it again for the move to the house - it's actually manageable. Enough to say I can have a small YLF escape
But there can always be less of everything - always. I actually think back through some things (clothes especially!) that are in the sealed boxes and know that as soon as I open the boxes on the other side, those clothes will go straight to the purge pile. I'm also doing clothes math in my head - if I get those cropped harem pants, I already know of at least three bottoms that will go out to make place of them. That's the sort of wardrobe focus I want. And I agree, fewer and better of clothes. And everything. Only more of quality time with our very selves and our loved ones.

Over and out
*rolling up the sleeves again*

Whew...it's taken me some time to read through all of these amazing replies and thoughts and absorb what you've all said. First of all, thank you all so much for chiming in. These types of conversations are invaluable for moving me forward.

Celia - your comments about not wanting to ruin THE ONE perfect item hit home for me. I am working really hard at getting away from this thinking. If I've already found THE ONE then why aren't I wearing it? No more substitutions for either of us ok? THE ONE is the perfect items - it's what we were looking for and finally found. Time to wear it and love it. And when it wears out (and it will) we will search for the next ONE.

Linda - I too used to balk at purchasing the expensive item and then spent time looking for a lesser pricey option. This just results in wasted time and energy and unhappiness at the substitute item. So then I usually end up buying the expensive item anyway - this now ended up costing more money than I was worried about in the first place, plus an extra item in my closet that I don't want or need. Gotta get off that train!

Pam - a "simplicity forum" huh? Need to think on that.

Eliza - you are I sound like we're really traveling the same road.

Aziraphale - I have stopped saving my favorite items. This is like my comment to Celia - if they are our favorites, we should wear the heck out of them right?

Amiable - so glad you're thinking about getting back to sewing and your probation plan sounds perfect for you.

Marlene - I really enjoyed reading of your simplicity/minimalism success. This gives me hope that this endeavor will be so worthwhile.

Claire - simplicity continuum - brilliant! I need to ponder this some more.

Ingunn - I will be looking at moving/downsizing in the not too distant future as well and do not want to move more than I need.

rabbit - hmmmm....interesting thought about the increased laundry with a smaller wardrobe. I hadn't thought about that.

Lyn D - it has really quite surprised me in this thread how many Fabbers are on the same wavelength and journey.

Katie - my love of variety is what got me feeling overwhelmed in the first place. I really need to "tame that beast"!

Caro - I have also started to realize that what I thought I liked and what I actually wear can differ. I have things in my closet that I genuinely like and stay there on the hanger. So does just liking them justify them staying in my closet?

Una - how to reconcile my desire for simplicity while dealing with gluttony is a question I'm working on. I don't have an answer - at least not yet. You and I have very similar personalities when it comes to shopping (as we both know). Maybe we can figure it out together?

jumpingfrog - bargains, sales racks, clearance sections - yep, those are what led to most of my purchasing mistakes and unnecessary duplication.

Ornella - "Only more quality time with our very selves and our loved ones". Amen. Truly a goal worth pursuing

Perhaps another driving factor for many of us is the actual shift in fashion itself? I remember starting 4 or 5 years ago, more was more. Layering tank tops, embellishments, statement necklaces, pops of color with bright shoes and bags, pattern mixing, arm candy. Heck, even Niki Minaj, the living Barbie herself, is sporting subdued solid neutrals and natural makeup lately. I think it's interesting the desire to simplify going hand in hand with delving into Eileen Fisher styles. Hmmm

I love this thread, Shannon, thank you for starting it and for sharing your thoughts. I too have similar aspirations.

I've posted on here before that 2 years ago (it was summer time) I went on a real spree of trying to minimalize my home. At the time my daughter was expecting my first grandchild so I've joked that it was my form of maternal "nesting" just in reverse!

While I appreciate your distinction between simplicity and minimalism. I also agree with Astrid that it does not have to have a negative connotation. It was never my goal to own 2 plates, 2 knives, 2 forks and 1 pan, etc. But I also didn't want to keep 6 pans if 4 are enough. I don't need more than 2 sets of sheets for each bed or 20 extra towels or a drawerful of plastic containers. That's the kind of stuff I focused on.

I've since added back a few things. For instance, my kitchen counters were almost bare. I know have added a couple of more functional items as well as some decorative pieces. But it's still far from cluttered and the amount feels like 'enough' rather than too much or too little.

As I worked, it seemed simple to ask 2 basic questions "Do I need it?" or, if not a functional item, "Do I love it?" I let go of things that I was keeping for just in case, or used once in a blue moon, or because someone gave it to me as a gift. I read a lot of great suggestionsduring that time...like if you are keeping a collection of china because you inherited it, you could be happier with keeping a single plate to display or several cups to use to hold jewelry, for instance.

I did extend my project to cover my wardrobe. I decided that I wanted to place limits on the number of things- basics like socks, pajamas, underwear and bras. I need to revisit this because I've let some areas grow too large again.

I'm still working on the overall wardrobe- I stil want to reduce the total number of pieces. Yet I'm still shopping and buying too! I've gotten better though at 1 in, 1 out and in some cases it's been more like 1 in, 3 or 4 out, especially with bags and shoes. I know that I still have some 'ok' pieces that I don't necessarily feel fab in or love.

Tracking what I wear has proven to be very valuable in helping me see what I actually wear or don't wear. I plan to continue with that. Plus I just find it fun

I love the boutique idea- using a holding area before the actual purge to make sure I am ready to let go of something and, even more importantly, to test if I can be happy with a closet full of things I love but with less variety. I think I will work on that this weekend!

Please keep sharing your thoughts on your simplicity journey. I think there are a lot of us who will gladly travel with you.

Mo- your post got me thinking that maybe some of the desire for simplicity is a (positive) reaction to the spending frenzy of the last 10-15 years (remember how many shoes Carrie had on SATC?) and a reaction to the economic downturn that had people shopping less and realizing they could get by with less. I know in our family we have shed many expenses: land-line phone, cable TV, newspaper delivery- and we don't miss them (at least I don't- and my poor husband is quietly supportive!)

Having just cleaned out my folks' house, I realized the extent to which the Depression influenced the rest of their lives: they purchased whatever they could and they kept everything, even long after it served no purpose (good heavens- the non-functional 1980's console TV!) And this cleaning has made me all the more determined to get my "house" in order- so that I am surrounded by things that bring me peace rather than clutter that threatens to drown me.

Great post, Shannon!

This reminds me of something I learned in my church group this year. We were talking about the spirit of poverty and how it doesn't mean being destitute! It means having only what you NEED—nothing more, nothing less. So, to use Susie's example, why keep six pans if four are enough? The extra stuff clutters our lives and isn't helpful. But on the other hand, having only enough "bare bones" outfits to get through the week so we're simply not going around naked is not helpful either!

I too have been focusing on trying to buy versatile pieces that really reflect where I want to go on my style journey—and not to settle! I have enough stuff in my closet that I will not lack stuff to wear, even though I might have to wear it a few times before laundry day comes around. That's OK. It's better to make do with what I currently have rather than buy something that's not really going to go with the rest of my wardrobe or that deep down I don't really like.

I aspire to a Goldilocks closet. Not too little. Not too much. Just right.

Except not blond. I don't look good as a blond.

Seriously, there are days I wish I didn't stand in my closet trying to decide what to wear, but then I also realize that there is a creative flow that comes from it -- a progression --- a making of something new.

For me, ircumstances provide a natural barrier to hoarding. I have plenty, but it all fits in a small closet and a couple of dressers (although I did kick my husband out of the small closet. hee). Sometimes this is difficult, since I live in a widely varied climate and have several roles that I dress for. My goal is a wardrobe, rather than a closet full of clothes and, like you, I think I have to concentrate on better quality to complete this transformation.

Fortunately, I think the following are true:
1. "Midway
on our life’s journey, I found myself
In dark woods, the right road lost." Dante was right --- midlife often requires a reclaiming of the path -- hopefully to the Paradiso, not the Inferno, lol! Seriously, I think stylish women at our stage of life pare away to the essence of their personal style. There is a focus to this part of the journey.

2. Fashion itself is in a "less is more" moment. The ruffles and bows of a decade ago have been replaced with fewer details and more boldness.

I think, largely due to budget constraints, I will need to make incremental changes, but I'm so glad I have other forum members to share the road!

Your words echo my thoughts; I look forward to following your progress. My big problem is the items that are "in" right now are not at all my style - and my colors are hardly ever in (I like warm, autumn colors).
I am approaching 30 and I really want less, but better things. But they can't be too nice, or hard to take care of, b/c of my lifestyle (work can be rough on clothes every once and a while and my dogs essentially ruin everything nice that I own.

Yay for simplicity! About 3 years ago now I got into voluntary simplicity/etc & my belongings in general are pared down: everything fits in a studio apartment sized space that still feels light and airy (I do have a bookcase full of books and some knick knacks, but it all fits in the bookcase, which acts as a room divider: I think of it as my curiosity cabinet & it brings me joy, hence why I know I'm not a minimalist: I enjoy material objects). My life so much better for having adopted that philosophy, and I don't feel the urge to buy much either.

The exception to that would clothes: I have a full & varied closet and even while I stopped shopping for other things I enjoyed regularly thrifting clothes. Luckily, in the last few months, that urge to thrift seems to have abated, so that now I go maybe once a month (instead of weekly) and sometimes less than that. And I'm much choosier about what comes home with me. That being said, though, I still have far more clothes than most simplicity-oriented people would want and far more than I actually 'need'! But I love them & I love choosing an outfit every day (I don't feel overwhelmed by choice) & they all fit neatly in my closets, so rather than force myself to downsize when I don't have to, I've decided to just look upon them as a hobby. I no longer look at shopping, even thrifting, as a hobby though, and slowly rearranging my thrifting attitude this past few months has helped me feel better too. It's always a process though, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the next in your series!