SYC'ers or anyone looking to minimize, maximize, be more effective...

Kim

I believe the quote below belongs to Coco Chanel, (but could be wrong) however it really resonated with me about building an effective wardrobe....

"Elegance means that clothes never eclipse the woman within but permit her inner light to shine. In fashion, as in life, knowledge is currency: you need less when you know more."

Thanks to Angie (and you all) for teaching me to "know more" !

14 years ago

Inspiration

14 replies

Latest reply was from celia

Allison

Active Member

Great quote! I am looking to minimize my wardrobe this coming week. The amount of stuff I am accumulating is getting ridiculous. It all started because for the first time in my life I can actually afford nice clothes and things and I kind of let it get out of control! I need to get back to my minimal ways.

14 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I've been gearing up for a minimizing project for a while now. Yesterday I started pulling things out of the closet to get rid of, but I haven't really worked on a plan for an overall "look" to aim for. I'm a bit nervous about getting rid of things I'll want later, but after realizing how many things I have that I haven't actually worn in a year and how many things I have had since I was a teenager I think that it's probably time to make room for some new things in my life.

14 years ago

nancylee

Veteran

KIm, I love that quote! It's what I'm aiming for with my wardrobe.

During my SYC I'm trying to make much better use of what I have. There are a lot of great basics in my closet already, but I want to find out how well things work together--and, in the process, also discover if any pieces are missing. So I'm honing, restyling, looking for the "missing links," and getting rid of anything that is less than ideal.

I LOVE the idea of having a minimal, Euro chic, highly functioning wardrobe, so this is my goal. I want the ability to quickly get dressed for any occasion and feel both chic and appropriate.

14 years ago

rosee

Veteran

Thanks! that's a great one. I hope you don't mind that I put it on the quote thread.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ost-454841

14 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Killer quote from an incomparable lady. Thanks!

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I am doing a little more honing in, or trying to. I still have plenty of nice clothes that I look at more than wear. That's a twofold problem. One part is I really am in a stall in life right now and don't have much of an occasion to dress for these days. The second part is I still have a bit of that 'save the nicer things' mentality that I'm trying to shake. It's safe to say almost half my wardrobe has not been worn more than once this year. Whether that's lifestyle or climate related, it's still a drag, and clearly not efficient!

14 years ago

Lynne

Veteran

What a fab quote, Kim, thanks for sharing. I love 'the clothes never eclipse the woman'.

14 years ago

Shu

Active Member

I'm going through a mind shift toward this direction now. I just purged over half my closet and am figuring out what works. I'm aiming to spend a little more money on a few quality items rather than many inexpensive, ill-fitting ones. The mindset of "more is better" is a hard habit to break, but I'm working on it.

14 years ago

DressLover

Veteran

I'm currently SYS (Shop Your Sales) in an effort to hold myself accountable for the items I set aside to resell, but they sat around disrupting my feng shui for far longer than intended. So far, the sales have been more than anticipated, but I am yet to purchase anything. I know I am purchasing a coat from the proceeds and perhaps a bag, but I will need more funds so for now I am just stockpiling the proceeds.

14 years ago

missvee

Veteran

My goal is to spend more money on good casual clothes, since that's how most of my lifestyle is geared. I've never had a lot of clothes, so that's a plus, but some of my purchases have tended to be too dressy for regular wear, and nice though they are, they hang in the closet rarely worn. Now when I shop I ask myself " could I wear this right out of the store?" and if the answer is "no" I have to think long and hard about buying it.

14 years ago

Jackie C

Active Member

Hi ladies, I'm new to YLF and enjoying it and learning a lot, I did went thru a phase of "more is better" and mostly trendy and inexpensive , I do wear them but of course they have to be replaced ever so often cause they're usually cheap quality, now I look for classic peices (on sale of course)...I did a little purge of the closet but still hesitant about throwing something I may need later but I'm gettin there...I hope to have a functional wardrobe with peices I can transition into each seasons that last for years.

14 years ago

Anonymous

What a great thread. I have been thinking about my wardrobe and my *style* so much lately. I have ruthlessly culled (only to bring items back in from the donate pile), bought and returned, made lists, read books and articles and hemmed and hawed.

In addition to not having my clothes *eclipse me* I'm starting to feel like my style might come to be defined more by what I don't wear than what I do wear. Does that make any sense at all? While I want to always be open to trying anything, excersises that Angie has us do like choosing five adjectives to define our style or picking team X or Y is helping me figure out my style. But I have such a long way to go!

14 years ago

social1

Active Member

I just completed a major closet overhaul and it was such an eye-opening experience. I realized I had far too many clothes that were "so-so" and started purging. I guess I felt like I had to hold on to everything because I had either paid good $ for it or received it as a gift. With the holidays coming shopping for myself is not on the agenda but now that everything is organized I can easily shop my closet. I have enjoyed looking at everyone's posts and incorporating ideas into my work life in education and my home life as a busy mom and wife.

14 years ago

celia

Veteran

I feel like I still have some basics to cover but I'm much in the mentality of buying better quality and items that can do double duty.
Your quote is full of wisdom.Thanks for sharing.

14 years ago

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