It's reassuring to know that others also find these lists strangely alluring.
Una, your point about these lists causing us to make mistakes really rings true. Sometimes items SOUND so reasonable, like that ubiquitous basic white shirt, that I feel it must be useful. It would be interesting to poll YLF members to see how many own white shirts and, more importantly, how many actually wear them on a regular basis. I don't see that many white shirts in the WIWs.
Rae, it would be interesting to see the essential list for you and Una's UWP style. I have a feeling it might not be the same as Ines'! ;0
Denise and Suz, that fantasy of starting over, list in hand, to achieve that perfect wardrobe and never having to worry about how to dress is probably at the root of the fascination. And being able to do it again and again sounds brilliant. In reality, though, I found starting from scratch to rebuild a wardrobe because my weight changed was not unmitigated fun. It surprised me how much work, worry, and frustration it caused me.
Caro, you are dead right that the appeal of these lists is that they appear to make wardrobe building easy. Do you want to look like a Parisienne? Buy a trench coat, ballet flats, and a striped top and DONE! Of course, given that most of us don't resemble Ines, nor live in the vicinity of Notre Dame, the reality of owning those items can be quite different.
Fern, buying those sandals when we get our invitation sounds about right. In my case, it's also true for that perfect cocktail dress. Even if I found my perfect dress, I suspect it would look dated by the time it actually got worn. My cocktail parties happen about as often as my invitations to private yachts.
Krista, good point about the accompanying images luring us in to wanting those items. That's why I found Astrid's pictures on how she emulated the BR wardrobe images so fascinating. But, as she mentioned, it was also a lot of work.
Rae, I totally agree that the customized list is really the only way to go. It's the supposed ease of having an "expert" do that for you that makes those lists so appealing. It's like wishing Angie could make a surprise visit to your closet and do the work for you.
MaryK, that bench will need to hold a lot of us because it seems, after the first blush of infatuation, most of the YLF bunch do have some serious reservations about lists. But those book deals and marketing campaigns seem to indicate that the wardrobe listomania is alive and well.
Natalie, I also found it interesting to hear what other YLFers thought were their must-have pieces. The responses really illustrate the variety of ways we think about our wardrobes. And, you're right, contributing my own list was helpful in making it clearer what was important to ME.
Missvee, obviously marketers know that these lists are influential in moving product. It's almost funny at time to see what items get pushed as being this season's "essential 10". Who else but a marketer would think that sequinned skinnies ought to be on everyone's "must-have" list.
MNsara, the point that you and others make about using a list as an inspiration rather than a guide makes such good sense. Trying to replicate one for one with items in our wardrobes, however, is something else.
Mochi, Janet, and Sara, I'm with you in laughing at the cleverness of making me feel inadequate because I don't own something that is clearly not needed for MY life. See beaded sandals and yacht invitations above. And puffers in LA. And raincoats in Phoenix.
Makrame, those images really do stoke the fire, don't they. I remember reading a marketing journal that explained why the wall of color is so effective. The reasoning is that I'll be immediately drawn to the item and start picking MY colors before I decide if I want to buy another T-shirt. But once I've chosen MY shirts, how can I leave them behind thus the rainbow stack of T's in my wardrobe.
