Wow, a baby and several kids AND only 3-5 tops--good thing you stepped up to the plate and gave some advice. Maybe you should point her to Suz's Harper's Bazaar list for some wardrobe help.LOL

But, seriously, I do agree that lists can be a jumping off point, as long as you don't let them dictate what you "ought" to have.

gaylene, your statement...not enough years to see the light cracked me up! thinking about going half time or stopping entirely in the next 5-10 yrs. i tend to hang on to my favorite things, having worn a 20 year old dress last week. so how do i shop for a new lifestyle that to me seems imminent in clothing-years?

In defense of Jennifer Scott's book, "Madame Chic", it is NOT about a ten piece wardrobe list; it's about the differences in French and American culture and quality vs. quantity as experienced by a college student.

Ingunn, I think you've put it perfectly. Lists are fun so that's why we love to look at them and use them compare what we have with what is on the list. And they certainly have got us talking and thinking on this forum! But you are so right in saying that they are not a substitute for doing one's own homework on what works for the individual.

Bj, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who hangs on to a favorite. But my big dash of cold water was when I was standing in front of a class of 20-30 year olds and realizing that I had clothes in my closet that were bought before they were born. So obviously, I'm no help in shopping for your imminent, clothing-years lifestyle.

Ginkgo, thanks for the reminder. We are focusing on a very small part of Jennifer Scott's book and you're right to remind us of that fact. I've read much of what is in her book on her blog and think she makes a very good point about how quality can enhance our daily lives in a way that quantity never could. Her transformation (if I can call it that) makes for a very interesting read.

Lists are fun because they compartmentalize. Everyone who is an "expert" is always being asked for their TOP TEN MUST HAVES, TOP TEN BEST BOOKS, TOP TEN BEST VIDEO GAMES, blah blah blah. Unlike in games and books, however, no one is ever asked for their top FIFTY or HUNDRED clothing items, because that isn't a tidy number and oooh, who wants to admit to that kind of clothing craziness?

As for lists, expecting someone else's shopping list to work for you is like, well, using someone else's grocery list! Sure, maybe some of the things are the same, but not all of them. This is why I really enjoyed Lucky's Shopping Guide book back in the day - it was really about making sure you had flexible categories and not about a specific *thing.*

In regard to the Scott book, I found the comments on Amazon very interesting: "A wonderful book about the French lifestyle, and a sad commentary on ours." USA is not set up for us to live like the French, so trying to top ten ourselves like a Frenchwoman is kindof moot.

Some lists I like and others I don't. Even Angie puts out lists of "Must Haves" each season. They are fun suggestions and I definitely consider the items on them. I liked Jennifer Scott's list because it made me consider quality over quantity. I might not have control over my budget, but I can control the number of items I amass. Other lists make me feel inferior and that's no fun. I'll probably never have a Birkin bag, Burberry trench or a Cartier watch, for example. It's nice if the list is within the realm of possibility for me!

This is such an interesting thread! Thanks, Gaylene.

And as usual, Angie hit the nail on the head for my 'list-independent wardrobe issues'---analysis paralysis (note to self here) is the spanner I see daily in the mirror. Lists... I like using them as a place to start building, mutatis mutandis.

I recall being in the same position as you, Gaylene, and also Suz in building up from zero---was an incredibly frustrating first few months, especially as I couldn't believe it would be so much work ('something's wrong---I'm BAD at this! I need a list to the rescue!'). It didn't help that I felt even worse for being so 'self-indulgent' as to waste so much time and effort and money on *vanity*... But that initial amount of reflection and calculation DOES pay off and it does get easier in the long term---as long as I don't get paralysed by the analysis again!