No, Claire, it's a GOOD can of worms!! This is getting to the meat of it. I really WANT to get this clarified for myself (heh heh...of COURSE I would rely on Clearly Claire for help with that!)

Seriously, as you know, this is sort of a semi-ideal of mine as well, and it's just lately that I've realized how and why it might be difficult for me.

Shannon's point about seasons is well taken...

But maybe if one thinks in terms of small, frequently rotated capsules it is not impossible even for the likes of us....and it might even be a GOOD way for me to go. As long as I rotate those capsules, and then allow myself a one-in-one-out policy.

I think what is really useful for me is in coming up with what could count as my visible base layer. What are the pieces that in my ACTUAL life, as I live it (cheering here for Ornella) that I need?

The one complication I face -- and Angie has been really sweet about this to me in a personal note, reminding me that it does add QUITE a wrinkle -- is that I also need some outfits that are appearance-ready, even if the appearances are quite casual (as they often are) - one still needs something a bit more attention getting than a plain navy outfit.
And I've also had the wrinkle of considerable travel in the past year, though that is not a regular part of my life, at least not in all years.

I still think I am going to need more than 10 though. I want more than 2 jeans, for starters. I just want different colours and silhouettes. I don't need to have duplicates of the same style, but I seriously want something to give me some sense of variety now and again.

Gosh, I would think this would be even harder without the "extras" -- the jackets, the scarves, etc. that you can't wear for most of the year.

Hmmmm.

I've always loved this idea in theory, but in practice I've learned that hard way that I'm simply not this kind of dresser. This is what Mochi mentioned in her "clothing as statement vs. clothing as canvas" idea that I'm hoping she will flesh out. Somehow I am not able to do a million things with a simple black dress. I'm sure I "could" but it would be a major struggle.

In awe of those that do this happily and well!

In theory, I think this makes sense. When I fall in love with something, I want to wear it All The Time. There are only 5 work days in a week, so if I had 10 items, I technically wouldn't be a repeater (for me, they would definitely be 10 dresses - haha).

I think I'd get bored of my lovely items very fast!

Ah, Clearly Claire's column/blog/book clearly needs to be called, "Practically Perfect" if Disney/Mary Poppins will give her the rights to the name.

i have to say, with my ruthless purge and outrageous expenditure on a few select pieces this fall, i am closer to realizing this ideal of a tightly curated closet. i think i will get bored but will know for sure by next fall!

another problem having a closet that i love means choosing a travel capsule has become very hard and i am now one of those overpackers i used to eye with mild concern. next, to find a happy medium or at least get back to carrying on only!

Fascinating thread, Claire. It's very interesting reading everyone's comments and reactions to the concept of a ten-item wardrobe.

I suspect that this sort of minimalism would require a rather drastic change in mindset for the majority of North American women, which, I think, is the point that the blogger is trying to make with her book. Being fashionable is a rather slippery term; to some, it means staying current with runway trends, to others it means finding a fashion persona that fits one's personality, to still others it may mean being innovative and creative in putting together outfits for others to admire and enjoy, and, finally, to some it might mean wearing clothes that are understated and fit societal norms about how women ought to dress. To me, it's that last notion that underlies the "lessons" in the book, and, I suspect, would not be the goal of most of us on this forum.

Having said that, I do find this approach having more and more appeal as I grow older and become less fond of having so much "stuff" in my life. I don't crave variety the way I used to when I was younger; I also don't like spending much time on clothes, hair, and make-up anymore. I still want to look good (I have a strong streak of vanity, obviously) but creating outfits seems like work, not pleasure, these days. So maybe I'm the candidate for the book's message?

Hmm, this idea of a minimalist wardrobe does not appeal to me. Even if I had 10 very good quality outstanding items to wear day after day I would get so bored with them so quickly... You know I don't like my wardrobe to get too big and I like to wear everything I own on regular basis but to that extreme? No, thank you. One thought did not leave me as I watched the video - the number '10' was picked because it is nice, round and sounds impressive but not because it reflects the real state of things.
I think I was close to this 'magic' number 10 when I packed for my recent business trip - and guess what? It was fine for 8 days but if I had to wear the same 10 things for months? No, thanks!
I don't think it is really the number that counts. If your wardrobe is functional, in good rotation (you wear everything you own on regular basis unless they are special occasion items like beach wear or cocktail dress) and makes you happy it is a good wardrobe to have. For some of us it may be 25-30 (sorry, I don't believe in 10), for some 100, or more... does it matter really? What's in a number after all?
And Claire, I am signing up for that column!

Claire, I always find myself reading your threads word for word, and enjoying every comment and reply!
Both thought-provoking and entertaining. I also would love to read YOUR book/blog one day.
Off to count my 'basics' and give this some more thought.

Yes...having considered this some more, I really must echo what Sveta says. After all, I just lived for a month from a suitcase. With 3 trousers, 4 shirts, 3 sweaters, 2 skirts and a couple of dresses, I was already over the 10 limit......oh, and of course I had the "extras" like shoes, jackets, coats, T shirts and scarves as well.

And guess what?

I got really, really tired of my outfits and couldn't wait to get home (or go shopping!)

It wasn't as bad as the time I was stranded at my mother's for a month with a tiny suitcase full of neutrals. But it was bad.

And that was just for one month.

Imagine a year in the same outfits.

No thank you.

This is maybe why it can be good to live in a four-season climate - I would NEED to switch out my base layer anyway!

Having griped along in this way, I will also say that I spent some time working out my actual seasonal realities this afternoon. I mean I got down to the nitty gritty of figuring out how many ACTUAL weeks of winter wear/ autumn wear/ spring wear/ summer wear I need. And that alone was a highly enlightening task. You would think it would be obvious (duh....we DO have the equinoxes, after all) but in fact the seasons span different times than that here, and I have worked out that I have at minimum 16 weeks of pure winter to live through.

To wear the same 10 base items and those alone for 16 weeks a year....well...I COULD do it. I am actually not too far off that at the moment. I am going to do an official count a bit later. And yet....the fun I would miss!

Still....if 10 is an arbitrary and not necessarily a meaningful number, at least it is a place to begin. Something to think about.

I agree with Sveta (& others) there is no magic number for everyone. I don't believe we should use this advice as a prescription; but as Claire said it can be good to look at things from different angles. The idea of having only what I need & use is very attractive to me though.

I agree that this has been a fantastic thread !!! Thank you for starting it. After pondering it a bit more, along with others' observations, I agree that it is a bit misleading. She has no bottoms in her 10. They seem to be more of a capsule of "nicer" things to wear when she is not in jeans and t shirts. I would love to go with what the Vivienne files have for the 'common' wardrobe and then add the "extras", like color. But I really like the Project 333 concept too. 33 items ( not including shoes and accessories , might be doable for me. Maybe.....well.......)

But it is absolutely true that Angie does concentrate more on "workable" than "gimmick".

Hmmmm....so I watched the videos, and I think it's great to have a nice workable wardrobe like she does, but I don't like how it's touted to be a 10 item wardrobe, and it's not even close. I know she says right away 10 is not a magic number and hers is about 14 but then she goes on to list all the "extras" like t shirts, blazers, cardigans. Well why not just call those wardrobe items and go with the real number which is probably more like 30? To me that's actually a lot more reasonable and workable for the average person. She has core wardrobe, extras, pants and then this is just fall/ winter so I assume there is a spring/ summer one too.....I guess I was expecting just 10 actual clothing pieces, which would have been very impressive, but obviously not that doable. Once she showed all the pieces, and I'm imagining there is spring stuff too, then I realized its pretty close to the amount I have right now. So I guess I don't really need to read the book! I like her blog though, I have read her 20 tips before, and they were a fun read.

My initial reaction was the same as Suz's. That the reason why my wardrobe has more items that I would wish is because more than half are lower quality. But then I also agree that I do like variety, and that's when I love to thrift.

I agree that you should write a book on thrifting successfully, Claire! Go for it!

As of the blog's videos, I thought, well duh, no wonder you need so little, everything you put on looks naturally so good... this girl has a dream body, so easy to dress. What I mean is that it looks like fashion products are made for bodies like that. Then you add the fact that she's not wearing just any tee, but a high-end quality one, and bingo. Who needs anything else?

Also, I disagree with her definition of "core" items.

But I have to give to her that the core items she has are all really nice, and that is something we tend to forget. In replacing over and over with cheaper things, we tend to not have enough *nice*, a bit more expensive items. And we need some of them.

My take away from this thread is that Claire must start a blog/column/book and I heartily concur. I think the minimal wardrobe is a very interesting point of departure for thinking about one's wardrobe and what you want from it, but am not sure it is an actual goal. I have yet to watch the video, but with the number of exceptions mentioned here, it seems like a bit of a thought experiment for her too.

What I really don't understand about this 10 item approach is the exclusion of jackets and cardigans. For me those are the items that *make* the outfit. So I could have 10 items, but a couple of dozen jackets and cardigans? To me, that's way over 10. Even in her video she shows how switching out the jackets changes the look, so why exclude them? Without the jackets it's just jeans and a white tee. I'm all for simplifying my wardrobe and not owning more than I need, but I don't know that this is realistic.

I like what Sveta said: "I don't think it is really the number that counts. If your wardrobe is functional, in good rotation (you wear everything you own on regular basis unless they are special occasion items like beach wear or cocktail dress) and makes you happy it is a good wardrobe to have."

I guess in the end, it doesn't matter whether you *think* you have a 10-item or 30-item wardrobe as long as it works for you and you wear what you have.

ETA: I think what bothers me the most is that these uber-minimal wardrobe books/blogs are marketing yet another impossible, yet unnecessary, goal.

Henley, I totally agree with the 'unnecessary goal' here that is probably unattainable. Less seems to always be trumpeted as better.
Owning just what you will wear, and what makes you happy is great, but that could be 80+ items as easily as it could be 15.

Well, I've watched all the videos and she sure is a cutie! Love the homemade quality of the videos too

I'm not bothered by her use of '10' items because clearly she has more than 10. In fact, she removes THREE dressing gowns at the beginning!!!! (That would be a peculiar ratio of dressing gowns to street clothes. . . ) Plus if you watch her slips video, I think she has 5 slips. Whatever. . .

I DO get all excited about the prospect of trimming things down to the bare PERFECT essentials though. I used to be quite the minimalist and that still appeals to me.

I just can't reconcile my love of style with such a pared down wardrobe. Maybe with a professional's help (not a psychologist! I meant Angie-type professional I could work toward a goal like that.

Nonetheless, I took away that she has four dresses per season, two pair of jeans, and one pair of nicer pants, a couple of nicer sweaters, four blouses/tops, three everyday shoes, and a few tees and cardigans. Still a pretty well curated wardrobe. . .

I just read this book very recently on my Kindle, and I loved the idea of the ten-item wardrobe, although I realize that it's not always practical or do-able in certain climates, or even lifestyles.

The thing is? It's this book that is moving me forward - past the idea of always buying something on 'sale' or something that is "fast fashion." This isn't to say that I'd stop enjoying these items, but rather - that it's ok and probably a really good idea (for me) to invest in some better-quality basics/foundation wardrobe pieces. This is something that I have struggled with, and after reading the book, I feel much better about doing this. The general idea of the ten-item wardrobe has me feeling much better about spending more and looking for quality construction in terms of core pieces.

About the ten-item wardrobe? I think it's totally do-able, especially since things like blazers and jackets aren't part of the ten pieces. I'm not sure I want a "ten item" wardrobe - what I do want are much better, but fewer pieces. This book has definitely shifted my "sale goggles" and has me looking for quality instead of quantity.

In the meantime, my impression (from the book) is that the 'ten items' are different for different seasons, so it's not as drastic as it sounds. You'd have a different set of ten items for winter, summer, spring and fall. Granted there'd be a few carry-over items (ie. spring/fall), but it's not the same ten items all year long.

Not sure how I came across them (maybe from the blog of the book?), but here are a few ideas based on the 'ten item wardrobe':

http://www.polyvore.com/10_pie.....id=1675239

here's a few more:

http://www.polyvore.com/10_pie.....id=1675239

http://www.polyvore.com/10_pie.....id=1675239

http://www.polyvore.com/10_pie.....id=1675239

http://www.polyvore.com/10_pie.....id=1675239

You get the idea.

Just realized - these might make *great* travel capsules too - just a thought.

Sara...laughing..."not a psychologist, an Angie-type professional" -- I am betting Angie does a fair bit of unpaid psychology....

Also laughing about those dressing gowns. SO true. WHO has THREE dressing gowns for every TEN items in her wardrobe? Maybe that is why she only needs 10 items? Most days, she simply wears her negligée?

I also like your calculations....it is true, this is still a well-curated wardrobe. I'll bet Claire's is pretty darned similar. I know mine is (I have fewer dresses for winter, but more skirts and more jeans and a couple more tops....and then my JACKETS...). And...um....I notice what made me nuts al summer was that I couldn't add my third piece....the JACKET.....

Gee, can you tell I am really conflicted about this here business?

Thanks, Claire, for raising it. It's really good to work it through. And yeah....get that domain name, pronto.

(By the way, alaskagirl, I promise I will be writing the post. I want to do a good job, so it may not happen in the next few days while I'm visiting some family. But I'm up for the task)

Claire, between Ines de la Fressange Magnificent Seven, Angie's Key Essentials, and 'The Ten-Item Wardrobe', I believe their is a consistency in approach which appeals to you. I think you may be looking to build a core to your wardrobe for which you are willing to invest time or money or both to achieve *your* ideal.

Julie, I think you are right, and that is what appeals to me, also, in all these theories. The numbers feel a bit arbitrary and perhaps unrealistic, but one thing both Claire and I have lacked, due to life circumstances in part (lack of funds, lack of a paid job for many years) has been that core...so it always feels a bit provisional and helper skelter....it is hard to tell "extras" from essentials (something that must be learned, piece by piece) and it is tough to establish a LOGIC for purchases that makes sense and allows us to feel confident enough to actually SPEND the bigger sums on anything in particular. How are we to know that this or that item is THE item worth spending on?

(Claire - apologize for speaking for you here; your feelings might not be the same on this after all...)

I know for me it eventually became a sensible choice to spend on premium denim. I wear jeans almost 7 days a week for 8 months a year; it is obvious the investment will pay off. So I bought one pair of premium jeans and a couple of pairs of "better" regular jeans. But after that, it was difficult for me to judge what the money should go to. I lacked a system for working that out. Hence the appeal of these formulas.

Ok, can I confess here to being just a little annoyed at the deceptive, if catchy, concept? I also laughed at the three dressing gowns, and the blazers, tees, etc., that are somehow qualified as "extras." Homestly, I don't really get it, other than as a gimmick because "Ten Item Wardrobe" sounds so much more impressive than "Thirty Item Wardrobe."

I am much more interested in wardrobe planning and remixing ideas that are not so focused on some magical number that will make us feel self-righteous and instantly French chic. I don't care whether someone has 10 items or 1000 items in their wardrobe -- I just like to see how things are put together and how they reflect an individual's style.

Granted, I fall on the opposite end of the wardrobe spectrum. I realize that is my bias, and like Rae, I shudder a bit at just the title of the thread. However, I do think there are lessons to be learned about streamlining and remixing wardrobes regardless of what size wardrobe someone can tolerate. Perhaps I didn't dig deep enough into that blogger/author's website, but I wasn't really getting much insight from her. I think I get way more from you all and Angie!

Um, I think by this definition, I actually used to HAVE a 10-item seasonal wardrobe back when I was a college student. It went something like this:
3 pairs of jeans (one blue high-waisted with the relaxed-fit legs; one pink with straight legs; one in a very lightweight twill with a ridiculous what-was-I-thinking paper-bag waist with a corset tie at the back!)
6 kameezes (different styles of tunics essentially, in a variety of colours and lengths and silhouettes)
1 dress

Now you will note right away that I've basically got just 3 sets of garments! Of which two entail tops sans bottoms and bottoms sans tops. And no, I wasn't going half-naked on a daily basis. It's just that my shirts, T-shirts and sweatshirts were so few and basic as to be practically invisible and interchangeable (if you made me really pick and *think back*, I recall just 4 shirts in fact---no T-shirts). The bottoms for the kameezes were 3-4 exactly identical white salwars or churidars. The rest was just shoes, bags and scarves, with loads of junky jewellery and a different bindi drawn up each day from a box of 16 liquid colours.

This really means that even taking into account the missing tops and bottoms, I'd be gone only to 16 garments. Of course, in my tropical climate I didn't really have a lot of use for toppers (owned one denim jacket, one pullover, a couple of cardigans and a couple of shawls, all 6 worn for about 2 months a year). Summers saw a couple of skirts instead of a couple of the jeans, maybe an extra T-shirt or so. So let's call it 24 overall, through the year.

The irritating thing was having to overhaul pretty much ALL of it every year or every other year. And the interesting thing is that holiday breaks, weekends and at-home evenings entailed a completely different wardrobe of VERY casual clothes---a couple of knit maxi dresses, 3-4 skirts and a bunch of (maybe 6-7) T-shirts or loose tops for the most part.

It's doable. And highly frustrating in the long run. I can't imagine continuing on that path for much longer than I did. I'm grateful for the outlet stores that added variety in the subsequent years.

Claire, I do honestly think you have far more sense to dispense than this lady, however well she might have done with her little spin on the 'magic-number minimal wardrobe'. This is really seeming to me to be an expansion on those '10 essentials this season' lists that every magazine pulls out, every year. I second the need for a sensible column by Clearly Claire instead.

ETA: Actually, now I think of it, the 'Common Wardrobe' series on The Vivienne Files has been pretty much a 12-item wardrobe on these terms with the same kind of 'extras'...

I can't even narrow my wardrobe down to 10 items in each category, so it boggles my mind how she could actually wear only 10 items. It looks like she counts so many things as "extras" though (like blazers and jackets) that it's kind of cheating. I'm pretty maximal though so even the thought of doing something like Vivienne Files gives me hives.

I love how much discussion you've sparked with your thread, Claire! And all the followup threads!

This is really interesting. I'm always curious how someone can pare down a wardrobe.

I wasn't going to bump this so late in the game, but since Lisa just did.....

First, you all know there's no hatin' goin' on. If you have/need/want a large wardrobe, that's SO much fun; go for it. Thank you for letting us all live vicariously through you! For some reason, a having lot of *things* gives me anxiety and make me feel claustrophobic. I also live in a very strange climate and I live a pretty tame life. Even when I have large amounts of clothing, it seems like I gravitate to the same basic core. Hence my interest in this crazy idea.

MNSara, the three dressing gowns did not escape me either! Perhaps she spends as much time "en dishable" as I do? Too funny.

Velvety, it's great that you chimed in with your always astute observations! I got the same impressions as you did from my excerpt of the book. I can't help remembering the discussions we had when La Francaise was on the forum. I'm still trying to wrap my head around better quality and fewer pieces. Your polyvore examples were right up my alley! Thank you! (Nice that they were from someone in SoCal, too.)

Suz (and Julie) you are so right, and feel free to speak for me any time. You have a very good handle on what makes me tick. I'm so glad I've taken the time to get to know what I really like. I see some retail (not resale) purchases in my future. And I'm sharing your jacket frustration of summertime. Imagine 9 months of it! I will really need help next year.

Manidipa, I can't believe you can remember with such accuracy your college wardrobe! I remember those crazy jeans we wore (while thinking we were SO cool). because of your extreme climate you get a pass on this exercise if you want one. I seriously don't know how you do it. One thing about living in a desert suburb is that everything is so clean. It hardly rains, and when it does, everything is paved and there are sidewalks everywhere. I can definitely wear my white jeans multiple times before I wash them and suede footwear is not a problem here.

GP, don't worry about it. You and Lisa have fab wardrobes and I wouldn't change them if I could.

Which brings me to all of the comments about writing a How To of sorts. Folks, I seriously am fumbling around in the dark. Perhaps I need to show you more of my misses and let of my hits? Keep a running tally of how much money I've actually wasted trying to be thrifty? And even if I did figure my thrifting methods out, I could never see myself telling others how to do "what I do". This journey is so highly personalized, as the comments in this thread have shown. And not everyone has great thrift stores. I've been in some so depressing that I've wanted to cut my wrists!

The best advice is just to know what's current and breeze through looking for newer things or your own essentials. I've had some luck buying older silk blouses because the masses haven't learned of Angie's boxy silk blouse love like we have. I think I'll be turning my attention onto belts and accessories now. Thrift stores in nicer areas often have a better selection of newer things (someone tried a belt and couldn't make it work so they donated it right away). Your average Josephina in my area hasn't started tucking and belting so no one is fighting over the belts yet (like they do the hand bags--yikes)! So there you have it. My book in a nutshell, lol!

Mandipa - you know, that's what I was thinking/finding. A reduced wardrobe is a bit like a short haircut. You have to shop more frequently for replacements in the same way you have to go get a trim every few weeks for your short hair to stay short.

Rachy, that's so true! It's also why I keep letting my hair grow into a tangled ponytail when in fact I often like it best shorter. Possibly the same laziness applies to my wardrobe mayhem.

Very late to this, but this thread made me really glad I came to have look at YLF today - I've missed these kind of discussions!

I've bookmarked the link to her blog to read later, but Clare, I share your wish to have a well-curated (love that expression) wardrobe, and find this kind of thing fascinating. I too lead a tame life and don't like the idea of having lots of *stuff*, but I don't think there is some arbitrary number of garments that make up a perfect wardrobe. Some people love abundance and choice - those of my friends who shop a lot also purge and donate a lot too. For me, too much choice is challenging!