Wardrobe Cull Time! - YouLookFab Forum

Hi ladies!

I've been busily renovating my house over the past couple of months, so now with the change of seasons, it's time to revisit my wardrobe. I'm in Australia, so we're about to head into summer! Love me a little bit of sunshine!!

I've identified a few capsules that I need:

1. My painting/renovating capsule - my old track pants, old tshirt, and old fleece are perfect for that, and I've got a Bunnings cap with tops the outfit off nicely I really only need one set here - I can wash and dry overnight if need be, but most of my renovating is done on a weekend, so one set is enough anyway.

2. My every day, MOTG capsule - this mainly consists of jeans (denim and coloured), tshirts, Converse and ballet flats, and an assortment of accessories. I'm a neck-candy girl, rather than arm and ear candy. I have a great collection of scarves and necklaces in various shapes, sizes and colours. I also sew, so have quite a few skirts in various styles and prints. This is my biggest area to be culled! I think my last count was over 30 tshirts, which I thought was quite ridiculous. Last night I challenged myself to a quite "10 item cull" and was able to remove 18 items within literally, a few moments, and I'm quite sure I won't miss any of them! (For now, my "cull" items are being put aside, and not out, until I've finalised what I really "need").

3. My going out capsule - I have dark, skinny, waxy finished jeans, which are fine for most of my more casual occasions. I've got a pair of smart, navy trousers which go with most things, and I also have a few dresses which are LBD equivalents plus one more formal dress which is still perfect for anything "black tie". I have some great jackets, but could do with a couple of nice tops that transfer between my every day and going out capsules.

4. My potential going back to work capsule - I'm not there yet, but thinking about it. I'll probably return part time / casually in 2014, so need to start thinking about re-building a suitable capsule. I'm thinking basic trousers and blouse style tshirts for the most part. My work dress code is "smart casual" but I need to be comfortable as I'll be on my feet and quite active during the day.

5. My workout wardrobe - this one is a bit of a joke. I do pilates once a week, and have a lovely bike that I don't ride, but these are also my lounge clothes. I've got this one covered

My biggest decisions lie in cutting back the number of clothes in my every day / MOTG capsule. I get quite emotionally attached to my clothes, so find it difficult to part with them.

How many items would you keep in this capsule (keeping in mind that this is really a 6 day a week capsule at the moment)? How would you break those items down (ie # of tops, pants, skirts, etc)?

My next "dilemma" is that we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary soon. We will be going out for dinner somewhere really nice, so I can dress up as much as I want to. I want to wear something special (ie - not something that is linked to other occasions - I want something new to mark this milestone), but I also want to be able to wear it again.

I had initially thought that a cream lace shift dress could be great, but wear would be limited, as it would be completely unsuitable for weddings, and it may be "over dressed" for most of my other occasions. I'd still consider it, but cost is a factor, because of it's limited use. I may also wear this dress for my 40th birthday celebrations next year.

My requirements for "the" dress are:

Not black (I'd opt for berry or rose pink, navy, emerald green, cobalt, any shade of grey).
Above knee length, but not ridiculously short!
I think I want something sophisticated with a side of quirky

I'd love to see some of your special occasion outfits, or perhaps links to some of your "dream" outfits for inspiration, and in the meantime, I'll look back through the archives and see what I can find!

Now, I had good intentions of posting some WIW outfits for you, but my kids have had swimming lessons this week, so I didn't really think photos of me in my togs were going to be internet worthy!!

12 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Sounds like you know where you are going Have a look at Angie's wardrobe planning posts - great info.

http://youlookfab.com/category.....-planning/

Not sure what state you are in but can you wear jeans in summer? They would be way too hot here in South Aust.

My dream outfit would be a perfectly fitting ink pants suit by Celine or Armani

annaj

Caro - the pantsuit would be lovely! I've been wondering if I should look at something more tuxedo style, rather than trying to find the perfect dress! It might be something I would get more wear out of!

I'm in WA, so yes, jeans are too hot for most of summer, but that's when I'll wear denim skirts, or chino type crops. They aren't real jeans, but they are still a variation on the theme

Angie has some great ideas for wardrobe planning - they've helped me a lot in working out just what I really need as far as capsules go - now I just need to reduce the size of them a little bit

Adelfa

Hi, can you say more about what your goals are in cutting down the number of clothing items? There could be so many reasons:

1. lack of closet space
2. most items don't suit you, are worn, etc.
3. the plethora of items available confuses you when you go to your closet to get dressed
4. the idea of minimalism appeals to you strongly

The reason I'm asking is that if, as you say, you are emotionally attached to your clothes, you will need to have a vision for what you are aiming for, such as a closet full (but not packed) of clothes that suit you in color, style, and practicality.

My gut says get the cream lace shift dress, but my gut isn't paying the bills

jenanded

Did you see Mo's off topic post last week or so... Really how many pieces do you need for 6 days a week for two weeks she asks and I liked her answer... Yep we are sweltering in QLD already

Jen - I hadn't seen Mo's post, but I've just been back to find it - I was thinking around the 10-12 mark as being more than enough, so that was a great help - thank you!

Adelfa - my closet is bulging, and that's not through having a small closet I love the ideal of minimalism, although I am by no means a minimalist. I've refined my wardrobe over the years, so I can safely say that at least 80% of my wardrobe actually suits me, I just don't "need" those quantities. That's probably why it has become difficult to cull - I have lots, and can happily wear most of it, but I don't... and I hate the size of my washing pile with so many items!!

I guess my closet goals are reflecting my current way of thinking - "we" (the global "we" in "western" society, as well as the more specific "we" as in my immediate family) have so much, but really don't need all of it. Society dictates a "bigger, better, faster, more" mentality, but I want to streamline things so that I have plenty (which I have been fortunate enough to always have), but that by not living to excess, I have more to give back to others. For me, shopping has always been a "hobby" and I'd like to make more of a shift away from that - I love shopping (and love helping others shop), but I know there are better ways to invest my time. It's all about balance

Here's a link to a potential lace shift - It would also look great later if I cut it to tunic length and wore it with skinny jeans...

http://www.birdsnest.com.au/br.....-slv-dress

If it hits sale, I could be tempted, but $200 is probably more than I want to spend on an "occasion" dress

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