Great topic, thank you for starting it !

To answer your question, no I don't think that if one loves something enough that we can make it work. I feel the same way about men, oddly enough ! LOL. But I expect more of my clothes than my husband.

I don't understand why exactly, but getting a truly workable wardrobe is very difficult. I say that at 49 and still struggling many times. There is a huge psychological component and a societal/media one. I don't think that it is at all a coincidence that Angie is exceptional at what she does because she studied psychology and has a degree in it.

So much of what we see is "aspirational" not "inspirational". It took me decades to figure out that there was nothing in Vogue that I could use...or at least I didn't know how. Those visions of women in tulle riding horses through fields in Ibizia gave me a hell of a time trying to apply it. Haha. Even now, so many of the bloggers get really dressed up. Anything else would be somewhat boring. It would be like a reality show where they follow me getting my kids to school, loving my Swiffer as I use it, watching the deer out the window and not fighting with anyone. No one would watch except my mom. The truth is that fashionistas and magazines and designers wouldn't make much money selling us "workable" . So we think that the way to do it is to dress for show and not for utility. As a stay at home mom, this has been an enormous struggle for me. But Angie ( and the other ladies via example ) have taught me that it doesn't need to be universal 10, but a 10 for ME. Whether it is the color of a t shirt that I love or the fit or the comfort...but something about it for me should be wonderful. And I am at the point where practically everything in my closet is. Now I just can't look at Vogue.

Thanks! Haha, it's like falling in love with a bad boy. But I think making a love purchase from time to time is fine, as long as we do it consciously, knowing full well that the piece may not get a ton of wears.

Bridgette, just bookmarked your article on evernote to read ! I loved the first couple of paragraphs alone. The good news is that there are soooo many options today. I actually look stylish camping and hiking now ! There are some awesome brands. I have really great biking clothes. Fab sports bras. And so on. Life is good.

Hi Isabel! Thanks! I agree, there are wonderful options out there! In 11years of dressing women I have always been able to find what they need. It's all out there. You just need to know what you are looking for and where to find It!

Bridgette, your web site is new to me and I'm totally hooked!

I am trying to have it both ways: A workable wardrobe made up of pieces I love. After a couple of years of over-buying, I have gotten pretty good at not bringing home anything unless I love it (and it loves me back) AND it fits in my wardrobe. I think it's definitely possible!

And yes, I fall out of love. Just this week I realized I no longer love my yellow silk blouse from Anthropologie, so out it will go!

hi MaryK! Thanks! I am glad you are enjoying it! It's always rewarding when people find my blog as a helpful resource! When you blog it's easy to feel like you are talking to a wall. Feedback is always encouraging!

It's easy to fall out of love with anything, especially after it has been worn many times. I had a dress once that I wore to death. By the end of the summer I said, "If I wear this dress one more time I am going to die from boredom." Turns out I unknowingly was on my way to my bridal shower. I now have photos for the rest of my life wearing that dress. But, interestingly, I put it on the back burner for a while and took it out again recently and I sort of enjoy it again. This is not to say you have to hold on to anything but it is funny how we can find new enjoyment for it when we take a break from it or learn to wear it differently.

Wow, I am really enjoying this discussion! A lot of food for thought here, and Bridgette, your site has been a great read

Thanks La Belle! I can't thank you guys enough for linking to my post! I am glad you are all getting value! It's always interesting to see how things are perceived by readers! I do a series every Sunday night called "What am I going to wear to work tomorrow?" It goes up around 7pm and, a little preview, tonight I am talking about work dress outfits for casual, creative and corporate work environments. Stay tuned!!

I love this discussion! Like Mary, I want a wardrobe that includes pieces that I love that are also very wearable. For me, that might mean pairing a great top with a basic bottom. The pants might not be ones that capture my heart, but I "love" them for making it possible to wear that top.

I agree that the basics or backbones still need to be good quality and fit well and all of that.
I'm still very dependent on black work pants although for decades I've also always purchased as many not-black trousers as I could find that worked for me.
All those brands like Austin Reed and even Jones New York used to put out a fair number of different fabrics in browns, grays, and taupes, and in tweeds and checks and so on. Yum. However, the fits did not stay up with the trends. Now even the high-dollar brands now seldom do much with interesting fabrics.

Anyhoo, while still trying to stay on the lookout for items to create workwear capsules that aren't using black pants, I meanwhile have focused on having several pairs I really "love" out of all others--a couple of classic types and a couple of more trendy types--because they DO allow me to create outfits. And I'm not adding any more so-so ones just to have more pairs hanging in the closet. But, I need these to get out the door in the morning.

I think I am practical. I want most of my clothes to "bail me out" (perfect description) but know they will also serve as accents for the occasional real star of the show.
In the last year I have totally embraced color and pattern but I mix them with a base of neutral. I want the neutrals to be workhorses that I can mix and wear again and again without letting me down. I think the "love" there grows over time. The things I "crush" on will be here one day, gone tomorrow.

I started to reply to this yesterday but was hit by brain fade ('cos I'm sick ) It got me thinking though and I realised how in the search for a workable wardrobe I simply have to chill out and enjoy myself. Buying things I love (within the parameters of what suits me) is what makes my wardrobe 'me' and gives me the spark I'm after. And I've sort of lost track of exactly what the question was, but that's where it got me.

MZNicola, I think you struck the perfect balance!

Thanks Bridgette. Nothing like having a fever to give you an epiphany!

The casual, wash and wear clothes that I wear for my job as a server are all about logic, function, and practicality. Just about the only aspect that is not 100% logical is that I now wear colored rather than just black and white tops.Yes the black and white are more uniform like and professional, but the colors are so much more flattering to my complexion and I can match my earrings to the top.

I can love my work clothes for their reliability but it's not the same as my love for my fashion clothes. My work clothes are the ones that bail me out of Mexican jail to use your metaphor Bridgette.

My relationship with my fashion clothes is a lot more complex. I can love an item, but if I don't have enough opportunity to wear it, I can develop a resentful guilty feeling like I'm in the wrong relationship -- he doesn't call enough or I feel bad because I'm leading him on. So my more expensive (than my work wardrobe), trendier pieces come with more emotion.

It is really hard to figure out how to incorporate trends into our closets, how to make them wearable. That's something Angie is really good at and am learning on YLF. Her trend alerts as well as ensemble pieces are always helpful and I love seeing how forum members will put her advice into action, even on the same day.

This has given me a lot to think about so thank you Unfrumped for starting this thread and thank you Bridgette, your blog is great!

Do you know what I call the times we don't dress realistically for our lifestyles? I call it "Wishful Wardrobing" which means dressing for the life you wish you had, not the one you really do. I've blogged about the topic a lot. I don't want to post the link as I'm sure it goes against forum posting rules.

Hi everyone! Speaking of a workable wardrobe, I wanted to make sure you saw this post from that I wrote about how to create a mix-and-match, capsule wardrobe! I hope it helps! best to all of you! http://www.bridgetteraes.com/2.....ion-guide/