 i definitely need more brat pack in my wardrobe.
hi everyone! here’s installment number two about updating and reducing your wardrobe… hope you’re all having a great week! along with the personal style upheavals spring brings, i feel like the “environmental awareness” trend has been gaining more and more intensity. interestingly enough, it was in the ’80′s that donna karan introduced her “seven essential (or easy) pieces,” which consisted of a collection of seven garments – a bodysuit, a coat, a jacket, blouse, skirt, pants and something a little fancier for the evening – that, when owned as whole, would pretty much cover every basic clothing need. donna karan recently re-introduced this concept with her icons collection. (you can also read more about it here.)       these aren’t necessarily the seven pieces i would create my wardrobe with, (and not really in the price bracket i shop in), but i’m in love with this concept. it’s something i’ve been playing around with in my head for a while, and cleaning out my closet has made me start thinking about it more seriously. how nice would it be to be able to open up my closet door and know that almost everything i own is something that not only looks good on, but also works well with the rest of the things i own? how much stress would be eliminated if my clothing options complimented each other, rather than being a clashing pile of ill-fitting prints and patterns purchased in a fit of “oooh! pretty!” rather than “what exactly will i wear this with?” in order for this to work though, it means adding pieces to your wardrobe that fit with what already resides there, and not just blindly buying anything that sparkles. it takes a bit more thought and planning and less impulse, but i don’t think those are bad things to practice, by any means. i’ve found that most impulse buys have lead to unnecessary credit card bills and a pile of things i realistically won’t ever wear, but feel too guilty about purchasing to donate to goodwill. so with all of this in mind, these are the questions i’ve been pondering: Apologies for the scanty posts of late, we’ve been in Chicago the past couple days and our gracious hosts have been keeping us graciously busy. We are having an amazing time and are currently waiting for a cab to take us to deliciousness, a thing that is very prevalent in this awesome city. So in honor of the windy city, here’s a photo of a very ungracefully wind-swept SJP.  I love how she’s simultaneously completely helpless and totally chic. Demonstrative of the power of a pair of good pumps. Don’t forget, Chicagoans, to come to out Major Hip Replacement Clothing Swap on Sunday! See ya soon! disclaimer: when i started this post, i had no idea it would get so out of hand. but it did. and since i don’t want to scare anyone off, i’ve broken it down into three more easily digestible sections about the joys of re-thinking and reducing your wardrobe. my next series will be called “summing your point up in one concise entry – attn: diana.” i know for a fact i’m not the only one out there who starts itching to change something when the seasons start to shift. in certain cities, fashion week – both spring and fall – are more noted than the corresponding seasonal change. people use spring and fall to sort out and re-evaluate not just wardrobe choices, but many different of aspects of their lives. welcoming in a new season is almost like having a mini new year – i make resolutions, reflect on what it is i have accomplished, and what i hope to accomplish over the next few months, and i use all the shuffling – both the mental and the physical – as an excuse to re-evaluate my closet and discard the things that aren’t really working for me any more. i just preformed the equivalent of a wardrobe root canal, and it feels amazing. three garbage bags were hauled to the thrift shop up the street, (not to mention the four crates full of clothes i will soon be listing on ebay…) and getting dressed has suddenly become EASIER. tricia royal wrote a series of how-to articles (that are way better than i could ever hope to do, so please read them if you feel inspired to jump on the spring cleaning bandwagon), on downsizing and de-cluttering your wardrobe, over at bits and bobbins. she guides you through the process in a way that makes the task feel less intimidating and more like fun, and talks about why having less in your closet will actually make you feel like you have more options. among other things, you will know that everything in your closet does the following: tricia gives a list of questions to ask yourself regarding each garment in your closet, before you make the decision to keep it. reading this list got me thinking how it’s crucial to have a strong idea pre-wardrobe-overhaul of how you want your finished project (yourself!) to look after you sort. (in a way, it’s like building a house. you need to know if the finished building will be a sprawling ranch house or a three story victorian before you buy your materials and start hammering things together.) the beautiful gala also gives her wonderfully helpful thoughts on this topic in her article “things to do before the seasons change”. she suggests writing a style concept, which is sort of a style outline for yourself. she gives a super amazing example here, and i highly recommend reading it, because there’s really no other way for me to express how fun and easy she makes this somewhat daunting project sound.  roses, roses, roses on a rosy-cheeked lass. all hail spring. (of course you must check out her lovely, lovely blog)
happy ham, egg and chocolate-eating day! make sure you take advantage by wearing something atrociously pastel. |
All images were either created by the Painfully Hip Design Collective, used with permission, or found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. If any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
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