// chanel jacket last seen here //
// aquazurra sandals available here and here //
// isabel marant flana jacket worn here //
// chanel earrings worn here //
// celine bag worn here, available here and here //
Last year, I mentioned the Five Piece French Wardrobe on the blog and to some of my friends. It’s a practice where one purchases only 5 quality pieces per season (adding up to 10 pieces annually). There are different rules and interpretations, but most agree that basics (such as undergarments, tees, workout clothing, etc.) do not count towards the five.
After the little one came into our lives, I was OVERWHELMED… not just by baby but by everything – home, CLOSET, work, blog, hygiene. You name it, I could barely do it! And I felt the real need to SIMPLIFY. One night, I was looking on tpf (the purse forum) during a middle of the night feeding and saw a post about the ‘oneish a month club’ where they mentioned the five piece french wardrobe. I was sold in a second.
I DID find five items for last season {pictured above} but then Isabel Marant pour H&M happened and those 5 pieces added up to… I don’t know… lots more. MAJOR FAIL. By the way, the Lanvin for H&M foiled my last clothing diet about 4 years ago. Touché H&M, touché.
I’m not willing to give up so fast so I’m trying again this season! I’ll let you know how it goes. It keeps me accountable if I have it in writing instead of mentioning in passing to a couple of people.
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On another late night feeding, I saw a tpf post about a wardrobe challenge for the new year originating from this blog. Answering these questions should help me stick to resolve with the five pieces for this season.
ONE Write a short review of your style and the progress you made in 2013. How did your style, lifestyle and aesthetic preferences evolve?
In 2013, there were a lot of major life changes. After the little one arrived, I started working less. Most of my wardrobe was unused – I have a huge mix of work and “casual” clothes in my closet. I like many different styles but was drawn towards super girly and glam outfits with major over accessorizing. Baby S’s arrival made me realize the luxury of having as much time as needed to get ready. But now I need fast, simple, and chic because I usually have 15 minutes max. If I can get girly and glam in 15 minutes then I’m all for that, but lately I’ve drawn to more “masculine” outfits. Go figure.
TWO Write about one or two paragraphs about your style and wardrobe plans for 2014. Which aspects about your style and your wardrobe do you want to improve, why and how?
SIMPLIFY. That is my motto this year. I recently did a closet purge but my wardrobe is still busting at the seams… very frustrating. I will continue to edit my closet until I have a great capsule wardrobe – possibly for two different lifestyles, work and play. I’m not sure if I should approach it logically i.e. Only 25% of my time is spent at work so 25% of my wardrobe should be work clothing and the majority for casual/baby/other. I still like many different styles, but I would like to walk into my closet and be able to “breathe” instead of having anxiety with all the excess in there.
THREE Express your five most important goals in a short, motivating sentence each and then start sketching out how you want to achieve or implement them.
1 // SIMPLIFY my life and closet. Stick to the five pieces per season. Possibly try the one in-one out method. I’ve never been good at that but Mr. S does it. Curate my closet at least four times a year (instead of my usual biannual purge).
2 // DECIDE ON A STYLE THAT FITS MY LIFE. I have a gorgeous collection of blazers/suits that are underutilized. They don’t fit my current lifestyle yet I tend to “collect” them because they are beautiful. Start using each piece separately and no addition suits!! Seriously, I haven’t needed suits for my job since before pharmacy school and I started in 2000!
3 // CONTINUE TO UTILIZE ACCESSORIES. They are very versatile and totally change an outfit. With Baby S, I haven’t been able to wear my accessories as often but that will change as he gets older. Additionally, I have an large collection and need to decide what gets used regularly and then edit out the rest.
4 // NO MORE OR LESS FAST FASHION. THINK COST-PER-WEAR. I have a hard time paying full price for an item that I really want, but then I’ll purchase multiple sale/ inexpensive items “that were cute” but not needed. I could have purchased that ONE ITEM instead. I love H&M, Forever 21, etc. but I want to stop the fast fashion. My basic tees and tanks are from Target, and it’s hard for me to spend a lot on those kind of items because I do “run through” them rather quickly. Is there a better alternative? Probably. I just need to find it. Also, I have a solid wardrobe foundation, so anything additional needs to be extra special versus my usual “It was on super sale so I HAD TO GET IT”!
5 // PERFECT FIT OR ALTER QUICKLY. I can always see the “potential” in things whether it’s a new or vintage, chipped, stained, etc. item. The problem is that these “projects” quickly accumulate in my closet. I just went to the tailor with YEARS worth of clothing that “I’ve been meaning to get to” FOREVER!! I don’t have time or space for that anymore. An item needs to be perfect or alteration services need to be available immediately from now on.
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Have you heard of the FIVE PIECE FRENCH WARDROBE?? Do you have any new wardrobe resolutions for this year? Please share – I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts! {Yes, I am aware that it is now FEBRUARY, but I’m just a little behind on things!}