Saturday 24 May 2014

The Ten-Item Wardrobe

I'm having a break from Feng Shui Fashion and I'm currently reading "Lessons from Madame Chic" by Jennifer L. Scott. One of the lessons in this book is that it is possible to look stylish with only ten items in your wardrobe. That's not a typo, it really does state only ten items (but see the comment below).

Jennifer's book was recommended by a member of the Project 333 facebook group. I sometimes struggle with a wardrobe of just 33 items to last me for 3 months when I'm taking part in Project 333, so how would I be able to cope with just ten items in my wardrobe? You might want to look at Jennifer's blog to find out about her ten-item wardrobe for Spring.  In the meantime, here's one that I made earlier!


The idea is that all of these tops will go with all of the bottoms so you can create lots of outfits with just these ten items. Long-time readers of my blog will know that I love using accessories to create several different looks. I would probably use a red necklace, floral scarf, burgundy bag or maybe a pair of pink trainers/sneakers to ring the changes. The items shown would be ideal for a two week holiday, however do you remember what I said above? Yes - this is supposed to be a ten-item wardrobe for Spring!

If you've checked out Jennifer's blog (The Daily Connoisseur) you will know that she allows you to be flexible with your "ten" items (it could be up to twenty) and she actually has eleven items in her own Spring wardrobe. She doesn't include accessories, outer garments, occasion-wear and what she calls" under shirts", used for layering. Jennifer added in the following extras: seven t-shirts, two sweaters, a light-weight coat and two blazers. That makes a total of 23 items of clothing, which isn't as daunting a challenge as only 10 items.

The advice for the ten-item wardrobe is similar to the advice given for Project 333. Only select items that fit you, look good on you, suit your lifestyle and that you LOVE. Either donate the rest to charity or if they meet this criteria, store them for another season. Obviously, with a more limited wardrobe, you need to ensure that all your items go well with each other as in the example above. Choose a couple of neutrals and add a touch of colour that suits you, especially when worn near to your face.

Why don't you try limiting yourself to a ten-item wardrobe for your next holiday, or even for a period of a month staying at home? I'd love to hear how you get on!

5 comments:

  1. Hi Sue, when I was working I found Working Wardrobe by Janet Wallach helpful. She suggested a twelve piece capsule wardrobe and you could have more than one capsule. Each capsule consisted of two main colours, and two accents.

    Sharon Canada

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  2. Hi Sharon

    I like the idea of having two capsules, especially with two accents, so you can add colour to the basics. I do love my accent colours!

    Browsing Amazon, I've just discovered a book called "1,000 outfits from just 30 pieces" by Wendy Mak. That should be enough for nearly 3 years!!! Having said that, I gather that this includes outfits for evenings out, work and casual occasions, so you might need to repeat a few outfits....! I'm going to investigate further and will post about it at a later date.

    Sue

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