This Week In Review

Scroll through to see how I've made the most of my simple wardrobe this week.

Workwear Wednesday: Can-Not-Live-Without Office Essentials

Sheath dress: I wear this jumper style with a shirt underneath, with a blazer or sweater and it's easily accessorized

Black flats: I gotta be able to move, and these help me do that.

Scarf: Somethin' fun

Button downs: Chambray and silk aren't your average everyday office tops.  Make sure to choose well-tailored tops to keep them from being overly casual.

Striped tee:  A classic black and white stripe makes getting dressed a breeze and fights off an overzealous a/c.

Black slim pants: Stretchy and appropriate.  Make sure they're in a suiting material.

Dark wash jeans: Casual Friday?  I'm set.

Black skirt: I love my ponte skirt.  I have a wool pencil skirt that I wear in the winter, but since winter is about 2 weeks long where I live, this ponte skirt sees a lot of action.

Pearl studs: Always appropriate and go with everything.

Watch: Gotta know what time it is!

This Week In Review

Scroll through to see how I've made the most of my simple wardrobe this week.

Workwear Wednesday // Having a "Uniform"

The word "uniform" can elicit images of school uniforms or uniforms at fast food restaurants or grocery stores... that's what I used to think anyway.  However, I have molded my definition of uniform to mean a standardized style of dressing.  This week has shaped up to be a week where I'm thankful that I've somewhat created one.

My uniform is my wardrobe.  It's my standardized style of dressing.

A couple of months ago, I did a huge wardrobe purge.  Not so much huge, but really hugemongous.  This is not a new concept for me; in the past I had done several of these, only to get lured back by trendy or seasonal items.  This time, it's for keeps.

Now, this is not to say that I haven't purchased anything - there were some "holes" in what was left after the purge.  I am making a personal commitment of mindfulness when it comes to adding items to my wardrobe.

If you'd like to view my currently wardrobe (not the "minimalist" version of it), scroll through the below slideshow.  It does change from time to time.

I built this wardrobe around what I like, what I feel flatters me (subjective!), and what I can really move in.  I don't feel comfortable in v-neck tops, short skirts, super high heels, most blazers and tight clothing.      I have also purged anything that I can't make at least 5 outfits with.  I'm a big fan of neutrals and *gasp* black (so many people think that black is depressing or universally makes you look slim, but used responsibly, it's super chic), so that's what I've got.  If I want to incorporate a trending color, I try to do that with a silhouette I often wear (like a long-sleeved tee - it goes with anything!)

What you'll see, generally, is slim cut bottoms, pencil skirts, button-downs/long sleeve tees and my third piece (jacket/vest), a few dresses, and tasteful, simple bits of jewelry.  Some weeks I have "sub-uniforms" of all dresses or button-downs + skirts or long-sleeve tees + pants (all rounded out with flats and a third piece).

If I had some advice to give, it's just what you've always heard.  Wear what you like, what feels good and what you feel looks good.  If you find a good button down that fits you perfectly buy a couple (but not 8).  And we all know how time consuming jeans shopping is, so if you find your "it" pair, buy a couple; one in a dark rinse and one in black or white or maybe a trending color if you're brave.

This week in the office, it's been bananas.  Half of our office has had "life" happen to them, so we're all hustling to make our ship sail smoothly.  Some people would get stressed about that, but it's really a chance for the rest of us to bring our skills and leadership to the table to truly shine.  And to do that, hard work is called for.  I have felt like a train wreck the past few days, so having a condensed wardrobe helps me keep me on track by not having to spend time concocting and outfit and keeps my focus on work-related issues and not what I'm wearing.

All this from a girl who likes clothes.

Sometimes, yeah, I get restless with my wardrobe, but then I reflect on all the positives and then it inspires me to try new combos of what I already have.

This Week In Review

Scroll through to see how I've made the most of my simple wardrobe this week.

Six For The Mix: Fall Wish List

After a careful assessment of my wardrobe, I've found some holes that need filling.  Plus, it's nice to get a few things at the season change to help mix it up a little.  Here are my "Six for the Mix":

1. A twinset. A twinset can be pretty versatile.  It can of course be worn together, but you could wear the cardigan with a button down or other blouse while the shell can be worn like a sweater vest over an oxford button down.  Or you could wear a blouse with the shell and sweater.  With a little imagination, I'm sure you could come up with even more options. Try to choose a color that coordinates with your base wardrobe color.  Since mine is black, and I love this shade of blue with gray and black, this is a good choice for me. (J.Crew Jackie Cardigan, $62, and Shell, $48)

2. A lined wool pencil skirt.  Although I steer clear of animal fibers coming in direct contact with my skin, I do like the structure that wool gives a pencil skirt.  And, with a lining and tights, there's almost no chance of the itchies.  In the climate in which I live (the Florida panhandle), this skirt is only limited to the coldest it gets here, which only lasts a month's worth of days or so.  However, this skirt will last years and years and years. (J.Crew Factory Pencil Skirt in Double-Serge Wool, $59.50)

3.  Mid-heeled oxfords.   I don't currently have a moderately dress shoe in my arsenal.  I just haven't found the right ones.  After reflecting on an earlier post on black shoes, I have decided that these are the ones.  They can take me to work or holiday party.  These are of a fairly classic style, on trend without being overly trendy, so they can last for some winter seasons to come. (Naturalizer Jodell, $79.99) 

4. iPhone 5 case.  As soon as I pre-ordered my phone, I was immediately on the hunt for a cute, durable phone case.  I soon found this lil' darlin' on the Nordstrom site.  After weeks of waiting, I was so pleased to see that it fit perfectly and wasn't fragile.  I bought a Lightning port to 30-pin port adapter so that I could listen to music through my car's speakers and at work on my little speaker.  Disappointingly, the case didn't accommodate the adapter and I had to take my phone out of it adorable little case.  Maybe this one will.  And since tortoise is my animal print of choice, it's worth a shot.  (J.Crew Tortoise Case for iPhone 5, $29.50)

5.  Long-sleeved tee in a trending color.  This spring and summer it was all about mint.  Now it's all about bordeaux.  This is an inexpensive and practical way of incorporating a trend into your wardrobe. (J.Crew Perfect-Fit Long-Sleeve Tee, $26.50)

This Week In Review

Scroll through to see how I've made the most of my simple wardrobe this week.

Dialog About Simple Style

Okay ladies, let's take a break from the arm party and overzealous layering.  Oh, I get it, I do... it's a look that's popular these days.  It seems like a lot of bloggers are in some kind of unspoken contest of creating the most depth in an outfit.  I've tried... I've had an open mind... but it's just not "me".  I'm a simple gal that likes simple shapes in simple colors.  Oh don't get me wrong, I like to shop and I like to look at a lot of different styles for inspiration and new ideas, but I just keep finding myself coming back to my black sheath and oxford and gingham button downs.  The slouchy knits and silhouettes do nothing - not a thing - for my particular body.  I feel that I look my best and I feel the most confident in more tailored pieces.

So... that brings me to my issue.  How do I curate my simple/minimalist wardrobe while maintaining a personal style?  I guess a simple way of defining style is how something is done by an individual.  Therefore, I could extend that by saying that, in general, oxford button downs, vests, black sheath dresses and skinny jeans are my components of style - how I have chosen to dress myself.   I'm not sure if there's anything that I do that sticks out, but rather the things I don't do, style wise.  I'm not sure that many of my simple outfits will get any attention or stick out, but I think that upon closer inspection, one will find luxurious garments that are well made.

I'm not really sure where this conversation is going.  I guess I'm just going to leave it at that for a while. Hopefully I'll get some comments to keep it moving and continue this conversation.

I have found the most wonderful blog entry from Living Small that focuses on how to build a simple wardrobe.  Please give it a read and spend some time on the Living Small blog - there's some good stuff there about simplify one's life.

Shop Around: Blaz-ering Saddles

You honestly didn't think that I'd go that long without a terrible pun, did you?  

I love navy blazers.  Especially ones with the gold buttons and pockets.  I still haven't decided if I'm going to add one to my wardrobe.  For me, navy is tricky.  My wardrobe's color scheme is cool - greys and blacks and blues.  And while I'm not coy about pairing browns and blacks or navys and blacks, I don't want the navy to be so dark that it looks like I was trying to match black jeans with a blue blazer because I thought the blue blazer was really black (I wouldn't pair a black bottom with a black top anyway - I don't have a good reason for it, it just doesn't float my boat).  I want the navy to be dark enough to be considered navy, but not so dark that it could be confused with black.  Are any of you still with me?  I'm a bad 'splainer.

Aaaand, then there's the whole petite issue.  Now, J. Crew has a women's schoolboy blazer that comes in petite, but at $198, I'd like to check out my other options.  For a petite like myself, another viable option is the children's section.  Both J. Crew and Lands' End have children's options for both boys and girls, which is a plus.  But at $128 - $158 and $80, respectively, are there any other options?  Both French Toast and The Children's Place have blue blazers for about $30, but they don't have that separate boy/girl tailoring.

Okay, now there's the bottom line.  I'm not one to shy away from a price tag (high or low) if it's an item that I know that I will wear again and again.  And again and again.  And then have it repaired and wear it again and again.  For example, I have this pair of Target slouchy piratey boots with the perfect small heel that I got about 4 years ago.  They weren't expensive, but they are perfect. I've had them resoled and probably will continue to do so until they degrade into nothing (since they're pleather, I don't see that happening in my lifetime).  I also paid a pretty penny for my Cece flats, but they're so comfortable and versatile that I haven't looked back.  I'd rather pay the asking price for something that I'll wear for years rather than waste $30 or however much on something ill-fitting that will languish in my closet for years.  

As soon as I think I'm leaning one way, I immediately begin to lean another, with respect to this selection of blue blazers.  The first step though, is to do a needs assessment to see if this is something my wardrobe even needs.

Minimalist Multitaskers Outfit Ideas: Denim or Chambray Tops and Black Bottoms

This is my favorite combination to date.  Just in these 7 pieces, we have 12 outfits.  I wonder if I could only keep these pieces as a wardrobe... I could get about two weeks out of it - almost 2 weeks of work outfits anyway... maybe an experiment to come?  I wonder how long it would take people to notice...

Minimalist Multitaskers: The Black Ponte Skirt

Today's installment of Minimalist Multitaskers highlights the black ponte pencil skirt.

This skirt (I paid more than that for it... maybe I ought to get a second one) is the skirt equivalent of pajama jeans.  It hits curves in all the right places but has enough structure to be work-worthy.

You just want to make sure you're buying a skirt made of ponte and not just flimsy cotton jersey.  Try to find high quality ponte so that you're not stuck with a pilling pile of fabric after the first cleaning (I Dryel my ponte pieces).

How I Wear Mine

1. Denim shirt + tortoise flats + tortoise belt.

2. Chambray henley + black flats + calf hair belt.

3. Tees + scarves.

4. Short sleeve button downs/oxford button downs.

You will catch me in this no less than twice a week during the summer.

Minimalist Multitaskers: Black Dress Pants

To piggyback on yesterday's post, I'd like to introduce a new series: Minimalist Multitaskers.  Yesterday afternoon, I picked out my items for my minimalist wardrobe.  I packed the rest into an extra large vacuum compression storage bag (it's mind boggling how much one can fit in these things, but man was it heavy!) and tossed it to the top of my closet for safe keeping.  

In the past I had a strict minimalist wardrobe.  I sometimes missed having color in my wardrobe (and that's why I kept my other things instead of immediately selling them off), but it truly was easier to get dressed in the morning.  I knew everything fit and everything went with almost everything else.

Now I know you folks don't need help with putting outfits together.  What I'm trying to do is give a fresh perspective on what you've got in your closet by showing you what's in mine.

Black Dress Pants

I hope you all have this wardrobe workhorse in your closet - the ubiquitous black dress pants.  The ones I have are from Express (but I scored them on eBay for a bargain - if you like these pants, I bet you'll be able to find them on eBay in any size and color).  I like them because they have a bit of stretch (ultra flattering no matter your build), aren't wool (wool+Florida = fail) and aren't lined (less bulk).  They have a bootcut leg opening which is also flattering on all body types.  I usually wear flats, so I made sure that the inseam would be suitable for wearing flats, but I can wear up to about a 2.5 heel with them without them being garishly too short, so I've got some wiggle room and more versatility with that.  Because of the stretch, I actually find them more comfortable than jeans and I find myself wanting to wear them for everyday wear.  They might not be for everyone, but they come highly recommended by me.  Other retailers to check would be Loft, Ann Taylor, Gap and of course, my all time fave, J to the Crizzew.

The Ways I Like to Wear Them

I'm sure there are no surprises here, but in case you could use a refresher or some new ideas, I'd like to present my favorite ways to wear these pants.

1. Solid tees & scarves.  The ultimate no-brainer.  I'm not the biggest fan of black and white (classic, I know, but too much contrast... contradictory, no?), but I absolutely love grey and black.  I like to pair these knits with sophisticated scarves.  I don't go for patterns in scarves like all-over florals or patterns in darker colors (burgundy, purples, oranges).  It's hard to describe what I like in a scarf, but when I see it, I know it.  These guys are from Target.  With the tees, I like to stick with closer fitting tees, but if you can find one with a more generous cut with a dolman sleeve and a blousy drape, it could definitely work with these bottoms.

2. Chambray/denim button downs.  What can I say - chambray and denim pairs perfectly with black bottoms.

3. Solid oxfords & gingham button downs.  These days you can find a good quality oxford at any price points and size types (important for me, as I'm a petite).  The ones I have here are from Lands End.  The gingham is from J. Crew and you can generally find these in many colors.  I like how even though it's a black and white gingham, there's another dimension of color where to two meet when they cross.

4. Shoes.  Like I mentioned above, I typically like to wear flats.  J. Crew's Cece flats are my hands down favorite.  I have literally walked 4 miles to and from work in them without a blister or any discomfort.  My animal print of choice is tortoise, so I like to wear my tortoise flats with my matching belt and I've got the little details that turn an assemblage of clothing into an outfit.  I can also wear my Lucca suede sandals with the pants without them being too short, which with these pants, can be the foundation of an evening outfit.

5. The finisher.  Okay, my favorite category.  Rarely will you ever see me without a 3rd piece, even in the middle of a Florida summer.  It's my best weapon against overzealous a/c (not that I'd want it any other way... not enough a/c can result in smelling... things... and people...).  It can come in the form of a cardigan or blazer.  It also elevates the outfit to the next level.  Not sure what that level is, but it's like Emeril says... BAM - take it up a notch.

Get ready folks, there's more where this came from.

A Taste of What's To Come...

Inspired by this post by Summer Wind, I have gravitated back to my minimalist wardrobe.  At ~50 items, it might not be "bare bones" but I think if we all actually counted all of the items in our wardrobes, we would be surprised at how many items we have.

It's not about the actual number of items, it's about the quality of items and their ability to be mixed and matched.  This wardrobe can take me from casual to cocktail and summer to winter (although I'd like to add in a black A-line skirt).

For the minimalist look, my favorite Polyvore user is sprightlier.  Her looks embody the look I'd like to achieve.  However, slouchy knits she sometimes creates looks with tend to swallow me up and overwhelm my frame (not that I'm a tiny slip of a thing), so I lean more toward button downs and more structured pieces.

Do you have a minimalist wardrobe?  What would be in your capsule wardrobe?