It’s certainly irony that in the year I wore my clothes the least, due to the pandemic and working from home, I’ve done the most reflecting on my wardrobe. There’s the saying, “variety is the spice of life,” and this is exactly the overall goal for my wardrobe in 2021. While I don’t believe you need a large wardrobe to achieve this, I do think having the right pieces are the key.
Not only have I been reflecting about how my wardrobe functions as a whole, but I have been accessing how it functions in each season. In some ways I am building my wardrobe from the ground up. I have taken a few steps to make sure when I am shopping I am prioritizing the pieces that will add variety and fill the holes in my wardrobe.
The first thing I did was to access the state of my everyday wardrobe. I wanted to get a sense of what I am actually wearing. I have packed up anything I’m not wearing and want to take a break from, but am not ready to sell or donate. I’ve also put together all pieces that are for evening wear only in one spot in my closet.
Secondly I identified what I want my wardrobe to look like. What silhouettes did I want to focus on? What fabrics? What colors? This is more easily done by breaking up my wardrobe into seasons.
Lastly, I got incredibly specific on exactly which pieces were needed to achieve my wardrobe goal of variety. I created a photo collage of these pieces to give me something to reference when shopping. I really do think specificity is the key. Otherwise I am bound to end up with a closet full of fun or evening wear pieces, but not many for everyday practical dressing.
I’ve broken down how I will achieve my wardrobe goals for 2021 in a few specific areas.
Color Palette
Since leaving NYC a few years ago, I have started to move away from my mostly black wardrobe. It feels uninspiring when everything is the same color. I’m still mostly focused on adding neutrals like camel for the fall and winter, and then cream and white for spring and summer. But I would like to throw in some fun colors like red, pink and emerald green.
Silhouettes
Mostly gone are my more masculine pieces. I realized that I have always loved dressier pieces, in soft feminine shapes. So I am embracing it and adding in more floaty dresses and fun skirts. I do still love mixing in a bit of masculine, but that will be reserved for a few strategic pieces only.
Patterns
I would love one of every category in my wardrobe to be in leopard. But I am also looking to add more florals, plaid and herringbone into the mix. When they are multicolored, they feel so much more versatile than their solid colored counterparts.
Jewelry
My jewelry collection is in a sad state. My recent Christmas present from my husband, a pair of delicate diamond stud earrings, has made me take a hard look at my collection. It’s really a hodgepodge of mostly handed down or gifted pieces, broken rings or earrings with just one of the pair, or pieces I just don’t really like.
After a lot of research, I rounded up a few brands and their pieces that would help create a capsule jewelry collection. If you are interested, I wrote about it in a post here. Organizing the pieces I am looking to add visually, with a photo collage, help immensely for me to figure out just what I actually wanted.
Shoes
Maybe the saddest area in my wardrobe is in fact my shoe collection. I previously had a much larger shoe wardrobe, but got rid of many when I moved to NYC. Now I am wanting to add heels back into my shoe wardrobe. I want to add styles I have yet to try out like slingback and mules and throw in some fun colors, patterns and bejeweled options.
Outerwear
Having a variety of outwear pieces can make add so much versatility to your wardrobe. This is especially true when the weather cools down and you have no option other than to bundle up under a coat. My aim is to add a few more blazers but also a few coats that can work for fall and spring. Among this wishlist is a trench coat, wool wrap coat and a packable coat.
Rebuilding a wardrobe can feel like an insurmountable task. But with some good planning and some expert sleuthing for preloved gems, it can be achieved. The more specific you are, the more successful you will be.