Achieving the holy grail - fewer but nicer clothes

[Notcontent]

Ok, I have posted about this before, but have not yet solved this puzzle.

I have some nice clothes in my wardrobe but I never feel like I am well dressed. I think the main problem is that I have lots of things that don’t really go well together, and lots of things that are ok but I don’t really love. E.g. I have several coats but I don’t really love any of them. I am slowly “decluttering” my clothes and trying not to buy anything new for a while.

Has anyone achieved this?

The only way I achieved this was through getting a personal stylist - getting a wardrobe of outfits that actually mix and match and work with each other as a whole cohesive unit. For me it was worth it - I don’t have the eye to achieve this myself.

I’m getting there. I have periodic clear outs and get rid of a couple of things that no longer fit, look tired etc.

I have split my wardrobe into occasion/going out, casual and work, and make sure that the ratios match with how often I wear that category.

I only buy things that I specifically need to fill a gap - currently I am looking for a camel jumper and a grey one to go with both casual jeans and work pencil skirts. I’ve ordered loads and none quite fit the bill yet.

I make sure that I try on the new item of clothing with pretty much everything in my wardrobe. If I can’t make 5+ outfits out of it, it goes back.

Hmm - I think my mistake in the past has been buying random items (rather than whole outfits)... and also buying too many charity shop bargains that are not such a bargain when they don’t match anything...

I am wearing everything in my wardrobe (not at once!) and deciding whether I or not I feel good in it/ can wear with other things before deciding to keep. Too often I have things hanging around in my wardrobe which I like but aren't practical/ don't fit my lifestyle/ don't go with anything else.
I am trying to "shop" from my existing clothes too rather than getting frustrated and buying even more. By the end of this month I hope to have worn all of my winter things once/ twice and got rid of the tat.
I am going to enlist a stylist for my spring/ summer wardrobe as I basically have nothing left after doing the same last summer.

Never bought a whole outfit all at once in my life! In fact I rather struggle with the concept of outfits and tend to just wear what seems ok in the mirror.

However I have very few clothes and only ever buy things I'm completely in love with. So am also sadly lacking in 'basics' - because I'd rather be thinking about cunningly cut tweed and the weight of a silk dress than plain black t shirts ...

Essentially I'm not sure if I'm here to offer or receive advice!

What would define 'well dressed' for you?

DitheringDaisy - that sounds like a great approach. I too have things that are objectively very nice but that I don’t wear because they are not flattering, don’t really suit my lifestyle, etc.

QuaterMiss - i guess when I say well dressed I mean wearing colours and shapes/styles that suit me and make me feel good.

I think the only effective approach is to get rid of nigh on everything and give yourself permission to start again.

Unless it is in good condition and an absolute fav then get rid.

See what is left. Work out why it works for you, then develop a uniform from there. Identify a minimalist palette of colours that work together and do not deviate. Get a capsule together and duplicate basics that are a great basic and fit.

What is your best neutral/s?
What is your lifestyle?
What style do you wish to emulate?

Work out the gaps in your wardrobe.

PaulHollywood - that’s good advice. I am not going to be too brutal (as I am also trying to save money!) but I think I will try really hard and get rid of all the things I don’t wear.

You know you could be brutal but just put your not sure clothes into a container and hide it. See if you can manage on less and if you live something wear it as often as you want - everyday if you want. I have totally reduced my wardrobe to only things I adore but I now dress how I live every day. My DM always had a motto that there was no such thing as clothes for good wear. You should wear what looks good every day - she always looked fab.

Love something 😂

I think the ‘not being too brutal’ mindset results in clutter.

If there are clothes in your wardrobe that don’t suit you, or feel uncomfortable pass them onto someone who will get some use out of them.

If you have items you love but aren’t wearing- work out what is missing from your wardrobe and buy accordingly. If you are not inclined to buy in order to use them then you don’t like them enough -so get rid too.

You don’t have to spend a lot to sort this out.

Daisy, I like the idea of putting my clothes on trial like that. Life is too short to wear clothes that make us feel meh.

I am going to do a ruthless declutter this month and start a list of what I need to buy to fill in the gaps. I’m sick of having so much stuff that doors barely close, yet seem to wear the same 4 outfits on rotation!

Have a read of Midlife Chic's blog. She has just written a series of really helpful and practical steps for having a well curated wardrobe. She's an ex fashion director for Selfridge's so she really knows what she is talking about.

I'm not sure if having fewer, nicer clothes actually is my holy grail so I won't derail the thread, but I just wanted to say that I've found it useful to keep some of my very worst mistakes. For example the well cut Hobbs jacket that I've worn twice is a daily reminder that expensive does not always = investment.

Lots of excellent advice on here. I'm going to attempt a big de-clutter of my wardrobe this weekend and then have a selling spree on eBay. I have waaaay too many things but often feel I have nothing to wear. Ridiculous. Hoping I'll soon have my capsule wardrobe nailed.

I used to have this problem until I realised that I only wore a handful of favourites. They were the items that I always felt comfortable and confident in.

It was the mid 80's and I fully embraced "less is more" philosophy and never looked back.

I also wear every item in my wardrobe and when an item wears out I replace it. I think carefully about any new purchase, it has to fit a wide criteria which usually eliminates alot.

I had a radical clear out in January, things that hadn’t been worn for over a year were automatically consigned to the charity bag. That got rid of 75% of my clothes........
The remaining 25% were then considered carefully, grouped into colours and then reconsidered. That got rid of a few more items and my wardrobe is now feeling much lighter.
It’s sooo refreshing to open the doors/ drawers and only be confronted with clothes that I know will work together and that I will actually wear!

Mind you, that was only my winter clothes, summer ones are stored elsewhere and will be going through the same process in a few months.

I got rid of 8 Ikea bags of clothes mid way through last year and agree with an earlier poster that it's so nice to actually have stuff I love in my cupboard. I guess just recognise where your weaknesses are, mine are bright colours, even if they never seem to go with anything else! Get rid of stuff you don't love, and that don't do anything for you.

I bang on about this all the time because it worked for me . Get your colours done ( and maybe a style day ) and then everything in your wardrobe will coordinate .

I had my colours done. I'm not convinced by the "make your eyes pop" thing but I like the colours in my pallet and by sticking to it, it means everything in my wardrobe works together.

I’m doing this very gradually. Clothes I quite like but don’t really wear as I have so many are packed away out of sight.

I’m being really good about eBaying if there are things that are just ‘okay’ on me but which are worth selling and have made quite a bit of money. So that’s spurring me on to sell more. Bags especially are all going

@theharlotletter thank you for recommending Midlife Chic’s blog. I’ve been reading her series on capsule wardrobe, love her approach and honesty

Thats so funny, I read the blog and her last pic has jeans just like I've started wearing. I always wore skinny jeans or straight but tight as I am petite. But I bought two pairs of wide leg trousers this summer and found I adored them and wore them all the time. So I have now cleared out all the old jeans and bought wide legs - two pairs and a pair of wide leg trousers as the summer ones were too light for the cold weather. I look so much better - and my silhouette is so much better. I always felt I looked odd in skinny jeans but I think its because I have a boyish figure - anyway whatever it is I look better in wide leg.

But maybe I need to start another thread - what winter boots go with wide legs? I'm currently wearing white Stan smiths but they look odd in the teeming rain. However, my old Timberlands need to be replaced so I wondered should I go for lace ups like Dr Martens?

@Annasgirl interesting as I like the idea of wider legged jeans but haven't really branched out. Where are yours from?

I bought a pair in Zara and a pair in Massimo Dutti (both sale). The wide leg summer ones are cropped wide leg khakis from GAP - sound awful but look super fab as they are cut offs and have a paper-bag waist.

The Massimo Dutti are amazing soft denim and look expensive, the Zara ones are from the TRF section so younger looking and I cut these myself - I find cutting the end of jeans makes them a bit more youthful looking. I have even done this with a pair of Seven Jeans !!!