actually curating your wardrobe

[microbius]

This idea that every item of clothing you own should work as part of least 5 different outfits, how does one achieve that?

I think I know what I like, and have good clothes, I think, for work and for home. And a lot of it! However:
My Brora jackets do not work with my MHL skirts or trousers
I have Samsoe & Samsoe trousers and jacket that do not work with anything else
I seem to like classic, Scandi and slightly quirky, but then there are clashes;
classic silhouette of Joseph and slightly quirky MHL
Classic Agnes B, but slightly too feminine that certainly doesn't work across my wardrobe
Brora things are at times too conservative, but I don't want to let go of an auberginey tweed jacket with curved lapels which doesn't seem to work with almost anything else I own

What do you, people, do? Do you have and wear separate ensembles? Do you try to reach interoperability?

I also have a very different collection for summer, - I love dresses and winter - jumpers and trousers

Maybe my problem is that:
Find it very hard to find skirts and trousers the suit me, and they are never from the brands whose tops and jumpers / jackets suit me - hence style becomes different

Overall, would you ruthlessly thin out your wardrobe for interoperability or keep few different styles?

Your wardrobe sounds lush, OP. How about getting everything out on the bed/floor (assuming that you are not like me and would find that impossible due to sheer volume) and just spending a bit of time playing dress-up? You can pair things you’d ordinarily think wouldn’t work together and if they do work, great! Whole new outfit. Take photos to remind you.

What an interesting question!
I'd keep the stuff I like, and if I didn't have enough to go with it, I might buy more to make it work. For example:
So the aubergine tweed jacket would go with jeans? And then you need a few tops to go with that. I don't know that you'd need other bottoms, assuming you wear it with jeans reasonably often. But then maybe it's more of a work jacket and you might not wear jeans to work. So you need some other sort of trousers to wear with it, and you need to be careful that they are a fairly trendy silhouette if you are worried about the jacket looking dowdy. Or you might decide that actually, there's not a scenario in which you would wear it in preference to another jacket, or that you wouldn't wear it for work, or an evening out, so think about when you actually would wear it.
Our lifestyles have changed so much, I find I have very little call for smart clothes these days - I'm either at home in comfy clothes, going to work in practical ,warm clothes ( school with all windows and doors open) or very occasionally at a pub or restaurant or maybe at a friends house, when I might wear something nice but still not tailored. I haven't worn clothes from my former corporate life for a long time, and can't see that I ever will. So things like smart black trousers and nice jackets just sit there.
You can style across different brands, but I think you are saying you want a theme.
There's a book " Curating your closet" which talks about trying to encapsulate the vibe you are trying to exude in 3 words, and the idea is that the principle you have described will guide you when decluttering or choosing new clothes. It's worth a read.

I'm probably not the best person to ask - if ever I write a style book (Don't worry, I won't) it will be called 'The cluttered closet' - but I don't get why everything has to go with 5 other things? Of course, if nothing in your wardrobe goes with anything, then there's a problem but I have plenty of stuff I mostly only wear with one or two other things and it works fine.

I also have things that aren't getting much wear at the moment, e.g. some fitted 1940s / 50s tailored jackets that just don't fit with my style right now. But I keep them because a) they're bloody lovely b) my style might change (as it has done before) and c) fashion often throws up new ways of wearing things and a few years down the line it might offer me a fresh take on them that I'd never have thought of myself.

Your clothes sound great. Provided you have the space and it's not making you anxious, I would enjoy the knowledge that you could change your look at any time if you wanted to.

If someone asked me to write the most overtly MN post ever I think this OP would be it

What brand is MHL please?

@dudsville

What brand is MHL please?

Margaret Howell, a British designer

Thank you all for your answers!

@craftycorvid thanks, It's years of sales/ebay/chairty shops (maybe that's the root of the problem too :D)

@delphiniumblue that's exactly the reason for the post. I just read this book and although I thought I know my style - approximately - there is no way my wardrobe works the way the book describes an ideal wardrobe. It feels more like it consists of isolated islands within which things go together but not across

@floisme Exactly. What if I change my mind and fashion changes. I sometimes like to dress loudly, and a have a selection of stine goya dresses and her jumper; and sometimes in way so that my clothes is unnoticeable.

@dudsville Margaret Howell
She does male silhouettes. I love her trousers - and skirts. But they don't work with most of my tops. I once got a green-grey Brora blazer in sale that I always thought, up to now, is so classical it would always work with anything. And I just got MHL skirt on eBay - and - it doesn't work with it!

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry
Don't know about that. I grew up having little to no clothes, especially my teenagehood was dire; I had nothing that fit me, was warm or flattering. As a result, I really like having loads of nice clothes. Although all these brands are very expensive, over years one can amass quite a collection through sales/ebay without ever having to pay full price. This also feels somewhat unfair - basically, UK is such a rich country, one can assemble a luxurious wardrobe on the cheap, just because of the overflow of material goods. And countries where people would actually benefit from eBay prices such as Brora dress for £20 don't ever get to enjoy such prices... As you can guess, I am not from here

It really was a very light hearted comment Op. not a dig. Perhaps I’m 10 years too late.

Wow! Where on earth do you charity shop to get Brora and Margaret Howell?

Having recently lost a fair bit of weight, I have a curated capsule wardrobe that I absolutely love. It all comes down to planning, and I appreciate that some people would find that really boring but I like that everything goes with each other and works as part of a collection rather than a one off piece. I haven’t always had a curated wardrobe but this is how I achieved it:

• thought about my lifestyle and what sorts of clothes I actually need/ enjoy wearing. In the past I have bought lots of pretty dresses etc and not enough day to day staples so had lots of lovely clothes but they weren’t suitable for my life
• chosen a small amount of my best colours
• plan future purchases and enjoy the hunt eg I am currently looking for a nice grey jumper and a couple of bags (dark green & burgundy). I will only buy when I find the perfect one. I don’t settle for ok. This doesn’t need to be expensive but just flattering, good quality, soft material and some sort of pretty detailing
• I plan my outfits using Stylebook app to make sure they work with several other items.
• I am a bit more relaxed with accessories eg jewellery, shoes, scarves. I still think do I really need it or love it though. I never ever buy anything that is ok or quite like, only items I absolutely love. I struggled with things such as a plain white t shirt when I first tried to adopt this way of thinking. I can’t say I love any plain t shirt in the way that I love a nice dress, but I can love the way it looks on me, the cut etc. And I have realised just how important the staple basics are because without these it can be a struggle to wear more exciting items because you don’t have anything that goes with them. Often the staples such as a good white t shirt, or perfect pair of jeans can be your most worn items.

As I said my approach isn’t for everyone but it’s perfect for me as I always look nice but am not into owning a huge amount of things or keeping up with the latest fashions

@Craftycorvid, I've had agnes b and isabel marant etoile in my local high street.

Popped in today and got a hobbs t-shirt and a noa noa dress, got a the kooples jacket on sunday.

None of these items cost more than £5

@essexlioness Thanks, that sounds like a good strategy. It is definitely true that it is hard to get excited about a white shirt. I definitely tend to wear a very small number of things day-to-day and then have a big wardrobe to dress up. Not sure I can change it though; I get bored very easily and always need to interrupt the routine. Perhaps there is some profound connection to character here

I was also thinking the other day that wardrobe is maybe like a garden; you can plan all you like but it can never be perfect (or maybe it shouldn't be, in the style I like) and there will always be - sometimes suddenly - beautiful combinations where things just grew exactly the right height at the right time, the weather was right etc - but you can't definitively rely on it. I realise clothes don't change like plants but I do wonder if the sort of control over the wardrobe that books like Curated Closet describe is something I could exercise

I think a curated wardrobe only works if you are really comfortable with committing to just one style, almost a uniform. I think I have a number of styles... but actually think I like that, it feels more like 'dressing up'! As long as you haven't got something you can't wear with anything (so it doesn't get worn) just keep and wear the lot with whatever works, maybe buying the odd thing to fill the gaps. I think a Kondo 'does it spark joy?' or shopping your wardrobe might be more helpful in this scenario.

@microbius glad it was helpful. I love your analogy of wardrobes being like a garden and kind of agree. I am planning on having an allowance of maybe 1-2 items per season that are a bit more frivolous/ fashion led which I can just pick up when something really catches my eye. I think that may make things seem more fun.
@Grimbelina I have definitely seen that sort of approach in a lot of blogs/ articles about capsule wardrobes but I don’t follow a particular uniform. I do tend to live a quite simple, casual lifestyle but I have several different looks and styles of outfits which suit all occasions eg casual, smart casual, going out somewhere more dressy. The point is all my tops/ bottoms mix and match so this is really easy to do with just a few items and by switching out accessories like shoes and jewellery. If all your clothes go together then it is easy to put together a huge amount of outfits with just a few items.

Wardrobes, however perfectly planned, are always works in progress like gardens. Flo and I are long term MN acquaintances and while we are a similar age and kindred-ish souls, we agree that one person's back catalogue wouldn't wash as a universal rule for everyone. That said, a selection of perfect basics including white/cream shirts and t-shirts in multiple -- is necessary and surprisingly hard to achieve. But IMO, that is where the hard work needs to go in. Given basics chosen for you, every garment you own and love works better. White T's and black/navy/khaki/grey bottoms will, with a good jacket or accessories, take you most places apart from red carpets.

Oh and btw OP, I think your wardrobe sounds utterly fabulous and if it works for you then who cares what the ‘ideal’ wardrobe is supposed to look like. I was just answering the bit of your post about what I do.
Interesting you mention your childhood as I was the same. I think that’s part of why I veered towards having a select few items that I really love and are good quality: has to be soft fabric, well made, well fitting and warm if winter clothing

Aha, thank you op!

@xingming
I've been reading Les Parisiennes from time to time, never posting, so recognise you and Flo
This recent ebay buy of MHL skirt threw me off because I like it very much (olive with a large front fold) but find it hard to combine with anything bar black jumper. So I started thinking whether I have a problem, but maybe not :D

@Grimbelina I appreciate Kondo a lot, she really helped deal with the guilt of getting rid of clothes. Although her book advice is laughable
But the idea expressed by many minimalists that if you don't wear something in a year, you get rid of it, I find really weird. What if some events happen in your life every 2-3 years? Also, my children are known to borrow from my wardrobe, even my teenage son..

I guess there is a fine balance between hoarding and having a collection and I do sometimes worry if my childhood has affected me so that my clothes habits are unreasonable

Kondo: I mean advice on getting rid of books

@Microbius... my son and I swap bits of clothing all the time. Similar size but the proportions are not the same. He looks better in everything... it's really not fair...

The MHL skirt sounds versatile, but as if it needs a really plain top in a tonal colour, olive,.khaki, cream or something textured... a toning neutral for everyday wear. Proportion: where do you want to direct eyes, or divert the gaze?

@microbius I think a lot depends on your lifestyle. I do not have any events that happen every 2-3 years or more, so I would expect to wear all my clothes several times a year. The only exception is funerals, and I don’t have a specific funeral outfit but I have a couple of outfit options for that would work well with the right accessories. I do have a couple of beautiful dresses that would work perfectly dressed up for either a summer or winter wedding, but unlikely to have any weddings for maybe 10-15 years time as most people around us (bar kids) are happily married off anyway. We don’t tend to go to very posh restaurants, ballet/ opera etc but if by some chance we did attend these things I could again have a choice of a couple of suitable outfits. The only situation I would be stuck is if the queen invited me round to the palace, in which case I would happily buy a new frock 😊 for others this wouldn’t work as they may go to black tie functions every few years but I think most people could live this way, but many wouldn’t want to which I fully understand. It sounds like you really love some of the unique pieces you have collected over the years, so I am wondering if you would only make yourself miserable if you tried to live this way. Life is to short not to take pleasure in the things you love, and it sounds like clothes are a big passion of yours.

Op I recognise a lot of what you say in myself so maybe this is why I'm insisting nothing needs to change , But I hear you on getting bored easily.

One change I did make very consciously was about the ratio of going out versus everyday clothes. I had a wardrobe of OTT glamorous dresses and nothing to wear for work. I didn't get rid of any, I just stopped buying them. Xing is bang on the money about perfect basics - so hard to find and, when you do, you weep at the price or even pass them by because they're not exciting enough. But they're a game changer.

Please hang on to that Brora jacket! Once it's gone you can never replace it (I keep hearing that Brora quality is on the slide). Its time will come again or one day you'll have a brain wave about how to wear it.

And drop into the Parisienne thread any time

@Floisme
Many thanks! You actually calmed me down a lot. I have a whole wardrobe of wonderful dresses but don't have a pair of simple black everyday trousers. I own one pair of jeans and 1 pair of lighter - summer - chinos and maybe 50 fabulous dresses? And I think what I am going to do now is make some pics and head onto Les Parisiennes for styling advice

and thanks to everyone, and @essexlioness I think thinking I have passion for clothes rather than unhealthy obsession is actually not a bad idea :)