19 Jan 2014

Wardrobe planning

I'm more than a little guilty of buying clothes that I don't need. I buy them on special (and seriously, they are always irresistible bargains) with the intention of working them into my everyday outfits and more often than not, they sit in the closet with the tags on until I ebay them. So I've decided its time to be tough. With the wedding and honeymoon bills literally accumulating on my cork board, a bit of outfit planning is needed.


2014 is my year for improved buying and re-wearing. I've started off my sorting with outfit essentials. Every woman's wardrobe needs (and honestly, I'm sure most of your probably already have these important basics) a black pencil skirt, a floral dress and a stripe shirt. These three indispensable must-haves are from Autograph and I've built some funky day and night outfits around them:

The Pencil Skirt




The pencil skirt is the ultimate classic must have. They have flattering lines and that bombshell shape so its easy to dress up for a night out with an eye catching top and bold accessories. The cut is an instant outfit wower- looking like a million bucks pretty much goes hand in hand with a dressy PS. But, its easy to get into a pencil skirt rut. I've worn mine with soooo many peplum tops and although I do love the way it looks (refer to evidence A, where I've chosen my night outfit with a City Chic peplum, I have obscene amounts of those amazing tops in different shades!), dressing it down can be just as much fun; albeit harder work.

I'm trying to include a more bohemian feel into my casual day outfits and the pencil skirt stops the look from seeming sloppy. The long kimono means I can easily wear my PS at the markets or even a picnic without being overdressed. The purple boob tube is actually a tankini (cute much!?) and the bright colour looks awesome with a clashing across-the-body bag. Add some stacked bangles and you've got classic and casual chic!

The Floral Dress 




I've been going through my dresses and re-classifying them all. I'm often too quick to pigeon-hole a dress, thinking that it might only suit a day or night events. A floral dress can be one of the most underrated fashion essentials. It took me years until I started to transition floral summer dresses from my 'day-time only' to 'party-time' wardrobe.And I can definitely still fall back into that routine. Now don't get me wrong, they make the perfect debonair day look- I mean, denim jacket, heart shaped sunnies and cork wedges for the win! But by adding some heels and a clutch you can get so much extra wear out of them! I wore a floral dress to a wedding last weekend and it went off! If you're new to the floral dress night time look, you could try starting with one like this with splatters of black. The black makes the translation easier and gives an effortless night time look while still keeping the playfulness of the floral.

The Stripe Top






I don't doubt for a second that you all have a stripe shirt in your wardrobe. Maybe its short sleeve, perhaps its a tank- but there is definitely at least one in there. You could almost even say that the stripe top is where my love-affair with fashion came from. A stripe shirt was the first adventurous item of clothing I bought myself. And it felt so rebellious wearing something I was always told I shouldn't. I actually have far too many stripe shirts now and am always thinking about new ways I can wear them. I love this gorgeous, dapper skirt and my stripe tops would like awesome tucked into it high waisted. Then for night time a stripe top is easy to dress up- a jacket and long accessories, coupled with killer wedges makes for a perfect chic look! Plus I somehow acquired far too many blazers last winter and I'm trying to include them in more outfits so they don't end up on the eBay pile!

Do you re-asses your wardrobe regularly? 
Do you outfit plan?


5 comments:

  1. This is a really excellent post! I don't really buy many new clothes - but the same principle applies to my sewing! I need to really think more about what I make and how wearable it actually is! Also that photo on my blog from Aussie was super old! I am going to try and make it over this year though. I saw Tess Munster is planning on going to Aust this year - if that happens I'm so there!

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  2. I need to do this too! 2014 is going to be the year I reduce what I own. Although I will buy, I'll buy only to fill gaps or replace things I'm removing. That's the plan anyway.

    After I counted that I owned 52 dresses last year, I need to be much more tough with what stays and what goes. I'm trying to work through my wardrobe and wear as much as possible to help me decide what stays :)

    Away From Blue

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  3. The floral dress is totally gorge. I kind of outfit plan as in I buy something new then plan what other new things will go with it. It's a disease! :) x x

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  4. The floral dress, floral kimono, bow belt, teal clutch, heart purse, heart sunglasses, and black flats are adorable!!

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  5. This is great - and very smart! I like that you've zeroed in on three key pieces, each of which you'll find varied versions of, which'll make it fun to pick out the right ones for you. I've got the pencil skirt and floral dress all set, but I'm starting to appreciate the versatility of a striped tee and that I should get one. I really love how you styled the pencil skirt in a boho way for day. It makes it more funky than office-y or sexy. And some of your outfits have definitely made me realize I need a floral crown. So cute and fun! And I've been eyeing that skirt from Domino Dollhouse, too. The print is just rad!

    Liz

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