Simple Wardrobe | Slowly
To begin, give yourself permission to have a beautiful wardrobe. Go ahead. Give yourself permission to have a beautiful wardrobe. Not one of misfits that happened to you as a result of good deals and crazy sales, but one that’s created and curated with thought and intention, one that thrills you to see it, to wear it, and to care for it. (Speaking of caring for it, embrace the lightbulb moment and put the sweater brush and comb into the drawer, right beside the folded sweaters.)
It’ll be exciting, then, to begin a List of Missing Pieces. A master plan, of sorts, to guide you in acquiring needed garments that will compliment your existing wardrobe. Need socks? Write them down. A few t-shirts for layering? There you go. Add a skirt or two? Alrighty, then. Maybe a dress? Sure. Go ahead and include dreamiest dreams, too. You never know.
The point, after the last item is listed, after the last garment is hung, after the last shoe is in its dust bag, is that you have a simple wardrobe, both real and imagined, that is beautiful, curated, tailored, you.
I wrote those words four years ago. I love that they’re relevant enough that I could have written them yesterday. I’m still just as inspired - perhaps even more so - to curate a wardrobe over time that I deeply love, deeply appreciate, and that I feel fabulous wearing.
I suppose you could say that the image you see up there this a visual of my current List of Missing Pieces. It’s a small habit I’ve been cultivating recently, this clipping and collecting of images picturing the garments that seem to check all the boxes - classic style, natural fabrics, ethically made - and pinning them to a Milanote board for safe-keeping, for planning, and for gift-suggesting. (Husbands and boys need all the help, am I right?) (You could use Pinterest, instead, of course - I just like the visual calm of Milanote).
I do this image collecting over time, as I come across things that catch my eye. This is how I prefer to shop. Slowly. Perhaps it’s just another interpretation of slow fashion. Take my time, see what there is to best fill the empty spaces. Let the finding be as much a part of the experience as the buying and the wearing.
If it’s helpful, some of the brands or sources seen here are:
Sezane (via eBay)
J Crew (via eBay)
Giannetti (via Lauren Liess)
