January Wrap-Up

Well, it is the end of January and I have officially failed in my attempt at the 5 piece French wardrobe. I gave it a good go, I gave it my all, but still my shopping impulses kicked into overdrive! The only good thing I can say is that at least I'm still being really picky about what I buy- thinking about how it will fit in to my wardrobe, if I'll actually wear it etc.

I've realized how much shopping is a part of my day-to-day life. Window shopping, trips to the mall or popping into H&M after class, reading style blogs and especially ONLINE SHOPPING. I think I go online "window shopping" almost every day. Really, before I can follow the 5 piece French wardrobe rules I need to tackle HOW I shop and how shopping fits into my life.

Wardrobe Challenges

If you aren't ready to hop on the 5 Piece French Wardrobe bandwagon, there are many other ways you can maximize your wardrobe while coming closer to a better vision for the way you dress. For anyone who wants to rethink how they shop or downgrade their shopping habit, one of these wardrobe challenges could be up your alley.

PROJECT 333

To participate in Project 333, you need to choose 33 items of clothing, hide away the rest of your wardrobe, and only wear your 33 chosen items for 3 months. Basically, you will be creating a capsule wardrobe that you can wear for 3 months at a time before you can switch out to another 33 items (if you so choose). This challenge is about learning to live with less, and slowly removing and donating clothes you realize you no longer need or wear.

The 6 Items Challenge

The 6 Items Challenge is going to test your creativity and reliance on fast fashion by challenging you to choose 6 items of clothing and wear them over the course of lent (about 6 weeks). You read that right, the creators of this challenge want people to consider the way we shop today, raise awareness about the working conditions for garment workers around the globe, and decrease your reliance on fast fashion. (And don't worry, the 6 items don't include shoes, underwear, or work-out clothes). They'll be beginning the challenge this March and you can participate along with them on the blog.

30x30 Clothing Remix

The point of the 30x30 clothing remix is to create new and exciting outfits out of clothing you already own- 30 outfits with 30 garments, to be precise, and to not shop for 30 days while you take the challenge. This challenge was started by Kendi of KendiEveryday.com when she wanted to start shopping her closet instead of purchasing new clothes all the time. In this blog post you can see all 30 outfits Kendi created during her fifth time taking the challenge.

The Unworn Clothing Challenge
In a bit of a more easygoing approach, Janneke began this challenge by dumping all the clothing she hadn't worn in the past 6 months, and proceeded to wear only things from the pile for the entire 30 days. Any unworn clothing was donated at the end of the month. She has included cute drawings of all of the outfits she put together over her time doing the challenge. This would be a great one for anyone with a closet full of unworn clothes that still have tags on them.


After doing one of these challenges you may realize your closet has a lot more to offer than you once thought. I think there is a chance I might try the 30x30 Clothing Remix in the near future- I see a a lot of possibilities for creating some new outfit combinations I haven't put together yet.

2: ASOS Swing Dress In Red Animal

I caved and made my second purchase of the year- this leopard print swing dress from ASOS. I've come to really like swing dresses, although I wouldn't want to fill my closet with them; I still appreciate a good dress that's nipped at the waist and shows your figure. But I had been watching this dress for awhile and it finally went on sale, I couldn't let it get away! I can't wait to wear it with my leather jacket and some boots.

The Journey Continues...

Now that I have commited to doing the French 5-Piece Wardrobe I am at a loss as to what I feel my wardrobe needs next. I still need to go through and continue curating my wardrobe, which will probably reveal some holes that will want to be filled.

I have also been mulling over the fact that generally buying only 5 pieces of clothing every 6 months means you should buy higher quality, more expensive pieces; and for someone who shops almost exclusively at Forever 21 at H&M, will I be able to drop down the big bucks for a better wardrobe? My gut clenches a bit at the thought of paying $100 for- well, anything.

Also, those Forever 21 gift cards I got for Christmas- when I use those, do I need to count each item as one of the five? Should I just purchase basics? Isn't the point of this to buy really nice quality basics to have for a very long time? Can I go from maximalist to minimalist? Will the questions ever end?

As someone who loves shopping almost constantly and with not too much money, I think I'm going to be thinking all this over for awhile.

1: Mango Faux Shearling Biker Jacket

My first purchase in following the French 5-Piece Wardrobe is this tough but beautiful Mango Faux Shearling Biker Jacket. I was in need of a winter jacket, one that spoke a little more to my style (instead of the prim and boring Old Navy coat I've been wearing). I have been a bit nervous since I have never bought anything from Mango before although I've admired their clothes as seen on certain style bloggers for quite awhile. Here's hoping it will fit properly and look good when it arrives. And hey, it's still available (and on sale, too).

The Journey Begins...

My journey began, sometime last year when I opened my overflowing closet and thought that I had nothing to wear.

Or maybe it began a few years before that, when I was hauling a trash bag (or two) to the thrift store every few months, and then popping in to buy a few more mismatched items.

Or maybe it was sometime in between then when I would try to recreate outfits I saw on style blogs using things I owned and realized none of my clothes worked together in fit or proportion.

I think over the past few years I had the idea that the more clothes I owned, the more creative I could be with my wardrobe. Anytime I want to create a whole new outfit, voila! There it is! I could go from a bohemian princess, to a punk rocker, to a chic and polished lady all in the span of a week just by changing my outfit.

It has slowly dawned on me that this is not the case.

Where I used to love getting dressed and putting together outfits, I started to become anxious and nervous- I needed to find the PERFECT outfit- there were many times when my floor and bed would end of covered in clothing (yet looking at my closet you didn't see a dent) trying to figure out what to wear; when I found a top that looked good, none of my skirts matched. I would decide to wear jeans, but they wouldn't go with the top. And on and on. And the amount of STUFF- clothes, accessories, jewelery- it was starting to stress me out. It was really messing up my zen. I used to get a kick out of putting together an outfit with pieces from all over including that one amazing "I found it at Value Village" scores; but now more often than not walking out the door in head to toe Forever 21 (boring!). Where was I going wrong?

And then I decided that I had had ENOUGH. It has taken me years to realize I am not content to be a clotheshorse, that I actually gain satisfaction from living on less. Last year I stumbled upon the phrase "curated closet", and had an a-ha! moment. I began unburdening my closet of various unworn, unloved garments with abandon. Since then I have read about the capsule wardrobe (no thanks...) and the French 5-Piece Wardrobe and have become event more committed to the task.

You guys, I think I may be a FAST FASHION convert. Here's hoping...

What is the 5 Piece French Wardrobe?

What the 5 Piece French Wardobe is:

1. Buying clothing with intention.

What the 5 Piece French Wardrobe isn't:

1. Dressing like a French person. (Beret optional)

French women are renowned for their timeless, effortless and chic sense of style, and shop completely differently from us North Americans. Instead of stocking up on fast fashion, they invest in clothing they will wear again and again over the years- things that speak to their sense of style and that will always be in style.

So in comes the 5 Piece French Wardrobe, meant to downsize your closet and upsize the quality of the garments you own. Here are the rules:

1. Basics don't count (a basic t-shirt is always allowed).

2. Accessories don't count. (personally, if I am spending a good chunk of money on an accessory I would count it in the 5)

3. Shoes do count.

4. Socks and underwear don't count.

5. Everything else counts.

The idea here is that you need to upgrade your basics, and over the course of 6 months only purchase 5 items to add to your wardrobe- these must be timeless, of good quality, and representative of your style.

Now for someone who considers shopping a sport, the 5 Piece French Wardrobe is a tough one. Instead of impulse buying everything in sight, I now have to stop, consider, and mull over each purchase I make (even the basics!). I am excited at the challenge yet partially fearful that I will fail miserably. The thought of opening a closet full of good quality pieces that feel special to me instead of a closet full of jumbled crap fills me with joy; and I will have to keep that in the front of my mind when those cheap n' trendy pieces start calling to me.