Street FashionFirst, a confession: I have a lot of clothes.  I got hand-me-down closet transfusions from my stylish older sister for years, and it completely corrupted me. I can’t imagine wearing the same few pieces week after week. Still, I’ve had a couple of readers email me asking for information and advice on simplifying their closets (and clothing budgets).  So for anyone who’s ever longed to open up the closet door and absolutely adore every immaculate piece inside, this is a concept worth considering.

I’ve found a few different takes on the idea of the French wardrobe, but here is the core of it: your wardrobe each season revolves around a handful of key pieces: a pair of well-cut trousers, an elegant shirt, a classic coat, a great pair of shoes, and so on. These are your staples, and you’ll wear them in and out, day after day. From this core of classic pieces, you add just a handful of new items into your wardrobe each season to keep it fresh. The end result is a closet that is minimalist but high on style.

Pulling off a French Wardrobe in Real Life

It takes a very different attitude to pull off this kind of wardrobe. You officially have to stop judging “style” by trends and the number of different outfits a person can wear in a month. You need to get comfortable wearing the same pieces over and over and feeling confident in those pieces.

While it seems like U.S. style is about sporting something new and different all the time, don’t be afraid to change the rules.  After all, what’s the harm in having people see you in your favorite outfit once a week instead of once a month?  Don’t worry that people will be thinking, “Wow, she really wears that blouse blouse a lot.”  Since you’ll keep truly amazing items in your slimmed-down wardrobe, they become signature pieces. Every day, you’re wearing outfits that make you shine inside and out. The overall impression you give off is, “Wow, she looks so sharp every day.”

The Rules of a Minimalist Wardrobe

Working within a minimalist wardrobe requires a few changes in perspective, as well as a few core guidelines.

1.  Stick with one color family for the most part.

You don’t need to have all neutrals, but it’s a good idea to make a conscious decision to focus on a few key colors that blend well together.  For instance, if one of your core pieces is a red wool coat (I love mine!), then the classic blouses and scarves you buy should look good with red.

2.  “Fit” and “fabric” are the words you live by.

Only buy items that fit you fantastically. The jeans you buy should go with nearly all of your tops, not just a certain subset.  This is a great budget saver, since you only need a couple of pairs of killer jeans, not one pair to go with your long shirts, another pair that you can wear with short shirts, another pair to tuck into, and on and on.  It also makes getting dressed less of an exercise in closet calculus. (Well, if I wear these pants today, then I can’t wear any of these tops for the rest of the week…)

Fabrics that last also matter more in a limited wardrobe.  Long-wearing fabrics like cotton, wool, and cashmere do much better over time than crappy acrylic pieces. (I truly hate acrylic.)

3.   Accessories are more important.

When your clothes are simpler, you rely on great accessories to complete a look. These don’t have to be expensive, but throwaway purses and jewelry don’t add much to this kind of style.  Cheap fixes become wardrobe noise to a degree.

4.  Clothes need to be multi-functional.

Reconsider items that only work on Fridays after 5 p.m. (or whatever other arbitrary restrictions your wardrobe components have).  The clothes you keep need to work for daytime, evening, casual, and dressy situations. Items don’t have to be perfect for every occasion, but there should be room to dress pieces both up and down.

5.  Have casual and dressy options for both top and bottom.

You can get more mileage out of fewer pieces if you can mix dressy jackets with casual jeans and elegant trousers with casual tops.  On the other hand, if you have all formal jackets and pants and only casual tops, you’re kinda screwed if you need to switch things up.

6.  Spend your clothes budget on items that you truly love.

So what if that top on the Target clearance rack is kind of cute?  Kind of cute is not good enough for this system. You can have a dozen items that are kind of cute and kind of fun to wear, or you can save up and get something that is awesome—the kind of item that makes you feel like you’re walking out of a magazine, regardless of how much it cost.

7.  It’s not about price, it’s about quality.

This goes two ways: you might end up spending a bit more on a blazer that will last for years as one of your core items of clothing. On the other hand, the price of an item is irrelevant; if the perfect dress is $20, it’s better than the $200 dollar one that’s fab but trendy. (I fully believe that price does not dictate style; the dresses I get complimented on most on are either things I sewed out of bargain fabric or bought off a clearance rack. No joke.)

Yeah, But…

So if it’s so great, why don’t I have this kind of minimalist French wardrobe?  To be honest, after doing the research and writing about it, I’m not so sure anymore…

What are your thoughts? Is a French wardrobe, based around a handful of pieces with only a few new additions for each season, doable?

Creative Commons Photo courtesy of Vincent Boiteau

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