Wardrobe planning
Jun. 8th, 2016 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
janestarzLast week I ran across an image on 9Gag, portraying an men's essential wardrobe. It was a mix of blue, white and gray hues, so I immediately loved it. My favorite pair of home-knit socks is still my blue wool pair. If I grab a warm pair of socks, I always aim for this particular pair.
And it boils down to two things for me: it should be comfortable, and it should be in a colour I grab. I have weeks I just want to wear blue, and then suddenly the mood strikes me and I have to wear green.
My current wardrobe is colour-coordinated, but it doesn't fit well. It's completely based on Hema t-shirts, which rock my world, with both long and short sleeves. But Hema t-shirts keep shrinking in the wash, with hemlines creeping up, sleeves getting stuck in your armpit (or longsleeves slowly becoming shorter every week) and becoming so narrow that you keep plucking at it every time you stand up or sit down.
I've now started a Pinterest board called "Wardrobe Planning" because Pinterest is the #1 procrastinator. And I should be studying, so my mind is going places and I'm making myself a summer dress from a tried and tested 2012 pattern. It's the fourth time I'm making (a variation on) this dress, and I still love it. I realise I've gained a lot of weight since then, but my measurements haven't changed so much that I won't fit into this dress, especially when it's made of jersey/tricot.
The good things: it's almost done and I can wear it to the graduation ceremony if my more ambitious project falls through. The fabric was donated by my old boss Karin, so it's mostly free.
The bad things: the fabric is very thin, one of those qualities that means it'll pill really fast and get a washed-out look far too soon. It's also a bit dark for me, and although the muted purple suits me, I had to combine it with black, which isn't my best colour. I'm basically making a throw-away dress that will hold me over until I can afford/have the time for a higher quality variation.
So! Back to the basic wardrobe. I've decided it should hold, at the very least:
[/] One summer and one winter coat;
[/] One summer and one winter blazer for 'events';
[ ] One cocktail dress (for weddings and events, possibly with matching blazer so it's versatile enough for summer and winter);
[/] Two versatile summer dresses that can stand on their own in summer, but combined with a longsleeve and leggings will work for winter;
[/] Two pairs of trousers or jeans;
[ ] One pair of trousers or capris for summer;
[ ] One or two well-fitting skirts;
[X] One or two pairs of sweatpants that can double as exercise wear;
[/] A warm cardigan and a sweater for winter;
[X] A semi-warm cardigan (like a short-sleeved variety) for autumn and spring;
[ ] Two summer blouses and two winter blouses;
[X] At least three plain t-shirts and three plain longsleeves;
[/] At least three more elaborate shirts with short-, and three with long sleeves.
As none of the images online include unmentionables, I thought I'd place these under a cut.
[X] A ton of well-fitting undies that don't ride up, including a few thongs if your other wardrobe items require them;
[ ] Two well-fitting brassières including one well-fitting exercise bra;
[ ] At least 7 pairs of socks, twice that amount if you wear different socks in winter than in summer;
[ ] At least one hat you can wear when exercising or on the beach (depending on your style);
[X] A swimsuit;
[X] Three pairs of pantyhose or leggings (summer/winter) in colours matching or complementing your dresses and skirts.
[X] If you wear glasses, make sure they are in a colour that suits your complexion so they will always complete your outfit (if you can't wear red clothes, don't buy red glasses. They stick out like a sore thumb.)
[X] At least one pyjama that you can wear in emergencies (if you sleep in the nude at home, you probably won't when you're sleeping over somewhere else, or when you're in the hospital!);
[X] (Prescription) sunglasses;
[X] At least one set of decent jewelry, matching your cocktail outfit;
[X] At least two scarves or shawls, complementing, completing or matching your more simple outfits.
[X] One pair of kick-ass shoes (hiking shoes), two pairs of daily shoes, one pair of neat pumps matching your skirts or cocktail outfit, one pair of summer shoes or sandals, indoor shoes or bunny slippers, depending on your habits.
As you can see, I've only ticked some of the boxes. Most of the stuff I have, doesn't fit comfortably or is just plain too small. I do intend to start working out again. As my diet is pretty decent and I intend to cut all refined sugar (again), exercising more should get me into a more comfortable shape. But that won't hold me over right now. I often struggle when I have to make myself presentable, that my decent clothes are too small. That means I'll have to start sewing on this basic wardrobe from now on (or from after the exams on). I can afford the time to focus on the fit, since it'll help me with my insights into tailoring and pattern drafting. And if I lose weight, it gives me a chance to tweak the wardrobe a bit more. And I'm introducing a new tag "wardrobe planning" to help me look back on my planning, because this isn't a three week thing. It might take years...
To be honest, it's a little ridiculous that I only have one pair of trousers that fits me, and are decent enough to wear in public. All but one of my skirts are too small. I don't have anything else. If I rip my trousers and I can't fix it, I have to wear sweatpants to school.
And I'm getting fed up with my Hema shirts, and plucking them all the time. And my wardrobe that is full to bursting without having stuff in it that fits me really well.
And it boils down to two things for me: it should be comfortable, and it should be in a colour I grab. I have weeks I just want to wear blue, and then suddenly the mood strikes me and I have to wear green.
My current wardrobe is colour-coordinated, but it doesn't fit well. It's completely based on Hema t-shirts, which rock my world, with both long and short sleeves. But Hema t-shirts keep shrinking in the wash, with hemlines creeping up, sleeves getting stuck in your armpit (or longsleeves slowly becoming shorter every week) and becoming so narrow that you keep plucking at it every time you stand up or sit down.
I've now started a Pinterest board called "Wardrobe Planning" because Pinterest is the #1 procrastinator. And I should be studying, so my mind is going places and I'm making myself a summer dress from a tried and tested 2012 pattern. It's the fourth time I'm making (a variation on) this dress, and I still love it. I realise I've gained a lot of weight since then, but my measurements haven't changed so much that I won't fit into this dress, especially when it's made of jersey/tricot.
The good things: it's almost done and I can wear it to the graduation ceremony if my more ambitious project falls through. The fabric was donated by my old boss Karin, so it's mostly free.
The bad things: the fabric is very thin, one of those qualities that means it'll pill really fast and get a washed-out look far too soon. It's also a bit dark for me, and although the muted purple suits me, I had to combine it with black, which isn't my best colour. I'm basically making a throw-away dress that will hold me over until I can afford/have the time for a higher quality variation.
So! Back to the basic wardrobe. I've decided it should hold, at the very least:
[/] One summer and one winter coat;
[/] One summer and one winter blazer for 'events';
[ ] One cocktail dress (for weddings and events, possibly with matching blazer so it's versatile enough for summer and winter);
[/] Two versatile summer dresses that can stand on their own in summer, but combined with a longsleeve and leggings will work for winter;
[/] Two pairs of trousers or jeans;
[ ] One pair of trousers or capris for summer;
[ ] One or two well-fitting skirts;
[X] One or two pairs of sweatpants that can double as exercise wear;
[/] A warm cardigan and a sweater for winter;
[X] A semi-warm cardigan (like a short-sleeved variety) for autumn and spring;
[ ] Two summer blouses and two winter blouses;
[X] At least three plain t-shirts and three plain longsleeves;
[/] At least three more elaborate shirts with short-, and three with long sleeves.
As none of the images online include unmentionables, I thought I'd place these under a cut.
[X] A ton of well-fitting undies that don't ride up, including a few thongs if your other wardrobe items require them;
[ ] Two well-fitting brassières including one well-fitting exercise bra;
[ ] At least 7 pairs of socks, twice that amount if you wear different socks in winter than in summer;
[ ] At least one hat you can wear when exercising or on the beach (depending on your style);
[X] A swimsuit;
[X] Three pairs of pantyhose or leggings (summer/winter) in colours matching or complementing your dresses and skirts.
[X] If you wear glasses, make sure they are in a colour that suits your complexion so they will always complete your outfit (if you can't wear red clothes, don't buy red glasses. They stick out like a sore thumb.)
[X] At least one pyjama that you can wear in emergencies (if you sleep in the nude at home, you probably won't when you're sleeping over somewhere else, or when you're in the hospital!);
[X] (Prescription) sunglasses;
[X] At least one set of decent jewelry, matching your cocktail outfit;
[X] At least two scarves or shawls, complementing, completing or matching your more simple outfits.
[X] One pair of kick-ass shoes (hiking shoes), two pairs of daily shoes, one pair of neat pumps matching your skirts or cocktail outfit, one pair of summer shoes or sandals, indoor shoes or bunny slippers, depending on your habits.
As you can see, I've only ticked some of the boxes. Most of the stuff I have, doesn't fit comfortably or is just plain too small. I do intend to start working out again. As my diet is pretty decent and I intend to cut all refined sugar (again), exercising more should get me into a more comfortable shape. But that won't hold me over right now. I often struggle when I have to make myself presentable, that my decent clothes are too small. That means I'll have to start sewing on this basic wardrobe from now on (or from after the exams on). I can afford the time to focus on the fit, since it'll help me with my insights into tailoring and pattern drafting. And if I lose weight, it gives me a chance to tweak the wardrobe a bit more. And I'm introducing a new tag "wardrobe planning" to help me look back on my planning, because this isn't a three week thing. It might take years...
To be honest, it's a little ridiculous that I only have one pair of trousers that fits me, and are decent enough to wear in public. All but one of my skirts are too small. I don't have anything else. If I rip my trousers and I can't fix it, I have to wear sweatpants to school.
And I'm getting fed up with my Hema shirts, and plucking them all the time. And my wardrobe that is full to bursting without having stuff in it that fits me really well.
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 11:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 12:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 05:32 pm (UTC)Good on you for planning. I'm not sure if it's of any use to you, but the Wardrobe architect series is good for narrowing down what exactly to make/buy in terms of shapes, colours, things you want and will actually wear etc.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 05:38 pm (UTC)I don't really plan to actually *buy* any of the items on this list, except for maybe the brassières. I've got a good t-shirt pattern and have already made several good t-shirts. Finding quality interlock can be tricky though. But I'll keep Long Tall Sally in mind! Thanks :-)
no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 06:05 pm (UTC)I've heard good things about Orange Lingerie for bra patterns, but I guess we have more local sources than that if you do want to go there. (edit: scratch that, I didn't check their size range)
no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 06:59 pm (UTC)