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Wardrobe planning
Jun. 8th, 2016 12:59 pmLast 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.
( Unmentionables )
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.
( Unmentionables )
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.
