Monday, 17 April 2017

Winter Wardrobe Audit

At the beginning of winter season I compiled my winter wardrobe. I am not strict on having a 10 (or any other fixed number) item wardrobe but I noticed that I feel better when my wardrobe is not jam-packed. I keep all my out-of-season clothes in boxes and at the beginning of the season I select a number of items to put in my wardrobe for the upcoming season. Since I read a book Dressing Nifty After Fifty by Corinne Richardson several years ago, I use her suggestion to start planning one's wardrobe from making a list of activities during a two week period. I find this idea very helpful. I didn't repeat this exercise last autumn since I have done it already after retirement and my list of activities haven't changed since.
Anyway at the end of the winter season I decided to review how my assigned winter wardrobe worked, to make an analysis what I have actually wore and what items got little wear, and then decide what items I need to add or replace for the next winter.
Here are the core items from this year winter wardrobe.
Three bottoms - black pencil skirt, warm dark grey trousers and black trousers that are not that warm and more dressy. All three items are me-made.


Four tops - me-made bow tie blouse that I have refashioned, two knit-work tops and a shirt.


Four knit cardigans - pink, brown, black and dark grey. All cardigans are store bought except the dark grey one. Grey cardigan is recycled Asma cardigan that I didn't wear.



All in all my core winter wardrobe counts 11 items but the grey cardigan was added only in February, so at least half of the season it was a Ten-Item Wardrobe.


I calculated that it makes 33 different outfits. I should say that I felt quite comfortable with it and it took me through most of my winter activities rather well. I could compile a casual or more formal outfit from these eleven items.
There were some extra items of course for special occasions like Christmas etc. I also don't count T-shirts (two T-shirts - black and white) and home-wear. Since we have central heating and the outside air temperatures are very low I always change clothes when I go out or come home.

I know that many people do this exercise at the beginning of the season and I have done this before as well. I still have to decide about my summer clothes. In previous years I started planning my summer wardrobe already in February and for me it worked perfectly well. Since I aim to sew and knit the most part of my wardrobe I need some time to make things. This year I am a little behind but it is still early spring here. Spring is late this year, we still have zero temperatures and even had a little bit of snow today.


Happy Easter!





 My hand-dyed traditional eggs for Easter.


Till next time...

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