The Orange Swan Guide to Wardrobe Planning
For the past six years after living in difficult financial circumstances and writing this blog, I have been thinking and researching a lot about wardrobe planning and strategy, and now my thoughts have long since taken their place. It is enough to reach the point where I decided to present my theory and advice on wardrobe planning in a very long blog post, I hope that my ideas will be useful to my readers. Close them all, it will be a long and winding journey!
A little history of wardrobe planning
Until the mid-1960s, when people's wardrobes were smaller in Western society, they planned their purchases more carefully and comprehensively than they do today. People know what they need for their daily lives (e.g., work, school, sports, worship, going out or other social events, at home) and, along with shepherding, systematically buy the right amount of clothing for each activity. Gloves, bags, shoes, coats, underwear or other items are required to complete each outfit. They also ensure that the various components of your wardrobe work well together. When a woman is on a modest budget, she chooses a hat or bag that matches some or all parts of the coat and dress, rather than buying a different hat or bag for each dress. Wardrobe planning is a skill taught in home economics classes, where students learn to plan their wardrobe comprehensively, consistently, and lifestyle-appropriate within a given budget. When comparing street photos of 1965 or earlier with today's street photos, it becomes clear that people living then were, on average, better dressed than they are today, although most people living in 2019 generally wear the same clothes. more clothes than ever fifty years ago.
What has changed? Clothing became relatively cheap, society's rules about what was appropriate became easier, and we began to shop and dress very comfortably. (Linda Przybyszewski also argues in The Lost Art of Clothing that this is due to the decline in home economics education in schools.) There are many positive aspects to this change in terms of affordability and choice. yoga pants need to be removed), but there are also bad ones. Excessive production of textiles has a negative impact on the environment. Buying too many clothes is bad for our personal finances. Even though we have two or three times as many clothes in our wardrobe as the average of the 1950s, we still feel that we do not have the right clothes, we are not comfortable with our style of dress and we are left without clothes. Last minute to get something for some upcoming events.
Many men still buy their clothes more or less strategically. This is understandable when comparing men's clothing with women's clothing. That's why I decided to focus this post on women's clothing, because men don't really need advice. In a culture where Western-style clothing is worn, if a man has a choice of suit, jacket and shirt and tie, sweater, shirt, khaki, jeans and shorts, then he has at least one suit. to dress. Any event other than the very official events that Smokin can rent. If your clothes are good, of good quality and fit you, you are considered flawlessly dressed. Women's clothing is so nuanced and colorful that a woman's wardrobe requires at least three times as many clothes, so it is likely to be well-dressed, but modest, as women are expected to wear. to a certain point. Unexpected individuality and creativity from men. A man can wear the same suit for a job interview, a wedding and a funeral, and maybe just change his shirt and tie, while a woman's suit is perfect for both occasions. However, my approach to this topic is that although women's clothing planning and strategy is more complex than men's clothing planning, it can still be implemented and is worth it.
A tragic story of planning my personal wardrobe
My wardrobe plan has changed gradually but drastically over the last six years. I shake my head when I look at shopping and sewing clothes. I mean, I think I'm very organized. As a teenager, I made a list of what I wanted, and then I got it systematically. However, the list is not actually the result of strategic planning, but a kind of documented impulse acquisition. I have never looked at my wardrobe at all to make sure I have enough clothes for every activity in my life, or to make sure that if you consider anything else, everything I buy or sew can turn into a suit. the things I have. bought to have a hand. And I don't know what's right for me and what's right for me. Many times I try to do something without thinking about whether it suits me, where I will wear it or what I can wear it with. or you have to spend a lot of money to buy related items. I saw that I didn't have the right shoes or coat to wear, and in the end I had to change. Or for a random event like a funeral, I couldn't find anything that suited me at the last moment. Even in my twenties and thirties, I was not well. One day a few years ago in the winter, when the tyrant was picking up a basket of hats and scarves from the shelves of my closet and thinking for the first time which hat or jacket would fit, I saw that it was an incompatible hat. . I do not wear any of my coats and I do not wear a coat without a matching hat or gloves.
There are other lights like this. One day shortly after I started working from home in March 2012, I hid from the UPS staff because I was too embarrassed to open the door and remembered that one of my weaknesses was what I wore after working from home. . Experience. (Another contender for "Deepest Moment," I had to research Canadian tax laws when I was trying to learn how to use a cat as a partner in a YouTube video. I don't remember working from home for seven years.) When I had to set aside a few free hours a day , I wisely bought more "family" clothing (e.g. yoga). pants, hoods and long-sleeved shirts), I need an extra set when I'm no longer in the office. And then I began to think more carefully and systematically about what kind of clothes I really wanted and what I needed for my life, and as a result, my current clothes are much better than they were seven years ago. spend money now
Wardrobe planning can do for you and your pieces
The idea of planning a systematic wardrobe may seem a little scary and mechanical at first, but the paradox of rules, regulations and boundaries is that they sound repressive, but in fact liberate and help us cut out all the noise and clutter. we need to know what we love to do and enjoy what we love. I believe that careful planning and organization can give us more real pleasure in our clothes in the long run. Wardrobe planning is better for the environment, can save us money, time and stress in the long run, can make us dress better and more attractive, and can help us have fun and wear the clothes we buy. What do I dislike?
If you're wondering why I'm posting a clothing planning section on a knitting blog, I think knitting project planning goes hand in hand with clothing planning. When weaving a dress or wearable accessory for yourself, you need to think about what it will look like to you, whether it will fit the rest of your wardrobe, how you will design it, and whether you will get the most out of it. It takes a lot of work to create an object and then understand that for some reason it is useless. And unless you have a better understanding of what your wardrobe needs, you won't be able to answer the questions you need to ask yourself if a particular model is right for you.
How to design your ideal wardrobe
How do you organize your wardrobe? I think the best place to start is to make a specific list of everything you need to wear well in your life. Think about what your ideal wardrobe will be, make a list of all the things you need to dress appropriately and make sense of your lifestyle, and try this list with all the possible scenarios to make sure it works. . and processed in the best way. How many clothes do you need for school, work, gym or home? What should you wear to the beach, barbecue with friends, dinner, mourning ceremony?
I will give you an example of what this list will look like by giving you a fictional version of what my ideal wardrobe list will look like. I actually work from home and don't go out much because of my chronic fatigue problems, but I wanted to plan a more traditional lifestyle to make my advice as useful as possible. Let's say I plan a women's locker room for office work from 9am to 5pm, I travel as usual, I do housework and chores, and I usually go out two or three times a week. I live in Toronto, Ontario, where it's very hot in summer and very cold in winter, which means I need clothes for all climates. I always wash my clothes once a week, so my clothes are "necessary for the week".
Note that I present the following list as a useful example, not as a general recommendation. Depending on your gender, age, physical needs, lifestyle, climate, taste, budget, length of wash cycle, etc. Based on that, the list of basic things can be radically different from mine, although you can use my list as a reference point. , your list should be tailored to your individual needs, otherwise you will not be able to get a wardrobe that suits you.
My list will look like this for spring and summer:
- three clothes
- five product tops / products or tank tops
- six shirts
- three skirts
- two pairs of jeans
- five pairs of shorts
- cotton / linen pants
- robe
- beach cover
- Cotton cardigan
- linen jacket
- windproof / waterproof
- raincoat
- paşmina
- a pair of high-heeled shoes
- a pair of flat sandals
- a pair of espadrilles or flat shoes
- some runners
- Shoulder bag / bag
- Purse
- Backpack
From this selection of clothes, provided I choose the appropriate and appropriate items, I can create 14 dresses without repeating one dress and can easily spend a week in the office, a few evening events or on the weekend. and time at home. . If I had them, I wouldn't have to think much about what to wear all summer. Whether I'm invited to the beach, to the garden grill, to dinner, or to a casual party, I can be sure that I have coverage. If I am sure that one of my clothes is dark and relatively conservative, I have mourning clothes if necessary. It may seem unnatural to plan funeral attire in advance, but as someone who has had to go to a funeral once a year for the past seven years, I can tell you that funerals are usually held three days in advance and if you have missed someone recently. My dear, maybe you will not be able to shop in these three days. I don't have gym clothes yet because I walk around the gym a lot and take training videos, but if I belong to the gym and have a habit of going to the gym 3-4 times a week, I will probably go. Add 4 more shirts / shorts and maybe another pair of running shoes. To keep things simple, I haven't included things like socks, pantyhose, underwear, bras, pajamas, gowns, belts, hats and jewelry, but of course you need to plan for them as well. My current wardrobe list includes details on what and how much I need these items.
The list does not even include formal events such as cocktail parties or black tie weddings that require cocktail dresses or evening dresses. I rarely go to formal events, and I have months ahead of me when I arrive, so I decided that the best plan for me was to make formal clothes and accessories as needed. A woman who regularly attends such stylish events every week, every month or even several times a year may decide that it is always best for her to have a little black dress and a couple of cocktail dresses to wear today. .bright in your closet. , along with a matching evening bag and some evening sandals or sandals to wear with it.
I also need a fall / winter list. The list may look like this:
- three clothes
- 5 long-sleeved shirts / blouses
- 10 sweaters, different styles
- 3 hood / sweatshirt
- 5 long-sleeved shirts
- 3 skirts
- 3 pairs of wool pants
- 2 pairs of jeans (double bow list)
- 4 pairs of yoga pants
- leather jacket
- waterproof (double bow list)
- windbreaker (double summer price list)
- swollen vest
- Jacket
- short wool jacket
- long wool coat
- moccasins
- leather shoes
- bomb
- Runner (duplicate summer list)
- ankle boots
- knee-high boots
With this list, I always think about work clothes, clothes for funerals, including home events, and clothes for the home. The cold weather checklist is longer and more complex than the hot air checklist because the cold weather requires more displacement and therefore more coordination. Choosing a coat can be a challenge in a woman's wardrobe, because you do not end up with twenty different coats, but as mentioned, you have to find a coat that suits everyone and the length of jeans, skirts and dresses. I'm talking about this long tweed coat I bought in my Modwardian post last winter . I think if I have a jacket, a short tweed coat in a neutral color and a long tweed coat, I can tolerate the stoic and deep style of the Canadian winter. . I currently have a large selection of coats in my closet in the hallway, and in the future I will be careful not to buy clothes that do not fit any of my existing coats or coats.
Color palette strategy
How can I be sure that the items on the list are interchangeable? I have to think about colors and patterns. If my linen jacket and cotton cardigan are beige and my coat is brown, it probably suits my summer outfit. If the jacket is chosen to match jeans and shorts, you may want the pashmina to go with all three outfits. All my winter coats will be equally neutral or at least in a color that matches the color I am wearing. I will brown all my leather shoes and make sure all the clothes match the brown shoes. I'm also sure I have a number of bases in neutral colors to add versatility to my wardrobe. For example, one of the three skirts of the summer wardrobe listed above can be khaki, a shirt and the top must consist of at least one ivory and one brown.
I recommend working with a special color palette for the highest comfort and versatility in the closet. I believe in the theory of seasonal colors and I bought everything based on a warm, rich autumn color palette. Not only do I wear my best colors, but everything I buy suits me so well that I need less clothes, shoes and accessories. My sister is also autumn, but she thinks the seasonal color theory makes no sense, so even though I observe that her clothes are more or less based on a cool / winter palette (she loves black), she only gets what she likes. they go well together. . So you can learn what time of year you are in and dress according to that season's palette, or if you don't like "your" colors or don't believe in seasonal color theory, you can create your own color palette. you like
The most important rule when combining the color palette is to choose a cold or warm color scheme, because cold and warm colors do not combine well. The cool color palette can include a mixture of these colors / shades: black, white, gray, navy blue, burgundy, brown, pink, fuchsia, forest green, purple, lavender. The warm color palette can consist of a mixture of these colors / shades: brown, ivory, olive, rust, orange, plum, poppy, pink, turquoise, tea tree, lime green, apricot, peach. For a versatile wardrobe, you can use a very limited color palette of several neutral colors, such as black, white, gray, and your favorite colors, which can be red, pink, purple, or blue. I didn't choose to do it myself because I like the colors so much to limit myself to a few colors, but it's definitely a simple, super practical and even elegant palette.
Because I wear warm tones, I usually buy brown shoes and bags of different shapes and sizes, and then I have shoes and bags that fit all of these colors that generally fit my outfit. If I had clothes in warm and cool colors, I would need black and brown shoes and bags. As I need different size bags and different shoe designs with different heel heights for different clothes / situations, my need for many shoes and bags will increase rapidly. Add this pattern to include not only shoes and bags, but also jackets, jewelry and scarves, and you will see what I mean by a color palette makeup that makes it easier and cheaper to look coordinated.
Another possible color strategy that will help add versatility to your wardrobe is to limit prints and patterns above or below. If all your tops are tight, it's easy to find a top that fits well with a plaid skirt or striped pants, or if all your skirts and pants are a solid color, it's easy to find a dress that fits well with a polka dot top or your favorite sweater. As with the idea of a very limited color palette, I didn't make it myself because I found it too restrictive, but I'm sure the top and bottom should be in neutral colors, which helps me mix and match colored objects / fantasies.
I would suggest finding a middle ground between the two extremes, buying all the wild prints and patterns, i.e. having nothing with you and getting all the neutrals, because some are very practical. Years ago, a friend complained that he was increasingly dissatisfied with his clothes, and he felt like a fool while having dinner with a group of well-dressed friends. The root of the problem is that she buys all her clothes in full, neutral colors so that they can match each other. This may be a necessary size for a woman who wears less clothes, but in the case of my friend, it was an unnecessary restriction because there were too many clothes. I advised him not to be too practical, that * everything * didn't fit everything, and that if he could put together two or four clothes of the item he wanted to buy, it would bring him a lot. versatility. . About a month later, while shopping for spring clothes, she began to make different colors and patterns, and she also bought a pair of green shoes, a pair of red shoes, and a red bag. The following fall, she told me that she loves these outfits to enhance her summer outfits and is happier with her outfits.
And I probably need to add a few words about choosing a neutral section. Neutrality does not mean boring. When shopping for neutral colored dresses like a brown bag or black pants or a black top, don’t just buy a brown bag or black pants or an ivory shirt, as they are a great way to complement casual, untidy pieces. You hate looking for elegant cuts, comfortable seating, quality and some interesting structural details. Your neutral cut should have the same look and style as your more colorful or patterned cut, and if it's not better, you'll wear it more often.
Other wardrobe planning strategies
In addition to using a certain color palette, there are many other wardrobe strategies that make it easier to dress better with fewer clothes. There is a lot for me in this blog post, but I will mention a few. One of the best and easiest strategies I've heard of is the standard workwear concept for clerical women: knitted tops and pencil skirts. Easy to assemble, easy to wear, easy to care for, suitable for many figures and professionals of all ages and all levels, does not fall out of fashion and looks great, especially when adding eye-catching jewelry and beautiful shoes.
Another strategy is to look at the dress as a whole, rather than trying to bring together the more complex blends and types of fit I described earlier. So you can decide, for example, that you need ten pieces for work and another ten pieces for everyday or home wear, and then complete each outfit with shoes, coats and accessories. (If you want, you can still use a color palette strategy to minimize the number of shoes, coats, and accessories that fit your outfit.) Every time you choose to wear with maximum effectiveness, you get a lack of versatility. morning and know exactly what happened and what happened. This can be a great approach for someone who is going through a life transition as a couple. B. restart after pregnancy or severe weight loss or fire or flood. A person who is in dire need of new clothes, but currently does not want or cannot afford to spend a lot of money on a wardrobe, may decide that he needs a wardrobe of at least ten items: six work / field suits and four sets. ".
Another possible strategy is the French style of dress, in which the woman has a neat basic choice (ie, a leather jacket, blazer, black coat, coat, jeans, trousers, silk blouse, button). shirt, striped shirt), breton, plain knitwear, shirt and blouse, etc.) in a neutral palette of black, white, gray, antimony, camel and light pink, gold or a pair of diamond handles with simple jewelry such as gold rings, classic shoes like black stilettos, ballet shoes, loafers, ankle boots and sandals, as well as beautiful handbags, sunglasses and scarves. It's an easy formula to understand and apply, and I have to admit that it sounds pretty cool, but although I spent about an hour on Pinterest teaching myself enough, after understanding the French style, I chose a place where I learned the basics. . it was not for me. The fresh palette that would look great in ordinary French hair coloring with dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin made me look pale, and although I sometimes pick up clothes in the French style from my neutral items, I find this style very boring. .and limit it to living every day as my taste buds shift to more colorful and attractive clothing and jewelry.
But while researching the French style on Pinterest, I found some useful ideas. After that, I took another step to make sure I got the basics in neutral colors. I sewed the green and beige striped uniform you see in the photo above, because the Breton striped ball looks elegant and casual. I added loafers to my shopping list and soon after bought a pair of vintage flat shoes, which was one of the best shoe purchases I have ever made: they fit all the pants and jeans I have; they never look too elegant or too casual; and both are comfortable and very durable. I also decided to include scarves in my wardrobe, because scarves are a really great way to style and sparkle in a simple dress.
By the way, this is a critical and confident approach to all clothing strategies and tips, and I have tried to prove it in this blog: I do not hire French-style wholesalers, I just use tips. will work for me. It is important not to blindly follow any advice (including mine) , as a clothing strategy that is appropriate for many people may not work for you at all. To dress well, you need to find out what colors, styles, and cuts are right for you, how you feel comfortable and happy, and what doesn't fit, what your budget is, and what clothes you really need. life style. . When faced with a new style proposal, think carefully before taking steps to implement it.
How to make your list of ideal clothes a reality
Seta Anda memiliki daftar pakaian ideal yang dibuat dan Anda yakin itu akan berhasil untu Anda, langkah Anda selanjutnya adalah melihat apa yang Anda miliki di lemari dan laci meja rias Anda dan melihat bagaimana Anda pakakan le samari. Inan akan membantu Anda mengidentifikasi apa yang perlu Anda beli, apa yang mungkin ingin Anda singkirkan, dan yang sama pentingnya, dear tahu barang apa yang Anda perlukan untuk berhenti membeli untuk saat ini karena Anda memiliuki cuk bakupa Jika Anda memiki lebih banyka dalam daftar Anda (saya pasti punya!), Tetapi Anda menyukainya dan memakainya, simpanlah. Tidak ada gunanya menyingkirkan barang-barang yang dapat dikenakan dengan sempurna demi daftar yang pada axirnya agak sewenang-wenang. Anda akan kehilangan barang-barang “ekstra” karena gesekan cepat atau lambat (yaitu, barang-barang itu akan aus, ketinggalan zaman, robek atau ternoda, tidak dapat diperbaiki lagi, tidak dapat diperbaiki lagi, tidak lagan mugeli, barkida mugeli, barka , pada titik by mana Anda memiliki apa yang benar-benar Anda butuhkan dan inginkan by lemari Anda. Jika Anda memiliki kelebihan barang yang tidak Anda pakai atau sukai, Anda dapat menyingkirkannya dengan aman karena mengetahui bahwa Anda tidak membutuhkannya. Jika Anda menemukan item yang tidak Anda kenakan tetapi Anda sukai, apakah itu ada by lemari pakaian ideal Anda atau tidak, pertimbangkan mepa Anda tidak memakainya dan apakah Anda bisa mengatasinya. Jika Anda tidak memiliki apa pun untuk dikenakan dengan barang yang dimaksud, apakah sepadan dengan biaya dan kesulitan untuk mendapatkan barang tersebut, atau apakah Anda lebih suka menyumbangkan barang tersang tersebut ke to? Jika ada bagian yang tidak pas, apaka h bisa diubah? Jika perlu diperbaiki, dapatkah diperbaiki?
Ketika berbicara tentang barang-barang yang tidak dapat dipakai, jika Anda memiliki keterampilan menjahit / merakit (dan mengingat bahwa Anda membaca blog ini, Anda mungkin melakukannya), pikirkan di luar dasar-dasarangle mengganti yang tidak dapat dipakai, jika Anda memiliki keterampilan menjahit / merakit Rekonstruksi lemari pakaian adalah keahlian lain yang tampaknya hampir hilang. Wanita yang bersahaja biasa menggunakan rye macam trik dan texnik untuk membuat pakaian blade mereka terlihat baru dan segar. Mereka akan "membalik" gaun mereka dengan merobek gaun itu, memotong dan membentuknya agar sesuai dengan gaya musim yang akan datang, dan kemudian menjahitnya kembali dengan sisi kain yang sebelumnya "salah" dan tidak pudar di bagian luar. Saya tidak menganjurkan untuk mengubah pakaian Anda karena kain modern sama sekali tidak cocok untuk itu, tetapi saya menemukan ide yang baik untuk meneliti dan bertukar pikiran tentang cara untuk memperpanjang umur item pakaian. Masa lalu bisa menjadi tambang emas ide bagaimana melakukannya -- terutama dalam kasus saran mode era 1930-an dan 1940-an, ketika banyak orang harus berpakaian sendiri dalam batasan anggaran yang ketat dan penjatahan pakaian yang ketat.
Berkali-kali saya menyimpan barang-barang yang hampir saya buang dengan kesadaran bahwa ada cara untuk menyelamatkannya. Selama bertahun-tahun, saya telah mengganti snap di kemeja suede imitasi favorit, mengganti kawat bra yang rusak dengan yang baru (mereka menjualnya di toko kain dan perlengkapan menjahit), memperbarui blus dengan mengganti kancing berlapis kain era sembilan puluhan dengan tulang baru, mengubah hemline yang tidak menarik, mengubah t-shirt lengan panjang dengan siku usang menjadi t-shirt, mengubah celana yoga dengan tanda pemutih di kaki bagian bawah menjadi celana pendek, dicat dengan pola splotch yang mengerikan celana korduroi yang dibelikan ibuku untukku (sekitar tahun 1987) menjadi biru tua, mengubah gaun yang tidak pas/tanggal menjadi rok , mewarnai syal sutra emas kehijauan yang sakit-sakitan dengan warna tembaga yang indah , menyegarkan topi musim panas putih tua yang suram dengan mencelupkannya dalam teh, topi yang dipangkas ulang, dan kalung toko barang bekas yang sudah usang, rusak, atau usang menjadi sesuatu yang jauh lebih menarik. Semua proyek ini masing-masing memakan waktu kurang dari dua jam, melibatkan biaya minimal, dan lebih dari sepadan dengan usaha, karena saya mendapatkan lebih banyak keausan dari semua barang itu setelah saya mengerjakannya sedikit.
Terkadang suatu item dapat diubah menjadi bagian yang sama sekali berbeda. Once years ago a co-worker told me that she had a beautiful custom-made long gold silk bridesmaid dress that she would like to have shortened to cocktail length so that she could wear it again, but she hated to cut off all that fabric as it had cost so much per yard. I said, "Well, if you're not wearing the dress, it's going to waste anyway," and she said, "Yes, that's true," and then I said, "Maybe you could have a matching evening bag made out of the fabric that's cut off," and she said, "Oooooh!" I currently have a plan to turn a beautiful silk bathrobe I own that makes me look dumpy into a lovely silk top that flatters me -- this will take more time than the other reconstruction projects above, but not more time than it would take me to make a new top out of fabric I had to pay for, and I can't remember the last time I even saw a comparable bolt of silk in a fabric store. I also sometimes take apart unsatisfactory knitted projects and make something I like out of the yarn. Ravelling out a knitting project doesn't usually take any longer than it would take to go shopping for new yarn, and then I've saved the not-inconsiderable price of a new lot of yarn and kept an item out of a landfill.
I don't always refer back to my ideal wardrobe list religiously when I'm cleaning out my wardrobe or planning purchases, but I do try to think in terms of, "How many of this particular kind of item do I really need/want/use?" I often follow something I call the Rule of Three, by which I mean that I don't usually need more than three of any one thing (ie, three sets of pajamas, three winter dresses, three pairs of jeans), unless we're talking about very basic, daily-wear items such as socks, underwear, t-shirts, or sweaters, in which case the Rule of Three might become the Rule of Ten. Knowing that I already have what I need is such a good way to safeguard myself against getting tempted to buy or make things I don't need. I also try to think in terms of complete outfits. I must be able to make at least one outfit, if not more, out of every item I have, and also need to think about whether I have shoes, jewelry, a handbag, and a coat to wear with the item rather than just about whether I have a top or a bottom for it.
Wardrobe Planning Going Forward
To keep my buying/clothes making in check, and my wardrobe at a reasonable size, I keep lists of things that I need and want to buy or make, and I've made every effort to try to decide what what goes on those lists on the basis of what I will make good use of rather than a basis of OOOHHH PRETTY!! MUST MAKE/OWN! , and to not buy off list when shopping, because if I really need something, it should be on my list before I go shopping. Sometimes I do have to make exceptions, and then come up with strategies to govern those exceptions. I love knitting so much that it's hard for me to keep my knitting projects down to a strict needs-based rationale, so what I did was make a rule that I can only make myself six items a year (and making something for my household counts as making something for me), which I consider a fairly reasonable limit. If I were to make myself, say, two new sweaters, a hat and scarf set, two pairs of socks, and a set of Christmas tree ornaments, that's not an excessive amount of new knitwear for me to acquire in the space of one year, especially if I used some stash yarn to make them. I'm doing a lot of sewing these days because I have a stockpile of fabric to get through, and it would be wasteful not to use it, but once the fabric I have on hand is gone I'll be making myself just a few items each spring and fall.
Having a list of what I need to buy in my planner helps me budget and figure out the best way of acquiring something. I can decide if I can or will make an item, whether I can possibly get it from thrift shop, or whether I will need to buy it from a regular retail outlet. Right now, I see that according to my various sewing/knitting/shopping lists, I plan to knit an ivory cotton pullover because the one I'd been wearing for about twelve years got irreparably stained last summer. I want to sew an ivory linen jacket to replace the one that got stained by battery acid from the hall closet light. (I thought I was saving money by not replacing those batteries, sigh.) I want to buy or make a peach and brown silk scarf that I can use as a finishing touch for an outfit consisting of a plain peach skirt and plain brown top. And I need to replace a pair of beautiful but wretchedly uncomfortable cognac leather pumps that I currently own with a similar pair that doesn't hurt my feet. I am confident these are justifiable purchases, but sometimes I can make a mistake even in putting something on my list. Unnecessary stuff has a way of sneaking on there if I'm not vigilant and mindful.
If you're thinking of adding a new item of apparel to your make or buy lists, ask yourself, "Where am I going to wear this?" and "What will I wear it with?" The process of answering these questions may help you realize that you don't really need or want the item after all, or that it's simply going to require too much of an investment of time and/or money. About two years ago I got rid of a denim jacket (purchased circa 2001), that had become too worn and ripped to wear, and initially I automatically added "denim jacket" to my shopping list because I'd had one denim jacket or another in my closet since my teens. But then I started thinking about where I'd wear the denim jacket and what I'd wear it with, and I realized that I couldn't think of a single occasion or outfit that my leather jacket, linen jacket, windbreaker, trench coat, or one of my sweaters and hoodies wouldn't be a better choice for, and I struck "denim jacket" off my want list. Alternatively, if you realize that you'll have nothing to wear with the item if you buy it, you may want to rethink the purchase somewhat. Perhaps buying it in a different colour or a slightly different style from the one you originally intended will make it work better with your existing wardrobe.
Long-Term Planning
Another grimmer question that I have started to consider when planning a purchase is whether something I want is age appropriate. I'm 45, and while I'm ageing not badly and can still dress somewhat youthfully, since I'm aiming to make my clothes last five years or more, I need to think not only in terms of "Can I get away with this at 45?", but "Will I still want to be wearing this at 50?" If I'm forced to admit to myself that I won't want to be caught dead in the item in question when I'm 50, I heave a sigh over the indignities of aging, and relinquish my plan to acquire the item. If you've got a big lifestyle change coming up, such as leaving school for the professional workforce, leaving the workforce for retirement, pregnancy/parenthood, or a move to a different climate and/or culture, those are all life changes that will require new wardrobe strategies.
Which leads me to another point I wanted to make in this post, which is that I think it's important to think relatively long-term in wardrobe planning. Disposable fashion, by which I mean clothes that date quickly and/or are of too poor quality to stand up to reasonable use, is doing so much damage to our planet, gets so expensive long-term, doesn't look that good on anyone, and clogs up our closets with crap clothing. I buy or make my clothes with the expectation that they will last at least five years, and I make them last as long as I can by treating them with care and mending and reworking them whenever possible. Of course, much of what's available in regular retail these days is poor quality and won't last that long, and you may not even have many better options depending on your location or budget. This is a systemic problem beyond the scope of this blog post, but I would recommend avoiding the purchase of poor quality clothing whenever possible by buying fewer, more expensive but better quality new items, buying secondhand, and/or making your own clothes with care.
Thinking longer-term in your clothing purchasing generally means not only planning more carefully, but also steering towards simpler, more classic lines and being cautious about adopting trends. Though some trends, such as the cowl, do come to stay, others tend to look silly and dated in fairly short order. It also means you need to be sure you genuinely like something on you, that it fits well, and that you will wear it before you buy it.
We the living of 2019 do have a few huge advantages that those who lived during the last two centuries never had, and the first is that our clothing styles have become so myriad and flexible and are changing so little overall that nearly anything goes these days. This is a recent phenomenon. My mother, who was born in 1938, tells me that when she was a young woman in the late fifties and early sixties, there was one look, one silhouette, one hemline length in style at a time, and if a woman didn't have that particular current look, she was outré . Prior to 1950 or so, women of modest means routinely refashioned and retrimmed their clothing every season in order to keep in style. Through much of the twentieth century, fashions changed so quickly and were so specific and rigid that if a woman wore something even two or three years old, it looked it, and she'd be considered dowdy and out of date. Even in the 1980s, when I was growing up, fashions changed radically over the course of the decade. In the 1990s the pace seemed to slow somewhat, and fashions haven't changed so terribly much since 2000. When I watch movies from the early aughts I often find myself thinking that it would only take at a few tweaks to update some of the looks the actresses are wearing, or maybe even that they look quite contemporary exactly as they are, and I have many pieces of clothing that are ten to sixteen years old that still pass for reasonably current. In 1999, 1989, 1979, or 1969, it would have been next to impossible for a woman to wear much clothing that was a decade or more old without looking like an oddity, whereas now it's easy to style decade-old clothing so that it looks quite up to date.
These days it's possible for a woman to think much longer-term in her wardrobe planning than women could decades ago, and that means we who wear female clothing can get more wear out of our clothes. This is especially good news for those of us who make our clothes. Making your own clot
