This was originally posted on another blog of mine (Simplicity — Small & Cheap). I consolidated all blogs to simplify my life. – Jen 6/19/09
At first glance, having a wardrobe plan or having your colors done seems like something rich people do. It just isn’t something for us regular joes. I’m here to tell you that after 30 years, I’ve realized that everyday people need it more than ANYONE else.
In moving to our camper, I had very limited space available for bringing clothing. It was surprisingly easy to pack. I packed only my very favorite clothes that fit, I felt good in and were weather appropriate. That amounted to about 10 shirts and 2 pr pants, 2 capris, and a skirt. The rest I haven’t missed…well, there are a few pieces but generally, I don’t miss the rest.
I have a walk-in closet the size of a small child’s bedroom. It’s full. It’s full of clothes that don’t fit, are in the wrong colors, I don’t like them (but they were CHEAP!), or don’t match anything else I have.
Missus Smarty Pants is a very affordable way to get the services that wealthy people pay lots of money for. For $10.00 she will determine your season and show you what makeup and clothing colors are best for you. In addition, she will ID your body type and tell you what types of clothing will play up your assets and camouflage your flaws for less than $50.00/year.
I have found her services to be completely invaluable. In addition to confirming that I look best in some of my favorite clothes, she has shown me concrete tips to make sure that I can INTENTIONALLY look for those items.
The best thing that I have learned by reading her emails is to have a wardrobe plan.
What kind of life do you live? The clothes you purchase should be in proportion to the amount of time you spend in them. I am a SAHM. I don’t need to buy another suit, no matter how cute it is. What I DO need is clothing that is easy to nurse in, easy to clean (no dry clean only!!), and is comfortable and classically stylish since I will be spanning years between maternity clothes and non-maternity clothes.
What do you need for your climate? Now we are in a warm climate. I don’t need 15 pair of black work pants. Now, I need capris and shorts that fit well as well as a lot of short sleeved shirts. I no longer need 4 winter coats and a box full of scarves, mittens and hats.
PLAN a wardrobe to mix and match. MSP offers a list of items to build the basics of your wardrobe with suggested numbers and types of items in your wardrobe. I just got my colors done and decided to plan all future purchases (and keepers from existing wardrobe up north) around them. My MAIN neutral is brown with my secondary neutral as a soft gray. Thanks to MSP, I now have a signature color – aqua. And most of my other purchases will be in 2 coordinating colors (soft pink and a lime green) and a coordinating neutral (ivory). This will ensure that all my clothes will be able to be mixed and matched. I also picked 2 secondary colors (lilac and yellow) for accessories that will coordinate with my 3 core colors.
Once your basics are in place, you can add things like stylish current pieces, handbags, accessories and shoes. Having a plan enables you to have a plan on how to spend your money. No more wasting space and money on clothes that you only sort of like and therefore never wear. You will no longer need to go out and buy an outfit for an occassion because you have a closet full of nothing to wear. That’s frugality at it’s best–being prepared and avoiding “emergency” expenses.
How has having a wardrobe plan saved you money?
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