My Personal Closet

I thought it only fair that I post the contents of my minimalist closet, well as close as I can get. Some photos are the actual item and some are as close a photo as I could find to the real thing. This will give you an idea of how I built on the 30 core items I have been discussing. Project333 challenges followers to choose 33 items and wear only those 33 items, which includes footwear, over the course of 3 months. This got me curious. How many items did I have in my closet? Drum roll please….. 93!! (I think I counted right) Here is the breakdown:

9 t-shirts

2 cami’s

18 dresses (I wear dresses more than anything else)

19 tops

12 sweaters

5 skirts

2 pants

4 jeans

2 Blazers

1 pair shorts

I’m leaving out photos of the coats and footwear for another day. But here are their numbers: 
5 coats

2 pair brown boots
4 pair black boots
2 pair tennis shoes (converse/running shoes)
1 pair flip flops
3 pair dressy sandals (black/ dark brown/nude)
1 pair black heels
1 pair brown heels
1 pair evening dressy blingy shoes
 
At first I thought, crap! But I got rid of SO much stuff and I have been REALLY picky about what I’ve purchased lately! Then I remembered that Project333 is choosing 33 items for every season, bringing their total items in a year to 132 items. I have 90 items in total, to get me through an entire year, not just a season. That would have been my closet before the great purge 🙂  I love each and every item and I never get bored with my closet. Have you been motivated? How is your closet shaping up?

Almost forgot!

THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

The Little Black Dress. I have so many things to say about this staple that I don’t even know where to begin! When I think Little Black Dress, I can’t help but think of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Does this dress ring a bell?

 

As memorable as it is, in my opinion, this wasn’t THE Little Black Dress. My choice for her Little Black Dress was very similar to this one:

 

Audrey wears this dress 3 different times in the movie….

 

As you can see, all they did was change her accessories. A hat here, a belt there…and voila! It honestly looks like 3 completely different dresses. That, to me, is the whole point of the Little Black Dress. It is VERSATILE. It can be dressed up, down, left, right…you get the point. Your Little Black Dress is a blank canvas, waiting for you to color it with your mood. Choose one that you feel amazing in, that has a detail that you love, but doesn’t overwhelm. YOU make the dress.

Just to give you an idea of the versatility of a simple little black dress (and I haven’t even played with jackets, scarves, gloves, etc.!)

As always:

MINIMALISM IN YOUR CLOSET – DRESSES

When I was a little girl my mother had to wrestle me to the ground to get me to wear a dress. To me, they were pure torture. This thought continued into well into high school. I have no idea when the change occurred or why, but I now love them and they make up a good chunk of my minimalist wardrobe. They have become such an incredibly easy item to grab when getting dressed in the morning. A few of my friends are full figured and when we have discussed certain types of dresses, they are convinced they would look horrible in them. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a matter of the material and the way the dress is cut. If it’s cut like a sack, it will hang like a sack. These are the dresses I would suggest for a minimalist wardrobe. I have also added a photo of a similar type dress for a woman with a fuller figure.:

1. A wrap dress. First introduced in the 70’s, it has remained one of those effortless items that easily transforms from casual to dressy with just a few accessories. I prefer a solid colored wrap, but as you can see below, there are lots of variations. If you are in love with the idea of a printed dress, make sure it contains colors that will match with your sweaters so you can transition the dress into Fall and Winter.

2.  A sweater dress.  A lot of sweater dresses are made out of acrylic, which I tend to find very itchy. Look for a wool, cashmere or a blend with those items in it. Throw on a pair of tights, your favorite boots and you are good to go!

3. A t-shirt dress. Another simple little dress that has so many possibilities and absolutely perfect for summer.

4. A sheath dress. Chic, professional, classic.

5. The little black dress.  No photos here because this dress is such a necessity in your closet that it deserves it’s own post. 😉

These dresses can be multi-seasonal by adding a sweater or blazer over them (a blazer over the sweater dress will dress it up). With these 5 dresses, that’s still only 20 items in your closet!