Wardrobe- Comme les Français Part Deux

I recently did a post on Wardrobe- Comme les Francais- where I discuss the merits of having a minimalistic closet- not filled to the brim with unrelated pieces, but sleek and coherent. I had so many interesting comments and loved reading about what your closets look like and how you curb (or don’t curb) the filling of your wardrobes.

Below I have listed my all time classic must haves for a chic, minimalistic wardrobe. I have thought about these items and figure that I could probably live with only these and get away with having a little space left in my closet for special additions every now and then.

Voila my list:

- Classic trench coat (Mine, pictured above, is by A.P.C.)

- One pair of great fitting dark denim jeans

- One pair of black skinny jeans

- 3 or 4 classic Tees in white, grey or black, (maybe striped). I like Michael Stars, Vince and James Perse.

- One great blazer (I have a confession to make. I am addicted to blazers and am loath to admit how many I actually have. I felt justified in this addiction, however, when I saw Tim Gunn say on cnn.com that his number one essential item for men and women is a good blazer. Phew!)

- Polos in white, navy and black (I love Lacoste and J. Crew)

- 3 or 4 dresses- with at least one LBD, at least one cocktail dress (I feel you can never have too many of those).

- A great black skirt (A-line for me… J. Crew has a great one right now- wool, a-line and shirred).

- Silk blouses (I feel you can never have too many of these too and they don’t take up too much space. I love ones by Diane von Furstenberg and Nanette Lepore).

- 2 good cashmere sweaters (I love Vince for cashmere).

- A good winter coat (I have one in a dark plaid by BCBG that I love but am looking for the perfect black coat… must be tailored and not be bulky- haven’t found it yet).

- High quality heels (Ferragamo are the most comfy), ballet flats (London Sole) and boots.

- Two good day handbags (although right now I only am using one- a black leather satchel by Monserrat de Lucca).

- A clutch for evening

- Black pashmina

There you have my list of essential items. I have been building this essentials wardrobe for the past eight years- saving up and buying the highest quality I can afford. When I don't waste my hard earned dollars on lesser quality items and really save up the results pay off- I find the high quality items are beautiful and last much longer.

Also as far as space goes, note that almost half of the things on this list do not require valuable hanging space in your closet (sweaters, jeans and tees can be folded) hopefully leaving room for lots of unexpected wardrobe additions.

I would love to know… what are your essentials?


Websites: www.apc.fr, www.lacoste.com, www.jcrew.com, www.dvf.com, www.bcbg.com, www.londonsole.com, www.vince.com, www.jamesperse.com