Over the past year, I have been refining my wardrobe and creating my own personal signature style. My wardrobe has become my trademark, it’s as much a part of me now as my eye and hair color.
Everything that is in my closet coordinates with everything else and all of it has been carefully and thoughtfully chosen.
My wardrobe isn’t jam-packed, it’s actually meager compared to many, even compared to my husband’s side of the closet!
I drew a lot of inspiration from Jennifer Scott from the Daily Connoisseur who advocates a 10-Item Wardrobe. The 10-Item Wardrobe focuses on quality, rather than quantity.
Now that I have successfully curated my own signature wardrobe that completely coordinates with my style ideas and my personality, I’m hooked!
Here’s what I own and wear regularly:
2 pair of slacks–1 black, 1 red
3 blouses–1 red, 1 black pattern, 1 black and white pattern
2 patterned t-shirts–both black and white
1 pair of jeans
4 cardigans–1 red, 1 black with white polka dots, 1 white with black polka dots, and 1 mustard
1 fitted dark denim jacket
3 dresses–1 red sheath, 1 navy with white polka dots sheath, 1 emerald green wrap
I have several scarves that I use to accessorize that are either black and white, red, mustard, or leopard print.
I have three pairs of shoes, one pair of brown leather knee-high boots, one pair of leopard print Tieks, and one pair of ruby red patent leather Tieks.
Every single item in my wardrobe coordinates and it is so simple to get up in the morning, get dressed, and know that I look put together!
What’s Your Favorite Color?
If you read through the items in my wardrobe, I bet it isn’t difficult for you to guess my favorite color. You may have already guessed before you even opened this post because I carried the theme through to my blog.
I absolutely adore the color red. It lights me up like nothing else. My nails are painted red 90% of the time, I wear red lipstick 90% of the time. My purse is red, a pair of my shoes are red.
So it makes sense that my wardrobe reflects my passion for the color red. Even the items in my wardrobe that are not red, coordinate well with red. When I wear my emerald green dress, my red lips and red fingernails set it off perfectly.
Leopard print goes well with red, polka dots (navy or black) go well with red. Mustard yellow goes well with red (my winter coat is this color).
So, what’s your favorite color? What color gives you goosebumps? What color do you feel the best in?
I have a friend who looks amazing in a soft shade of pink. It does beautiful things to her skin tone, and it suits her personality so well too. If she were to wear red the way that I wear red, she wouldn’t look like herself.
In the same way, if I were to wear pink in the way that she wears pink, I would look awful, and I probably wouldn’t act like myself either.
So what’s your favorite color? And what are the colors that coordinate well with it?
What’s Your Favorite Pattern?
I have two favorite patterns, and fortunately for me, they both look fantastic with my signature color. Polka dots and leopard print are my two go-to patterns, although black and white paisleys and black and white horizontal stripes make an appearance as well.
My signature patterns have become so much a part of my personality that an acquaintance from church came up to me the other day and told me, “You would love the chair I just bought…it’s polka dots!”.
This person and I are not super close, she has just noticed the frequency with which I wear polka dots. She knew, based on what I wear, that I would love her chair, and she was right! I saw it, and fell in love with it!
Are there patterns that you really love? Paisleys, stripes, polka dots, hearts, houndstooth, leopard print, stars, chevron…I’m sure I am missing some…
Choose one or two signature patterns that will make a frequent appearance in your wardrobe, and choose them in colors that will coordinate well with your signature color.
What Style Type are You?
Think about your style. Do you prefer an athletic look, a classic look, a vintage look, a trendy look, an artsy look, an outdoorsy look, a casual look, a formal look?
My own style is more classic and formal, with a slight vintage vibe. I only own one pair of jeans and I prefer not to wear them. I like to look like I am dressed up and ready to go somewhere.
I’m just as comfortable in a dress as in pants.
What about you? What style or styles are your own? You don’t have to stick to just one, but if you have a mix of different styles, try to figure out ways to combine them in a cohesive way.
So if you like vintage clothes and casual, sporty clothes, then perhaps buy a few pair of jeans and pants that are high-waisted and pair them with cute vintage t-shirts, and cute sneakers.
When you are buying clothing unless it is for a special purpose, and just won’t work any other way, try to buy items that will still coordinate with your style.
For example, I wouldn’t buy a pair of cargo pants. They would just look odd with everything else in my closet, and they would probably look odd on me too. If I were going on a hike, I could wear my jeans and one of my patterned t-shirts that I already own. I believe I own a pair of hiking boots, but only the good Lord knows where they may be…
Pulling It All Together
When all of your clothes and accessories coordinate in color, pattern, and style, you have a ton of different options for outfits.
A lot more possibilities than a gal with three times as many clothing, but with no cohesive theme. Because I can wear the same pair of pants and the same top with four different scarves, four different cardigans or jackets, and three different pairs of shoes, my wardrobe gives me way more mileage.
It makes getting dressed in the morning simple, but fun! It makes me feel like a million bucks to be in clothing that I adore. It also makes shopping so much easier. I can scan an entire store in less than thirty seconds and know if there is anything for me, or not!
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes…