creating a versatile wardrobe
At the All About Accessories workshop I hosted at The Shoe Hive last week, we talked about building a versatile shoe and handbag wardrobe. For my next workshop, Building a Work to Weekend Wardrobe (coming up on May 2nd) versatility will be a main topic again. So, how to build a wardrobe filled with versatile pieces has been on my mind. Then, I was introduced to a fashion blog called Un-fancy, “a minimalist fashion blog”, run by a gal who creates a 37 piece capsule wardrobe each season. Again, I was thinking about how versatility is key to creating an effective capsule wardrobe. Since the topic keeps popping up for me, I thought it was a sign we should talk about it here a bit.
A versatile piece is one that can be worn for many different types of events or occasions and can also be mixed and matched with lots of different pieces in your closet. It is often what I like to call an “in-between” piece, meaning that it falls somewhere between two extremes. For example, between work and weekend or dressy and casual, fall and spring or day and night. This usually means that it has at least one quality from each extreme. A good shoe example is a bronze flat. A flat is typically a more casual shoe but metallics are usually a little dressier so this shoe falls between dressy and casual by simultaneous exhibiting qualities of both. This means you can wear the shoe in lots of different ways depending on what you pair it with: wear it with a pencil skirt for the office, skinny jeans on the weekend or black silk pants in the evening. Other qualities that make a shoe versatile are color (nudes, taupes, tans and metallics are great because they’re year round and pair well with all other colors) and heel height (try a wedge or a low to mid-heel for a great in-between option).
When you have pieces like these that do double duty, you can get away with a much smaller wardrobe leaving more time and money to be spent on the things that matter most to you. These in-between, versatile options are also great for travel so you can pack lighter and are the perfect option for those events where you’re not sure what to wear – go for the in-between and you’ll be neither too dressy nor too casual.
If you’re interested in building a versatile wardrobe with pieces that can be worn to work and on the weekend, join me for my next spring workshop: Building a Work to Weekend Wardrobe. Click here for details and registration info.
2 Comments
I love your posts but always wonder where you find the lovely items pictured. Please share your sources!!
Thanks for the feedback. Typically, our photos are of products that are available at our stores: Kiskadee, Bellacara, The Shoe Hive and Coco Blanca. They are our photos. Every now and then, we will use a stock image if necessary, without a source. And then in this case, the source is listed in the text, the blog Un-Fancy: http://www.un-fancy.com/