As much as I wish it were the onset of Sweater Weather here, I’m trying to be super realistic this year and just straight up accept that it will likely be late October before I can put on an actual sweater. So rather than taunt myself by including pullovers and cardigans in my not-quite-fall inventory, I’m pretending for the moment that they don’t even exist. What I can do now is start in on some lighter and/or sleeveless layering and switch (mostly) from sandals to closed shoes, and those little tweaks will at least make me feel like there’s a progression happening. I’m thinking of it as Sweater Vest Weather. If the temperatures do drop, I’ll be pleasantly surprised and will have no trouble reaching for the sweaters! Otherwise, you won’t see them here until I get to do winter-ish outfits (but if you care to see them in the meantime, I did a full sweater inventory last month right here).
I alluded yesterday to the idea that I’m organizing Slow Fashion October this year around the process of assessing, editing and (re)building a slow closet, and for the sake of this inventory and my need to change things up a bit, I’ve jumped ahead and pulled a few new/old items from the periphery of my closet to breathe some new life into the things I’ve been wearing ad nauseum.
That said, I’m holding off creating any kind of Make list until I’ve completed the deeper dive that’s about to happen. Right now, I’m all about what I already own. So above are the 33 garments that will form the backbone of my wardrobe for this in-between moment and beyond. It’s quite late at night as I’m putting this together, so I only have time to highlight the few recent or resurfaced things. For details on the rest of the items, please scroll back through the closet inventory archive.
ROW 1
— Khaki cotton blazer (J.Crew c. 2009)
— Black cotton kimono sweater (Elizabeth Suzann, sample sale 2017, no longer available)
— Blue striped kimono jacket (2018)
For ages, a blazer was my favorite kind of garment in all the world — I wore one nearly every day. When I moved cross-country I donated most of them to Dress for Success and kept only two, one of which I’m suddenly eager to dust off and start wearing again. I’ve also decided to hang onto the previously debated Elizabeth Suzann kimono sweater thingie and give it a chance. Many are the times when I was unconvinced about something and wound up addicted to it, and since it’s already in my possession I feel like I should try. If that doesn’t happen, I know there are plenty of people who’d like to give it a good home. And I’ve also decided to let my pajama-y Wiksten Kimono (which I lovingly refer to as “my housecoat”) leave the house. It’s the lightest imaginable layering piece and gives me a hint of that fall feeling without creating any real warmth.
ROW 2
Second from the left is the ES Clyde jacket I refashioned into a vest in May, and far right is the State Smock that was white in previous inventories but I indigo dyed at Squam in June.
ROW 4
Second from the left is an Everlane sleeveless tee that I screenprinted under the tutelage of Jen Hewett in SF last week. The op art is an old piece of my husband’s, and there’s a second one with a cactus drawing on it so both will turn up in future outfits. (They’re not likely to be white for long, but it’ll be great while it lasts.)
ROW 7
Left is the linen-cotton pants I made a couple weeks ago, and center are my tissue-thin old beloved jeans that have now made their way into the queue at Indigo Proof, for those of you on the edges of your seats about that! (Or is that just me?!) They’ll be back with me soon, shored up except for the giant hole in the thigh, so that one will have to be patched, but I’ll be able to wear them again!
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PREVIOUSLY in Wardrobe Planning: Spring ’18 Mood and Strategy
I’m so curious how you make your wardrobe layouts? I think it would be so beneficial for me to see my clothes this way. Did you just take photos of everything (and do you ever print them?) or do you use an app?
It is truly the most helpful thing I’ve ever done. I just take a photo whenever I have something new and add it to the folder on my hard drive. And then I use Photoshop to make the grids, but there are apps that will do that part for you, I’ve heard!
Also curious about printing your photos (and pins from pinterest)! I love how you include them in your planning journals, would like to do the same.
When I recreate a Pinterest board here, it’s just a screengrab situation, cleaned up in Photoshop.
I plan to start doing this, once I edit my closet down a bit more, I am going to do fall/winter photos (since I am in SoCal and fall and winter aren’t to different) and then deal with spring/summer when the time comes.
I’m starting to feel like I’m more familiar with your wardrobe than I am with my own!
(I’m not complaining!!!)
I hear you,as we have warm hot weather even though it is fall here, I’m trying to have a different idea of fall I want to make a cape I have red and black buffalo plaid it is old it is fannel also have black and white big plaid, I can’t wait to sew I make my own jeans ,slacks and so on. I’m ready for winter,o did find a demin shirt at a thrift store, between sewing and thirft stores I do well
If, like me, you do the lazy person’s version, you lay everything out on the bed.
In my case, you realize how few transitional pieces you have for this time of year, when autumn can’t decide if today it wants to be cold or hot or temperate or dry or rainy or windy or still…
Also, your husband walks into the room, blanches, and says, “I thought this didn’t happen until October?”
I’m on the brink of moving into long-sleeved lightweight dresses and tunics. I am still in my sleeveless summer tops, but my arms are constantly slightly too cold and if I put on even a lightweight cardigan or drape a shawl around my shoulders I am quickly much too hot. However, I am back in socks most days now and that feels so good!
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