5PFW – The French Wardrobe Challenge

2016 seems to be the year of challenges; the 30 day minimalism challenge, the project 333 wardrobe challenge, and now, the five piece French wardrobe challenge. With a lot of fulfilling experiences and memories to look forward to in the next eight months, it felt only natural to try and make our home life (or should I say.. my wardrobe) a little bit lighter.

For those of you who weren’t around this time last year, the 5PFW Challenge has three rules:

– Only 5 key pieces per season
– Basics don’t count
– Shoes and accessories do count

There are a couple of minor caveats, of course.

Basics do count if you’re spending more than you normally would. If your t-shirt budget generally sits around the $50 mark, then a $75 t-shirt would have to be included as one of your five pieces for the season. If it’s $50 or less, then it doesn’t count.

Deciding which pieces are basics (and which aren’t) is up to your discretion, but for reference, I consider the following to be wardrobe essentials: t-shirts, tanks, cotton/silk blouses, mariniere, plain merino knit sweaters, simple shift dresses, plain pencil or a-line skirts, jeans, slim fit trousers, leggings, blazers, wool coats, ballet flats, loafers, and flat boots.

These basic pieces form the foundation of my wardrobe – for the most part – and play a large role in the majority of my day to day outfits. I prefer to keep the shades of these fairly neutral if I’m considering them a basic; think white/cream, blush, all shades of grey, navy and black, but you could definitely switch this up if you’re more of a colour chameleon than I am.

The same goes for replacements – if something wears out and needs replacing, it’s only to be included in your five pieces if it costs above and beyond what you’d normally spend.

Simple, right?

For those wondering how long a season runs for, typically it’s a ‘fashion’ season; Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter, however I think that you can interpret this however you like. Opting for six months right off the bat can be a little like diving into the deep end, particularly if you’re trying to starve off a shopping addiction.

Last year, I found myself staring at a defined list of what I was after for the season ahead, but in the end, I came away with more surprises than anything I’d tried to set in concrete. This time, I’ve decided to take a more relaxed approach; I’ve love some new knitwear, possibly a new coat (I get the feeling anything pink will be taking my fancy), some low heeled boots… pretty self-explanatory really.

I’ve put together a very quick video on the French wardrobe challenge over on YouTube that you can watch here if you’re so inclined, and for those of you that are thinking of trying this for yourselves, I’d love to know: are you in favour of the planning approach, or do you prefer to take it as it comes?

PS. For those of you who have fancied my Celine trio, I’ve decided to let mine go. You can take a peek (or buy it) here x