Closet Confidential TAG

I’ve written a lot about the different challenges that I’ve been undertaking in an effort to really reduce my spending on my wardrobe and focus on the basics or investment pieces as it were, and very little about much of what actually is in my closet. Verena of My Green Closet very recently tagged me on YouTube to share a little bit more about my wardrobe, so I thought I’d share it with you here too. I rather shamelessly enjoy watching videos like this (and makeup collection videos – even if they are terribly enabling!) so had a bit of fun rifling through my wardrobe to uncover the answers to these questions…

What is the oldest item in your closet?
There’s no one particular piece which stands out to me as the oldest, however I’d hazard a guess that it’s either a grey cashmere cardigan I have from Karen Walker’s ‘The Village’ collection, or the serpent lace dress from Lover. Both have fared pretty well over the years; the KW cardigan is still one of my favourites and has managed to survive many wardrobe culls over the years, and the Lover lace dress holds a very special place in my heart. It’s one of those pieces which always makes me feel good, and that I reach for when I have a special occasion coming up.

What is the newest?
The newest addition to my wardrobe is a pair of simple black pointed toe ballet flats from ASOS. I walk more than an hour a day just to get to and from work, so I wanted to pick something up that was work appropriate and that I wouldn’t mind thrashing a little bit.

What is the most expensive item?
I have a few items that I’ve really splashed out on, but I would say the most expensive would be my Proenza Schouler PS11 satchel. When I purchased it – four years ago now – it was a very big deal to me (and still is) to part with so much money in one go, but it has been very much one of my most loved and worn pieces.

What is the biggest bang for your buck?
I very rarely find myself wandering into chain-stores or fast fashion style outlets, as I prefer to invest in quality over quantity. But when it comes to basics, I’ve found some of the most durable and affordable pieces have come from places like Uniqlo or Zara. One of the ones which has really been able to do a lot of double duty has been a simple black muscle tank from Glassons. The cotton is so soft it feels almost like suede, and I liked the particular style I have so much that I bought three (!!) of them.

What was the biggest bargain?
I tend to find myself browsing eBay (or Trade Me in NZ) quite a lot, and it’s been the source of many bargains I’ve picked up over the years. The one which stands out the most to me is a grey wool flannel skirt from Karen Walker, which set me back about $20; maybe less… (retail, I wouldn’t hesitate to assume this would have been in the range of about $300 or so). This is one of those multi-tasking pieces which is so easy for the weekend with a loose fit tee or a jersey, or alternatively for the office with a smart pair of shoes and a silk blouse.

What was the biggest waste of money?
Many of the pieces that I would classify as a ‘big waste of money’ have since left my wardrobe so it’s not an easy one to pinpoint. For me it would be anything that was bought, and not worn at all, which unfortunately happened rather regularly before I moved to Australia. Currently in my wardrobe, the only piece I’m yet to wear that I’ve been holding on to for some time are a pair of calf hair desiree pumps from Charlotte Olympia. These are leopard printed with a mesh black pompom on the toe, making them one of the more unusual pairs that I own (unless you count panda flats in that category…), and I haven’t quite found the right occasion to wear these yet. I managed to score these for a very good price considering, so I’m hanging on to them in the hopes that these might see the light of day sometime soon.

What are your three favourite items right now?
I love a silk blouse as much as the next girl, but as of late I’ve been all about soft cottons and cosy knits. My three favourite pieces right now all seem to fit into this category. The first, is a stripey long sleeve midi dress from Country Road; the second, a grey supima cotton tee from Everlane; and finally, a mohair camel ¾ sleeve jumper from J. Crew. I’m working on putting together a Spring capsule wardrobe (yes.. another round of Project 333 is coming my way) and I have a strong feeling that all three of these will pop up in there somewhere.

I hope that you all enjoyed reading (or watching!) this tag! x