The Autumn/Winter ‘French’ wardrobe

Acne Studios jensen boots

And it’s over..! Six months of sticking to a strict set of five items only – except for the basics, of course – and miraculously, I managed to come out the other side with less than five items in the bag, and only a handful of wardrobe essentials added to my closet.

Looking back on my initial wish list, it’s more than clear that defining my five items so early on did me no favors (and only served to demonstrate how impulsive I can be when it comes to my wardrobe). If it weren’t for the fact that I’d pre-ordered that Mansur Gavriel bucket bag back in September, I’m about 95% positive that this list would have looked completely different.

To recap, here’s what entered my closet:
– Black leather bucket bag
– Black grain leather ankle boots
– Lavender floral printed smock top
– and a sleek black a-line midi dress

There’s a pretty obvious theme going on here, and I definitely didn’t take too many risks, rather opting to build on the classics I already had in my closet.

While there are obvious benefits to being so selective about any new wardrobe additions, I’m still not entirely sold that the 5PFW challenge alone – or in conjunction with other ‘wardrobe challenges – will necessarily safeguard against impulsively purchasing a $900 avant garde sequin jacket, or a perceived classic which hangs in the closet unworn.

The Celine dress I so eagerly snapped up sadly seems to have fallen into this category, particularly as the role I’ve recently moved into has a slightly more relaxed dress code that my last job. I’m still at odds over whether I should keep this dress, given how many ‘special occasion’ dresses I already have.

While my reasons for attempting the 5PFW were multi-faceted, it was exactly this kind of empty promise that I’ve made to myself so many times in the past that I’d been trying to avoid. Not to mention that setting a particular limit – in this case five items – could present as something of a goal to reach, and encourage the purchase of an item just for the sake of meeting the target of ‘five’. Which is a trap I think I almost fell into with a fifth purchase, which I so promptly returned (a very youthful looking smock dress, for those wondering).

But, for the most part, it’s been a resounding success. My inbox which was always in a state of frenzy is now seeing far fewer e-alerts for new arrivals and flash sales, and I’m spending less time poring over the pages of Net-a-Porter (always a source of temptation) and Shopbop in search of nothing in particular.

I gave myself fewer incentives to shop, by complementing the 5PFW with Project 333; a decision which I was sure at the time was probably a very unwise choice, but now looking back was probably just what I needed to keep me on a positive trajectory, and I’ve been focusing more of my energies in my spare time to DIY projects around the house or other equally constructive recreational activities.

I also found myself thinking twice about buying something new. It was no longer a question of having the means to buy something but rather whether I actually needed to buy something; would it serve a purpose that the pieces in my existing wardrobe didn’t? And it’s really this behavior (or approach) to adding to my wardrobe in general that I was hoping to achieve. So many of my past purchases really did seem to fall into that category of buying something just for the sake of shopping to the point of excess, which, with an engagement party and a wedding to plan – not to mention a trip to Italy and NYC next year for my future BIL’s wedding – isn’t exactly a habit I have the luxury of being able to continue, letting alone actually wanting to continue. Less definitely is more.

The biggest question I think I asked myself at the end of the six months was ‘did I spend less money?’ and unsurprisingly, the answer was y-e-s. I won’t hide from the fact that I tend to get a little spendy when it comes to any wardrobe addition for many reasons, but I’m also an avid sale shopper. Which truthfully, has quite often (in the past) resulted in attempts to combine quality and quantity. Not exactly a winning combination for your bank balance, I might add. Narrowing it down and thinking a little beyond the current season were both key in beating that mindset – hopefully, for good.

And as for round two? For now, I think I’m just going to see how I go over the next six months. – with any luck, adding fewer pieces to my wardrobe will be an organic rather than a conscious process!