One Color Palette, Fewer Clothes--More Style!

Dear Leslie,

Since January, I've lost almost 50 lb.  As you can imagine, I pretty much needed an entire new wardrobe.  I checked out your site and signed up for a personal profile, and I also ordered the Style Recipes eBook.  I love both, but the recipe ebook gave me a really great place to start revamping my wardrobe.  After purging my closet of numerous bags of clothes that no longer fit, I printed off the "Essential Basics" checklist to take shopping with me. 

I followed the recipe ebook advice and came up with a basic color palette (for me, black, white, tan, gray, turquoise and lime green).  So now everything goes with everything and mixing and matching is easy.  I'm amazed at how easy getting dressed in the morning has become.  I actually look forward to it!
Now that I have the basics covered, I'm looking forward to using the personal profile to add more fun pieces to my wardrobe. 

Thanks for helping me get started on a whole new me! Jody S

Link to MSP's "Style Recipes" eBook that will quickly improve your style: Style Recipes: 25 Items, 100 ways to wear them!

Tips for Putting Together a Good Basic Wardrobe

Only when you put together a good basic wardrobe--can you begin to have true great style. 

It starts by having 60-70% of your wardrobe basic pieces. That's a lot more than what most women have in their wardrobes. Often women have 25-30% basic items and the rest are odds and ends (impulse purchases).

For an article of clothing to be considered a ‘wardrobe basic'  it must be:

__Versatile. It needs to go with lots of different things and be worn a variety of different ways.

__Good quality. It will be worn often, so it needs to be the best quality you can afford.

__Classic styling. It shouldn't go out of style quickly because it is a wardrobe staple.

__Good fit. It is worn often, it must fit you well and make you look your best.

__Flattering color (or colors) that works with most of your wardrobe.

Keep your style current! Don't collect clothes year after year...if you haven't worn it in a year purge it!

If you could fill up this shopping bag...

 
If you could fill up this shopping bag with anything your little 'ol heart desires, what would it be?

You've got one hour to go into your favorite store and stuff this bag full of FREE goodies...

what are you filling up this shopping bag with?

Disclaimer: to those that might think I have magical powers..this is a fantasy question :) 

We can all dream, can't we?

Too much 'mix and match' creates a big mess!

 
That's right. Too much 'mix and match' creates a big mess!

Dressing is like cooking. If you continually shop and buy clothes 'just because' and without a plan, then you are just wasting money. You'll never have a really terrific wardrobe because you have not planned out a basic wardrobe or invested in essential wardrobe items.

It's like having random ingredients and you want to bake something. The problem is you don't have the RIGHT ingredients...therefore you can make NOTHING!!! 

STOP buying so many cute trendy items just because they are on clearance!!!!

You only need one or two dresses like this....

(photo: Nordstrom)

Your money is better spent on several dresses like this...(you can wear it more often)

Of course a classic dress style in a pretty color never hurts!

All the odds and ends, mix and match items...don't add up to much! It's the basic wardrobe that allows you create that fantastic wardrobe you desire.

Need help creating a basic wardrobe? Try one of my Personal Profiles at MissusSmartyPants and learn how to create that wardrobe you desire. Learn to dress based upon your body shape + get my list of 'Wardrobe Basics'.

Love, Leslie