I’m halfway through the six-month French Wardrobe Challenge and I’m still going strong! It continues to be an effective way to narrow down my sartorial needs and wants—and I’ve actually spent less money (which won’t be the case when I buy this Kate Spade coat, this dress, and a pair of Tory Burch loafers).
The items in bold are the new additions since my last update here. You’ll also notice that I added a section to record the items that got the heave-ho. This process isn’t supposed to be about accumulation; it’s about winnowing down my wardrobe to the most well-made and well-loved items. The “purged” list is my little pat on the back for getting rid of things that just take up space.
THE RULES
- Quality over quantity.
- Basics don’t count.
- Accessories don’t count, unless you’re spending a lot more than usual.
- Socks and underwear don’t count.
- Shoes do count.*
*I’m not counting shoes. I don’t buy an excessive amount of them to begin with.
MY PROGRESS:
- Part of my Five: Erin Fetherston lipstick-print dress, Anthropologie cat-print dress, J.Crew Factory tartan-print sweater
- Basics: Banana Republic black pants, Forever 21 white dress, T by Alexander Wang black skirt, J.Crew Factory polka dot popover shirt , J.Crew sweatshirt
- Bags: Diane von Furstenberg clutch
- Accessories: Jennifer Meyer for J.Crew bracelet, Kate Spade belt, opal ring at an antique store in Alexandria, Forever 21 ring, Lulu Frost bangle, J.Crew Factory necklace, Kate Spade bangle, Melanie Auld ring
- Shoes: Joie tartan flats, Forever 21 d’orsay flats
- Purged: all of my pencil skirts, 1 dress, 3 pairs of shoes, 1 necklace, 1 bracelet, 2 pairs of earrings, 2 rings
THOUGHTS:
- I’m not particularly excited about the tartan sweater. We went to an ugly Christmas sweater party last weekend and it’s my interpretation since I refuse to spend money on one that’s truly hideous. Such a party pooper.
- A polka dot shirt may not seem like a basic, but I’ve already it with jeans on weekends, with pants to work and underneath sleeveless dresses. It’s also as close as I’m going to get to an all-white button down.
- It’s really hard to resist sparkly baubles around the holidays, but there are incredible deals if you take the time to search for them. I purchased the Lulu Frost bangle and Melanie Auld ring for under $30 each.
Are you curating the French Wardrobe? Post your progress and let me know. I’ll share a link to your post here. If that’s not really your speed, I’d still love to share posts about your budget struggles and successes in this space!
