My bedroom floor looked like a homicide scene last October. Instead of bodies silhouetted with chalk, there were piles of clothes strewn about. Literal piles.
Mountains. Cliffs. Seven years’ worth of “conscious” fashion accumulation plastered across my hardwood floors at 4AM after my cheap Target secondhand clothing rack decided to call it quits in the most embarrassing imaginable way possible.
There I was, wake-checked by my cat who’d made himself comfortable atop my fabric graveyard, half dressed in ironic fleece pyjamas with miniature avocados embroidered across the front (guilty), surveying my wreckage with equal parts horror and “how have I let it get this bad” indignation. Seven years.
Seven years of buying what I had told myself were cute trendy clothes from “ethical” brands*, and here I was, embarrassed at how much stuff I owned and wearing the same eight items in rotation while the rest of my clothes literally rotted in my closet. *cough knew my stuff sucked but wouldn’t admit it cough* Okay, fine.
It wasn’t exactly a realization.
I’ve written articles on how to build a capsule wardrobe and minimise your clothing consumption basically since I started blogging five years ago. I work from home and prefer jeans and sweaterigans to professional workwear, so in theory my wardrobe was pretty minimal and pared down.
But in practise…I had an embarrassingly large collection of “nicer” clothing that I wore literally once before retiring to the back of my closet. That eco-friendly dress from Reformation I swore I’d wear to my next party but was really just too uncomfortable to move in? Cheque.
That linen blazer from Everlane that somehow made me look frumpy instead of effortlessly breezy? Cheque cheque. Too manyETHICSSHOP investment.blouses jeggings statement jumpers to count.
We’ve all been there. You know the joke, right? Where you write about living with less but secretly shop your-storage-unit-full-of-clothes like a repentant fast fashion addict who just got hooked on polyester-filled mini skirts from H&M?
Yeah. Meet me in that cemetery of shame. I sat on the floor of my cluttered mess for awhile that morning, going through piles of discarded clothing and mentally divorcing myself from my wardrobe. “If it doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it,” I thought, grimly.
Except that wasn’t good enough for me anymore. Hell, buying things always sparks joy – wearing the same five things on repeat for the next seven years does not. I vowed to only keep pieces that I truly loved and would get tons of wear out of – if I couldn’t think of at least six different ways to style something with pieces I actually wore on the reg, it was donating time.
Lo and behold, as I sat there filling trash bags like some modern Marie Kondo, I realised I kept reaching for the same five pieces to wear on weekends when I didn’t want to dress up or needed to jump on a work call ASAP. Not trendy pieces, not even the things I loved but were more feminine or decorative than anything (hello, velvet skirt I swear I will wear this summer). But, instead, the same five cis-neutral wardrobe staples that I could throw on in any combination and immediately feel confident and put together.
The analyst in me perked up. Five core items of clothing, mixed and matched with some basic layering tees and accessories, could create at least three combinations per item SINCE WE’RE ADDING HERE, friends. Doing some quick mental math made me realise I could theoretically create thirty distinct outfits from five wardrobe stalwarts alone.
Not just “Yeah sure, if you match that top with those leggings it could work” kinda combos, but actual outfits I would wear in real life. SO! Challenge accepted.
For the month of November, I would only wear five pieces of clothing, creating thirty distinct outfits from only these things. Rules: * No shopping! My closet may be bare, but my bank account wasn’t about to suffer for my experiment. * No “exceptions.” No wearing “an extra piece because it’s cold out” or “just this once” statements.
Five pieces only. * I would document every outfit I wore, no repeats! (This list will be updated weekly as we go along!) Let’s start at the bottoms, because trousers/newsbriefs are hard. **The Perfect Black Trousers** They’re not wide-leg. They’re not slim-fit. They’re wool mid-weight straight-leg trousers that autumn perfectly at my anklebone and cost more than I cared to admit when I purchased them from Everlane two years ago.
Worth. Every. Penny.
Ever since I found my perfect pair of trousers, I’ve been spoiled. They have just the right amount of stretch to be comfortable but hold their shape all day long, the inseam is long enough to tuck into boots or skirts without being exposed, and the colour is that immaculate dark black that doesn’t fade or fade-out to grey like most trousers I own. They could’ve been made in the 90s or coming out of the tunnel right now and still look chic AF.
Best part? They’re endlessly versatile. Button-down and loafers?
Office professional. Silk cami and heels? Evening appropriate.
Jumper and white trainers? Weekend casual but still put together. It’s the same pair of trousers three different times!
I honestly don’t even know how many wears I’ve got out of these things at this point (cost-per-wear math I AM), but I can tell you they’ve legit paid for themselves and then some. A great pair of trousers is hard to find, and when you do weirdly spend less money complaining about how much they cost.. **The White Button-Down That Actually Fits** There were no fewer than seventeen white shirts I owned before I found this one. Too sheer, too stiff, gaping at the buttons, sleeves that refused to stay rolled up, collars too stiff or too schlubby.
It drove me insane trying to find a plain white shirt that just WORKED and was actually long enough to tuck in. Mine is 100% cotton poplin that feels heavy enough to not be clingy but not so thick that it looks like a sack. The fit is slightly relaxed without being baggy, and doesn’t pull or tug anywhere.
The shoulders sit exactly where they should, the sleeves are long enough to wear down or cuffed and actually STAY CUFFED, and it’s long enough to tuck all the way in but short enough to leave untucked without looking like a wandering circus tent. This baby has been worn for at least twenty of my thirty outfits. Tucked in and buttoned up all the way, obviously.
But open over a camisole or tank top for layering, knotted at the waist over a high-waisted skirt, tucked into high-waisted jeans and worn as a statement jumper over tees I couldn’t care less about. The options are literally endless. Pro tip: when in search of the perfect white button up, pay less attention to trends and focus on fit.
There is no TRUE ideal white shirt. The best white shirt for you will fit YOUR body and YOUR wardrobe, not what everyone else is talking about on Instagram. **The Actually Versatile Midi Skirt** Okay fine, this one is black. But hear me out.
After YEARS of midi skirts that were too tight, too slouchy, too long, or just TRYING TOO HARD I discovered this baby at my local consignment shop in Capitol Hill and fell in love. It’s a.htmlbean basic black A-line midi skirt that’s not too full but not too slim, hits right at my ankle for flats or toes-over-with heels both, and -bonus- comes with ACTUAL POCKETS. The fabric is a mid-weight cotton that flows nicely but isn’t so stiff it looks like a trapeze artist ate it for dinner.
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Throw on my white button-up and trainers and it’s casual weekend vibes. Pair it with a fitted grey jumper and booties and it’s office-approved. Silk cami, statement earrings, and strappy heels?
Date night ready. Same skirt, three totally different feels. It can be tough to find a truly versatile midi because the proportions can be easily skewed and make you look frumpy or over-dressed.
Look for something that follows your natural lines without clinging too tightly. Think supporting actor, not leading! **The Jeans That Don’t Look Like Jeans** Before I tossed half my wardrobe I probably owned close to twenty pairs of jeans. Skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, distressed jeans, coloured jeans… you name it.
And yet I didn’t wear any of them regularly because they were either uncomfortable AS FUCK or only worked with extremely specific types of outfits. These guys? They survived the great wardrobe purge because they don’t LOOK like jeans.
Dark wash, straight leg, mid-rise, and cost more than I ever liked to spend on jeans prior. But they’re cut in such a way that flatters my figure AND the denim is of such high quality that they almost look like I’m wearing casual trousers instead of denim. They don’t have any ripping or obvious “jean details” like contrasting stitching or fly buttons – just clean lines and perfect proportion.
You can get away with wearing these during basically any situation where denim normally wouldn’t cut it. Throw on my blazer and a nice silk cami and you’re good for casual business meetings or work happy hours. Boots and a black t-shirt?
Perfect for trendy restaurants that don’t accept sweatpants. Tuck into my midi skirt for an all-new silhouette. It all comes down to the cut and fabric.
They basically are trousers made out of jeans material. Compare that to my old bootcut jeans that look like pyjamas and you’ll understand what I’m saying. **The Blazer That Does Everything** Last but certainly not least: the jack-of-all-trades blazer. Also black, because we’re going for ease of mixing and matching here friends.
It’s a single-breasted black blazer that literally goes with everything. Not too oversized, not too fitted, just accurate jacket proportions that streamline any outfit they touch. Throw it over my Everlane jeans and basic tee, and BAM you’re_work appropriate.
Toss it over that midi skirt and plain cami for some serious lady boss energy. Pair it with the trousers and a cute top, and you’ve got yourself a suit. I’ve even worn it as a light jacket over casual clothes on weekends when I didn’t want to wear a jumper.
My number one tip for finding a versatile blazer? Make sure the proportions are bang-on. You’re looking for something where the shoulders sit exactly at your shoulder bones, the sleeves end where your wrist bone starts, and that isn’t too long or too short in the body.
It should have enough structure that it doesn’t cling and wrinkly, but give enough that it’s comfortable to wear all day. Ta-da! There you have it folks: my five.
Foundational five, that I built thirty totally badass outfits around just this month. But really I learned so much more than that. Sure, I proved to myself that it was possible to wear five (!!!) items of clothing and create not just ten but THIRTY awesome outfits.
But I also learned that: 1) The beauty of a capsule wardrobe isn’t ONEITEMS versatility – it’s EVERYTHING’s ability to augment each other! Week one I mostly kept it basic. Everlane trousers + white shirt + blazer.
Jeans + white shirt +roll at knees + boots. Midi + white shirt + knots. You get the gist – lots of things that looked put together but didn’t challenge me too much creatively.
Come week two I started getting fancy. I threw the skirt over the jeans with the button-down (sounds crazy, but trust me it works), wore the blazer unbuttoned like a cardigan, and started wearing the button-up as a light jacket over tank tops and tees. Same few items, completely different proportions/vibe.
By week three I was getting REALLY creative. I belted the blazer over everything. Wore the button-up huge and un-tucked.
Started doing weird half-tucks. Even wore the blazer buttoned-up like a shirt with nothing underneath (ALSMDKFAHM YES IT WAS RISQUE BUT ALSO SO chic). Then in week four I broke out the accessories.
Statement belts, oversized scarves worn as tops/belts/knots, huge earrings that completely changed the vibe of an outfit. It was game time, y’all. Now, I know what you’re thinking.
Could I REALLY wear only five items of clothing for an entire month and STILL have enough pieces to create 30 different outfits? Are you secretly a relapsed impulse shopper who lied about keeping the challenge “strict?”Well, friend, it’s time for the reveal. As it turns out, you totally can!
And no…I have not collapsed back into old shopping habits and restored my formerly expansive wardrobe. Now that I’ve gone through the effort of paring down I’ll only bring home new items that work with at least 70% of what I own AND that I can style SIX different ways. That’s right folks, the bar has been raised!
To each their own wardrobe, obviously.
Yours will probably include dresses.
Or brighter colours.
Or different cuts that work better for your body. Hell, you might even like maxi skirts. But I urge you to find your own five.
What are the absolute hardest working pieces in your wardrobe? How can you use them to branch out and wear less, but better? I started this journey wondering how I’d ended up writing blog posts on creating capsule wardrobes and minimalist lifestyles for the past decade and still have a closet full of stuff I don’t wear.
After realising my mistakes, chopping nearly half my clothes in the trash, and spending a month truly embracing less, I think I have the answer. Less really can be more. <p class=”update”>*As a sidebar, almost all of the “ethical” items I bought were from Everlane. They give you the ability to search for pieces based on what “impact” means to you (organic, recycled, carbon neutral, etc.).
GO THROUGH THAT SEARCH FILTER. You’ll thank me.</p>
