Building a Wardrobe: Finding Key Pieces

So far in this series, I've discussed finding your own style, how to determine number of pieces needed for your closet, and how to pick closet basics.  Today we're discussing how to fill in the rest of your closet with Key Pieces (again, refer to this article by Into Mind for an excellent explanation).

I think of Key Pieces as the showstoppers of your closet--the pieces that you select first then build an outfit around, or the pieces you'd miss most or be unable to replace if your closet burned in a fire.

When I'm thinking about selecting Key Pieces, I try to picture my closet as a whole and make sure that this unique piece can be easily replaced in an outfit by any other item in my closet. Key Pieces generally incorporate one or more of the following characteristics:

• Structured: the cut of the fabric is unique and makes the piece standout beyond your typical basic. Helmut Lang is a master of this. 
• Patterned: a piece with a print is more memorable than a solid. Subgroups to incorporate into you wardrobe may include: geometrics, florals, stripes, animal prints, and watercolors/abstract prints
• Textural: a tweed jacket will almost always be more interesting or statement-making than a cotton jacket, because the texture of the fabric teases the eye differently than a smooth, nondescript fabric. It's great to include a variety of fabrics in your closet, including tweeds, cottons, silks, metals, laser-cut fabrics, jersey knits, and workout-friendly fabrics.
• Colorful: Our brains are wired to notice colors and variations in tone, so obviously a colorful piece of clothing can stand out more in a closet than a neutral. Make sure your colors are flattering to your skin tone! Note: Blacks, greys, creams, browns, and whites get a bad rap for being boring, but a little black dress can be just as interesting as a cobalt one if it incorporates one of the other three characteristics of statement-makers.

So what items would I select for my own wardrobe? See below:

Key Pieces: Bottoms by mjchirpich-1 featuring long skirts

Breakdown (including which of the four characteristic the item incorporates)

• 1 pair Colorful, Structured trousers: these are basically like wearing pajamas to work, so obviously you'll wear them at least once a week. These are another good example, showing that they don't have to be colorful to be a key piece. The drapey structure of the piece will also make it stand out in your closet.
• 1 pair Patterned (geometric), Structured, Colorful trousers: these are SO. GOOD. You HAVE to click here to see how fun the cuts of these are, plus the pattern adds a fun Pow! to my mostly-neutral wardrobe. If this is a bit much for you, you could go with these grey jeans with awesome stitching. Not crazy enough? Try these gold sequined reptilian-print trousers!
• 1 Patterned (floral) Colorful maxi skirt: I love this skirt because it has so many colors, so it's infinitely mixable, plus the print has a basis of black so my neutral tops would look great with it. These floral trousers are another good example, although they're sadly sold out now.
• 1 Textural, Structured leather skirt: leather texture is always sexy to me, and that vibe is reinforced by the severe lines of the skirt. For a more demure yet colorful look, try this midi leather skirt; for a trendier take on the topic, try these pleather joggers.
• 1 Geometric, Colorful skirt: much like the maxi skirt above, this skirt is versatile because it incorporates many colors on a black base. The print affords the opportunity for fun pattern mixing, too! This is a super fun alternative that I may just have to buy for an upcoming wedding...
• 1 Colorful, Textured skirt: I love the bright cobalt color and the geometric floral cuts, but I just realized it's sold out! Here's a real leather alternative.
• 1 Structured pair lounge pants: newsflash: companies make really fun, interesting sweatpants--no need to relive the college days in your baggy heather grey drawstring pair! I'm also digging on these that seem like they could be dressed up with funky heels, and these that are made for your laziest, coziest of days (as a dreadlocked stoner).
• 1 Patterned (watercolor) Colorful legging: I mean. I am dying to workout just to wear these fun leggings! Here's a tie-dye pair in similar colors. 
• 1 Patterned (floral) Colorful legging: It's tough to keep motivated to workout, so I don't think it hurts to have a couple pairs of fun leggings, especially if one is in cool tones and the other is in warm tones to fully utilize your closet. Try these eco-friendly alternatives--they're made of recycled plastic bottles!
• 1 Patterned (watercolor) Colorful pair of shorts: For when it's super hot out and you want to get your equally hot tush in gear, try a fun pair of shorts.  These could light a fire under you (har!), and these are a fun compression version.

Key Pieces: Tops by mjchirpich-1 featuring a v neck dress

Breakdown:

• 1 Textural, Patterned, Structured, Colorful blazer:  If this company wasn't based in New Zealand I would own it already. LOVE. Here is another option.
• 1 Patterned (stripes) Structural cardigan: this is perfect to dress up or down, and its oversized fit and print make it memorable. Here's another that has a fun fit and striped print.
• 1 Structured, Colorful, Textured blazer: A more colorful take on the first cardigan's assets, this can go sweet or tough because the pink color is balanced by an angular cut and studs.
• 1 Structured, Textural trench coat: although most consider a trench coat to be a wardrobe basic, this makes it to 'Key Pieces' territory because of the mix of fabrics and the severe lines created by the contrasting colors. I also like this abstract plaid version.
• 1 Colorful, Patterned (stripes/geometric) tank: with white cutoffs for play, black pencil skirt for work. Try this one for a little less color. 
• 1 Colorful workout sweatshirt: Pop this on after your workout and carry the positive vibes throughout your day :) Try this for a warm-tone top. 
• 1 Patterned (animal) sweater: Try this with jeans on the weekend or over a button-up and pencil skirt for work. Another option here. 
• 1 Patterned (abstract) Colorful blouse: Multiple colors = multiple options to pair it with in your closet. Here's a slightly less multi-color version. 
• 1 Patterned (geometric) blouse: This would look sharp with a blazer blazer; here's a less dressy alternative. 
• 1 Patterned (floral) tank: this is loose and flowy--very comfortable, and would be fun paired with stripes. Here's a more structured alternative. 
• 1 Patterned (watercolor) workout tank: Try this with blue-colored bottoms, or black shorts. Here's another!
• 1 Patterned (abstract), Structured workout tank: This tank has a fun wrap feature, making it equally great for yoga or an art show. Here's another that is a little less funky.
• 1 Patterned (geometric/stripes), Colorful, Structured, Textured work dress: I am....in love with this dress and will stalk the internet until it goes on sale. Here's another amazing option with scuba-inspired styling. 
• 1 Structured work dress: Yes, this is technically colorful too, but I treat hunter green as a neutral like grey or navy, so it doesn't count for me as colorful ;) Here's a truly neutral option that is still gorgeously structured. 
• 1 Patterned (stripes), Structured maxi: The back of this dress is a fun surprise. Try this one for a more coverage. 
• 1 Structured little black dress: This Helmut Lang dress is equally amazing if worn turned around...I know because I've tried, and I can't stop thinking about it. I also want something in my life that warrants this beauty. 
• 1 Structured 'power' workout tank: Tip: highly structured and minimalistic pieces convey a powerful, sexy vibe, so when you need inspiration to tough out a hard workout, grab a simple-but-strong tank. Here's another option to show off your sexy back ;)

Things to note:

• The greater number of the four listed characteristics that an item has, the more of a 'wow' factor is likely present. Making note of how many of the characteristics your key pieces cover may further help clarify your style. For example, of all the items here, the ones I most want in my closet are the first black blazer with pink and patterned insets and the work dress with geometric stripes......both of which are the only two shown here that meet all four criteria. In contrast, I'm a little bored by the blue workout sweater, because it doesn't have as much 'pizazz' in comparison. If you want interesting pieces but have a more classic style or just don't want crazy-town pieces like me, find pieces that just have one or two of the characteristics.
• I provided a couple alternatives for each piece to reinforce the idea that you're not looking for a specific piece (i.e., if you hate those amazing geometric pants, you can find an alternative that suits you better that still has a great cut and print but doesn't give you a seizure looking at it ;)
• In looking at my list of shirts, most of them can be labeled as Patterned, but they aren't repeating elements in this imaginary closet because each represents a distinct category of pattern (geometric, stripe, animal, etc). You need a mix of pattern categories to keep your closet remixable. 
• Notice that none of my labels overlap--I don't have two different Colorful Structured skirts listed, etc. This is because by mixing up what characteristics your clothing presents, you have greater diversity and thus greater mixability (if you plan it correctly--items in your closet still need to go together!)

For the other posts in this series, see:

• Building a Wardrobe: Identifying your closet's colors, prints, and proportions
• Building a Wardrobe: How to define the pieces needed to make your closet functional
• Building a Wardrobe: Laying a foundation with basics
• Building a Wardrobe: Finding key pieces

Coming up next:

• Building a Wardrobe: Accessories and Shoes!
• Building a Wardrobe: How to Maximize Options in a Capsule Wardrobe

And, because I personally hate having to click on each link in a blog post, here are all of the alternate options I linked to in this post :)

Building a wardrobe: Laying a foundation with basics

So far, we've discussed how to identify your closet's colors, prints, and proportions, as well as how to identify how many of each item you need to maximize your closet.  Before today's post on how to pick specific items for your closet, you may want to read the following great posts from Into Mind:

• Wardrobe essentials: how to build a solid foundation of basics: this post explains that most wardrobes are made up of key pieces (items around which your look is built) and basics (items that fill in/round out your outfit but aren't the star of the show).
• Building a Capsule Wardrobe 101: this post explains how to figure out specific items that you need in your closet to suit your specific needs and shows how to identify holes in your closet

Ok, now that we're all on the same page, yesterday I made estimates of how many items I'd need to have a fully functional closet. Today I'm going to share how to build a foundation of basics to optimize your capsule closet.

For each basic I included in my imaginary closet, I asked myself if it had a few characteristics:

• Classic: Basics need to work with your entire closet, so trendy items need not apply here.
• Comfortable: If your basic isn't comfortable, you won't wear it, so make sure you want to rock whatever is in your closet! "Comfortable" means not only does it fit well and not annoy/hurt you to wear, but it makes you feel like your best self--your closet should not make you self-conscious!
• Chameleon: Make sure that items can work dual-purpose (i.e., black workout leggings can double as leggings under a work dress and boots) or are simple enough to 'go with' most of the rest of your closet.
• Quality: Because basics work overtime in your closet, make sure that the pieces you choose with withstand a little wear and tear. This doesn't necessarily mean that basics need to be expensive, but it does mean that you should probably avoid Forever 21 for your work trousers, for example. 

For each item I selected, I also asked myself: Can this item be easily substituted with any other piece in this closet? If yes, I kept looking or eliminated one of the items. If no, it was added to the closet and my list narrowed.

Here are the basics I ended up with--tune in tomorrow for my Key Pieces!

Basic Bottoms by mjchirpich-1 featuring blue skinny jeans

The breakdown:

• 1 pair grey workout capris: a nice counterpoint to fun, bright workout tops
• 1 pair black long leggings: the 'little black dress' of workout gear, I wear this to workout and wear them under work dresses/under boots as well
• 1 black lounge pant: I buy comfortable workout pants and wear them as lounge pants, to workout, and to sleep in
• 1 pair black shorts: another staple in your workout gear closet
• 1 black work skirt: this skirt is a bit more interesting than your typical pencil skirt, but plays equally nicely for work and play
• 1 black and white stripe skirt: another versatile piece, this can be dressed up for work or paired with a graphic tee for play
• 1 pair bootcut jeans:
• 1 pair denim skinny jeans: I wear mine constantly--they go with everything in my closet!
• 1 pair tailored black trouser pants: these do-it-all work pants are tailored enough for work, yet simple and interesting enough to wear out to the bar with a fun top
• 1 pair white skinny jeans: these can be swapped for black or grey skinny jeans as well
• 1 black maxi skirt: so versatile, it's like wearing black pants

Basic Tops:

Basic Tops by mjchirpich-1 featuring a three quarter jacket

Breakdown:

• Black leather tee: starting off with a 'not so basic basic', this tee can be work to work or play
• 1 black long-sleeve dress: dress it up or down, wear it to work or the bar!
• 1 denim jacket: I use my denim jacket to complete my more casual work outfits and layer it constantly when running errands
• 1 leather jacket: a wardrobe staple, this jacket can be worn nearly year-round and immediately toughens up the girliest of outfits
• 1 striped hoodie: wear it to workout or layer it under the jean jacket to run errands
• 1 black cardigan: makes basically any top work-appropriate
• 2 long-sleeve tees (black and blue): wear as a layer or on its own with a fun necklace
• 1 white swiss dot tuxedo buttonup: the dots bring a bit of subtle pattern, and the top can be worn alone or under sheaths, jackets, cardigans, etc
• 1 silk bow-tie top: wear it over/under sweaters, tied or untied
• 1 black blazer: another versatile item to make any top or dress work-ready
• 3 v-neck tees (grey, blue, coral): closet staple.
• 1 lavender workout sweater: this is workout gear that doubles as a lovely work top!
• 3 workout tanks (black, aqua, grey stripes): another dual-purpose top, this can go to the gym or under a jacket at work 
• 1 coral long-sleeve workout top: this is too sporty for work, but it's such a fun color that it does fine on its own! :)

As you can see, I gravitate towards neutral-colored bottoms (black, white, grey, denim) and wear more color up top. Some people advise to invest in basics, since they're the foundation of your wardrobe. My philosophy is that basics are always available and easily replaced, so I'd rather splurge on fun key pieces and accessories--so stay tuned for my next post on how to round out the 'key pieces' portion of my wardrobe!

For the other posts in this series, see:

• Building a Wardrobe: Identifying your closet's colors, prints, and proportions
• Building a Wardrobe: How to define the pieces needed to make your closet functional
• Building a Wardrobe: Laying a foundation with basics

Coming up next:

• Building a Wardrobe: Finding key pieces
• Building a Wardrobe: Accessories and Shoes!
• Building a Wardrobe: How to Maximize Options in a Capsule Wardrobe

Building a Wardrobe: How to define the pieces needed to make your closet functional

Last post I discussed how to narrow in on your personal style and define your 'look.'  I outlined my colors, prints, and proportions as a starting point for creating a functional closet. Today I'm going to talk about how to decide what pieces you need to make your closet fully functional!

I've been reading several awesome blogs on curating a thoughtful closet. You may be interested in checking out the following:

• Into Mind
• Wide Eyed Legless
• Case of the Tiny Closet
• Lost in a Spotless Mind

Before delving further into my post, please take a second to read this post from Into Mind: Does your wardrobe fit your lifestyle?  This well-written post explains how to determine the types and amounts of clothing you need to dedicate to specific activities in your life.

Now let's apply these concepts to my wardrobe. If you asked me what my life looks like in a pie chart, it would be something like this:

As you can see, I split my time pretty equally between work and hanging out at the house/sleeping. I spend the rest of my time working out/being physically active and, being somewhat of a homebody, spend the least amount of time getting dressed up for a night on the town. So how does that break down in terms of clothing needed?

Work (5 days per week): Items needed include business casual wear for all week. I wear pretty simple things at work--pants or skirts with shirts and cardigans/jackets, or a dress and a cardigan/jacket, and very basic jewelry. Therefore, a reasonable number of work-related items includes:

• 3 pairs of pants
• 4 skirts
• 4 dresses
• 5 tops
• 5 cardigans or jackets

Working out (6-7 days per week): I'm a pretty active person and I love wearing leggings to work out. A reasonable number of workout-related items includes:

• 5 leggings
• 5 tanks
• 3 long-sleeve workout tops
• 3 hoodies
• 4 shorts
• 4 bras

Lounge/everyday (7 days per week): To be honest, I 'lounge' and sleep in workout gear more often than not--I love wearing yoga leggings and a t-shirt to bed. So a reasonable number of lounge clothing would be the above-listed workout gear, plus:

• 2 pairs long loose pajama/lounge pants
• 3 comfortable t-shirts

Going out (1-2 days per week): I don't go out very often, and when I do the culture of my city doesn't require me to get very glammed up. I do like to wear funkier clothing when I go out, though, so a few unique pieces are required for this part of my wardrobe:

• 2 shorter skirts
• 2 fun, tighter-fitting tops
• 1 pair denim skinny jeans
• 1 pair black skinny jeans
• 1 fancier dress for weddings, etc

Now that I know how many of each type of clothing I need, tune in soon to learn about how to pick exactly which items fill that role the best!

Building a Wardrobe: Identifying your closet's colors, prints, and proportions

Lately I've been really bored with my closet and have been struck by the old "I have nothing to wear" feeling more often than not. As I learned a while ago, this probably indicates that my closet isn't fitting my current needs and style. I've been reading up on the idea of minimalism and capsule wardrobes, and the first step to creating your closet is determining your style.  

Here are a few images that represent how I would like to dress: 

Based on these images and the items I wear most commonly in my closet, I can determine my wardrobe's color and print palette, as well as proportions of clothing that my eye is drawn to.

Colors:

• An overall foundation of black basics. I've learned that I'm never going to favor wearing tan or navy over black, so it's time to clear those items out of my closet and replace them with black-based items instead.
• For accent colors I like to wear jewel tones or bright colors, like my green leather skirt or hot pink pants. I tend towards blue-toned colors (i.e., magentas or hot pinks rather than oranges or reds; emeralds instead of lime greens).
• I typically wear a pretty neutral outfit with one or two pops of color.
• I like silver and gold toned jewelry equally.
• I love me some denim, particularly as a top--jean jacket or chambray shirt. 

Prints:

• I love a good stripe, typically in black and white.
• I like accents of animal prints, but not typically large pieces in that pattern (i.e., belts or scarves rather than pants or a t-shirt).
• I like to mix prints, like florals and stripes, or stripes and leopard prints.
• I don't wear a lot of geometric prints--I tend to keep it to stripes, florals, and minimal animal accents.

Proportions:

• As seen above, I like to wear a couple layers on top with minimalistic pants or skirts on the bottom.
• I don't like to wear all-tight clothing--if my top is tight, I'll wear a flowy maxi skirt; if my pants are skinny, I'll wear a looser top. 
• I tend to steer clear of complicated tops--the simpler the better for me. I play with different cuts and fits more on the bottom, like structured skirts or loose, sarong-style pants.
• I love to wear dresses with or without a blazer.
• I wear minimal jewelry--I always wear a ring I bought in Chile, but only occasionally wear earrings or a necklace.
• Common proportion: slim-fitting top with cinched-waist flared skirt
• Common proportion: looser-fitting top with skinny jeans or pants

Now that I've identified my favorite looks, it will help me to determine what I have to build on in my closet, what I need to get rid of, and what I need to add to my closet. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on how to define the number of items needed to make your closet fully functional!

Leopard Maxi 6 Ways!

I'm back again for another "One Item Many Ways" post, this time with my favorite black leopard maxi dress. I have a long history of buying the featured item in the posts in this series (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), and this time is no exception. When I saw that this leopard maxi was selling out fast, I snapped up the last one on Asos.

Leopard Maxi 6 Ways by mjchirpich-1 featuring a tweed jacket
As always, click on the image to take you to the product links and view image in a larger size

Notables:

• Summer Wedding: The dress print works as a neutral just as well as a print, so why not mix some more animal prints into the mix? In the summer I like to keep things easy-breezy, so I wear minimal jewelry and thick heels that won't kill me by the end of the night :)
• Work (B&W): Because the print is a little edgy for work, I'd tone down the sexiness with a structured blazer, cute pumps, my new favorite watch, and some coral accents for color.
• Work (Blue): Sometimes matching is good. I love the slight peplum on this jacket, and it would be fun to have some color peeping out from under the long skirt.
• Winter Wedding: I find winter weddings really hard to dress for. I'd cover my legs in the long maxi skirt, add a colorful leather jacket, and top it all off with a fun printed clutch and lucite necklace.
• Play (citron): leopard print practically begs to be paired with leather, so I'd add a geometric leather jacket, edgy wedges, and a fun pop of citron in the purse.
• Play (jade): I'm obsessed with the color of this Marc Jacobs purse, so I'd let it take center stage. Pop a crop top over the dress to put more focus on the flowy skirt.

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my dress, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be too small (XS was the only size left, and I think I'll need a small or medium). I may have to get creative with a tailor if I love it like I think I will! I'm currently 6/9 on keeping the items I buy from these posts though, so let's hope my luck continues to trend that way :)

EDIT 3/6/14: My dress arrived and I'm returning it without even trying it on. The print look really cheap and the edges of the chiffon were very poorly finished--they were all fraying already. Not worth the price tag unfortunately--so the hunt continues!

How would you rock this dress? Do you consider leopard a neutral?

Winter/Spring Weekend Wishlist

February brings out the most bipolar reactions in me. Half of me is dancing and singing, "Spring is here! Spring is here!" while the other, more pragmatic side, mutters glumly, "Not for another few months, dummy." This split personality is very much reflected in my current wishlist:

Winter/Spring Weekend Wishlist by mjchirpich-1 featuring paper wall art

Notable Mentions: Winter

• I want that watch in a bad, bad way. So pretty! So versatile! Goes with everything! For the low low price of...$225.
• Which brings me to my second point...would you believe me if I told you that the bra, green dress, grey sweater, and leggings could all be had for less than the price of the watch? 'Tis true. You could also buy the black box, gold table, mirror, and decanter  for even less. So although it's such a pretty piece, I'm not sure whether the watch is worth a whole outfit or a bar setup?
• Since falling in love with my pink sarong trousers from Zara, I've had my eye on the same style in a different color. At $38, this black Asos option seems like a must-buy, right?
• Thanks to a generous Christmas gift card and a 20% off coupon, these awesome black booties from Lulus are on their way to me! Total cost? $89 instead of $159!
• I'm obsessssssed with the bottle-green color of these booties!

Notable Mentions: Spring

• I want those watercolor leggings in the WORST way. So cheery!
• That green pillow is less than $7!
• I love the vibrant kelly green of that Bungalow5 dresser; I think the style could be hacked from an Ikea Rast dresser and an Ikea Lack table...for $40 plus paint and hardware.

What's on your wishlist this weekend? Maybe some Hunter wellies to combat all our rainy weather?

Gorgeous boho-greenhouse home love!

Since the mainstream onset of Pinterest, I rarely feature full home tours on my blog anymore, because I feel like so many tours are readily available via Pinterest and I don't want to be redundant. However, I recently ran across this home on the One Kings Lane blog and fell completely in love. I haven't seen many of these images before, so I thought I'd share in case you, too, have missed this complete gem of a home!

I mean. Seriously. This image alone immediately made its way to my "when I design my dream home" Pinterest board. LOVE the solarium windows and how the room is one giant live/work/eat/play space. The abundance of plants bring the outdoors in, even more so than the giant beautiful windows do!

I've been on the lookout for the exact bamboo dining chairs featured here, so I'm definitely drooling over this image.

Look at that funky circle chair! The pillows are small rugs sewn into cushion covers.

That vine grows directly on the wall (!!!!) Talk about camouflaging the TV!

Love the unique color of the kitchen cabinets, and the French doors leading outside

How fun is this boy's room? It's young and fun but all of the pieces can transition well over the years.

Another fun bedroom, the hot pink bookcase makes all of the items really pop.

To add insult to injury, the owner Katie Tarses is beautiful too. 

Major home envy over here!! To see more details on the topic, see the whole post here.