After getting my colours done, I decided to get some more information on the subject. For this reason, I bought 1000 Outfits from just 30 pieces by Wendy Mak.
This book was a quick read at 163 pages, because there are a lot of illustrations, but it is well worth reading anyway. As someone who is trying to cut down on my wardrobe, I was intrued by the premise. It works by making use of the 80/20 rule: 80% of your wardrobe should be made up of “classic staples”, and 20% should be “accent coloured, trend-based clothing”.
You also need to identify how you spend your time and allocate that percentage to your wardrobe. So if you work long hours, then you’ll spend much of your time in work clothes, and your wardrobe should reflect this. On that basis, much of my wardrobe should be things to wear around the house, with some key outfits for meeting clients and going out at night.
The 30 outfits are broken down into:
- 7 bottoms
- 6 tops
- 3 dresses
- 5 jackets/coats
- 3 bags
- 6 shoes
Whilst the author recommends black trousers for work to evening, as you know black has been banned from my wardrobe, so I’m opting for:
- navy blue tailored work trousers
- camel brown trousers
- beige linen trousers
- jeans
- navy blue work skirt
- denim skirt
- beige linen shorts
Now when I start creating my new wardrobe, I have a better idea of what I have, and what I need to buy. My colour palette is shown below:
Colour Me Beautiful Spring palette
So by keeping to blue and beige, I can really go to town with colourful tops. I can also tailor my shoes and bags around these neutral colours too. Using navy blue and mid tan for work shoes and handbags, I can keep my red shoes and bag for fun.
Overall, I liked this book, if only because it got me thinking about what I had in my wardrobe that I could keep, and how I could create a versatile, colourful, working wardrobe that meets my needs, but won’t break the bank.
Take care for now.
Karen x