My Ten-Item Wardrobe for Fall/ Winter 2012

Last week we discussed how to get started with your ten-item wardrobe, as described in Lessons from Madame Chic. Today I am going to show you my own ten-item wardrobe.

Items shown in the video:
Black wrap dress by DVF
Leopard print tunic by Parker
Blackberry silk top by American Vintage
Plum print dress by Tory Burch (Spring)
Beige tank dress by Club Monaco (Spring)
Bone silk top by Rebecca Taylor
White tie front blouse by Elizabeth & James
Tan peplum sweater by Tory Burch
Black skinny jeans by J Brand
Black crop linen trousers by MNG

In the video I am wearing:
Graphite silk top by Rebecca Taylor (I love this top and as you probably have noticed in my videos, have worn it for years).

J Brand dark wash skinny jeans

Also shown in the video are my London Sole ballet flats (which add daytime polish to all of my outfits).

As you can see, my wardrobe is not exactly ten-items. The concept of the ten-item wardrobe is not meant to be a strict, rigid regime, but rather an exercise in liberating yourself from an overly cluttered wardrobe. The goal here is to get your clothing down to a capsule collection of high quality clothes. (The less you shop, the more high quality clothes you can afford over time).

Also it is important to note that my wardrobe this season contains more new items than it normally does. This is due to feeling like I've been in maternity clothes for the last two years! I know many of you moms can relate... After having my second baby and finally getting back down to my regular size, I had a major clear out (again) of my wardrobe and started over. And while there are newish items featured here, many are old standbys that I've had for years.

Reader questions:

I have received many emails from readers asking how one is able to function with so few clothes. Madeleine in Australia asked about living in a hot climate. She said she is required to change her clothes often because of the heat where she lives. You must tailor your ten-item wardrobe to your given circumstances. If you need to change a few times throughout the day due to climate, then keep more items in your wardrobe. Also, don't forget the extras (tee shirts, camisoles, blazers, extra dresses, etc.). These things will also help to make your closet feel substantial.

YouTube viewer, Landra27, wrote that she lives in Germany where the climate is very cold in the wintertime. In her case, she would have much warmer items: sweaters, sweater dresses, etc. Her extras will also come into play here as she will need a lot of layering pieces to keep warm (cardigans, jackets, coats, long sleeve tee shirts, etc.)

A few more things to keep in mind:

I shot this video about three weeks ago. Since then the weather has gotten chillier in Southern California so I have switched out the two spring dresses for sweaters (a lavender cashmere sweater and a navy wool sweater, both from J Crew). I also traded in the crop linen pants for the pair of black velvet trousers you saw on the KCAL 9 segment. This is a perfect example of how to edit your wardrobe when the seasons change. If you live in a temperate climate like I do, you will most likely need a few transitional pieces to get you through the change in seasons. I tend to store my seasonal clothes in storage bags, in the guest closet or (if I think I might need to use them again soon) in the 'extras' section of my closet (more on extras next week).

If you are unable to see my video, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

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There is only one day left to enter the Lessons from Madame Chic sweepstakes from Simon & Schuster. 3 people will win a prize packet including London Sole ballet flats, Benedetta skincare products, Arbordoun calendula cream and Skindinavia makeup finishing spray. Enter here.

And, lastly, for all who celebrate, I am wishing you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving...

Next week I will show you some items that comprise my 'extras' wardrobe.

See you then!

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