apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I like the idea of the basic wardrobe for women. But it sounds completely boring with all that balck. Maybe if Stacy London came up with one I would be more likely to bite. Instead every season I whittle down my clothes and get rid of what I havent worn in a while.

Change "black" for "brown" or any other basic color that works well with your skintone. And forget the slips.

Ditch the ankle- and tea-length suit skirts as well.

They left off the male list: one raccoon coat; one shearling jacket; one long grey cashmere coat; one tuxedo.

Who on earth wears ankle-length suit skirts other than me? And I do it because I'm almost 6' tall and proving that I can.

What line of women's suits has ever done two slacks in the same fabric with different waistbands, both of which look good on the same person? I was going to wallow in guilt about slumming in the land of Jones New York, except that the lines at higher-end stores usually are less helpfully garanimaled, making it even more difficult to come up with more than two pieces in the same fabric.

Also -- that wardrobe is way short on shirts, unless one does wash every day.

Those are the most depressing suggestions for a basic woman's wardrobe ever! Ugh.

The thought of owning "two solid color shells to wear in combination with both the black suit and the summer suit" makes me want to cry. I'm surprised nude pantyhose aren't on the list, too.

I am forever grateful to be working in an art department.

The women's wardrobe is utterly boring. I am so surprised that AT, being so good on design, taste, and personality, would recommend that. So preppy! So yuppie! I was expecting to find pearl earrings on that list...
and I have to admit, not being a native english speaker, I have no idea what "shells" or "slacks" are...
the ideal of keeping my wardrobe small has everything to do with trying to not be such a consumerist, so I also didn't like their advice on buying new things often--there are earth and labor resources going into that that I'd like to avoid.
clothes swaps and hand-me-downs are much more fun (but you've got to be really selective on those too!)

I have to admit, not being a native english speaker, I have no idea what "shells" or "slacks" are...

Shell = the most boring thing you can do to a piece of silk, essentially a baggy t-shirt but less comfortable. The rounded neckline makes a girl's neck look short, too.

Slacks = trousers, pants.

The thought of owning "two solid color shells to wear in combination with both the black suit and the summer suit" makes me want to cry. I'm surprised nude pantyhose aren't on the list, too.

I am forever grateful to be working in an art department.

Anna, I work in the financial industry, and I had to laugh if I wasn't going to join you in crying. That list is for people who are willing to spend a lot of money on clothes but who don't take much pleasure in getting dressed.

Considering that this is the same website that declared pets as clutter, I'm not surprised that its wardrobe suggestions are so...lame.

wende, i was just cleaning out my closet the other day and got rid of a bunch of "practical" t-shirts with high, round necklines. now i know why!!! think i am going to look for a higher v-neck to replace them.

I work in a "casual work environment" and own one black suit that I have never once worn to work. Nor did I wear it to my interview. Why? Because it's boring and makes me feel like a corporate-bot.

In fact, I have given away plenty of perfectly nice, neutral sweaters because they're boring and I don't ever WANT to wear them when I wake up in the morning.

And khakis make my butt look huge. If I owned all their recommended khaki, I would be wearing khaki all the time and my butt would be unflattered always.

I like black plenty, but I want clothes that make me happy to get dressed and make me feel stylish/serious/pretty/choose your own adventure. There's a reason the furniture featured in apartment therapy isn't chosen for maximum neutrality. I'm all for getting rid of clothes you don't wear, or cleaning out excess, but in New England I would be wearing the same damn sweater every single day in the winter if I followed their advice.

I've seen this list or similar before - and find it so depressing that young 20-something women are getting out of college and encouraged to waste their money on a rather large collection of clothing they will find worthless no matter what their profession or lifestyle.
I am all for minimizing my wardrobe and keeping it simple - but not for the lack of style, elegance or quality. I am actually irritated that I wasted time reading such drivel. So, in the endless process of removing clutter I am deleting this list from my brain (which already has too much in it).

That made me sad. :(

i hate this wardrobe. why not ask the government to issue us all a wardrobe uniform?

I can always tell when I'm depressed by the colors of clothes I wear. Depressed=black, gray, neutrals. Happy=green, red, purple and anything bright. This wardrobe is sure to get me back in a depressed state.

And I agree that what I wear is part of how I express myself. And seeing sweaters in different colors and textures or a shirt with an unusual print gives me pleasure. You could make a similar list for your apartment and it would be similarly depressing and I don't think it would be featured here.

Also, there's ONE sweater on this list. If I wore the same sweater all winter, my friends would start asking if I need money.

the only thing this list is missing is the pistol you use to end your suffering.

curtis, they also forgot: silk-and-wool scarf, black velvet blazer, black and/or brown motorcycle boots.

I understand all the complaints, and my own wardrobe could never even approximate the suggestions on Unclutterer (though I still found them intriguing - just because of their suggestion that *everything* I own is superfluous, and not part of a "basic" wardrobe).

But am I to understand from the comments above that no one could or would come up with a "basic woman's wardrobe" that they'd endorse?? I'd love to hear even the beginnings of an alternative....

Sea, I think it's dangerous to try to form a list because there are so many issues peculiar to a specific industry, climate, or figure.

The crux of the whole matter is finding the intersection between:

(a) What's considered appropriate in your industry and region;
(b) What flatters your figure and coloring;
(c) What you can find to buy in your price range, style, and acceptable fabric content;
(d) How many garments you need to fit your washing schedule, tolerance for shopping, balance between "classic" and "current," and emotional need for variety.

My basic may be your "you've got to be kidding -- I'd never wear that!"

Blechhhhhhhhhhh!!!! All I could think of is "Frau Farbissina" in the Austin Powers movies! LOL

Sure, we can purge our closets of all that we don't wear anymore, but hell, isn't our clothing a reflection of our tastes and personalities? I don't think I'd care to hang out with the woman who would wear that prescribed wardrobe.

I say get rid of what no longer suits you or fits you and keep the clothes that you feel good in and express the you that you are now.

Thanks, Wende. That's what I was guessing. And I think it's right that there isn't going to be a 'basic' wardrobe that's right for even many people by any stretch of the imagination. But then that brings me back to my reaction to the Unclutterer site: since it's never ever going to happen that even a portion of my wardrobe looks as recommended, the fiction that their list represents someone's basic clothing needs somehow really inspires me to clear out more of my closet. Can't explain why, but this silly post helped me more than any general "get rid of what you don't use" advice. (I stumbled upon it before AT posted the link, and got rid of two more bags of unused clothes!) Something about imagining someone living with only 20 odd items or so, and also with such a restrained palette....

Anyway, I've seen other lists, too. And they always interest me, even as they seem amusingly preposterously useless when taken literally.

Oh, and it seems that the clothing I have the most of would be ruled completely out of bounds by any "basic essentials" list. - I can't have enough lightweight raincoats, brightly colored cardigans, or tank tops.....

So frivolous!

I don't own that many clothes. And I can be pretty obsessive about my appearance. BUT my very stylish mother taught me all about "separates, separates, separates" at a very young age. ;)

I think for lots of people, when they shop, they buy "outfits" and/or buy many random things "on sale," rather than investing in items that work with other clothing they have. I do have friends who have sometimes hundreds of items of clothing, most of which can't actually be coordinated/combined to create other outfits. So I can see that a list from which to start - not necessarily that list, but any list - could be helpful.

What would be more useful than a list of clothing items is an explanation of HOW to choose clothing items that work together, and how to mix them up for different looks, so that you don't HAVE to depend on somebody else's list.

I couldn't understand why you needed four pairs of jeans on that list - four?? - on a decluttering site?

and "A pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt you wouldn’t mind if paint were spilled on it." is ridiculous - they are telling you to buy something you hate essentially - if you don't mind getting paint on something it usually means it either ready for the bin or you hate it anyway

The essential clothes list for women needs to be more general rather than specific - I would suggest:

Ensure your wardrobe always contains:

Roughly twice as many tops as bottoms (trousers or skirts as your preference dictates) as tops need to be laundered more often

Half and half neat and casual bottoms if you work in an office environment - adjust to more neat if your work is very formal - more casual if your work is less formal or you are mostly at home

One dress that you can pull out at a moments notice that will take you anywhere from a wedding to an evening party

A winter coat (if its appropriate for the weather where you live)

At least one pair of boots, one pair of shoes, one pair of sandals, one pair of trainers

One decent (not necessarily expensive) bag

Enough underwear to see you through if you don't do the laundry for two weeks

Beachwear if applicable for your lifestyle

Try to make sure that anything you buy goes with at least one thing already in your wardrobe unless you really, really love it

Try to choose a range of four or five colours that work well together and suit you and try to buy your clothes in those colours

I think my list would look more like Violetsrose's:

-x number of pants or skirts that are appropriate for your workplace if you work. All of those pants or skirts should be able to be dressier, so they're appropriate for a dinner out, or more casual, so you could wear them on the weekend if you wanted to look put together.

-Something to wear for a serious work event- an interview, or an important presentation, or a conference.

etc.

At the same time, I agree with Wende that the whole premise is a little flawed. Because I live in Boston and work in a casual office, my wardrobe "needs" are drastically different from a stay-at-home mom in New Mexico, or a student, or someone who works in a very corporate office. I need to have enough sweaters or jackets, for instance, to wear one every single day in the winter.

I guess my main problem is that the list doesn't take into account how each of us likes to dress. If a woman doesn't like wearing skirts and dresses, her basic wardrobe should not include skirts or dresses (why would you have a floor-length dress if you never want to wear it?). On the other hand, if a woman loves to wear skirts and dresses, she probably should have more of those and fewer pants (for instance, eveningwear pants would be silly).