Resolution: Un-Pareto my Wardrobe

My wardrobe is bursting at the seams. Apart from the actual wardrobe in my bedroom, I have some space in Mr G's (don't tell him), one in a storage space, a chest of drawers (for underwear), various boxes below the bed (neatly separated into categories) - not to mention whatever is left in my wardrobe in my parents' house. 

My dream is a walk-in wardrobe. Colour-coordinated racks and shelves. No, category first, then colour! a floor to ceiling mirror that doesn't need propping up against Mr. G's wardrobe. Deep-pile carpet... 

...Or maybe I'd be happy with just a bit more space and one of those mega-organized Ikea numbers... 

Anyway, I am sure there are people, who have way more clothing, shoes and accessories to accommodate, especially since I have actually already gotten rid of lots over the past few years. The issue here really is that I can apply the Pareto principle to my clothes: for 80% of the time, I wear only 20% of what my wardrobe has to offer. And within those 80% there have got to be items, that haven't been worn for years but that I just can't bare to part with.

My resolution is therefore to either wear it or get rid! If I want to hold on to something, I have to wear it at least once, then decide whether I would wear it again or donate it to friends/charity/... And since I am also documenting regularly what I do wear when I leave the house, this could be interesting...

Seasonal Footwear

For day-to-day footwear, I go to flats. Running around in the office, through shops, airports etc. means, I just can't bear to be in heels all day. Everynow and then, I treat myself to a heel-day but when I buy any clothes, I usually make sure they go with flats.  During the winter, I pretty much live in my flat boots. 

I usually have got about 5 pairs on the go and at the moment these are:

low charcoal KGs with fake fur lining,

black DocMartens lookalikes from Dune (the real ones never fitted me properly),

black LK Bennett knee-highs,

 brown suede M&S slouchy boots with straps (a very distant Vivienne Westwood, rip-off, I guess),

 very warm, sheepskin-lined knee-highs for when it's really cold (I actually bought them in Oslo, where it was very, very cold in December 2011!).

These boots get paired - or juxtaposed - with pretty much everything in my wardrobe and as I usually wear dresses or skirts that end above the knee, I think this works just fine.

Once spring is in the air though, I can't wait to get back to some more colourful footwear. Where boots are my go-to style for autumn/winter, ballerinas are my it's-gonna-be-sunny-out choice.

Ready for the season, I have dug out some trusty pairs and topped up with a couple of new acquisitions.

From top left, clockwise:

H&M (SS12, £7.99)

H&M (SS12, £7.99)

Zara (SS11, ca. £30)

Zara (SS11, ca. £30)

Zara (SS11, ca. £30)

Dune (SS11, ca. £40)

H&M actually have a fantastic selection at the moment and I am currently tempted by a pair with a on-trend metallic toe-cap:

at £14.99 not too difficult a buying decision

I am actually also looking for a pair of spring/summer brogues - but that's really another story...

Wardrobe Spy

I don't have a huge amount of precious jewellery. Just a couple of little silver pieces and a gold & garnet necklace and ring passed down to me by my grandmother. I do wear these items usually at special or family occasions. Or when I have a day, where I need that extra bit of luck.

I do, however, have quite a big collection of costume jewellery. So much so, that I had to come up with a system: long-ish items get hung on nails, which I affixed to the inside of my wardrobe.*

*note: if you do this, make sure there is enough space between your clothes and the hooks and pick nails/hooks that won't snag delicate fabric!

Smaller items get stored in clear muji boxes.

But even though I do have all of those, I tend to go back to the same few pieces and I'd probably divide them into two groups.

Plastic Fantastic

• Black scroll necklace, blue & red bows, cream dog broach and the silver star all from Zarah Voigt.(I discovered her a few years ago when wandering through Copenhagen. She did some pieces, which could definitely be referred to as Tatty-Devine-esque, though I am not sure, who came first.)
• Turquoise rose ring and peach bauble necklace from Primark. 
• Bambi, see-through beads and chain necklace from Topshop.

Love Metallics

• The collier with the green velvet ribbon is from Ligia Dias.
• Bronze collier with pink leather band from a little stall in Covent Garden (sorry, little stall, I forgot...).
• Flower-borach from Zarah Voigt.
• The multi strand/multi colour necklace is from Accessorize. (see me wear it here)
• I think the semi-precious necklace was from Pandora.
• Mixed bauble necklace from Miss Selfridge.
• Chain necklace from Topshop.

I usually probably under- rather than over-accessorize (sometimes I am simply in such a rush that I, shock-horror!, forget in the morning) and I don't have a hard-and-fast rule for which piece I wear with what. I do like to contrast accessories with the clothes I wear though, so I might put on a girly dress and pair an industrial looking necklace with it. (Dad: "Are those washers in your necklace?!" Me: "That's Ligia Dias, Dad!") In that very same way I might combine a pretty, girly necklace with a laid-back outfit.

But then again I might wake up tomorrow and just grab something that completely contradicts the above...