10 Item Wardrobe | Why I Started
f you were to walk into my closet 5 years ago, you would see every single square inch jammed full of clothes. Not only was my closet full to overflowing, but my dresser was as well. I had things I was keeping that didn’t fit well, waiting until that day I lose those 10 extra pounds. I had special occasion dresses that I had only wore once for weddings and never since then. I had to big clothes, to small clothes, worn out clothes, you get the picture.
I was getting ready to move cross country after my wedding and knew that I needed to drastically minimize my clothing collection so my husband wouldn’t think I’m a hoarder. I spent the afternoon sorting clothes and narrowing it down to what I thought was the least amount of clothing I could ever get away with.
Fast forwards 5 years and here I am on, what some might think, the brink of insanity with only 10 core items in my closet. I first learned the concept of the 10 Item wardrobe from my most beloved author- Jennifer L. Scott. She has written a trilogy of books all based on etiquette, poise, and stylish secrets. The books have changed my life in such a drastic way that I can’t recommend them enough.
She talks about the concept of the 10-Item Wardrobe in her books extensively but in a nut shell it is exactly that. 10 core items carefully selected for your style, color, body type and season. Your 10 core items consist of blouses, dresses, trousers, and skirts. Anything additional such as t-shirts, sweaters, pajamas, scarves, shoes, etc. would be considered to be extras.
I first adopted this method when I was about 5 months postpartum with Eric and completely exhausted with another thing to think about and process before going to social gatherings. I remember being so wore out and stressed simply about being a mom that merely the thought of getting dressed was overwhelming for myself. So I put Eric down for a nap one afternoon and tackled my beast of a closet. If it was to small or not nursing friendly I stored only the pieces that I absolutely loved up in my closet. If I didn’t like the style I donated it to goodwill or consigned the items. I narrowed it down to roughly 10 items that I absolutely loved and knew were flattering for my body type and comfortable as a new mom. I kept only the seasonal things in my closet. The other items I stored in bins in my upstairs closet.
The thing I love most about the 10-item wardrobe is that by the time a season comes to an end, most of us are tired of our clothing and are longing for something new, fresh, and exciting. It’s so fun pulling out the seasonal bins and re-discovering all the clothes you had stored away and nearly forgot about. This isn’t your ordinary capsule wardrobe where you have a certain number of pieces of clothing, rather you have your core items that you invest in and love, then you have your additional complimentary pieces as well such as scarves, sweaters, and shoes. I can’t tell you how much my life has changed since using this method. I’m sure people at church have seen me multiple times in the same outfit, but I can guarantee most of them don’t remember. When I am pushed for time as a new mom I now know that the least of my worries is stressing over outfit options to wear because, quite frankly, there aren’t many!
What about you? Do smaller wardrobes stress you out? Maybe they make you feel like you’re missing out on the latest trends and fashions? For me it has been the most freeing experience of my life. It has enabled me to save hundreds of dollars on clothing and has also allowed me to more fully develop my true style that I love and feels like the real me. I hope if this is something that sounds intriguing to you that you’ll go out and buy Jennifers books. I can guarantee you that they will be one of the best purchases you ever make.
