Monday 26 May 2008

Project Top 50


Inspired by the little project of white shirt and jeans by Square Old Soul, I returned to my favourite pastime the perfect wardrobe.

My pet hate has to be those must have top 10 items -almost impossible. However my favourite event would be to have the courage and fortidude to have a wardrobe of only fifty easy pieces. So my challenge to you, is to give me at least your top 10,(agh!) and examine my list that is currently standing at 38 out of 50.
Tell me what to take out or what to add. All you need to think about is what to wear items for i.e. day, work, evening etc. Give me your views on how to function with just 50 items (doesn't include underwear or gym kit thank goodness). Once compiled it can become the 'blogger's top 50 clothes to own'!


1. Trench coat

2. White button shirt

3. White tee

4. Pencil skirt

5. Day jeans
6. Cardigan
7. (Cashmere) jumper (round or v neck)
8. Flat boots (riding or biker)
9. Leather belt

10. Pashmina

11. Necklace (day)
12. Bracelet (day)

13. Black trousers

14. Little Black Dress

15. Tux DJ jacket

16. Satin or silk cami

17. Evening jeans

18. Sparkly or dressy evening earrings

19. Evening ring

20. Evening braclet

21. Evening necklace (not neccessarily all worn at once!)

22. High heels

23. Strappy high sandals

24. High heeled knee high boots

25. Flat shoes (pointy, loafers or brogues)

26. Flat sandals

27. Plimsolls

28. Flip flops (make it Havianias and just for beach or house event!)

29. Winter scarf

30. Summer print scarf

31. White summer trousers (line or jeans)

32. Sun dress

33. Pretty top

34. Shoulder, tote or hand bag

35. Weekend over nightbag

36. Clutch

37. Suitcase

38. Cotton vest top
Leave your views in comment box or email me kate@stylebybattrick.co.uk

22 comments:

  1. Hi Kate-love your post! would you like to swap links? I totally advocate about sticking to a budget and being fashion conscious too-this is why I go to boot sales and charity shops for the majority of my wardrobe-please drop by my blog-you can see I cannot resist a bargain!! Back to your post, one definite I feel should be added is a black leather jacket-I found my perfect one about a month ago and I can dress it up or wear it with jeans! If I think of anymore things, I'll let you know!!

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  2. Where the heck is "floor-length leopard print gown"?

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  3. ...that sounds more like a list of things i would pack for a four day weekend- that is so so so bad, i know! i just wish i could make up my mind..

    good idea, though

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  4. Those are all staples everyone should have. especially flats and a little black dress.

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  5. Great staples list. Do you think a denim jacket is a must? I sort of waiver between needing one and repelling it at the sametime.

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  6. Ooh it must be project month! I love a list so I would add:

    Winter coat (crombie or princess?)

    Black blazer (Helmut Lang)

    Shrunken fit leather jacket as Sharon Rose said (good for travelling)

    Long-sleeve smart day dress for work

    Dark denim mini for summer hols

    White racer back vest (American Apparel)

    Tailored bermuda shorts

    Marimekko-type stripe long-sleeve top

    80s style cone-heeled ankle boots

    Some sort of print vintage T-shirt

    Some quirky accessories like a mad-coloured bow belt, bright sunglasses or kooky hairband to zhuzh up a blah outfit. (Although I have all of these but never think to wear them!)

    I think a denim jacket is always handy but only if you wear dresses or non-denim separates a lot. wear jeans nearly all the time so a denim jacket with thse would just look...wrong!

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  7. Oops, apologies for the typos ^^^ !

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  8. What about a bit of sparkly - say evening top or cardi?

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  9. Yeah, I'm a sucker for fashion lists.

    Hey - off-topic but I visited the Cabinet War Rooms on the weekend (my in-laws are in town so we did the London tourist thing) and there was a whole room on Make Do and Mend. Fantastic! Have you been there yet? Such a great museum and a fascinating look into Churchill's world.

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  11. I could never exist purely off a staples list, however long it was - for me the joy in fashion comes from the unnecessary, and the trivial choices - from deciding between different colours of strappy vest, because the dove-grey makes an outfit where the charcoal-grey doesn't . . . to the unusual nick-nacks and strange shoes that take a look to the next level. Even if I had the one most perfect example of every possible item of clothing I might ever need, there would always come a day where I wish I had it in emerald green, or with a slightly different neckline.

    [The short version of this post is: I am an unreformable magpie about clothes, and have no self-discipline whatsoever . . . ]

    Still, I would add some sharp patent heels to that list. They do something for an outfit that no other shoes can, and make it that little bit... more.

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  12. If you had a list and stuck to it then you could not only save money but buy really nice pieces. I think you do need a nice print tee shirt vintage or other wise.

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  13. My 2 additions would be Sunglasses and a Parka - I couldn't live without either.

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  14. How about some sort of hair accessory? Whether a pretty clip to pull back your hair or a fun headband, I just wrote a post about how much I think they can liven up an outfit!

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  15. Fab stuff! Lots of things to think about and I love all the inclusions and ideas.
    This is such a hard little project to define which is why it is so important.

    Charponnaise - you are the little magpie, aren't we all. I completely understand about the need to just suddenly conjure an outfit. One only has to think of Susie Style Bubble and her 274 skirts and counting...
    I don't think anyone can stick to 50 items but if your house burned down tomorrow and you had to start again - practicality over sentiment! Although I think striving for less and more quality comes with age too.

    PS I didn't delete a comment, must be the blogger police!

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  16. Thanks for letting me know you are doing this, it's a great idea! I've actually been thinking about going through piece by piece and figuring out what is really the minimum "needed" to create any look. black or grey pants and jeans of different hem lengths are necessary I think, so you have some you can wear with flats, some with say 2.5 inch heels, and maybe some with 4 inchers (depends what you like).

    I also like to think in terms of events, you know, something to wear to a concert (two shirts at least so you don't wear the band's shirt), to an interview/work, to throw on if you're in a hurry, to a club, to a sporting event, to a funeral, to a wedding, to a barbecue/potluck. it seems difficult to do in fifty pieces!

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  17. Thanks for letting me know you are doing this, it's a great idea! I've actually been thinking about going through piece by piece and figuring out what is really the minimum "needed" to create any look. black or grey pants and jeans of different hem lengths are necessary I think, so you have some you can wear with flats, some with say 2.5 inch heels, and maybe some with 4 inchers (depends what you like).

    I also like to think in terms of events, you know, something to wear to a concert (two shirts at least so you don't wear the band's shirt), to an interview/work, to throw on if you're in a hurry, to a club, to a sporting event, to a funeral, to a wedding, to a barbecue/potluck. it seems difficult to do in fifty pieces!

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  18. Wendy B's comment really amused me! Love your lep print Wendy! You look fab.

    I'm going to post my list on my blog - it's a great idea to come up with a list like this - so with your kind permission I shall "nick" it! :-) I also need to give it some thought.....Hmmmm.

    :-)

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  19. You've gotta add in (at least) 2, incredibly well-made lingerie sets: one in sand colour, seam free w/ thong; one vavavoom. Both have to fit perfectly. Oh, and a full slip. Oh, and did you put a bathing suit on your list?

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  20. I'll have to think about this. I have tried and tried with the white shirt, and it never sticks on me, though I do respect Carolina Herrera for wearing one as well as she does.

    This is a good list. I don't think I have anything to add!

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  21. Sorry! I was the deleter, I accidentally posted before I was finished, and couldn't edit it...

    Actually, I suppose I could exist off a really tiny 'basics' list, as long as it was understood that I would then shop like a financial behemoth for all the 'interesting' stuff. And pretty much everything on my basics list would be black. So: very high-waisted, wide black trews, mid-waisted skinny black trews, black skinny jumper/poloneck, black shift dress, short silk dress, knee-length trench coat, waist-length black jacket, thigh-length black jacket/coat, close-fit cardigan, tights in every colour + thickness, and some well-cut tanks and vests in black, grey and white. And some stunningly exquisite, silk-satin lingerie. As much as I'm allowed.

    God, though, if I actually stuck to that list alone, I'd be miserable . . .

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  22. This is a great post! Thanks for drawing my attention to it! I need to print this out and have a good think about my top 50 items... You are right, 10 is too limiting.

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