Building A Wardrobe Online

Part I

I’m in stores often for clients and while shopping around I do look for myself but nothing that I’ve seen recently has compelled me to pull the trigger. I also always have in the back of my mind that I can do better online where the choices are infinite. My time however is not infinite. Finally triggered by another random 80 degree plus day with nothing to wear I sat myself down and forced myself to purchase the baseline of my spring-summer wardrobe.

I always tell my clients not to shop for random pieces but plan their purchases to build a functional wardrobe where the pieces you add are needed and will work with what you already have. I hate to see overstuffed closets with clothes that are rarely worn and that feeling you have nothing to wear when confronting that closet. We’ve all been there. With that in mind I leapt into the vortex of online shopping.

This is probably a good time to relay my caveat for online shopping; hope for the best but plan for the worst.  Yes it’s a crap shoot, odds are what looked great in the picture may look, feel and fit completely different on you.  I do my best to increase my odds by first scrutinizing the details listed; most importantly the fabric content. With few exceptions I prefer natural fibers. Call me a fabric snob but to me they look, feel and wear better.  I also zoom in and scrutinize the seaming and hems, that can tell you a lot about the quality, puckering or pulling is a red flag. And finally when my purchases arrive and I try them on I ask myself: if I were in a dressing room in a store would I buy this?

I find it helpful to make a board with the items I saved and then edit it down to the final purchases. To see everything at once makes it easy to see how the pieces interact. Can they be worn together? Do the colors make a nice story and can I wear them with things I already have? You can save the board on your computer and add to it as you buy additional pieces and accessories.

The Final Edit, notice the equal ratio of bottoms to tops with one dress. By spreading your purchases over all categories you will automatically open up more options with what you already have.

I knew I needed a good casual spring jacket and didn’t want to get just a straightforward blazer, which is all I saw in the stores aside from cropped jackets which is a hard no for me. I dove deep barely coming up for air but my perseverance was rewarded with this Dolce & Gabbana deeply discounted at Yoox. Do I care that it’s from Spring 2020? No, not if it works out. It’s a classic with great details, love the color and I’m sure the fabric will be of high quality given its original price. If you like it there are still some left as well as these from the same collection.

Who doesn’t love a good deal? There’s also this jacket and the bomber.

Four of the seven pieces I bought are from the Australian company Dissh. They’ve been on my radar but this is my first purchase from them.  I love the clean lines and they had the basics I’ve been looking for in stores to no avail. Currently I’m loving midi length skirts. They are as easy to wear as pants,  look new and can be worn with heels or flats. I ordered one in white in a closer bias fit and a black circle cut which is very flattering.  Both pass the fabric test in 100% linen and are fully lined.  Fingers crossed.

I’ve been wanting a simple black summer dress for ages. This is also in linen, cut on the bias with a seam at the waist. If this looks good it holds endless possibilities, a blank slate on which to accessorize and make it my own.

A high waisted dark denim jean with a wider leg has been on my wish list for some time now.  I have relatively low expectations for this given the amount of jeans I reject in the dressing room but it’s worth a try.

That leaves shirts. All fall-winter I live in sweaters but come summer I find cotton shirts my sweater replacement. I’ve been searching for a blue cotton shirt forever. Should be easy but anything that had the big but not too big fit I want  in 100% cotton and the right blue has been sold out. I also don’t believe in spending an outrageous amount of money on cotton shirts. Like tee shirts they look best new and should be replaced often. I’m hoping this one from Riess works.

The striped shirt was another deal I found on the The Outnet from a newish company I’m intrigued with called Sebliné. They’re a Paris based niche brand doing witty takes on classic shirtings primarily for men. The Outnet, last I checked, still had this in XS and there are a couple other styles on sale on the Kirna Zabete website but they are final sale which is against my religion. As fashion brands become more and more corporate I delight in finding a company making something of quality and originality, I’ll be watching Sebliné closely.

@sebline_

Stay tuned for Part II where I’ll let you know how my purchases worked out. Until then let me know what items are on your wish list?

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