Good Saturday Morning, people!

First off, my apologies for the delay on this post. It should have been up yesterday, but I was thwarted by a long and exhausting day. I then spent my evening attending to such pressing matters as bathing the dog and finishing up my income tax return. Good stuff. But I do apologize for not getting this posted. Here it is!

PHASE FOUR: OPTIMIZE

So by PHASE FOUR, we have already purged the closet, sorted it, and turned it into a world of digital splendor. What’s next to do on the agenda? Now is when we really perfect the closet.

The Optimize Phase is about getting down to the meat of things and ensuring that of the minimal things I own and have so meticulously selected, that they are the right things. This is about having the foundations of a solid wardrobe and getting our building blocks in place.

There is plenty of literature out there about what should make up a woman’s wardrobe. The 12 classic pieces, 100 items every woman should own, the top ten must-haves. We’ve all seen these various philosophies, and I do think they hold some merit. So during this phase, we’ll do a lot of examining of what makes up a perfect wardrobe. Is the the building blocks concept outdated? Do I really need a suit jacket if I never go to business meetings? Can I omit the pair of espadrille wedges in favor of another set of boots, given my locale?

Personally, I think there is a lot to the idea of owning timeless pieces. My personal style is pretty classic and preppy, so I uphold the tradition of the pencil skirt and the crisp white button down. I adhere to the little black dress. (All number of them that I own.) But perhaps we can look at our options here. Since having a minimized wardrobe means only making room for the best and brightest, I’m interested in what these are, and how I can put them to use. I’m sure there are competing philosophies out there and no one is more right than the next, but I believe it will be fun to do the research.

What I don’t own, will look at acquiring and we can weigh the options together. I’ll then work these pieces into the rotation and base outfit posts around them. This might also be a good time to look at other style philosophies and technique – dressing for one’s body type, color schemes, (AM I A WINTER OR A SPRING? I HAVE NO IDEA) and all that jazz. I’m curious about trendy pieces. What percentage of the closet should go to colors and prints of the moment and what pieces should remain an institution?

PHASE FOUR will be a good time for updating and editing, so that all our ducks are in a row. For example, I own a couple of white Oxford shirts, all in various states of disrepair. Is it time to don my big girl shoes and buy one nice piece? You’ll get to help me decide.

This is the sort of technical phase as opposed to the technological. It’s when we really get to pare it down and determine our essentials as well as our loyalties. I personally, am excited for the learning opportunity that this phase entails. While I have followed fashion from a very young age, it’s been awhile since I’ve brushed up on my basics.

Since PHASE FOUR is about building blocks, it’s time to put my personal style under the microscope. If we look at personal style as a lifelong endeavor (and I surely do!) I believe that we are constantly evolving in our tastes and priorities, but it’s important to know why these things are so. I’m thinking of PHASE FOUR as a time to revise my wardrobe’s mission statement, dig? I dig.

Title courtesy of Kate Nash – “Nicest Thing”

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