Fashion

What Is The Five Piece French Wardrobe

Recently I have been coming across the five piece French wardrobe more and more often online. I think that I am going to try and follow its principles this year. I’m keen to create a wardrobe of pieces that I get full use of and feel great in. I also want to keep spending to a minimum, only making considered purchases.

What is The Five Piece French Wardrobe?

Before you start panicking that you can only have five items in your wardrobe, let me explain. The idea is that your wardrobe is made up of high quality basics. You can then buy five pieces each season, these can be statement or otherwise. There are only two seasons (spring/ summer and autumn/ winter) which means you can only buy 10 items per year. It is said that French women do this and that is why they always look chic.

The Advantages

There are several reasons why I think this version of a capsule wardrobe could be a winner.
  • Most capsule wardrobes give you a set number of pieces or certain rules to follow.
  • You can shop throughout the season.
  • Helps you transition towards a more ethical wardrobe.
  • There’s no rush so you have time to make considered purchases.
  • Your wardrobe is made up of good quality basics so you always have something to wear.
  • Encourages you to take care of the things you own.

Getting Started

The beauty of the five piece French wardrobe is that it is incredibly easy to start.
  • Begin by clearing out your wardrobe. I try to regularly evaluate my wardrobe so I don’t hoard things. You can check out my post on making my wardrobe spark joy which shows you how I got on with my mammoth wardrobe clear out.
  • How your wardrobe ends up looking will depend on your lifestyle. For example, if you work in an office you will probably own a lot of smart pieces. I am in the process of evaluating the basics I already have and what is missing. I live in jeans and t-shirts so my wardrobe is mainly made up of them.
  • Once your basics are in place you can start thinking about the five pieces you want to add over the course of the season. The aim is to create a high quality wardrobe and this is what appeals the most to me. The idea is to avoid fast fashion and make more considered purchases.

Points To Consider

There are obviously a few rules to follow. Your basics don’t count so if you wear out a t-shirt you can replace it without using one of your five purchases. Likewise, underwear and socks don’t count. Accessories don’t count unless they are particularly pricey so designer handbags definitely count. Shoes also count as one of the five. Everything else counts.

Wish List

Now you can start putting together a wish list of items that you want to add to your wardrobe. Then narrow it down to just five pieces per season. You can pick trend led pieces if you want so you can give your wardrobe a seasonal update. While I don’t often buy things I would like to think that it will cut down on my spending even more and allow me to add designer pieces I have been saving up for.

I am going to be putting together a blog on the pieces I would like to invest in this year and the strategies I’m putting in place to be able to afford them. Make sure you keep an eye out for it! Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Would you try this variation?

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