Category / Wardrobe

5-piece-french-wardrobe-acne
By On In Shopping, Wardrobe8,251 Comments

I started my 5 piece French wardrobe adventure a couple of years ago and it changed my life. Sounds dramatic, right? But it did. For years I spend a lot of my hard earned cash at fast fashion clothing stores like H&M and became somewhat of a compulsive shopper. But then I was introduced to the 5 piece French wardrobe shopping method through two of my favorite internet forums. I had seen pictures of the Acne Pistol boot floating around the internet and developed a major crush but quickly moved on since I thought I could never afford such a purchase, let alone justify it, as a student. Until I clicked on those particular topics. In case you have never heard of this method, let me talk you through it, starting with this quote from one of the topics:

“It is said” that many French women spend more money on each individual garment, but purchase fewer garments overall. Thus, French women are able to wear high quality, brand name clothing while spending the same or a lesser amount of money as someone who buys more clothes at cheaper prices. According to many, this is why the French are so chic: they have small wardrobes comprising completely of high quality garments, which they wear year over year.

Interesting, non? So how does this thing work? When following the 5 piece French wardrobe method, you need to make sure you build up a solid wardrobe consisting of well-chosen basics (think: white shirt, black jeans etc.) Then every season you are allowed to buy 5 higher quality garments to update your look. Mind you, we’re talking fashion seasons here (spring/summer, fall/winter), not weather seasons. The end goal is a small wardrobe filled with pieces you truly love and want to wear over and over again. Thus, making it easier to get dressed in the morning without the I-have-a-full-closet-but-nothing-to-wear-experience.Now you might not save a lot of money doing this, since we’re going for quality pieces. But, because you’re only allowing yourself to buy 5 items, you need to plan your purchases carefully. So while this may take some time, think of all the bad buys you’ll avoid this way! At the beginning of every season I like to create a list of most-wanted pieces while keeping in mind that:

  • Basics that you’re missing or that need to be replaced don’t count
  • Accessories like jewelry do count
  • Socks and underwear don’t count
  • Bags and shoes do count

These rules aren’t set in stone though. Everyone is free to make some minor adjustments. So, did I end up with those Pistol boots? Well I guess the picture kinda spoiled it. It took me a couple of months to get used to this idea of ‘shopping’. But they ended up being my first expensive designer purchase and I paid for them with trembling hands. After that, I never looked back (okay, except for that one time I bought my Balenciaga bag and almost cried when the sales guy charged my credit card, but let’s not talk about that). It does get hard every once in a while, so that’s one of the reasons why I started this blog. It’s a good way of keeping myself on track and maybe I’ll meet some lovely like-minded people along the way.

Would you ever consider the 5 piece French wardrobe way of life?

acne-cardigan
By On In Shopping, Wardrobe725 Comments

I apologize if you just had a traumatic flashback to your teenage years when you read the word acne in that title. But let’s talk about the brand. I’m a huge Acne fan when it comes to their knitwear. I bought my first cardigan several years ago on sale in Antwerp. I couldn’t believe I bought something so expensive, even though I got it at 30% off. But 4 years later and it still looks like new, so needless to say it was a good investment. Over the years I bought a couple of wool sweaters and a cardigan, but I never managed to get my hands on the Raya cardigan.

I was determined to buy a grey version this year. At least, until I ran into a similar knit by H&M Trend (see detail above). Although the H&M version feels a bit thicker and heavier, the fit is almost identical (you probably can’t tell from the product pictures, but I tried them both) and if you’re careful enough, it will surely last you a couple of winters. Not to mention I saved €230, hello! I recommend washing it by hand or using the wool program on your machine, both with a laundry detergent for delicate garments and clothes. Always dry it flat, no hangers or clothes pegs because it will loose it’s shape.

Edit: Oops, it’s sold out already. But knowing H&M, they’ll probably re-stock soon.

daily eyewear
By On In Wardrobe897 Comments

Left: Specsavers Demi (€29); Right from top to bottom: Paul & Joe Phoenix (€230), Céline (€240), Ray Ban RB5227 (€133)

Even though this post is categorized under ‘small luxuries’, I’m aware of the fact that for some, like myself, glasses are a necessity (everything farther away from me than 20 centimeters is a blur, no joke!). I tried lenses for a while but I found them to be quite uncomfortable. And to be completely honest with you, I’m just too damn lazy to put them in and take them out every day in front of a mirror, messing around. So, after two years of wearing my black Ralph Lauren glasses, it’s that time again to invest in a new pair. And if any of you wear glasses, you probably know how difficult is to find that perfect pair. Sunglasses are different, you can buy a variety of them, switching it up every once in awhile. But glasses are a pretty big and expensive deal. They’re one of the few accessories that you wear on a daily basis for at least a year straight. And so you need to get it right (or your parents if you’re 10 years old and you think that a round bright pink/white frame looks awesome on you. No pictures, so this obviously never happened).

I usually spend a pretty penny on a new frame, so I think it’s safe to say that for me they qualify as a luxury. Obviously, a high price doesn’t always equal quality, especially when it comes to glasses, and I would be perfectly fine with a €29 frame if previous eyewear purchases didn’t show I have expensive taste, ugh! But hey, that cost per wear is down to zero in no time. Above some of my favorite ones so far (still looking). Which ones are your favorite?