2012...Lose the Frump

I am a mom.  A stay at home mom.  I don't have too many reasons to dress up.  I used to have a career where I had to dress up every day.  I didn't have to wear suits, but I did occasionally.  I always wore dress pants or a skirt.  Now...not so much.

Today my wardrobe can best be described as "comfortable".  In other words, casual, worn, stretchy, old, faded, dated and dare I say, frumpy!  I don't necessary hate my wardrobe but I don't love it either and I really don't think it does anything to flatter my figure.  (Oh, and I am working on that "figure" too because I don't hate it but I don't love IT either.)

I would love to be one of those people that have a style.  A look.  I am not flashy or trendy and that is not what I am looking to achieve.  I want to be classic, put together, modern.  Additionally, I want my clothes to reflect a better me.  I want my wardrobe to flatter my body and make me feel confident.

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Before I can "find" my new style, I need to lose the frump.  So I decided to start with a quick purge.  First off, I do not have that much clothes and sadly, of that small amount of clothes, I probably wear about a quarter of it. 

I started with a quick closet purge.  I pulled out the old, the faded and stained.  I got rid of the stuff I don't wear at all and probably won't.  It feels good and now I get to do the fun part - building a wardrobe that makes me happy and that makes me look and feel great.

Don't you just love this wardrobe I found on Pinterest?  I don't know that it would work for me but I love how it all just seems so stylish and seems to all work together.

a pair & a spare perfect wardrobe essentials

I decided to do a google search for the top 10 wardrobe essentials.  The lists are largely the same and haven't changed much over the years.  So my quest is to find these items.  My two favorite lists were from Harper's BAZAAR  and Tim Gunn.  Both lists are from 2007 but they are truly timeless. These items are as modern today as they were 5 years ago.

Harper's BAZAAR

1. Trousers
2. Blazers
3. Pencil skirts
4. White Button-ups
5. Silk  Blouses
6. Simple Cardigans
7. Dresses (shirt, shift, or sheath)
8. Pumps
9. Structured Bag
10. Belts

TIM GUNN

1. Basic Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Dress Pants
4. Classic White Shirt
5. Jeans
6. Any Occasion Top
7. Skirt
8. Day Dress
9. Jacket
10. Sweatsuit Alternative
    Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item

So, I am off to create the list of items that I need and build a wardrobe that works for me.  What is your style?