Thoughts on "The Curated Closet"

I mentioned in a previous post about reading "The Curated Closet" by Anuschka Rees some months ago- I found it to be a helpful read, as I work through adding and subtracting things to my closet. In this post I wanted to pass along some tidbits I found useful!

One thing I really appreciated about the book was how the author continually promotes the idea that style isn't a one-size-fits-all ready-made formula, but should be tailored to each individual and can be a fun, creative process. She gives the example of listening to music we like, not what others tell us we should like- so it should also be with fashion.

Two important shopping pointers that stood out to me were- to be selective about clothes (do you really like it/ great fit vs. "well, the fit/ color is a little off and but it'll do") and to buy quality. She points out that it's easier to impulse buy than to actively think about what pieces we need to make a functioning wardrobe.

She mentions how as a young adult she shopped without a strategy, buying fast fashion pieces from here and there, adding clothes to her wardrobe on impulse just because they were on sale, and in doing so created a mishmash of items that didn't suit her style or life. (Raises hand) In her words, "Everything was just another quick fix."

Further on she discusses three concepts to help build a wardrobe you love that works for your lifestyle (but using only one of these):

1. Closet composition (breaking things up into basics, key pieces, and statement pieces)
2. Color palettes
3. Outfit formulas (i.e. daily uniform)

Later in the book there's a chapter on Capsule Wardrobes. The thought of choosing to create a capsule wardrobe doesn't really appeal to me, as I like variety and options, but it has crossed my mind before that the more one hones in on what clothes work for them/ builds a wardrobe of things they enjoy wearing, that in itself starts to become a capsule wardrobe of sorts. And the author says that same thing:

"But here's the thing: if you work with the techniques in this book, you'll get the same result. You don't need to limit yourself to a low number of pieces to dress well, have a closet of pieces that all work well together, or curb impulse shopping. You can achieve those things no matter how many clothes you want to keep in your closet. In fact, for some people, forty pieces is close or even above the number they would wear either way. In that case, their wardrobe is both a capsule and a regular wardrobe, and it doesn't really matter what they choose to call it."

There's a lot more to the book but the above points were what stood out to me the most. I'd love to hear if you've read any similar books!