LBC: What Would You Change About Your Wardrobe?

Hello darlings! It's that time of the week (a little late this week, too), for the Lolita Blog Carnival!

This week, I would like to talk about the changes I want to make in my wardrobe.

I agreed with much of What Emily wrote on her blog, "It's Witchcraft". 2017 will be my eleventh year wearing Lolita, so my wardrobe is, for the most part, well-established and well-rounded.

Most of the changes I'd like to see have to do with cohesiveness, and building a stronger collection.

I would like to continue fleshing out my collection with blouses, socks, shoes and bags that compliment what I already have; and I'd like to cut back on what I call "stand alone" or "unitasker" pieces.

"Unitasker" is a phrase coined by one of my favourite television personalities, Alton Brown. He loves to loathe what he calls Kitchen "Unitaskers"- gadgets and gizmos that only complete one function in the kitchen. Though Lolita isn't exactly cooking, we definitely have unitaskers in our wardobe.

These are stand alone pieces, things we are all guilty of- for example, a single pastel jsk in a gothic wardrobe, that sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn't really coordinate with the rest of your closet. Or, a pair of pink shoes that you bought specifically to go with ONE dress, even though you have nothing else pink in your collection. UNITASKERS!

The worst part about stand-alone pieces is that it breeds more impulse buys. You find yourself compelled to buy more pastels, even if you don't like them, simply because you now feel obligated to include that in your wardrobe.

In case you haven't figured it out, this reluctant pastel hoarder is me, myself. Even though I HATE how I look in pink, and often find pastels look terrible on me, I come back to them again and again. I buy it, I try it on, and instantly resell it. It's a vicious cycle, and it results in left over pieces I will never use again- the one pink blouse I bought specifically for that one pink dress, or the singular lavender headbow I bought to match my only lavender jsk.

While there is nothing wrong with variety, if I've learned anything over the years, it's that I don't, and I won't wear pastels. The things I wear over and over again are often rich jewel tones, or dresses in black colorways. I'm especially fond of emerald green, navy blue and ruby red.

So why the hell did I buy pastel, mint green shoes?!

Or why do I follow the lemmings off the cliff, diving head-first into a new AP print release, when I know that I won't actually love it or wear it?

That is exactly my point.

So if I could change anything about my wardrobe, it would be to make it ship-shape, tight and efficient. I don't necessarily want a minimalist, capsule wardrobe, but I do want to borrow from that philosophy that everything has multiple purposes and can be combined with the other pieces.

My goal, in short, is to emphasize what I already have and like to wear... and find new ways to wear it, by adding in things that frame it beautifully.

A short list:

• More solid, lace-topped socks in staple colours like white, ivory, black
• More comfortable, multipurpose shoes 
• More boleros and cardigans
• Add in some Ouji pieces, that also match what I have
• Less impulse buys on main pieces, that don't fit with my collection

To see an example of my wardrobe and what I've curated, please see my recent 2016 Wardrobe post. Since posting it, I've already cleared out some pieces I never got to wear, or knew I wouldn't wear. 

It's always hard to part with things, but I think it's a step in the right direction; and it makes room for new things to come!

What do you think about stand-alone pieces? Is variety the spice of life, or do you prefer to keep a general theme or colour scheme in your closet?

Let's take a look at what other Lolitas had to say!

Xoxo,
Cherie

It's Witchcraft!