Winter 10-Item Wardobe–FINALLY

Look at this–two blog posts in one day? How do I do it all? Mostly it involves keeping my daughter busy with books and/or literally holding her while I took the photos. She had a lot of fun dancing on my clothes, too. But finally, yes, my awesome ivory wool fisherman’s sweater arrived, and it was the perfect piece to complete my 10-item wardrobe for the rest of the winter (especially with us visiting Massachusetts this month–brr!).

Well. I kinda cheated. This is actually an 11-item wardrobe. But since this also represents what I’m taking on our trip, I had to add a dress–even if I don’t wear it weekly–and I grouped my two favorite striped shirts as one.

If you haven’t heard of the concept before, the 10-item wardrobe is something I heard about when I first read Jennifer L. Scott’s Madame Chic books, and it hit a chord. I’ve always wanted the perfect, compact, packable wardrobe where all the pieces go together and I never have to think when I get dressed. Plus, being able to close my dresser drawers is always a bonus. The 10 (or 11) items are your core items. This doesn’t include extras like t-shirts and scarves, underwear, outwear, shoes, or evening wear.

I’ve done a couple 10-item wardrobes before, and what’s really struck me is I have a much better sense of my “style,” or what I really like and wear. Look at the pics below and it’s clear that I like red and navy. And stripes. And gray. And Spider-Man. I’ve got to add some comics somewhere!

So, without further ado, here is my 11-item wardrobe:

J. Crew Factory long-sleeved striped boatneck t-shirts.

I love these shirts. I love these shirts so much. I’ve had the navy stripe for more than a year. The red, I bought two months ago. While the navy stripe is a little softer, they are otherwise indistinguishable, age-wise. This is partly because I hang them to dry, but partly because they are thick, well-made, awesome, and well-nigh indestructible. There are two additional colors available at J. Crew Factory and I am seriously considering buying them. Plus, they look great, fit well, and my black nursing bras don’t show through.

Thread & Supply “menswear” blue shirt.

This is a new purchase, a birthday gift from my Mom and Dad (thank you!). It looks a little rumpled in the picture but it’s the perfect “menswear” type shirt, crisp and tailored, but it fits a lady. I mean me.

Spider-Man sweatshirt, Forever 21.

I bought this sweatshirt two-and-a-half years ago and it’s still one of my favorites! I had to mend the waistband once, but otherwise, it’s stellar–and a good conversation piece.

Halogen gray wool-blend sweater with embroidery.

Another new purchase (actually, I think most everything is). This Halogen sweater is cozy, but the embroidery makes it a little more polished.

Red and gray J Crew Factory sweater with gold polka dots.

This would have been perfect for Christmas! The v-neck adds a little sex appeal.

J Crew Factory jeans.

I admit–I literally took these off to take a picture of them. There’s a little enchilada sauce on the hip if you look closely. I was wary of buying light blue jeans (I was scarred by the ’80s and ’90s) but my Mom made me try them on and they’re awesome. Lesson: Moms are always right.

J. Crew Factory red tailored stretch Lexie pant.

Fortunately, there’s enough red in my wardrobe that I had no qualms about including deep-red pants! I think everything except the red sweater goes with this. Wow, these pants are wrinkly. Sorry!

Vince black ponte pants.

Another item my Mom encouraged me to try on, and bought me for my birthday. I was always suspicious about “ponte” pants. Do you mean tailored sweatpants? But while these are as stretchy and as comfy as pajamas, they look like nice tailored pants. My Mom was right again!

APC sweater dress.

As I said, since we’ll be visiting family in Massachusetts, I needed to include a dress. I love this dress–bought on super clearance, because APC is pricey. It looks very . . . squat in this photo, but it’s actually cute on. The yarn is kind of a gray and navy marl.

Fisherman’s sweater, vintage.

I saved the best for last! I love this sweater so much. It’s so big and cozy–it weighs two pounds. I found it on Etsy from a vintage seller. It’s wool and was clearly handmade. The quality is incredible. And I love, love all the cables and patterns. I bought all kinds of cedar inserts for my bureau to help protect it.

So what do you think? I think this is pretty much the perfect wardrobe. With a pair of tights, some t-shirts, and shoes and accessories, this will fit nicely in a suitcase (not the sweater, I’ll wear it), and I’ll feel well dressed at the in-laws’.

What are your go-to items? Post below!