Minimalist Wardrobe

[ceeveg]

I've been reading a lot about minimalism, including minimalist wardrobes.  I'd really like to build a minimal work wardrobe of classic, timeless pieces.  Can anyone suggest places to find good, sturdy pieces?  I am on a fairly tight budget, but am planning to acquire a good wardrobe over a period of time.  Thanks!

[ceeveg]

I love Eileen Fisher stuff, btw.  I've been really fortunate to inherit two skirts and a pair of pants that have held up very well over the past three years of nearly constant wear.  But I can't really afford to purchase those kinds of items on my budget.

[luv my 2 sweeties]

A work wardrobe might be different, but I've tried to do this for my home wardrobe (I'm a SAHM).  One thing I discovered that I did not expect is that plain solid colors are not ideal for me.   Within a couple of months, I'll have some kind of spot or stain that is noticeable on the plain fabric.  I'm stuck with a lot of what I have for now, but as I replace, I'll be looking for subtle (and maybe a few not so subtle) prints that hide small stains better, and thus remain "good" for longer.  Unfortunately, prints reduce the mix-and-match ability.  I've not found a good solution for that yet.

[Geigerin]

This is a fabulous idea. My mother was a working professional when I was young, and we didn't have a lot of money. She would do layaway for clothes she wanted, and she just had a handful of very high-end clothes. My paternal grandparents still talk about how she wore Calvin Klein jeans while my dad was paying child support. They didn't realize they were moms only jeans that she had on layaway for months.

Nowadays, I would try consignment shops. In my city, we have a few places that carry beautiful, high-end clothes second hand. Got my favorite skirt there.

[redvlagrl]

When I was WOH, I had a couple of suits that I wore with some different tops. I grew up wearing a school uniform so I felt this was similar.

[althara]

There was a thread about this in Decluttering, Simplifying & Organizing fairly recently. It had some good links.