Home Page - A blog on how to create a minimalist wardrobe, how to be chic and how to live a simpler, more stylish lifestyle.

Dear Reader . . . . . . .

Welcome to my Blog - Chic and Minimalist Wardrobe.

• Do you wish to live a simpler lifestyle?
• Would you like to reduce the possessions in your life, including your clothing?
• Would you like to own a small wardrobe of stylish clothes that meet your needs?
• Would you like to know what type of clothes are basic wardrobe essentials? 
• Would you like to know how to be chic and dress with flair?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, and need help in achieving your goals, this website is for you.

I hope you find it useful.

Below is a list of articles that I have written on this blog and on other websites.

So, if you would like to know how to be chic, how to create a minimalist wardrobe and how to live a simpler, more stylish lifestyle, please read on.................

With Best Wishes

"Simply Me" - Chic and Minimalist Wardrobe Blog

 

                                                       * * LIST OF ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS * *

* * Latest Articles * *

The 10- item wardrobe - How French women create a chic and minimalist wardrobe.

Summary:  Best selling author and one of my favourite fellow bloggers, Jennifer L Scott (The Daily Connoisseur), recently published a book "Secrets of Madame Chic: 20 stylish secrets I learnt while living in Paris." It is based on her year spent in Paris as a student, where she lived with her host family (Family Chic) in an apartment in the wealthy 16th Arrondissement. To Jennifer's suprise, the mother of the family, "Madame Chic", only had 10 items of clothing in her wardrobe, but always looked chic and well dressed whatever the occassion. 
I love this method of creating a minimalist wardrobe and have adopted it myself. It works!
To read my full post and learn how Madame Chic achieved this, click here.  I have also

included Jennifer's YouTube Clips, where she shows us how to create the chic 10 item wardrobe, as well as a clip of her interview on TV.  

Click here to read my full post.

Minimalist Wardrobe Essentials for Fall / Autumn 2012

* * Other Articles * *

Parisian style wardrobes - tres chic and minimalist

• The secrets of the Parisian womans chic and minimalist wardrobe.
• The French 5-piece wardrobe - a famous French technique that can help you create a small and stylish wardrobe each season

Minimalist Wardrobe Essentials

• A humorous and holistic approach to creating a minimalist wardrobe

How to be Chic - Tips on looking Chic, having a Chic home and Lifestyle

• How to Be Chic - 10 Easy Ways to become more Chic

Films that feature inspiring Chic and Minimalist wardrobes:

• A week with Marilyn 

Cure a wardrobe crisis with capsule wardrobes - Never again have to say "I have nothing to wear"

• How to cure a wardrobe crisis with capsule wardrobes

How to update your wardrobe each season:

• How to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer
• How to update your wardrobe for Autumn / Winter
• Minimalist Wardrobe Essentials for Fall / Autumn 2012

Chic and Minimalist Accessories

• The only shoes you need in a chic and minimalist wardrobe
• How to tie and wear a silk square scarf
• Different ways to tie and wear a Pashmina
• How to tie and wear  an oblong / rectangular scarf  

Parties

• How to dress for parties and how to create a party capsule wardrobe 
• Recession Style - What to wear to the Downsized Christmas Party

My capsule wardrobes
Article coming soon

Chic and Minimalist Make-up
Article coming soon

 Basic Wardrobe Essentials
Article Coming Soon

The film "A week with Marilyn" - a suprising source of inspiration for a chic and minimalist wardrobe.

Last night I went to see the film  "A week with Marilyn". It is a true story about a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe, when during the mid 1950's, she was  in England acting in a film produced by Laurence Olivier.

I highly recommend going to see the film for several reasons. Not only is it an interesting insight into her character,  an interesting story centred on a brief and  impossible romance and pure glamorous escapism, it is also suprisingly a great source of inspiration for a chic and minimalist wardrobe.
I am not sure who the costume designer is for the film, but Marilyn's clothes were beautiful and suprisingly understated.

Yes they were form fitting to show off her curvey figure, but they were also very simple, modest and classic in style. They are a great inspiration for anyone wishing to learn about basic wardrobe essentials. The clothes were made in subtly luxurious fabrics and soft femenine colours,  - everything  a chic amd minimalist wardrobe should be.

.
Her wardrobe contained many of the chic basic wardrobe essentials:

• A simple little black dress that flowed over her curves - probably made in a silk crepe de chine.
• A soft (silk?) fitted white shirt worn with a pair of  capri pants in a neutral colour - very 1950's.
• A soft cashmere sweater in a light pearl grey. The neckline was high and round, but the style was fairly fitted which showed off her figure.
• Several pencil skirts in neutral colours such as camel
• Two coats - a beige trench-coat and a light camel wool coat.
• Simple sweater dresses
• A black turtleneck 
• Black high heels and chic ballet flats
• Wide waist emphasising belts.
•  Her trademark red lipstick.

I am sure there were other items that I have missed, but that is a good excuse for me to watch the film again.

Recession Style - What to wear to the Downsized Office Christmas Party.

Last week was the annual Christmas party for one of the companies I work for and due to the recession, the company slashed its budget from £25 a head to £7.50 a head.

I work in a clothes shop and this new Downsized Christmas party proved a challenge for everyone. What were we going to do and more importantly, what were we going to wear?

In previous years our Christmas parties took place in nice restaurants and we usually dress up and wear party dresses - see mine- here  (This photo  shows my "Formal / Social " capsule wardrobe)

This reduced budget proved a real challenge to the team, but being a creative bunch, we came up with the perfect solution and decided to hold the Christmas Party in the store.

We already had a few small tables, which we put up and by using some stools, deck-chairs and a few cardboard boxes, managed to provide seating for everyone. It was good fun and everyone brought along a bottle of wine each or some beer and the £7.50 a head budget was spent on dishes from the local Indian Take-away or the local Wagamamas. (Later in the evening Wagamamas kindly delivered some free desserts for us all.)

It was a really challenge deciding what to wear. Party dresses were too over the top and jeans were to casual.Strangely enough, most of us dressed in a similar way - a smart / casual skirt or trousers with a casual evening top.

I wore several of my basic minimalist wardrobe items - a black pencil skirt, again from my formal social capsule wardobe, a black vest top, and black ballerina pumps, jazzed up with a purple cardigan and a sparkly silver necklace. 

A good time was had by all and was definately an unusual Christmas Party that I am sure will be remembered by us all for many years to come.

How to Dress for parties and how to create a party capsule wardrobe

Severe winter weather arrives - time to double check my basic winter wardrobe.

Here in England, much of the country has been buffeted by severe winter storms,  heralding the start of  winter proper.

At the begining of October I reviewed  my Autumn/Winter wardrobe to make sure I had the Basic Essential Items for a Winter Wardrobe  . 

My wardrobe contained everything I needed, but there were a couple of items I felt were missing and so purchased:

• A warm chunky knit cardigan to wear at home and work.  I also bought it as a way to cut  my ever increasing winter heating bills. For the first time ever I made it through October without putting the heating on, so it has paid for itself already.
• Three pairs of black 40 denier tights to wear with my flat black ballet pumps and brown winter boots

Now that the bad weather has well and truly arrived,  I quickly double checked my winter wardrobe to make sure I have all the basic winter wardrobe essentials. If you are trying to build up a basic winter wardrobe, you may find this list useful.

• Warm Winter Coat? -  Yes.   My grey wool winter coat is now 10 years old but still looks ok. 
• Woolies? - Yes.  Time to get out and wear my woollen scarf, gloves and hat. 
• Umbrella? - Yes.  Time to put it  by the front door, ready to face the blustery winds and rain.
• Footwear? - Yes. I am still wearing my black ballet flats but brought out  my two pairs of winter boots. One pair is practical, has good grips for the snow. The other pair are smart and fashionable and I wear them with my winter skirts.
• Tops? - Yes.  In the Autumn, I like to wear long sleeve jersey tops. I continue to wear these, but have now brought out my knitwear to wear over the top. These include two polo neck jumpers, a sweater and my new chunky knit cardigan. I also have a chunky grey cable-knit waistcoat to add a third layer for extra warmth.
• Bottoms? Yes -I have a pair of jeans for the week-end which go with both pairs of boots and three knee length skirts (denim, velvet and cable knit) which can be worn with the thick black tights and boots.
• Make-up and accessories? Yes. I generally wear the same make-up all year round, a natural "no-make-up" look, but in winter prefer to wear a darker lipstick. I also have a couple of nail varnishes that are nice for winter, one is a dark minky brown and a deep wine/berry colour. 

So, panick over, I have everything I need.

I think carrying out a wardrobe review at least twice a year is the  the key to having a chic and minimalist wardrobe and to avoid a crisis situation where you don't have everything you need.

So now I can relax and have  fun with my winter make-up and nail varnishes  and get used to wearing my hats, gloves and scarves in chic ways - so time to practise some new scarf tying techniques.

My next post is "Recession Style - What to wear to your employers Downsized Christmas Party".
Last week was the Christmas party at one of my jobs. It was very downsized and definately posed a sartorial challenge for everyone. We had a fun evening and I hope you will enjoy reading about it. 

In the meantime, you may be interested in reading one of my Hubpages articles - How to update your Wardrobe for Autumn / Winter 2011/2012