A Functional Wardrobe

Color Wheel for a Functional Wardrobe

A functional wardrobe provides both leisure and luxury.

Fashion preys on the the weak and insecure

Think about what it means to be wealthy, comfortable, friends with money. One definition of wealth is having everything one needs. Thus, for the wealthy, clothing is functional. For nearly everyone else, it is a shield behind which they hide. Having a core of clothing that will take you through your daily activities with grace and ease is a valuable resource.

For those who aspire to a life of success and financial security, especially women, a functional wardrobe is an oft-overlooked and misunderstood piece of the foundation. Instead of investing in a pretty dress or a deisgner handbag, consider investing in the self-discipline required to follow the process of creating a functional wardrobe. Invest in conscientiousness about why and how much money you are spending and the return on your investment. If dressing appropriately every day is challenging, we will get you sorted out by the end of the article.

Can your clothing choices make you more successful, high-achieving or improve your personality? For those who have not figured it out, clothing serves as a mask under which all their worst fears about themselves are true. We know appearances can be deceiving but when it comes to fashion, the only person you are fooling is yourself. Anything you buy that doesn't add long-term value, is by definition a waste of money. Fashion can be one such pernicious expense that traps many into believing they have consequence in the world or that they are beautiful, feminine, worthy, etc... Ask yourself, what are you trying to tell people you don't know with your clothing that someone who met you would not discover in a few minutes?

From what I observe, the problem most people have with clothing is quantity. We will leave quality aside for the moment. Most people don't overspend on expensive designer brands while eating ramen noodles and drinking cheap wine, although that does happen. People overspend on clothing because it is inexpensive and ubiquitous. This prevents anyone from having to deeply consider the utility and purpose of an item they may purchase. People can purchase tens or even hundreds of items in a year with no real plan and still end up with very few options the next time an impromptu invitation arrives.

On a personal note, let's consider my extensive dress collection. I own about twenty dresses. How often do I wear a dress? About once every other week. On the other end of the spectrum from my dress collection is athleisure. I am ambivalent about the trend. On one hand, I love the comfort of the pieces available but on the other, the materials are nasty and the trendz change at lightning speed. Furthermore, while it may be comfortable, it is certainly not versatile.

Colorado, in particular has an obsession with the outdoors and athletic wear. Sport-specific clothing is necessary for kayaking and mountain biking but a long hike, errands and city sightseeing can be equally accomplished in a button-down, khakis, and leather shoes with a sweatshirt for insurance. Wearing that, you could head out on a hike and then to dinner at a Taco truck in a liquor store parking lot and to the playground afterwards. Of course, you could also do that in athleisure wear. This is Colorado, after all. Nevertheless, there are certain question of empowerment, adulthood and self-respect that neither skin-tight leggings nor my dress collection can answer without chagrin.

Versatility will Take you Further

A classic, versatile wardrobe in natural fabrics will take you from city to mountain top with a minimum of fuss. You will have options and layers for all types of weather and outdoor activities. The first perk is when you are done with your outdoor activities, you can walk in to any caliber of restaurant and not embarrass yourself of the waiter when you ask for a table. The second perk is that you can launder the garments at home and they will look exactly the same after washing. They will last for years, support many different activities, and embellishments and you will always have a reliable, classic look. How can you get started with a classic wardrobe? Well, I am not an expert but I have found one amazing resource on the internet. I will first share a summary of her wisdom then provide a few wardrobe improvement experiments you can try at home.

The Vivienne Files

The author of this blog has incredible fashion sense that is both timeless and practical. If you struggle with your wardrobe, and you must if you've read this far, I would highly encourage you to look around her site and look for a wardroe template that suits your preferences. Then follow her process, step by step, over a period of one-two years. In the first year, you first purchase the core items, as your budget allows. In the second year, you can evaluate accent colors, shoes and accessories.

She preaches that you don't need to buy or own a lot of clothing to be well dressed. In fact, fewer items of clothing produces a more cohesive look. I took three important lessons from the Vivienne Files. The first is the most important and that is, you need a core wardrobe, no matter what your accent colors, or fashion style. Even Goths and beatniks need all-black basics upon which to display their dark lace and death wishes or their irreverent bourgeois education. Whether you are girly, sporty, artsy, minimalist, literary or the class clown, you need some basic clothing to gesso the canvas where you will display your preferences, attitudes and values. Two of her concepts support this perfectly, and those are four-by-four wardrobes and the concept of the common wardrobe. We will explore these further with experiments in a minute.

The second concept is the application of a column of color. This means you have pants or a skirt with a top in the same color that, worn together, produce the illusion of a single garment or column of color from top to bottom. The corollary to this inner column of color is the outer column, whereby a third piece in the same color produces a complete suit and introduces the option to add color via a coordinating top. All one needs to create a variety of outfits are three pieces in the same color. This will be the basis of the second of our experiments below.

The final concept that the Vivienne Files espouses is that accessories make all the difference to a look. She takes simple garments, a matching skirt and top for example and dresses them up and down six ways 'till Sunday. She can take you from a vineyard tour to a cruiser ride with equal verve, appropriateness and elegance. One concept I haven't seen her discuss much is styling but her clothing suggestions are all versatile and support multiple styling options. As a petite person, who often rolls shirt and sweater sleeves to produce bracelet-length styling, I can appreciate that.

Two Experiments in Dressing Well

Inspired by Janice at the Vivienne Files, here are two experiments you can try at home but first things first. Promise yourself that you will not buy another item of clothing, even for five dollars at the charity shop, until you have completely assessed your wardrobe according to this lovely lady's philosophy and addressed any shortfalls. Stop embroidering the curtains and finish laying the foundation. Promise me in the comments and we can do this together.

The First Experiment

Go to your wardrobe and produce the following classic clothing combinations:

• A pair of khaki pants, a white tee shirt and a white button down

• A canadian tuxedo (jeans and coordinated chambray shirt)

• A casual skirt (denim, corduroy, wool), a blue button down and a dark sweater

• A soft suit -a pair of trousers, short and long-sleeve layers and a cardigan or blazer all in the same dark color

How far did you get with this exercise and did you note any holes in your wardrobe? These items are the building blocks of a functional and practical wardrobe. They will take you many places; even out to dinner. If you don't have every piece listed, with one exception, you probably struggle to get dressed every morning. Some of us have issues with button front shirts so I would make an allowance for a long-sleeve jersey shirt to replace the white button down. However, there are myriad cuts and manufacturers out there so keep your jersey but don't give up on finding the perfect white shirt.  

If your skirt, trousers, cardigan and dark layers are all in a single neutral color (navy, black, gray), you get bonus points. Speaking of neutrals, what are your neutrals? Some feel elegant and mysterious in black. I feel dowdy and dour when I wear black but often receive compliments. I prefer lighter colors, even for my darks. I live in Navy and Gray in winter and Ivory with Blue in the summer. I did not have a core of neutrals when I started but the vivienne files, (VF for short), taught me how to create a foundation of the basics and this next experiment allowed me to determine my neutrals.

The Second Experiment

My personal coloring is plain with medium contrast. I have a year-round tan, freckles galore on my face, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. My eyebrows and eyelashes are thin and my hair is fine and curly. On my worst days, my hair resembles a rat's nest and my face is a large round moon; flat with dark craters. On good days, I get compliments on my smile and people tell me I have flirty eyes. In short, everything looks decent on me but few things are ever outstanding. I had a devil of a time figuring out my core neutrals.

After stalking VF for a year or so, and making many foolish purchases during that time, I decided to take her advice and create a wardrobe of core neutrals. I knew black was a non-starter, despite my ridiculously expensive sport knit black pants and designer cashmere sweater. I love khaki but it is extremely difficult to find in appreciable quantity. I tried dark olive but it was too dark and too yellow. I tried beige next. Some pieces were great but others were also too yellow. Whites and off-whites likewise produced mixed results with the yellow tones next to my face looking terrible. I love gray but found it difficult to find pieces I liked that coordinated enough to create the columns I desired. Charcoal is also too dark so I finally tried navy, which I had always just shrugged about.

Navy made my dreams come true. It supports my accent colors beautifully, bringing out new depth in them I had not even noticed before. It doesn't do much either way for my own coloring but it is softer than black, available in abundance and at reasonable prices, and it is almost always appropriate, whereas gray can make one feel irresolute in certain situations.

If you already have a solid grasp on your core neutrals, you can skip this experiment. The experiment I want you to try is to go to land's end or l.l. bean websites and order three pieces in a neutral color. Chances are, you already know what does and does not look good close to your face. Stop and think about these colors for a minute. Are they warm or cool? That is your first clue.

As a reminder, neutrals are the basic colors in these four basic groups: white/ivory/cream, beige/camel/brown, gray/charcoal/black, denim/navy. Leave primary colors, and colors like cobalt, bottle green, or anything with a suspiciously evocative name (oyster blue, deep orchid) out for now. We are trying to find you three pieces that you can wear every single day.

The tree pieces you order will be lifestyle and seasonally appropriate. If you work in an office, a pencil skirt or trousers in wool, fitted shirt and a soft blazer or structured cardigan would be appropriate. If your office is casual or your lifestyle is casual, you can look for chinos or corduroy, a matching tee shirt and a cardigan or even a hooded sweatshirt to build your suit.

Order these three pieces and when they arrive, try them on immediately. These three pieces alone probably won't change your life but they should look presentable and feel comfortable. You can now be able to attend a school board, meet friends for drinks, run errands, do chores, practice a yoga routine or explore a new neighborhood on foot. Stand up, sit down, touch your toes and stretch upwards. No additional skin beyond your ankles and wrists should peek out.

Now, look into the mirror. What do you see? Is it someone completely different and if so, how do you like her or him? How do you feel in these clothes and in this color? If the color does not suit you, meaning you would not wear it next to your face, return it and try another neutral at the opposite end of the warm/cool spectrum. If it just looks ok or decent, that is good. That is what you are going for. Anything that does not look decidedly bad is a good neutral with which to begin.

Over the next week, wear at least one of these items every day, mixed into your other clothing. Start with the full suit on day one. On day two, wear an odd jacket or cardigan over the top and skirt/ trousers. On day three, wear the cardigan and bottom piece with a plain (white) shell or layer underneath. On day four, wear the top and cardigan with another item on your lower half. On day five, wear the trousers or skirt with a shirt or blouse. You will quickly get the hang of it.

Enclothed Cognition

Enclothed cognition is the concept that wearing certain clothing supplies the persona associated with that item. The neatest example is that of a white lab coat conveying intelligence and authority. On the other hand this means that if you dress like a Hollywood starlet, you will become just like a hollywood starlet; insecure, broke, desperate and ravishingly disguised. Yes, you can do that. If you dress like a TikTok influencer, you can bust your hump, hustle, put a great amount of energy into your appearance and make millions for others. If you follow the trend to dress like 'old money', you may become calm, sophisticated and appropriate. However since that is the latest rage on TikTok and the interwebs, you could also end up as broke as all those hustlers if you are a follower. There are no guarantees.

When you purchase solid, reliable and classic garments for the base of your wardrobe, you tell your unconscious several things:

You respect yourself and your appearance

By your appearance, you respect the people around you, and your community. You don't attract attention for the wrong reasons. You improve the local landscape wherever you go by dressing well.

You value your money, time and headspace

Building a wardrobe based on classic items from heritage brands guarantees quality and simplifies decision making. Following a plan to build your wardrobe over time allows you to evaluate and enjoy your purchases. It allows you to build patience and self-discipline as well as breaking the habit of casual shopping.

You value versatility, simplicity and durability

You are ready for anything from deep work to an impromptu game of soccer. As you build a wardrobe based on core neutrals and planned purchases, your wardrobe expands to accommodate every opportunity you may encounter.

Your intrinsic value is incomparably higher than your external appearance

 Whether you think your are attractive or not, you know what they say, looks aren't everything. Dressing simply never detracts from beauty. Neat clothing and grooming can improve your general appearance if your appearance leaves something to be desired.

You are not particularly unique or special

If you want to differentiate yourself, you may do that via your personality, gifts, and contributions to society. If nobody, including you, is unique or special, that means what one has done, you can do too. Remember that.

The Values that Build Wealth

Who would have thought that shopping could make you wealthy? The above values are the values that build wealth over the long term. A disciplined approach to building a wardrobe that will support you as an adult, last for ages, and take you through all your endeavors, with classic style sets the tone for how you live your life, build your career, and manage your finances. Build a functional wardrobe and then leave it alone and watch your money grow. Let me know in the comments if you want to read more about this particular aspect of wealth and wellness.