I've been thinking about paring down my wardrobe. I can't bring myself to do it yet, but I'm thinking about it. I'm inspired by a woman in a NYTimes article that wore only 6 pieces of clothing for a month and nobody noticed! That means that we really don't need a giant closet of clothes. It also means that if I were to purge my closet, the pieces I keep will need to be versatile, able to be worn to a variety of functions and able to be worn in a variety of ways. Versatility includes the ability to layer and be worn with other clothes to create warmth and new looks. Clothes also need to be comfortable. If a piece of clothing is not comfortable, I am less likely to wear it. So that means that the clothes I keep in my closet need to be made of comfortable, breathable fabric. Natural fabrics like cotton, wool and silk feel the nicest to me. The last thing to consider in a piece of clothing is fit. Even if I can fit into a piece of clothing, I'm not going to wear it if it makes me feel self-conscious, fat or insecure. Clothes that make me feel good about myself tend to be ones that fit me in all the right places. On this front, I can either shop until I find pieces that fit me or I can make my own clothes. :-)
Right now, my favorite clothes tend to be convertible clothing. I've been fascinated with convertible clothing! From the convertible dress to the convertible scarf, these are clothes that I think gives the most bang for the buck. The fact that they can be worn a variety of different ways means that they can be worn over and over again without looking boring. Part of the fun is finding new ways to wear it!
One such item is the convertible/infinity dress. It's a simple dress you can make yourself. Instructions can be found here: http://rowena.typepad.com/rostitchery/infinity-dress.html
I made one earlier this year and plan to make another one later with some alterations using the lessons learned from my first one. If you're not into sewing, you can also buy one. Victoria's Secret, Monif C and Dessy all have their own version of the convertible dress. Simply put, the convertible dress is a skirt with two fat, long straps attached. Styling is varied depending on how your wrap the straps.
Another favorite convertible dress of mine was actually found at a street fair for 20 bux! I am told it was made from old silk saris, but I have no idea really where the fabric comes from though I do believe it is silk. Anyways, it's basically a two layered wrap skirt with long straps extending from the waistband. There are a few ways to wear it as a skirt, but my favorite is wearing it as a dress. It can be worn many different ways as a dress and it is one of the most comfortable items of clothing I own. You can buy a version of this online and see the different ways to wear it here: http://www.karizadesigns.com/
Continuing on this convertible stuff tract, I also love convertible wraps! I've made a few of these and as long as you make the wrap light and thin, you can wear it as a belt, scarf or wrap. Add buttonholes all around the edges, connect a bunch of buttons with jump rings to make them like cuff links, and your wrap can also be turned into a shrug or poncho. See the knitting pattern and ways to wear it here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTconvertible.html
The last convertible item I have are convertible mittens. Okay, I know convertible mittens are not versatile like the above examples, but I still love them! As much as I prefer gloves, the truth is that mittens are warmer. However, there are times when I need fingers! With convertible mittens, you can flip the cap off to expose your fingers and when you're done, you can flip the mitten caps back on. Perfect!
Maybe I love convertible clothing partly because of my love of cool, well-designed gadgets like the iPhone. Or maybe I just love cool clothing. Whatever the case, I am really, really happy to have some convertible items in my closet!
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