Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tim Gunn's Ten Essentials


You may recall that a few weeks ago I wrote about cleaning out my closet--and I'm still doing it.  Someone in the comments asked about the "ten essentials" I mentioned--the "must have" list I picked up from reading Tim Gunn's book. 









 
Here it is:
  • Basic Black Dress
  • Trench Coat
  • Classic Dress Pants
  • Skirt
  • Blazer
  • Classic White Shirt
  • Day Dress
  • Cashmere Sweater
  • Jeans
  • Sweatsuit Alternative
  • Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item Under $20
Supposedly, any woman can have a complete fashionable wardrobe with just these ten things--and I'm at the point in life where I think I'd LOVE to have only ten things--plus a genuine sweatsuit or three for working.  :-)  My problem is that I buy beautiful pieces at 75 percent off sales, but I "save" them for days when I have to leave the house . . . and so many things never get worn because by the time I leave the house, the item is either out of size, out of season, or out of sight.  
And so I shall continue the great closet clean-out, growing gradually more and more ruthless . . . and I will search for the perfect items from the ten essentials list.  Anybody want to join me on the great adventure?  I'd be happy if I could get it down to twenty things . . . and we'd be able to walk in the closet. Might take me twenty years to get to my goal, but I'm up for it. 
 
~~Angie 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think we have little gremlins that put stuff back in our closets as fast as we clean them out!
good luck on your closet cleaning!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jan!! Sounds like a great idea to join...but it's hard to pass up old navy sales especially now with the "winter/fall" colors. For someone short like me,even harder to find pants in "short length" that still fit without the "muffin top"

Kay Day said...

you need to add
3 modest pajama sets for public speaking engagements.

Anonymous said...

When I retire again in January, this is going to be one of my top goals for 2008. The next on the list, and ever so much more painful, will be culling the books, which have spilled out of every bookcase, in every room! What would be your list of ten essential books, Angie? Clyde

Angela said...

LOL! Yes, Kay, I need those nice pajamas. Funny that I NEVER work in them, but I'll SPEAK in them. :-)

And sigh, Clyde, about the books . . . just yesterday I joined the "Folio Society" and received a HUGE box of lovely reference books for my introductory package. And as I set them out, I realized that something (lots of somethings) have to go. I have my bookshelves filled with books stacked vertically BEHIND horizontal stacks of books . . .

I'm going to have to cull, too. A good project for those holiday days when you don't want to work.

Ten essentials? Let me think on it. :-) Something worthy of a separate blog, I'm sure.

Angie

Bonnie Way aka the Koala Mom said...

Too funny that earlier today I was thinking about cleaning a few pieces out of my closet and then I come and read this... :) I do it fairly regularly, however, as I'm a neat freak and don't like things sitting around my closet unused. And if my PJs were as nice as your PJs, I'm sure I'd be okay with speaking in them... or even being seen in them period... :)