Wardrobe Essentials.

As I've been going through all my clothes and tried to empty my closet of everything I don't actively use I've noticed that even though my wardrobe was full of clothes I seem to lack the basic things everyone should own. For example: I do not own a black cardigan. (Or actually I do but the one I have is an expensive one and I only use it at parties and other special occasions.) Nor do I have a grey one either except for my Fuse but I don't really count it as a basic cardigan.

I dress quite casually and wear the same clothes at work and in my free time. My "uniform" consists of knitted sweaters or cardigans with plain t-shirts or simple blouses combined with jeans (usually black), a scarf and ankle boots. I mostly use black, grey and muted shades of green and burgundy. But despite these preferences my closet was full of clothes in almost every shade and color there is. No wonder I never used over half of them! Still, my wardrobe lacks a dark grey pullover and also a white one (or one that is not super-bulky, that is), and I don't own a muted green cardigan either even though it's one of my all time favorite colors.

Dividing my wardrobe into seasonal capsules of just a few selected pieces instead of thinking all of my clothes as one huge entity has also made me regard my clothes in a new way. I might already have a white sweater but if it's so warm and bulky that it's wearable for only a few months a year should I maybe invest in another one that is lighter and could be used in the warmer seasons as well? And the same works the other way round as well: I have a burgundy cardigan that I love but it's way too thin to wear during the winter so I might need to replace it for a bulkier one during the coldest months. And having a grey chunky cowl does not mean that I shouldn't need a sheerer grey scarf.

Some of my hats, mittens and socks.

The accessories I use are often much more colorful and bright than the clothes I wear. I have knitted hats, mittens and woolen socks so that I could make a rainbow with them, but I do not have a basic black hat. Or a white one for that matter. I wear woolen socks at home and sometimes inside my boots so it doesn't really matter if they are super bright because no one will see them but to be honest, I wouldn't even have any other option because I don't own neutral or grey ones. I don't have black or grey mittens either, or a white scarf nor a black one.

This is the "problem" I'm trying to tackle from now on, so expect to see some very boringly colored knitted stuff here for a while (except for all the colorful kiddie-stuff I'm making). I've been trying to make a list of the shortcomings of my wardrobe and prioritize them in my knitting queue. I'm also trying to pick patterns and colors that are more wearable and leave the brightly colored yarns to the store however lovely they might be.

The back of my Exeter cardigan.

My first "wardrobe essential" piece is actually almost ready: I've been working on a medium grey cardigan with the Exeter pattern. I still have the part of the last sleeve left to do but it shouldn't take long anymore before I get to use it!