perfect 10, a decade on
In 2011 (oh my lord that was a decade ago), I wrote a post about my perfect 10 -- the 10 items in my wardrobe I reached for most regularly. They were: 2 shirts, 2 t-shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of ballet flats, my YSL Tribute tote, and my watch.
Pretty timeless options, and yet much has changed. I haven't worn a shirt in ages, I would never buy ballet flats now because I don't find them comfortable anymore, I carried the Tribute tote less and less over the years after buying lighter bags, and those three pairs of jeans are all too small and low on the rise for me now. I am still a jeans and t-shirts girl, but even within those confines there can be plenty of variation.
Today, I have "technology" to spit out data (Airtable, lol) on my actual current top 10s, down to the number of wears since December 2020. They are:
- Black patent Birkenstock sandals - 59 wears
- Denim high waist shorts from Uniqlo U - 47 wears
- Blue and silver Prism tote from Bao Bao - 38 wears
- Black cotton blend high-waist shorts from Uniqlo - 37 wears
- Burgundy Trio purse from Celine -19 wears
- Blue mid-rise vintage button-fly jeans from Levi's - 17 wears
- Green and orange jelly sandals from Melissa 17 wears
- Lavender and white running shorts from Lululemon - 14 wears
- White and grey bike shorts from Lululemon - 14 wears
- Gingham cotton shorts from Uniqlo - 14 wears
Not in this list are my watch (because I didn't log watches and jewellery into the table) and my freebie canvas tote, both of which I suspect will easily clock top ten.
The list is dominated by shoes, bags and bottoms (shorts mostly), which makes sense because I have far fewer of these items than I do tops. So even though I am in some kind of t-shirt or tank top daily, none of them appear in this list. But collectively I have worn items from the tops category 182 times (mostly t-shirts [81] and tanks [74]), compared to shorts (98 times, excluding sportswear).
Compared to what I wrote 10 years ago, this list is a lot less curated, less a perfect capsule wardrobe and more an accurate reflection of what I actually wear. Granted the last 18 months have been strange times, but clearly, the idea of future-proofing your wardrobe by going for classics has its limitations.
So what have I learnt about "investing" in fashion classics after 10 years? Seems like workhorse basics will never go out of style, so long as they have enough buffer for changing body shapes. When I took a break from work to travel for about six months, it was once again, things like shorts, t shirts and practical shoes that went the furthest for me. Statement items, which are so thrilling to acquire, are not surprisingly the first to lose their relevance.
If I'm still blogging in 10 years, let's see what makes the list.
Comments
I don't know how I managed to wear ballet flats all the time through year 2015 or so, including while I was living in NYC and did a lot of walking. These days my feet hurt so much from ballet flats due to the lack of support for the foot that I can't even wear them for a half day with only a moderate amount of walking anymore. (Plus I destroyed each pair of ballet flats within only a few months of heavy wear and use.)
Pandemic life really causes me to favor more simple bags (mainly the Longchamp large nylon tote I previously only used for travel) and I switch between bags much less. And all my business casual dress staples that are normally the backbone of my work wardrobe don't get used for now, and don't currently fit perfectly! (Though I think I will be back dressing in that style starting in the fall or winter, and we'll see if my body shape at the time still requires me to buy new ones... Those types of dresses mostly do not have much buffer for changing bodies.)
Look forward to the blog’s next decade !