I have successfully completed my 5 Piece French Wardrobe challenge for the first half of this year. From January until now (actually, until the end of June) I’ve only bought 5 new pieces for my wardrobe. A little refresher:

In my quest for the perfect 5 pieces for the season, I was originally overwhelmed, but now, four months into my first season (which ends June 30th), I have narrowed my scope and thought I’d share my progress. Here’s a little refresher of the 5 Piece French Wardrobe guidelines.

The hardest part of my 5 Piece French Wardrobe challenge is deciding on which 5 pieces to buy between now and the end of June (I made it through January without buying any new wardrobe items… crazy, I know). While I haven’t nailed down the exact style, this image from Net-a-Porter’s newest issue of The Edit cemented a place for The Perfect Shirt in my 5 Piece French Wardrobe this season. Now the hunt begins for a shirt that is equally as effortless as it is polished…

August always seems to be the busiest month of summer. We try to pack as much sun-time fun into these last few weeks, and this year is no different. So many things on my mind this month, I didn’t know where to start! My August list…

My mind is on my fall wardrobe while my heart is enjoying every moment of summer. As I add items to my mental wish list for my second season with my 5 Piece French Wardrobe challenge, I can’t help but obsess over some luxe basics that are missing from my closet. My wish list of basics for Fall 2014 is made up of pieces made in quality fabrics and that will stand the test of time. My budget will only allow for one, maybe two of these pieces, so I have to choose wisely. I love the updated black pump from Céline along with the everyday black belt from Saint Laurent. Do you have a wish list of basics?

It looks like I am swopping out black for white this season, are you surprised? At the moment, I can’t get enough white in my life, between the white blooms on the flowering trees and the overwhelming amount of white apparel available in stores at the moment, it makes me want my entire black wardrobe duplicated in white. While that would be my dream come true, it isn’t likely, so I set my eyes on a few new white pieces for the season. Since they’re white they are considered basics right? (5 Piece French Wardrobe challenge is harder than I thought)!

Unfortunately we have to wait until Fall for the permanent COS shop to open in New York, but until then the goodies at their Pop-up shop at Opening Ceremony will tide me over. I stopped in to view the collection this morning in search of must have basics, and I was in luck -the bulk of the collection came in neutral or near neutral colors. The biggest draw for me are COS’s fabric qualities, and their no-fuss, simple silhouettes. I feel like most of their clothes could be unisex, I ended up trying on part of the men’s collection as well and buying a knit long sleeve sweater with a collar… I’m wearing it here. The other two pieces I bought were from the women’s collection and included a perfect white button down shirt and a new bikini.

I thought about including this in yesterday’s post, The White Edit, but after trying them on, I decided they deserved a post all their own. Fitting perfectly into my “Pare down, scale up,” mantra, the small but well-edited collection of white shirts from Parisian designer, Atlantique Ascoli are the only shirts you need in your wardrobe.

We are stuck in limbo somewhere between Winter and Spring, and belted coats are the perfect antidote to my winter wardrobe boredom. It’s no styling secret, wrapping a belt around your waist can instantly change your silhouette, but the awe of Emanuelle Alt’s effortless sensibility on the subject is always in the back of my mind. Such a simple styling trick to adopt until we can shed our coats for good. Braided leather or flat black, it’s not about the actual belt but more about the feeling of a pulled together, downtown look. A simple belt, which I am sure you already have in your arsenal of accessories, with the ability to tame the puffy coats and voluminous outerwear hanging in your closet.

While everyone in the world is talking about high-heeled mules and flat athletic sandals for Spring (references here and here), I am thinking of combining the two styles. Taking the best of both shoes: the elongating pointy toe from the high-heeled mule + the comfort of the athletic sandal = flat mule. More practical than a stiletto heel and more chic than a shower shoe, the pointy toe, flat mule is my shoe of choice for Spring 2014.
DE SMET

DE SMET