Decisions - How will it work?

Having resolved to make my wardrobe work better for me this year and I've now evaluated what I actually have to work with, it's decision time.  If I want this to work I must consider what I like in terms of what kind of styles suit me that I like and also the types of fabrics and colours I feel comfortable wearing.

  

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I like styles that are easy to wear.  This doesn't mean it has to be sloppy but it does have to be comfortable.  I like fitted and semi-fitted styles; styles that skim the body without being too tight nor too loose.  I love trousers and absolutely adore vintage styles, particularly dresses.  I also like skirts and tops but I'm not so inclined to wear them.  Being short-waisted they tend to make me look out of proportion.  Dresses are much better as they give an uninterrupted line making me look taller.

What about fabrics and colour?  Well, this is something I know and am very definite about.  I don't like stiff fabrics nor bulky or shiny fabrics, to my eye they just make me look fat and I feel uncomfortable when I wear them.  I like natural fibres but I'm happy to wear fabrics blended with polyester.  What about colours...  I've previously written about the colours that suit me here.  Luckily these are the colours I like to wear, they always have been.  (I think we are all drawn to colours that suit us instinctively.)  Then we have prints versus plains?  I love prints!  Particularly geometric prints however, recently I've taken a liking to florals.   I'm drawn to prints whenever I enter a shop.   My wardrobe and fabric stash are testament to this but I need plain solid colours to make things work together better.  This is one thing I need to give priority to.

Thinking about how to make the best of this evaluation I have come up with a list of criteria I need to consider each time I want to add new garments/items to my existing wardrobe which is, in no particular order:-

• It must be comfortable
• More plains than prints
• It must work with other items in my wardrobe
• Does the style suit my figure
• Is it 'glamourous'
• It must fit well

So where do I start?  Do I start with something that I really need to fill a gap, or something I want?  Obviously I should start with an item I need but then I'm not necessarily rational like that.  We'll see...

During my wardrobe overhaul it became very obvious that I don't  have many dresses, in fact only a couple that I actually wear and only one that I like.  Recently I've been wanting more dresses so keeping in mind that I want to glam myself up I've decided I need to add/replace a few.  Using my criteria as a guide I've chosen a lovely vintage dress from 1948 - Simplicity 2617, to start implementing my plan.  As it's summer I will be making the short sleeve style.

Now I know I said more plains than prints, but this pretty navy and white print was already in my stash and I think it will look lovely made up as this dress.   (I promise I will make something in a plain colour next time.  Really I will.  I promise.)  Working still with my criteria, I have at least three cardigans that will work with this fabric.  I've already cut it out and hope to sew it up this weekend.

Do you have any criteria for adding garments to you wardrobe?  Or, do you add things because you like them without giving any thought to how they work with the rest of your wardrobe like I've been doing?