I have been thinking about simplifying my wardrobe. I recently spent time with a friend who
always looks so pulled together. I love
her long hair which she wears tucked into a bun at the nape of her neck– very chic. She wears beautiful red lipstick and reminds
me of a ballerina. Her outfits always
co-ordinate with seemingly little effort regardless of the time, day, or season. She always looks great.
When she casually mentioned all of her clothes are either black,
white, or gray it made me realize this is why she always looks so pulled
together. She cannot go wrong with
whatever she selects because everything is coordinated from a colour
perspective. I would have never guessed
her strategy, but it has a stunning effect overall.
This revelation has lead me to thinking of my own clothing
style. It is all over the map. My heart and soul are drawn to flowers,
dresses, shawls, scarves…a bit of a Bohemian flair is what makes me feel
pretty. But, this style doesn’t really
go down in the medical setting where I work.
For those (long) days I am in in professional garb (dress pants,
blouse). But, I love to jazz it up with
a hand-knit scarf or shawl. Those are
the days I like best – sporting a pop of colour makes me happy.
After much contemplation I have decided that a basic
wardrobe with a few simple pieces to act as the ‘canvas’ against which I can
pair my hand-knits to is the way I want to go.
Perhaps a simple jersey-knit A-line dress (length to just below the
knees) with a scoop neckline and ¾ length sleeves would be perfect. I
can pair it with tights or leggings, add a colourful scarf or shawl, and swirl
my way through the days.
Now the quest begins to find the pattern for
this dress and make one or two to try out my new idea. My colour and panache will come from the
hand-knits I love to make. Plus, this little
plan encourages me to continue to knit all the lovely things designed by some
pretty awesome knitters. It is a
perfectly simple solution.