Okay I lied, 78 outfit ideas. 101 just has a nicer ring to it.

Now a request, if you have any 2007 J.Crew catalogs I would LOVE to borrow them from you to photography for the forum archive! I’ll pay shipping both ways. Email me, Shannon@wardobereview.com, if you have some catalogs in great condition that I can borrow.

Next, I am super excited to say a couple of outfit experts have agreed to come help out in the Outfit forum. Kim from Anthroholic and FFM from Fabulous Florida Mommy will be Style Mods in the forum posting some of their styling ideas and helping you with your dressing conundrums. So if you need some ideas on what to wear with a certain piece or for a particular occasion, head on over to the Outfit forum and we will do our best to help!

Please note that even though I am lucky enough to have these great ladies helping, that doesn’t mean that YOU shouldn’t add your own style suggestions! The more people that post their ideas and style perspective, the funner the forum with be

PS- Oh I indulged a bit in the Anthro sale this morning. Did you?? I’ll be adding some new items for sale to the forum to assuage my guilt. Hahahaha, seriously.

My wardrobe top 10:

1-Paige Jeans: I’ve worn my Paige Hidden Hills bootcut jeans too many times to count. I recently added the Skyline straight leg jeans to my Paige collection and I’m loving those as well. I use to wear Joe’s jeans all the time but I’m finding that the Paige’s are more slimming and leg lengthening.

2- Juxtaposition booties aka Antelope 792 boot: No other shoe in my closet has been worn even close to as many times as these booties. I wore them all over Germany, all over Paris. They are my go to shoe because the heel gives me a little height and they are extremely comfortable. *See them above*

3- Jackie cardigan: Whenever I need an extra layer, I throw on my navy jackie cardigan. I also have jackies in coral and bright blue but the navy goes with everything. I wanted all of the jackie colors but J.Crew broke my heart by changing the sizing. Even the XS is now too big and boxy on me. This navy jackie is a size small and I’m guessing it’s from Fall 2007.

4- Grey shawl collar cardigan: When it’s too cold for my Jackie cardigan, I wear J.Crew’s  Dream shawl collar cardigan. I throw this sucker on multiple times a week in the AM when it’s still chilly. It’s held up surprisingly well for Dream yarn.

5- Black skinny jeans: When I have a top that needs help, because it’s boxy or top heavy, I pair it with my Martin and Osa black skinny jeans. These are the only skinny jeans that do not make me feel hippy, they’re magic. It’s a shame that M+O are going out of business. I don’t think any skinny jean is built for comfort, so I don’t wear these if I’m just lounging around. But I do wear them for going out and wore them almost every day in Paris.

6- Striped tees: My name is Shannon and I am a striped t-shirt addict. I cannot get enough of them. In fact, I just bought another one at Target over the weekend. I now have 3 navy and white striped tees, 1 papaya and white, 1 black and white tneck, 1 grey  and black cowlneck, and probably more. Dh laughs at me every time I bring home a new one.

7- Cashmere sweaters: If it’s remotely cold and I can’t be bothered to figure out what to wear, I am going for a cashmere crewneck tee. My favorites are still from J.Crew despite their piling issues. You just can’t beat their colors and the fit is great as long as I wash them after 2 wears. My collection includes red, peony, and light aqua so far. I only buy them on super sale.

8-Belts: In the last year I have discovered the magic of a belt. Brightly colored skinny, medium width rough leather, and a wide elastic waist cincher are my favs. Being short means I am easily over whelmed with layers or boxiness. Tying it up with a belt really helps define my proportions. I do find that I need to keep the rest of my accessories to a min when wearing a belt. I just can’t make a belt and a statement necklace work together. I look weighed down.

9- Chie Mihara heels: Oh how I love my Chie Mihara heels. I cannot pick just one pair. I have 3, the black d’orsays above, a cognac maryjane, and the grey peep toes below. Chie’s are quite expensive and come in some really funky styles. So I am very selective about buying the classics with a twist that I can wear for years and only buy them on sale. The leather is amazing. So soft that I can wear even a peep toe for hours, where as most heels tear my toes to bits.

10- Marc by marc jacobs bag and wallet: I’m not much of a bag collector. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE handbags and admire them all the time but I never suck it up and buy one. For me a bag is an investment. It needs to be perfect. Versatile but unique. Not the black that I already have but not a color I’ll get sick of either. I paralyze myself every time. And so, I stick mainly to my MbMJ Posh punk. It’s black in a simple shape. Comfortable on my shoulder but I can carry it in my elbow too. The leather is super soft but holds up to being thrown under a table or on a park lawn. It’s constantly in the rain but doesn’t have a spot on it. The bag is pretty basic from the outside but inside it’s a crazy punky pink. It suits me perfectly.

My wallet is the MbMJ pink totally turnlock. It holds all my junk  and since it zips up I sometimes use it as a clutch. It matches the lining of my bag but not on purpose. I don’t normally like matchy matchy. I carry my black bag with all different shoes and like it better when they don’t match. I think I bought the wallet first and then the bag was a gift from dh. I make an anti-matchy exception for the pink explosion that is the inside of my handbag.

They don’t really fit in with a top 10 items list but I also want to mention my love for Anthropologie knit tops. The rest of my wardrobe is pretty basic. It can get down right boring and feel like I have nothing to wear. But my growing collection of Anthro tops save the day. They are easy to throw on but the fabric and details make them interesting. An anthro top is an outfit unto itself. Of course since their unique,  you need a variety of tops and this isn’t the smartest shopping strategy. But more and more I realize it works for me, as long as more often than not, I have patience and wait for a sale.

After putting together my wardrobe top 10 my style is pretty easy to pin point. Casual and feminine with a little something extra. Be it  a neon belt,  a funky shoe, or balancing out the frou frou with lots of black.

It comes down to:
Great fitting jeans
A variety of cute and comfortable knit tops
Cardigans and sweaters in navy, grey, and a few fun colors to break up monotony
Simple belts in a variety of colors
Unique but versatile shoes with a 2″ to 3 1/2″ heel
Basic black bag with an edge.

I’m going to try and focus of buying more of these items and less of the kind of thing that is gathering dust in my closet. This post has also giving me an handbag epiphany.. It’s okay to buy another black bag. Because that’s what I love and use. Why buy a colorful bag that only goes with a few outfits. Rebecca Minkoff’s black MAC with gold hardware has been calling my name for ages. I think I will start saving for her.

I would LOVE to hear your Wardrobe top 10 and how you think it reflects your personal style.