Clutch

Yes, a clutch is indispensible. I found myself on holiday recently having forgotten to pack one, and it meant having to buy a generic, silver satin one I really didn’t need long-term.

I’ve just recently (today!) successfully hunted down my lemming of an large clutch with removal straps, decorated with enough detail or with enough interest of texture to stand on its own as embellishment. While I would loved Mulberry’s Ava clutch. I couldn’t justify the expense right now. Plus, this one was only $40, is in a faux suede-like fabric to which I can pin brooches and ribbons, and is from a lovely local shop called Gioia.

The tassel and the chain are removable.

This isn’t just a case of being a fashion victim. I think for me, an oversized clutch will look much better than my usual overstuffed purse. Those teeny tiny little evening bags are pretty baubles, and pretty useless. Keys, credit card, cash, lipstick, glasses, compact, tissues, mobile phone and pen are essentials. Where is there room for these things in a 12cm evening bag? Yes, I’ve crammed everything into those little, satiny, delicately-beaded things, only to have them end up looking like mis-shapen glittery lumps in my hand, bursting at the seams. If the assumption is that we have pockets, then the bag designers really need to have a sit down and a chat with evening wear designers (if they are the same people, well, heaven help them). If the assumption is that there is a bloke around with pockets, they need to think again as well. If the assumption is that my ladies-in-waiting will carry all this for me, well, bless, but the ladies seem to be absent. I’m convinced that large and luxe is the way to go.

In my hunt, I found lots of pythony-patterned clutches, but I’m not so into those. I also found some nice examples from Trent Nathan and Jag, but they were a bit too “business” for what I needed. Zu Shoes had some nice ones, I and still might give these a second look. No harm in looking, is there?

Charm Bracelet

Sorry, folks, but I would be quite happy to never see another Pandora bracelet. They’ve become ubiquitous, they’re no longer unique. They all blend together and look the same. They make gift-buying easy, but a bit dull. I know Pandora has fans, but honestly, can anyone tell how “individual” each bracelet is from a polite distance? Are any of the beads so completely drool-worthy that people will ask you where you found such a beauty? Do you really treasure each and every piece and does each piece have special meaning for you? Or are you just collecting them because you need to fill your bracelet and everyone else is doing it?

Every bracelet is individual, yet somehow the same…

I think traditional charm bracelets will outlive the Pandora-type bracelet simply because they have more scope of size and design. I have a silver charm bracelet, but I really don’t wear it much – I find it a bit jangly and dangly for everyday wear. Nothing wrong with a bit of whimsy, mind, but I can’t abide my whimsy dragging over my keyboard all day.

I like traditional charm bracelets, but they don’t make My One Hundred. Bracelets and cuffs are enough!

Capsule Wardrobe

While we’re in the C’s, I’d like to give a little attention to the “Capsule Wardrobe”. This isn’t part of The One Hundred, and I know this is a bit out of order, but it’s worth a bit of a detour here as there seem to be lots of assumptions out there about Capsule Wardrobes, their “essential” nature, their success and even their consistuent items.

A capsule wardrobe doesn’t consist of a spacesuit, overalls and adult nappies, but of supposedly classic, interchangeable, foundation pieces of a wardrobe. The theory is that once you have these pieces, you can then accessorise your way into and out of trends, and dress up the basics with more elaborate pieces.

Fascinatingly, a lovely young lass called Sheena Matheiken appears to be implementing a capsule wardrobe of a single black button-up dress. Needless to say, she seems to get away with this by accessorising like crazy and often relegating her dress to work as an extra piece such as a coat, rather than the foundation of the outfit. It is an admirable, intriguing, eye-opening exercise in styling, sustainability and the generosity of others.

I’m obviously not as creative as Sheena, because I’ve not had much luck with making capsule pieces work, for the following reasons:

« If I rely too heavily on too few pieces, the buggers just wear out. Wear something 3 days a week for 3 months and see how it looks after all that. Not good, regardless of the quality. Even army uniforms fade after that little use. What chance has a couple of white cotton t-shirts?

« I get bored with wearing the same thing day in and day out. It’s not supposed to be a uniform. Maybe I’m more prone to being depressed by such limitations due to having very few clothes as a child (but that’s a whole other story). Putting a scarf or a brooch on it does not make it a different outfit, it makes it the same outfit with a scarf or brooch.

Net-a-Porter’s Essentials pages kind of give us a capsule-y menu of items for consideration, but definitely a drool-worthy one. If you like your foundation pieces to be perfectly cut and luxurious, this is where to go.

Many, if not all, of Nina’s One Hundred are included in a typical capsule wardrobe list. However, there are many different versions of the capsule wardrobe, and each person can have their own different 10-20 essential items which form the foundation for key outfits. Go ahead, google “capsule wardrobe essentials” and see how many different ideas there are on what is “essential”. See now many stylists and fashion-types are now creating capsule wardrobe “must-haves” for each season. Is a clutch of key seasonal items really a capsule wardrobe?

The typical foundation pieces of a capsule wardrobe are usually along the lines of:

« Little black dress

« Suit jacket

« Suit skirt

« Suit trousers

« White shirt

« White tee-shirt

« Black pumps

« Flats

« Boots

« Trench coat

« Casual jacket

« Jeans

« Day dress

And these are all very well and good, but the devil is in the detail. We all probably have most these items in our wardrobes, and wear these things frequently, but are these pieces all they should be? Does that casual jacket actually go with that day dress? Or does it only go with the jeans? If each piece doesn’t work at least several other pieces, then it’s not working hard enough. We have to choose really carefully, and be really, really fussy. It can be exhausting being such a nit-picking fusspot, but it’s worth it.

I must have become what the fashion industry diplomatically terms, “the more discerning older woman” (read: difficult). It pays to be particular, however. I’m finding that the fussier I get, the more use I’m getting out of each item I buy, because I’m less likely to buy something that has limited scope. With the basics, I try not to compromise at all from what I really want. For instance, if the jacket is great except I’m not convinced about the pin-stripes but what-the-hell it’s on sale and it fits – I don’t buy it. I’ll end up buying something that I’m not completely into and the rest of my wardrobe won’t work with it.

Be firm. Try to be ruthless. Be cranky, fussy and uncompromising. Buy only what you want, not what the magazines and shop assistants and department stores tell you that you want.

So, how do we know what we want? How do we decide amongst all that ever-changing stuff out there? There’s so much stuff! One way is to build your own personal “lookbook” to provide an at-a-glance summary of what you like from all different sources, and how they may or may not work together. It can become a fun wishlist and a practical filter all at the same time, before you spend a cent. I’ll talk about this later, a little after “Kaftan”, believe it or not.

Cashmere Sweater

We (almost) agree on something again!

Before I bought my first piece of cashmere, I was sternly warned that it was a slippery slope and that I would not be able to go back to lambswool or merino. I would forever be a slave to the soft siren call of cashmere, deaf to all else, and broke besides.

While this hasn’t been 100% true, it’s been pretty close.

If you haven’t any bit of cashmere, then at least go and try something on somewhere. Cashmere is unbelievably light. It’s weightless warmth is ideal for a temperate winter, and it keeps its shape and finish incredibly well. It blends well with silk for lighter summer wear.

I don’t own a cashmere sweater, but I do own a couple of cashmere and cashmere-silk blend cardigans. Again, cardigans are my thing, not sweaters/jumpers.

Even goats like cashmere. Here is one looking especially fetching in a 100% cashmere winter number.
(Yes. This is a joke. But I do really, really like cashmere!)

Cape

Cape?

0_o

HELL NO.

Not without wearing a mask and my undies on the outside.

Camel Coat

The colour “camel” and variations of, all look crap on me. They do not suit me at all. I have a black cashmere/wool blend coat I wear in winter.

The item “Camel Coat” is replaced in My One Hundred by “warm wool coat”. It can be any colour you like: red, white, blue, green, check, print, whatever. You don’t need to look like a 40s icon or a Lady Who Lunches. You don’t need to play dress-ups. You need to be warm. You need something that fits over other clothes. You need something long enough to protect your legs a bit from those winter winds. You need it in a classic style which suits you and where you need to go. You need it in an easy-care fabric that falls beautifully and doesn’t pill.

On the other hand, if you live in the tropics, you don’t need a thick coat at all. A colleague of mine who lives in the tropics was to do a stint in Canberra, in the middle of winter. He was quite confident in what he’d packed, “I’m OK. I’ve packed my jumper.” He thought his sole piece of winter wear was going to be sufficient, bless his little light cotton socks.

Yes, he froze his nuts off before buying a proper coat, but he’s probably not used it since.

Caftan

See Kaftan, later. There’s enough stuff in “C” already, and I spell it with a “K”, anyway!