The Coveted Wardrobe - a Modern Luxury

When you walk into your wardrobe, what do you see?

Is it A. Bursting with clothes you never wear, you don't like and are of rubbish quality with the exception of a few pieces you quite like? 

Or is it B. A curated, handpicked, personal collection of pieces you adore. A few nice, cheap basics, a few timeless, staple pieces you treasure and a few vintage, handmade or tailored items totally unique to you. 

For the fashion forward, 2012 is the year for the curated wardrobe. This new vision of a luxurious wardrobe is a minimalistic, timeless and personal collection of pieces that shows off your individual style. It hasn't always been this way. Before, mass production and our obsession with labels dominated our wardrobes and for many, still does. With collections being shown 6 months before being in stores, chainstores are able to create replicas at top speed which are in stores within weeks. The result of this is that virtually anyone can have a wardrobe fill to the brim with fast, cheap fashion. This new way of mass producing recent trends has accustomed us to buy short life, trend driven pieces that are destined for the landfill or the back of our wardrobe, never to be worn again. 

On the other hand for many, someone covered in labels was the ultimate style icon. Even if they were cheap replicas, they were still labels. However, the fashion forward among us have taught us the new way. Take a look at Alexa Chung, possibly the most influential fashion icon in the U.S. Yes, her wardrobe consists of amazing designer pieces, however, they are incorporated into her wardrobe alongside chainstore pieces from Zara or H&M, vintage pieces found during travels to different countries and often random and unique pieces found while op shopping. 

Putting together your own, perfectly curated wardrobe means reducing the size of your original wardrobe down to your favourite, most timeless pieces, strategically allocating money on quality, not quantity and making sure that proper consideration is put into place before making the final purchase. 

Not only is this new way, financially easier on the bank account due to cutting back on excessive shopping, but it allows us to let our personalities and personal style flow through every garment in our wardrobes. It allows us to pick out an outfit in seconds and to be truly original. 

{Image Credit 1&2, 3, 4, 5}