wardrobe planning: restraint and pleasure

I rang in 2020 on a fabulous rooftop terrace surrounded by wonderful people and magnificent view of fireworks display that define the Berlin Silvester. But that’s not what my post today is about. It’s about the dinner itself and the conversation…. with five Parisians and me. And my amazement at me how often the word ‘pleasure’ came up. Not nice, good, fun but actually the word PLEASURE. It was used to speak about food, wine, clothes, travels taken and future ones in planning. Because I am, as Germans say, learn hungry, trying to connect the dots in always on my mind. And this evening, I was struck by what at first seemed in contrast to pleasure. The elegance of RESTRAINT. Our aperitif, in the living room, a tray of champagne, a small plate of 6 thinly sliced baguette slices, each with a sliver of smoked salmon and cheese. Then for the first course, beside each dinner plate was placed another thin slice of baguette. After dinner, a sliver of delicious chocolate cake with a few slices of orange. Pleasure and restraint.

The next day, pondering the evening, I asked myself what had so intrigued me about these the two words. That they co-exist in a fabulous dinner where the senses are delighted and you can lightly leave the table, not roll off your chair bursting at the seams. BUT ALSO, restraint and pleasure are at the heart of a brilliant sustainable wearable confidence-building wardrobe. One where getting dressed is simple, effortless and a joy-filled.

A brilliant wardrobe isn’t one with an unlimited budget. It’s where regardless of
your income, restraint and pleasure are creative collaborators.

PLEASURE: a source of delight or joy

synonyms: content, happiness, gladness, joy

RESTRAINT: a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts

synonyms: discipline, discretion, self-command, self-control

So, as we start a brand new decade, what do you want to bring into your wardrobe planning. More pleasure? More restraint?

WARDROBE PLEASURE: do you want to feel joy and excitement with beautiful new colors and combinations. By a unique silhouette that express your creative spirit? By luxurious fabrics that feel exquisite to the touch?

WARDROBE RESTRAINT: do you want to open you closet and see organisation? A minimal collection of items that you love, each one able to combine wth the other? A reduced color scheme that makes confident dressing a no brainer?

I was asked by a friend recently how to decorate her new apartment? Where do I start she asked? What do I start shopping for first? No shopping was my answer. Create a pin board of your favourite six room photos. And then next week we can analyse. The first step is language discovery, the common language in shape, line, color and texture. First embrace pleasure….brainstorming and selecting all those fabulously inspiring photos. Then restraint, editing it down to your absolute favourites.

Sustainable fashion is just this mixture of pleasure and restraint. Working with these seeming contradictions is at the heart of clothes we love, can easily combine and truly wear. And so to you dear reader….which language draws you in today…pleasure or restraint? Pleasure and restraint? What do wish for more of in your wardrobe planning 2020?