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Wardrobe Architect

The Story

Wardrobe Architect began in 2014 as an experiment.

With all the overwhelming choice presented to us today by fast fashion, I wanted to know: how could the process of getting dressed be pared down to what's really important? How might my wardrobe better reflect who I am? What questions should I explore to make better decisions about what I buy and make?

With that in mind, and with help from plenty of other blogs, books, and resources, I took on this process week-by-week in a series called Wardrobe Architect. To read from the beginning, start here.

If you find Wardrobe Architect to be useful, you'll love the Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe program.

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Year One:  2014

In 2014, we experimented with creating a process over 14 weeks.

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Year Two:  2015

In 2015, we revisited that series to see how things were working, and to add new ideas and techniques.

Year One:  2014

  • Introducing The Wardrobe Architect: Crafting a small wardrobe that reflects…

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. You can read all the posts here. You and I are builders. We love to construct things and to use our hands. We enjoy the focus and the flow of creation. And most of all, we like the sense of accomplishment we feel …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 1: Making style more personal

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe We live in …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 2: Defining a core style

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Let’s acknowledge one …

  • The Wardrobe Architect: My Core Style

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Last week, I …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 3: Exploring shapes

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Do you remember …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 4: Proportions and Silhouettes

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Last week, we …

  • The Wardrobe Architect: My Silhouettes

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe I thought I’d …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 5: Your color story

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Color is an …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 6: Organizing your palette

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Last week, we …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 7: Exploring solids and prints

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe For the last …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 8: Hair, Makeup, & Beauty

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe I got my …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 9: The capsule wardrobe

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe So far in …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 10: The Capsule Palette

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe This week, I …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 11: Planning your pieces

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe Are you ready …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 12: Adding accessories

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe I’m a big …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 13: Free Download & Giveaway from…

    Today, we have a special treat for you from Beth of 110 Creations, creator of 110 Creations: A Sewist’s Notebook. If you haven’t seen this book, it’s a wonderful little notebook designed to help you organize and plan your sewing projects. You can use it to sketch ideas, and make notes about details and supplies. …

  • The Wardrobe Architect Week 14: Overcoming Editing Hurdles

    The Wardrobe Architect is a popular series that ran in early 2014. It’s currently being expanded (with help and feedback from you) into a comprehensive toolkit. You can read all the posts here. If you want to give feedback and get first access when the toolkit is finished, enter your email: Subscribe We’ve reached the …

  • Help me expand The Wardrobe Architect

    So. A couple weeks ago, we wrapped up our 14 weeks of The Wardrobe Architect series, and in that time I’ve learned so much – not just from my own explorations, but from all of you. Your comments, moodboards, blog posts, and discussions have really got me fired up about this topic, and the feedback …

Year Two:  2015

  • Wardrobe Architect 2015

    Last year, I created a little experiment on the blog called Wardrobe Architect that many of you followed along with. This year, Kristen has decided to use the principles to help her design a personal wardrobe throughout 2015. Now you have a chance to follow along on her journey and try it yourself in 2015. …

  • Wardrobe Architect Challenge: What did you learn in January?

    This post is part of the Wardrobe Architect 2015 series, led by Kristen, our patternmaker. Read more about it here and join the fun! I am so excited by the overwhelmingly positive response the first Wardrobe Architect challenge post received! It’s amazing to know so many people around the world are joining me to create …

  • Wardrobe Architect: Clean Out Your Closet + New Free Closet…

    This post is part of the Wardrobe Architect 2015 series, led by Kristen, our patternmaker. Read more about it here and join the fun! I was so impressed with the progress everyone made with the January challenge! Now that you’ve spent a month thinking about your core style and the silhouettes, it’s time to put …

  • Wardrobe Architect: Closet clean outs + 7 tips for tackling…

    This post is part of the Wardrobe Architect 2015 series, led by Kristen, our patternmaker. Read more about it here and join the fun! This month, your challenge was to clean out your closet. So how’d it go? Hopefully, you’re feeling the sense of calm that comes with decluttering and getting rid of the old, …

  • Wardrobe Architect – Plan Your Sewing!

    This post is part of the Wardrobe Architect 2015 series, led by Kristen, our patternmaker. Read more about it here and join the fun! Now that you’ve done the messy work of cleaning out your closet, we’re going to spend March identifying the holes in your capsule wardrobe and planning sewing projects. In the meantime, …

  • Wardrobe Architect April: What’s your biggest wardrobe challenge?

    This month, we thought we’d take a brief pause in our Wardrobe Architect process to ask you: What challenges have you faced so far in planning your wardrobe? I’m sure that each of us has our own particular challenges and hang ups around clothing. Maybe it’s a tendency to buy things you don’t need because …

  • Wardrobe Architect: May challenge

    This post is part of the Wardrobe Architect 2015 series, led by Kristen, our patternmaker. Read more about it here and join the fun! I’ve spent time making color palettes for myself in the past, mostly they consist of neutrals with a few pop colors thrown in. Ultimately, shopping with these palettes felt very limiting …

  • Wardrobe Architect June: Lessons Learned from Multiple Failures

    Last Saturday I failed at two projects before noon. I had the best of intentions; I had set aside the entire day for sewing, I had several patterns at fabrics from my stash at my disposal, and an ambitious plan to get as many basics sewn as I could. After doing the Wardrobe Architect exercises …

  • Wardrobe Architect: 5 steps to plan your fall sewing

    How to use the mid-summer sewing lull to get a jumpstart on the next season.

  • Wardrobe Architect: Making your sewing list

    Follow along as I take all my inspiration and start building my fall sewing list.