The theoretical school bell is chiming and the spice of pencil shavings is in the air. Before you empty your wallet to fill your juvenile’s closet, consider the cluster. A cluster is a collection of clothing where everything goes with everything else. A cluster ensures each item gets maximum wear, while it still fits. And you can trust your buttercup to put their own outfits together, without fear of fashion debacle.
Below a shopping list and a hypothetical sampling:
A – Cotton Long-Sleeve Wide Stripe Tee (Brooks Brothers $25), B – Sparkling Suspenders Tee (Forever 21 $11), C – Trompe L’oeil Tee (J.Crew $25), D – Big Bloom Appliqué T-Shirt (Boden $28), E – Scalloped Placket Cardigan Sweater (Land’s End $30), F – Café Capri in Apple Bobbing (J.Crew $40), G – Wash Effect Jeans (Zara $40), H – Tulle Flounce Skirt (Gap $25), I – Cherokee Short Sleeve Ruffle Dress (Target $15), J – Van’s Palisades Sneakers (Nordstrom $38), K – Classic Cameron Captoe Ballet Shoes (Land’s End $30), L – Mini Boden Tights 2-Pack (Nordstrom $24), M – Herschel Supply Co. ‘Parker’ Backpack (Nordstrom $58)
> Greater than two weeks of outfits with nary a repeat.
A feat of mathematical combination.
To create your own clothing cluster,
First, select a color palette
Draw inspiration from a print or a select solids that flock together. Either way, the same principles apply. Simply select colors with a similar heritage and blend harmoniously (ie jewel tones, pastels, etc).
Second, select your items of clothing.
You want roughly double the number of tops as bottoms, and each item needs to be worn at least two different ways. Putting your wardrobe on such a strict diet may tempt you to avoid layers, don’t. Layering is the key to flexible fashion.
Third, when selecting footwear.
Choose shoes with unique purposes: one set of dress, one couplet of sneakers, one pair of boots, etc.
Fourth, add accessories
Accessories are the grammar in ensembles. They separate pieces while adding emphasis and meaning to phrases. While this cluster is bare bones (including only socks and backpack), belts, glasses, and pencil cases among other options could have been included.
Fashion your own dick or jane for their studies without having to do all the research yourself. Book a cluster-based virtual shopping session.
Love it – an absolutely gorgeous cluster and such a practical strategy. My two kidlets have to share one chest of drawers (currently little girl has three drawers and baby boy one and a bit) so this idea is meant for me.
Please please do a similar one for boys : ). Cut!
This is amazing! So inspiring!!
This is fabulous! Thank you so much!
What a fantastic collection and tips!!!
I will say it again, PERFECTION!
You are GOOD! Love these outfit combos.
Everything about these combinations is perfect! Oh, to be in grade school again.
Autumn is coming! 🙂 It’s perfect to get one of these items.
The colors are so bright and gorgeous and I also love the style of these items.
I just found your blog today. I remember reading about you on nie nie and am SO looking forward to pouring through all your posts and learning how to put my wardrobe together (I honestly have been in a search for direction in fashion).
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Love, love, love this! Completely inspired for my 2 elementary school aged girls! Hoping you’ll do the same for middle school aged boys? Help!
This was incredibly helpful! THANK YOU!!
I wish you could do this for my teacher back to school wardrobe! This is brilliant and I love the outfits!
Please do this for boys! I love this ensemble but sadly my little chickadee is too small! (size 2T)
This is great! As a mom of 4 boys…I would love to see the same thing for boys.
Love this! Is one for adults in teh works? I’d love to see a fall/winter 2012 wardrobe in 20 pieces!
Love this! Is one for adults in teh works? I’d love to see a fall/winter 2012 wardrobe in 20 pieces!
Bril!
I love your eye for fashion. I wish I could have you inside my head every time I go “window” shopping. Thanks for the post.
Wow, so inspiring! Love it all. Great ideas. I hope you will link this up to The cSI Project. The challenge is back to school. Each week is a new challenge. Come on over!
http://www.thecsiproject.com
I have been searching for such an article for over a year. This is what I was looking for. I usually buy a mess of shirts, skirts and pants, in a rainbow of colors. But still we end up with “nothing to wear.” This is a great post! Thank you!
Love! How about one for colder weather?
These are perfect ensembles. Seriously, how do you do that? I find myself fascinated with hats right now. Since summer is near, I’m excited to dress my daughter up with lovely sundresses, any suggestions?
Clothes like that paired with a good set of kids accessories can really make every children very fashionable. I’m imagining my daughter wearing one of those clothes.
I can hardly fit all the kids clothing into a spacious closet and 3 big drawers. Thanks for these space-saving yet very stylish fashion suggestions!
These are really cute clothes for children. As a mother I want my child to look unique but at the same time I don’t want to spend way too much on simple clothes. It’s good to find lavish-looking clothes in affordable prices.
Yeah, these are certainly nice and fashionable clothes ideal for my kids. I want them to wear cool and comfy clothing especially when going to school that’s why as much as possible I pick out cotton shirts or blouses for them.
Hi! Did you create a same list for boys? Mix and matching girls’ clothes are so fun to do, my girls feel that I’m turning their princess dream into life. Yeah, they really told me that.
Gloria,
I did actually create a boys’ version. you can see it here:
https://cardiganempire.com/2012/08/back-to-school-for-boys-in-13-items.html
I love this post so much, I hope you’ll do another edition for the 2013 school year!! One for teens would be fun too!
Lisa, I’ll definitely consider it.
I’m about to start my last year of grade schooling and think this idea is totally cute and perfect for me! Great for everyone, even 17 year olds! Love love love it!