How did you build your designer RTW wardrobe?

[cecchetti]

Hopping on this thread...

My wardrobe is missing a great white shirt. Just thick enough that it isn't see-through, long enough that it doesn't reveal my stomach when I raise my arms (I have long torso), and one that isn't too fitted. I don't really have a budget, but do you have any suggestions?

How about Maxmara , Strenesse or another medium ready to high ready to wear good quality brand.

You didn’t specify your size-Maxmara cut large but start in UK2- Burberry are much more expensive , start in U.K. 00, Strenesse etc willl be cheaper, I believe they’re German , very good quality.

My first choice suggestion would have been the fashion house I worked for when I lived in when I lived in Paris aged 21- Louis Feraud, but I don’t even know whether they’re rtw is still going.
I don’t know your age or style..

@880 is a fountain of knowledge for designer deadstock which is cheaper but great quality, I don’t have much as I’m impatient and overpay lol.

In the high street you will probably end up with the see through fabric and short body which you’re trying to avoid.

I’m sorry, I haven’t been much help!

 

[A bottle of Red]

Hopping on this thread...

My wardrobe is missing a great white shirt. Just thick enough that it isn't see-through, long enough that it doesn't reveal my stomach when I raise my arms (I have long torso), and one that isn't too fitted. I don't really have a budget, but do you have any suggestions?

Oof that's a tough one, along with a white v neck that isn't see through and doesn't look like a men's undershirt.

 

[Kevinaxx]

Hopping on this thread...

My wardrobe is missing a great white shirt. Just thick enough that it isn't see-through, long enough that it doesn't reveal my stomach when I raise my arms (I have long torso), and one that isn't too fitted. I don't really have a budget, but do you have any suggestions?

If you can find some old school yohji (and you’re ok with oversize fit) I love their white collar shirts even though I make it a habit not to wear white collar shirts (another long story).


Also consider Margaret Howell or Stephan Schneider.

 

[cecchetti]

If you can find some old school yohji (and you’re ok with oversize fit) I love their white collar shirts even though I make it a habit not to wear white collar shirts (another long story).


Also consider Margaret Howell or Stephan Schneider.

Agree totally with above xxx

 

[880]

Hopping on this thread...

My wardrobe is missing a great white shirt. Just thick enough that it isn't see-through, long enough that it doesn't reveal my stomach when I raise my arms (I have long torso), and one that isn't too fitted. I don't really have a budget, but do you have any suggestions?

I have a long torso too. A Men’s shirt can sometimes be cute when worn oversized. i roll up the sleeves on DHs shirts (Turnbull, charvet etc) to wear over slim pants, skirts, or jeans. Or I can go a few sizes down in the mens dept.

department store brands are less lux, but you can then compare contemporary designer with premier.
a mix of designers like Akris;Ann Fontaine; nili lotan; Tahari or theory; etc etc.

I am a fan of dior RTW, but their white shirts are skimpy and sometimes have a black bee embroidered on them for no good reason.

ETA: if you are more classic and lean sartorial, I recommend a shirt with minimal stretch.
if you are more fashion, an option would be to get a slim cut one with a bit of stretch that skims the body.
I haven’t bought Ann Fontaine in years, but I recall it channeled an Audrey H vibe.

 

[cecchetti]

@880 suggested Turnbull and Charvet, both of whom I’ve had bespoke from, although her suggestion is menswear.

I’m 4’11”, tiny body but very long arms and legs so only bespoke really works but rtw might work for you..best suggestion so far!

I lived near an Anne Fontaine boutique in Paris but very few were plain , a lot had detailed collars or frills on the front, also there was Alain Figaret??

Or Joseph..

It depends on the rest of your wardrobe ..

But you can’t go wrong with Charvet..except maybe the budget lol!(the bespoke are just to die for in Paris, 7000+ shirtings)

 

[880]

@880 suggested Turnbull and Charvet, both of whom I’ve had bespoke from, although she’s suggestion is menswear.

I’m 4’11”, tiny body but very long arms and legs so only bespoke really works but rtw might work for you..best suggestion so far!

Thanks. DH does custom with Turnbull; MtM with charvet (they say he doesn’t need custom, but they take more measurements than Turnbull. Charvet has a WALL of white fabric bolt selections to choose from in two rooms of other bolt colors and textures in Paris.

i like brunello and Lroo Pianam though i prefer the mens selections to the women’s. (Brunello does do amazing trousers for women who are long waisted though. Brunello mens shirts, like the denim ones, make nice shirt jackets (shackets, first two pics); third pic is a navy shirt jacket from Hermes that a friend purchased in white (under the shearling); vintage tops should not be dismissed. Here is a white jacket top (vintage 1960s; very much like the dior bar jacket, but IMO better made, and under 100 USD); Hermes men’s denim shirt that I wouldn’t mind borrowing from DH — H also does plenty of men’s white shirts; and for more avant- garde tops, Dover Street Market. I only bought the seocnd to last one though (come des garçons). The last one is gucci at Dover St Market.


i do just want to reiterate, go slowly and don’t feel pressured to settle or buy ; and, try everything bc you could be really surprised re what works and what doesn’t

 

[cecchetti]

Thanks. DH does custom with Turnbull; MtM with charvet (they say he doesn’t need custom, but they take more measurements than Turnbull. Charvet has a WALL of white fabric bolt selections to choose from in two rooms of other bolt colors and textures in Paris.

i like brunello and Lroo Pianam though i prefer the mens selections to the women’s. (Brunello does do amazing trousers for women who are long waisted though. Brunello mens shirts, like the denim ones, make nice shirt jackets (shackets, first two pics); third pic is a navy shirt jacket from Hermes that a friend purchased in white (under the shearling); vintage tops should not be dismissed. Here is a white jacket top (vintage 1960s; very much like the dior bar jacket, but IMO better made, and under 100 USD); Hermes men’s denim shirt that I wouldn’t mind borrowing from DH — H also does plenty of men’s white shirts; and for more avant- garde tops, Dover Street Market. I only bought the seocnd to last one though (come des garçons). The last one is gucci at Dover St Market.

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i do just want to reiterate, go slowly and don’t feel pressured to settle or buy ; and, try everything bc you could be really surprised re what works and what doesn’t

They’re all lovely, in Paris Charvet have a whole floor with a whole department of white, I had the exquisite white Chantilly popeline which was perfect..I cannot remember what it cost(20 years ago), another memorable shirt was bespoke by Sean O’Flynn of Huntsman in DJA 330/3 Milennium Star-he made me a matching handkerchief , in 2013, it was very English, the best shirt Sean ever made me..mainly I have light blue shirts though….

 

[vinotastic]

Anyone petite just succumb to having everything tailored or are there certain brands that work better? I'd love to start investing more in my wardrobe but fear the alteration bill.

 

[doloresmia]

Anyone petite just succumb to having everything tailored or are there certain brands that work better? I'd love to start investing more in my wardrobe but fear the alteration bill.

I am petite and to look and feel right in my clothes, I suck up the extra costs for alteration. It makes a difference for the wearability and then the cost per wear for me. I also consider what the alterations would do to the intended look and fit - like on shirts, dresses or jackets or original hems. Sometimes things cannot be "petite-ized" and then I move on. Most petite clothes I hate. My favorite brand, Tibi does some cuts in petite and tall - aka adjusts the rise, the hem and other to maintain the look of regular.

You probably already know, high end department stores may and high end brands like Chanel will alter as part of the service.

 

[cecchetti]

I am petite and to look and feel right in my clothes, I suck up the extra costs for alteration. It makes a difference for the wearability and then the cost per wear for me. I also consider what the alterations would do to the intended look and fit - like on shirts, dresses or jackets or original hems. Sometimes things cannot be "petite-ized" and then I move on. Most petite clothes I hate. My favorite brand, Tibi does some cuts in petite and tall - aka adjusts the rise, the hem and other to maintain the look of regular.

You probably already know, high end department stores may and high end brands like Chanel will alter as part of the service.

When I was very young I worked in Valentino in London, who had a large alteration department and wouldn’t sell anything that didn’t fit, didn’t charge for alterations , and if something didn’t look right they wouldn’t sell it as you were a bad ambassador for them.
I don’t know what it’s like now, although I carried on wearing Valentino for a long time after I left..xxxx

 

[Pursedoctor]

Echoing (and thanking) everyone here who suggested getting clothes tailored and altered. I never knew what a difference tailoring would make till I got advice from so many of you on this thread. As a chubby person, I just assumed I could never good in clothes and felt pretty bad about myself. Now with tailoring, I have a waist, skirts and pants hit at the most flattering points and I feel like a million bucks!!

 

[cecchetti]

My rtw wardrobe seems to have ballooned in the last couple of years, from the discovery of some rtw brands which fit.

For most of my adult life, I’ve been so small, but so long limbed, that nothing has fitted abd I’ve had to go bespoke, or alterations, and had very few, very high end clothing, and just replaced things which wore out.

My lifestyle has changed in the last couple of years, plus I’ve found a couple of brands which I can buy which actually fit me.

The excitement of that has left me to multiple buy(in the fear that the companies will disappear and I’ll be left without clothes again!), and my wardrobe has multiplied ..

I can’t have a clear out as lots are duplicates, hence I like everything ..but my annual clothing budget this year will have doubled, which is ridiculous ..partly due to a bespoke jacket, but will be even more if I have a coat made as well, although these pieces are investment pieces.

I look after my clothes, everything lives on wooden hangers, I keep coats, at the end of each season get rid of worn out pieces or things I don’t want, this works for me, but my wardrobe is definitely growing atm..

 

[cecchetti]

My rtw has been work in progress for several years now-from minimalist wardrobe of 25-30 pieces of perfect high end designer wear to last night (June 30th) total of 99 pieces.

I still owe an account on my Milanese shirtmaker , and a balance on my bespoke Japanese biker with Porusus crocodile (which I don’t have yet), but although I’d like either a LBD(I’ve seen one) or a bespoke shearling(this will Probably wait until the following winter), unless I crack, I haven’t made it to 100 pieces, despite a crazy shopping spreee this week..

It’s tempting fate, but I’d Like to do 6 months not buying clothes(I probably won’t last 6 hours lol), and shop my own closet..and clear off the accounts obviously!

Then in 2024 have a clear conscious and some space, and shop the new collections, plus new bespoke pieces with a fresh budget.

Unfortunately next Friday(7th July) I have a day out shopping, which has been booked for months, I go shopping regularly , follow the Paris collections..it’s going to be nearly impossible ..

I nearly ordered the dress(available for pre order) on the 30th, but I wanted a coat as well, couldn’t reconcile..so stopped in double figures.

All of my clothes are good, but I wear them hard, don’t rotate enough, I recycle my Skins using Reskinned, but trying not to order any more of those until January(waiting for a new pair of leggings now).

I’d love a Huntswoman jacket, and tailoring is making a comeback in Fall/Winter 2024/25( I follow the Premiere Vision trends), so need to stop constant shopping now..tbh I’ve run out of space..although in the OOTD thread I cannot compete with most people as I have too many duplicate clothes..

Sorry for my morning rambling ..in a minute I’m off to the market for melon and blueberries !

 

[Antonia]

My rtw has been work in progress for several years now-from minimalist wardrobe of 25-30 pieces of perfect high end designer wear to last night (June 30th) total of 99 pieces.

I still owe an account on my Milanese shirtmaker , and a balance on my bespoke Japanese biker with Porusus crocodile (which I don’t have yet), but although I’d like either a LBD(I’ve seen one) or a bespoke shearling(this will Probably wait until the following winter), unless I crack, I haven’t made it to 100 pieces, despite a crazy shopping spreee this week..

It’s tempting fate, but I’d Like to do 6 months not buying clothes(I probably won’t last 6 hours lol), and shop my own closet..and clear off the accounts obviously!

Then in 2024 have a clear conscious and some space, and shop the new collections, plus new bespoke pieces with a fresh budget.

Unfortunately next Friday(7th July) I have a day out shopping, which has been booked for months, I go shopping regularly , follow the Paris collections..it’s going to be nearly impossible ..

I nearly ordered the dress(available for pre order) on the 30th, but I wanted a coat as well, couldn’t reconcile..so stopped in double figures.

All of my clothes are good, but I wear them hard, don’t rotate enough, I recycle my Skins using Reskinned, but trying not to order any more of those until January(waiting for a new pair of leggings now).

I’d love a Huntswoman jacket, and tailoring is making a comeback in Fall/Winter 2024/25( I follow the Premiere Vision trends), so need to stop constant shopping now..tbh I’ve run out of space..although in the OOTD thread I cannot compete with most people as I have too many duplicate clothes..

Sorry for my morning rambling ..in a minute I’m off to the market for melon and blueberries !

You can do it @cecchetti !! Shop your closet so you can prepare for your ultimate dream bespoke pieces!! I hope to see these incredible pieces!!! Good luck!!!