Decluttering & Minimizing

One of the best things I did in July was take a large chunk of cardigans, dresses and tops out of my wardrobe, and stick them into the back of my front hall closet where I couldn't see them. It has been weeks and aside from grabbing one top back out, I haven't thought about the stuff at all.

I think later this year some of the cardigans may come back into play, but honestly I'm not very happy with them and even through the past few winters I haven't worn them, but have kept finding excuses to be able to keep them hanging in my closet. Maybe the best course of action is to get rid of them and find one cardigan/sweater to replace them all.

I also went through my basic t-shirts and separated the 'fashion' shirts; any t-shirt that I will wear on a day to day basis and enjoy wearing, from 'work' shirts; any shirt that only gets worn if I may be getting dirty that day, or if I just need something to throw on without worrying how I look (I have a lot of work gigs where I need shirts like this). Now, my main shirts drawer has been cut in half, and my 'work' shirts are on a back shelf in my closet where I can specifically go when I need one. I'm loving the less 'cluttered' feel, and not having to search through a bunch of 'meh' shirts I would never wear on my day off to find my cute t's.

A few months ago in April I did my first closet inventory and came up at a whopping 354 items (that's not including accessories)! Since then I've bought some new things, and I've tossed a few things; and I'm not totally sure if my count was completely accurate the first time since I have clothing items floating around the house in different places. I've set my mind to it that I need to downsize. I figured removing 20% of my wardrobe would be a good start; but I did the math and that's 71 items! What I would need to do first is a completely new closet inventory and count every last thing before I begin purging. Here's hoping for success!

July Outfits

July was a really fun month (I can't believe it is August already!!). There were some HOT days, and there were a few chilly days.

 Pink Suede Moto Jacket - Bershka, Top - H&M, Jeans - Urban Planet, Ballet Flats - WalMart

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit?★★★★☆

Sweater - Zara, Jeans - Urban Planet, Ballet Flats - WalMart

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★☆☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

Sweater - clothes swap, Tank Top - H&M, Shorts - Joe Fresh, Ballet Flats - random mall store

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★☆☆

Dress - Thrifted H&M, Shoes - random mall store

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

 

Tank Top - Joe Fresh, Denim Jacket - Forever 21, Skirt - Joe Fresh, Sandals - Joe Fresh

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

Dress - C. Wonder, Bracelet - H&M, Sandals - Joe Fresh

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★★
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★★

Tank Top - Sirens, Jeans - Urban Planet, Leopard Slip-Ons - Steve Madden, Purse - Winners

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again?★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

Leather Jacket - Viparo, Shirt - Costa Blanca, Jeans - Levis, Leopard Slip-Ons - Steve Madden

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

Leather Jacket - Viparo, Long Sleeved Top - Forever 21, Jeans - Urban Planet, Leopard Slip-Ons - Steve Madden

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★★

July Purchases

Well, July was definitely a bit of a backslide; the main detriment was taking a trip to the States to shop at the Outlet mall. I'll be honest and say a large portion of what I purchased this month were things on my 'to buy' list, a handful were things I really didn't need but loved and decided to buy anyway. Even if everything was on my 'to buy' list, it does make me a bit nervous making so many purchases in one month, because usually that doesn't usually mean that I hold off on shopping a bit more the next month, I just continue shopping as usual. So for August, I'm going to have a bit of a conundrum.

I'll start with what I tossed in July:

Skirt
Denim Shorts
2x t-shirts
Ankle Boots
Sweater
2x pj shirts

In August I plan on going through all of my Fall clothing and evaluating every piece, deciding what to keep and toss. Hopefully the tossed list will be a lot bigger.

Now the 'fun' part. My purchases for July:

• C Wonder Black and White Dress - THIS DRESS. I posted it awhile back as inspiration; I remember thinking at the time 'I would love to have a dress like this!'; but alas, at around $168 dollars it was a bit out of my price range. I happened to randomly check the website earlier this month and it had been knocked down to $83. This is still a bit pricey for me, but I decided to give in and make the purchase. I am so glad I did! A dress like this replaces five $20 dresses hanging in my closet, any day. It's a dream to wear and it will be hanging in my closet for years to come.

• Target Houndstooth Button Shirt - this seemed like a great casual shirt, but also very work appropriate when needed. And it's black and white!

• Levi's Skinny Jeans in Black & Brown - I wrote recently about how I constantly wear skinny jeans, and that I should add a few good quality pairs to my closet. These 2 are just that; plus I got a great deal at the outlet mall, 2 pairs for $40 each instead of the usual $60 each.

• White House Black Market Geometric Shorts - a pair of black and white patterned shorts were on my to-buy list for the summer and these fit the bill! I really love the cut.

• Kenneth Cole Faux-Suede Pink Perforated Bomber Jacket - this was an impulse buy, I admit. But it looks so great on me and fits in perfectly with my wardrobe. In turn I am now selling another pink bomber jacket I've owned for years and wore constantly years ago, but haven't really worn in the past year or two.

• Mudd Slip-On 'Birkenstocks' - a pair of sandals were on my list, and I couldn't go wrong with these ones for about $20.

• ASOS White Sandals - Once I bought the above Mudd sandals I was done buying shoes for the summer, alas my beige Joe Fresh sandals that I love bit the dust shortly after my outlet mall trip; I ended up buying these similar sandals online to replace them.

• Forever 21 Black & White Culottes - adding another cute pair of shorts to my wardrobe sounded like a good idea to me, and I used a gift certificate to buy this pair. It's really easy for me to see the difference in quality between some of my slightly pricier summer clothes and these shorts, but I don't mind having a few cute things from Forever 21 as long as my wardrobe doesn't become overrun by the store as it has in the past.

The Perfect Skirt

One of the big challenges for me over the past year and a bit has been wearing skirts on a regular basis. I remember when I was younger, wearing skirts fairly regularly; but over the past few years dresses, and mostly jeans have been my go-to item. I think with all of my over-shopping I found the various skirt styles, fits, & trying to pair them with the random assortment of tops I had very overwhelming.

Now that I have been focusing my shopping and mindfully adding pieces to my wardrobe, I want to tackle the issue of skirt wearing. I have quite a few skirts hanging in my closet that don't get regularly worn; now is the time to make a choice: wear, or toss? If you look back at some of my older posts you'll see that I have gotten rid of some skirts already, but I've kept hanging on to some of them, not knowing if I will wear them again. They are really bugging me, and taking up valuable closet real estate to boot.

My aim now is to figure out what kind of skirt suits me best? What kind of skirt will go with the tops and blouses I already have in my wardrobe? What basic skirt can I build a multitude of outfits around? I honestly think if I can pare my skirts down to around a handful, I will have more success at wearing skirts on a regular basis. The thought of just having one or two great, reliable skirts in my wardrobe makes me feel very happy. Right now, other than that work skirt I bought from Smart Set last month, I don't feel like I have any skirts that match those qualifications.

Certain qualities I like in a skirt are: something with structure. something a little edgy or with a few simple details. a-line. between mini and midi. Now all I need to do is find it...

June Outfits

The sun finally emerged in June and I found myself throwing on shorts and dresses on a regular basis. I have been narrowing my focus in terms of colors and items of clothing I'm wearing, and it has made me happier because of it! It is so much easier to get dressed this way. I don't even mind wearing the same things over and over (of which I did a lot in June, which is why there aren't very many outfits...). I think my faves are the outfit with my new Joe Fresh crochet skirt & pink suede moto jacket, and the H&M leopard sweater outfit. I will be wearing that one all the time come fall.

I have also decided to add a rating system to my outfits. The questions are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, and are:

Was I comfortable wearing it? Was I tugging and pulling at hems, or could I let go and not think about what I was wearing the entire time I had it on?
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? Can it be worn to work, hanging out with friends, to a dressy affair? Having a low rating on this scale isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I would like to know what outfits can be more than one thing.
Would I wear this outfit again? If I wouldn't wear it again, why do I own it? Should I remix the garments into other outfits? Should I donate them?
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? If it doesn't feel like me, stop wearing it.

I'm hoping these questions can help me figure out a bit more about my style, why I wear things, and find the best outfits for me.

 

Denim Jacket: Thrifted, Skull Tank: Aritzia, Shorts: Joe Fresh, Ballet Flats: Wal-Mart

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★☆☆

Polka-Dot Dress: H&M, Purse: Winners, Ballet Flats: Wal-Mart

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★☆

Plaid Shirt: stolen from the boyfriend, Heart Tank Top: gift from Forever 21, Pink Jeans: Thrifted Dollhouse, Ballet Flats: Madden Girl

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★☆☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★☆☆☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★☆☆

Pink Sweater: H&M, Striped Tank: Joe Fresh, Black Jeans: Urban Planet, 

Leopard Print Shoes: Steve Madden, Purse: ?? 

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★

Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★☆☆☆

Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆

How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★★

Pink Suede Moto Jacket: Bershka from Ebay, Black Tank: Joe Fresh, Cream Crochet Skirt: Joe Fresh, Tan Sandals: Joe Fresh, Necklace: H&M

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★☆☆
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★☆
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit?★★★★☆

Pink Burnout Baseball-T: ASOS, Skinny Jeans: Urban Planet, Leopard Print Shoes: Steve Madden

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★☆☆☆☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★★

Leopard Print Sweater: H&M, Black Jeans: Urban Planet, Moto Boots: H&M

Was I comfortable wearing it? ★★★★★
Does this outfit have multiple occasion potential? ★★★★☆
Would I wear this outfit again? ★★★★★
How much do I feel like 'me' in this outfit? ★★★★★

June Purchases

This was a very busy month for me, with my birthday and an internship. I had quite an urge to go shopping, and I did go to the mall one day this month with my mom to do some birthday shopping- I have to admit it felt really good to spend money, it felt cathartic to pull my debit card out and buy a few things. This has always been one of my main reasons for shopping, that it felt relaxing and fun. I'm not sure what to do about that except maybe find something else to replace it that doesn't involve spending money.

THIS MONTH I TOSSED: 
2x sweaters
2x button up shirts
2x shirts
1 pair of shoes

One of the only reasons I haven't gotten rid of more this month was just because of how busy I was. The month of July looks like there will be a lot of wardrobe-related tackling issues happening, including tossing some stuff and (hopefully) creating a capsule wardrobe.

Here are my purchases for the month of June:

• ZARA Leopard Attitude Sweater - I saw this sweater on the website back in January and it sold out almost immediately. I searched in every store, on Ebay, and couldn't find it. Last week when I saw it on the rack in the store I almost screamed! plus, it was marked down from $50 to $20 AND I used a birthday gift card to pay for it! I know that it isn't really something I 'need', but I know I will love it.
 

• H&M Grey Slouchy Leopard Sweater - I absolutely love this sweater and I've already worn it twice since I bought it last week. I know for a fact it will be a favorite this fall when the weather cools down.

• ASOS Pink Burnout Baseball T-Shirt - I had been searching for a slouchy soft baseball t-shirt for awhile and found this one on ASOS on sale. It's super cute and really easy to just throw on with some jeans.

• Joe Fresh Cream Crochet Skirt - I had been pining over this skirt for over a month, hoping it would go on sale. It finally got marked down from $45 to $29 and I snatched it up. It's exactly what I wanted when I talked about getting a sweet chic skirt or dress back in this post- so happy I found it!

• Smart Set Black & White Skirt - This is a amazing work appropriate skirt and I found it at Smart Set on sale for only $14.99, quite a steal if I must say. I think my goal at the moment in terms of work clothing is just to add a few very basic pieces to my wardrobe; as right now I don't have a job to wear it to but they are great to have on hand for interviews or anything that comes up.

• ASOS Leather Chelsea Boots - I have been wanting some flat chelsea boots for awhile, and these ones from ASOS were $120 marked down to $75 so I'm happy with that deal. I'm going to have to wait until it gets a bit cooler to wear them but I think they will become a staple for sure.

I'm happy that everything I bought this month was on sale (not included the H&M sweater, which was only $25). I think my focus for July is going to be working on maintaining & improving the wardrobe I currently have, as well as checking out a few thrift/vintage stores to see if I can find some good deals on a cute dress or two. I also really want to list a bunch of clothes on Ebay to sell; I have been meaning to do that for awhile.

For my birthday my mom bought me this cute skull necklace from Blue Ruby and earrings from The Bay; I love them both! They are so me.

Halfway Point

It has been 6 months since I began my journey of moving away from fast fashion, curating my closet and enjoying the clothing that I have, so I thought it would be a good time to post a bit of a reflection on how it's gone so far.

I feel like I've finally hit on a bit of a turning point; the past few months I have been saying NO to clothes and I haven't been impulse shopping like I used to. When I've gone into H&M I've picked things up and put them away after really considering them- I think about how I'm going to feel adding them into my already full closet, and it doesn't make me feel good. I have been passing over garments that were almost what I wanted, but not quite. Old me would have bought them anyway and then bought the actual perfect item later on, had it come up. I feel that I must have a fear of missing out in terms of clothing- I'm afraid of letting that just okay item get away in case I never find the really amazing piece that I want. And I'm becoming okay with that- if it isn't perfect, why add it to my wardrobe?

When I look at my clothes I'm slowly seeing a cohesive LOOK emerge; I'm itching to go through and get rid of pieces that don't fit the image I want to project. In keeping with this I plan to go through my wardrobe and pull out the things that don't fit with 'THAT GIRL' I want to be- I'm considering doing the 333 challenge, but for now I just want to really focus on those pieces of clothing that scream "ME", and see where that takes me. Basically I will be re-doing Step 2 of A Pair and a Spare's post "Wardrobe Rehab"; 'Define Your Style' which I did in an earlier post about, using photos from Pinterest as examples.

I also plan on going through all of my purchases for the first half of the year (as a few other bloggers have done) and rating them based on how many wears they have gotten and if they were a good purchase. I haven't kept track of specific wears, but I have a general idea about how much I've worn something and how into it I've been.

I am excited to see how the rest of the year goes!