WIW: copying Aida

Aida's post today featured a color combo that I liked immediately, so I decided to copy it.
  
Hers is emerald and mine is more of an apple green, but I like it combined with navy and cognac.  

What do you think?  Is it working?  I would have never thought to add cognac without Aida - thank you Aida!

(This navy drapey top is recently saved from the purge pile by adding some elastic at the back of the neck, which is doing great at keeping it from sliding off my shoulders.  Yay for easy fixes!)

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Summer can continue forever

After a month of a small wardrobe, I feel like I never want summer to end - I like my wardrobe so much.

Here's what's currently in the active wardrobe:

7 bottoms:

  • dark denim pedal pushers
  • white jean shorts
  • white cropped bf jeans
  • gray bf jeans (replaced missing bf cropped blue jeans)
  • black city shorts
  • black/white striped knit tube skirt
  • light jean shorts (would like to replace these)

11 tops:

  • mid-blue chambray
  • navy short-sleeved button-up (replaced drapey navy that was fiddly) (pic #3)
  • white mesh-sleeved sweater
  • raspberry mesh sweater (pic #1)
  • plum mixed-media top
  • BethAnn tee (pic#2)
  • navy/white gingham shirt
  • black/tan ikat print top
  • white sleeveless top (is starting to pill - will probably get purged)
  • blue gray-green print top (polyester and not super comfy, will probably get purged)
  • white lace knit shell (so far unworn)

2 dresses: 

  • black Eileen Fisher
  • Cobalt and black striped

3 toppers:

  • black leather Spiegel jacket
  • white pleather jacket
  • denim vest (so far unworn)

3 shoes:

  • black birkenstocks
  • cognac born sandals
  • cognac loafers (so far unworn)

2 belts: black and cognac

And, if they ever show up again, one more pants (boyfriend jeans), and one more topper (silver/gray sparkly cardigan)

In the past month, I've worn six of the tops only once, and one no times at all. 
I'm wearing the chambray and the white mesh sleeved sweater all the time, and the BethAnn tee and plum mixed-media top also quite frequently.  (The navy button-up in #3 is a recent replacement for the drapey navy tee - I think it'll get worn more than just this once, we'll see).

I must admit that I feel like this is almost too much - four patterned tops is probably too many.  And I have an urge to duplicate the chambray shirt and the white mesh-sleeves sweater.  I'll do so if I get the opportunity.

I'm in a bit of an analysis frenzy, I fear.  Kudos to you if you're reading it all :)

And comments, questions, observations, and wisdom (especially as I start to think about planning for fall) are all more than welcome!

ETA: WIW pics - the raspberry sweater and black/white tube skirt, the BethAnn tee and some jeans that I was trialing (they probably won't stay - they muffintop me), and white jeans with the navy short-sleeved button-up that is a potential replacement for the drapey navy tee.  It's comfy, does it look okay, or even good?

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Small closet challenge update: and a few lessons I'm learning

Since starting my 'small closet challenge', or whatever I'm calling it today, about a month ago, I've started to notice some trends:

  • I don't want to wear patterns every day- maybe 2-3 times a week, max. Thus I'm dividing wears between my patterned clothes (1 dress and four tops).  I may need to purge a couple of them.
  • I don't want to wear tee shirts.  I have one tee shirt (the BethAnn tee) in regular rotation.  I'm keeping one sentimental one (which I'm questioning too now), and all others have been purged or demoted to painting or lounge wear.
  • There's still a few unworn items in my closet - for over a month now, they've sat there, and I keep thinking that I'll wear them, but I don't. It's probably time for them move down to the basement thrift store.
  • I might be over most bright colors?  My BethAnn tee is bright, and I'm wearing plenty of white, but other than that, my pink capris got worn once, my green shorts not at all, and my raspberry mesh sweater once. I also wore an orangey coral shirt once (and purged it today.  It's too big), and a red dress once (also purged).
  • What I did wear: black, white and blue.  A tiny bit of gray, and cognac belt and sandals.
Today I'm purging 49 items.  It's about 20% of my total wardrobe. 

It's time I started to plan for fall.  I'm thinking that my long-sleeved tees may soon be on the chopping block, but I should save some for layering. I wonder if I'll want to wear prints in winter, or if texture will substitute.   I'm kind of thinking that I want my style to shift a little more polished than it has been lately, and as such, probably don't need more than ten pairs of jeans - time to try on and purge there. 

Any suggestions as I plan for fall?  

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a few WIWs

This time of summer is very busy, and I'm enjoying my smaller wardrobe very much.  I've started to compare every outfit to my current favorite combo (chambray shirt, white shorts, black belt and black birks - #5).  Do I feel as fab in this?  If not, I need to figure out what isn't right, and probably purge or alter some.
Here's a few of the things I have worn, not everything has gotten photographed.

#1 - gray boyfriends (actually full length, just super rolled) have replaced my missing blue ones. This is a playing with neutrals mixing.  White mesh-sleeved sweater, gray jeans, brown belt and shoes.  I felt good in this.
#2 I tried it with my new made vest (I took your suggestion and cut off the sleeves of a jean jacket).  I liked the way it looked, but it was too warm today.
#3 bright pink and white, gray and white camo shoes. I wanted to wear something untucked for a change, but this wasn't the right choice of what to leave untucked - the hem is looking sloppy.
#4 dressier version of the same outfit.  The untuck works here, maybe?
#5 My current favorite outfit - oft worn.  The blue is gauzy cotton and quite cool for humid summer weather.

Comments are welcome!

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NAS Bras: K/R (pics under a tee)

I shopped at the NAS for the first time this year:  Ordered three different styles of bras, after realizing that my homemade ones are getting droopy, and I won't have the time to make more anytime soon.

I liked two of them, and would like your input on which to keep.  They're shown under a light weight tee that tends to show every lump and bump, so I hope it gives a good idea how these fit.

I bought two of each bra, intending to keep both of my favorite style.  
What do you suggest keeping?

#1 is the Chantelle 'C Magnifique'.  I like the slight minimization that it does.  I also like that the bra is light weight feeling.

#2 is the Wacoal.  It's heavier than the Chantelle, but I think is reasonably flattering.  The lift it produces is obvious (at least to me)

#3 is one of my current homemade bras, for reference.

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WIW - summer brights

I was hoping to post some more musings tonight - things about how I wonder if I'm cheating by moving items back and forth between closets and the basement 'thrift store' when I decide to maybe wear them, or about how maybe I'm happier in just blue, black and white instead of allowing the versatility of other colors....  But, I hurt my fingers trying to move a sliding bench tonight, and typing hurts and is slow. (I know, I'm a wimp.  My hubby doesn't think I'll even lose a fingernail.  But it does really hurt).

So I'll just post my outfits for the week instead.  Or at least the ones I haven't posted yet.

Here they are :)

#1 My first deviation from black/white/blue in over two weeks.  Now my closet feels more complicated.  But I love this color.
#2 I think this top is too big.  Do you agree?  Also the orange isn't very sour - it's more coral.  Is it a good color for me, or are others a better choice?
#3-4 Cobalt/black striped dress is now altered to have better fitting sleeves and armholes.  Wore this to the county fair with my kids, who were all in orange shirts to make them easy to keep track of - so the orange pullover was a nod - "Yes, I am their Mom".
#5 - black EF dress with jean jacket.  Is this jacket dated?  I wonder if it should go - what do you think?
#6 blue gingham with navy pedal pushers.  Worn to do crafts with my kids.  I learned  (and taught them) how to use a band saw and drill press.  I stayed away from the table saw though.  Too much power for me.

There were a few other outfits this week - all white and blue to my recollection.  They've already been posted in other threads.

Posting and running to bed...  Have a good night ylf!  

But comments and suggestions while I sleep are definitely welcome.  I'll answer them tomorrow.  And heh,I wrote a lot for sore fingers...

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Minimal closet, maximal flaws

I'm started a musing-type post half a dozen times in the past week, and always rambled and rambled and eventually got distracted before finishing.  I'm not sure tonight will be different.  But I thought I'd tackle one small part of the musing I've been doing, rather than ramble endlessly.  

I've nearly completed my third week with a minimal closet, and reality is
starting to set in:  a minimal closet doesn't make my flaws disappear.  Nor
does it remove every irritation of life. 
Hard to believe, I know.  Here’s a
few things that I think I expected to magically change, and didn’t.

First, I lose things. 
My cropped boyfriend blue jeans are missing.  I have no idea where they are – the easy
thing to do would be to blame it on my laundry helpers.  But it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t
know where they are.  This wouldn’t be a
big deal if I had 200 other things in my closet.  But it was one of two pair of pants (the
other being my white boyfriend jeans) in my current closet.

Second, I’m not careful (make that: I'm pretty sloppy).   I have to wash my white jeans and white
shorts with every wearing because I get stuff
on them.  My white sweater yesterday morning
lasted less than two hours before I decided to sand down a cabinet wearing it,
and didn’t think to put on an apron.  At
least I noticed that I was filthy and changed before taking my kids to swimming
lessons.

Third, I’m lazy.  I’m
not going to specially launder something even if it says to.  Honestly, I’m not going to launder it at all
– my kids are, and I’m not going to keep on top of them well enough to remind
them not to put certain tee shirts in the dryer, etc.  My wool sweaters pretty much just never get
washed – this works in the winter, because I wear an undershirt with them.  It doesn’t work in the summer.  Consequently, my jersey knit items are just going to be quick to pill.  I am working toward developing the habit of handwashing my bras at night rather than putting them in the laundry.  They're too expensive to buy and too time-consuming to make to treat them lightly.

Now, there is a host of things that having a small closet has made easier - but that's another post :)

How does your closet reflecting your personal "idiosyncrasies" ?

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