I have too many clothes.
It's a fact that I don't want to accept, but it's true. I have too many clothes, and I'm becoming overwhelmed. Part of it is my small studio apartment - there's just not enough room. Part of it is my love of shopping. Part of it is my fascination with fashion and style. But however you look at it, I have too many. For a while I was working hard on getting rid of stuff. And I did. A lot of stuff. But I still have too much, and I've hit a roadblock. I just don't want to part with my things. I don't want to get rid of stuff. I don't know where to start. And then I left a load of laundry in the laundry room too long and someone threw it away. I didn't discover it until last night when I was trying to figure out where I had put my Thinx underwear (if you don't know what they are, check them out. They have changed my relationship with my period forever!) And then I realized. I forgot to empty out my third washer when I did laundry a week ago. So I ran downstairs to see if it was still there, and it wasn't. My laundry was gone. Now I would be lying if I said I wasn't mad about it. I'm mad, it's true. But let's stop to think about this: it took me an entire week to realize that these clothes were missing. And even then, I'm not exactly sure just what I lost. What does it say about my relationship with stuff, if I'm so upset about losing a few pairs of underwear and maybe a pair of jeans? (I still have probably 5 other pairs). Some things, like the Thinx, are easily replaceable. But even if I can't replace it all, what really matters, at the end of the day? I'm healthy, happy, and in love. I have a loving family and friends. I have a roof over my head and clothes to keep me warm in the winter. Not to mention an entire closet still filled with clothes. At the end of the day, it's just stuff. And quite frankly, I probably have too much of it. Theres still a chance that I will find my underwear hidden in some drawer somewhere in my apartment. But in the meantime, I'm going to start looking at the clothes I do have in a different light. I needed a lesson on materialism, and I got it. Just another way that the universe is looking out for me, whether I like it or not.
0 Comments
Hello everyone! New York Fashion Week is in full force, and so to celebrate I'm back to fashion blogging with you all. I missed ya! <3
As you might have noticed, my Minimalism Project started with a bang, but quickly fizzled out by the end of June. I did not discard the clothing I didn't wear at the end of the project, as promised. I haven't updated you on my wardrobe in over two months, And honestly, I haven't really been practicing minimalism in my life much at all. Life happened; I needed a break from the internet for a while and so I went on a social media hiatus, which affected my presence here on this blog as well. I also moved out of state and started graduate school (!!!). Life got so exciting and minimalism took a backseat. Time to take a breath, reevaluate, and start again. I still want to continue down this path of wardrobe minimalism. I know from my minimalism experience in the past that getting rid of things you don't wear or no longer like can feel so good, and that less can truly be more if you are true to your sense of style and ignore the lure of fast fashion trends. Not only that, but my new apartment is smaller than my previous one, so every closet space counts! However, the idea of trying to minimalize my closet right now has never been less appealing. So what's going on? Part of it is that I can tell my style is shifting, and I've been feeling a bit stuck with my current wardrobe choices. Starting my career in teaching has made me reevaluate my closet, and begin to see that I can't live in the uniform of jeans and tight dresses forever (as much as I might want to!). Also, I think these past few months, with all of the transitions that have happened in my life, I have been reverting back to my old shopping ways, using shopping as "retail therapy." And, though it does feel like a bit of a step back, I've been giving myself a little bit of a break about this, knowing that this is a time of transition. But with school finally started, I'm ready to jump back in. Slowly, this time. Here's what's going to happen. Every Monday until the end of the year I will post a new minimalist fashion blog post, complete with outfits from my wardrobe + whatever's on my mind that week. (It should be fun to see how I transition into fall, especially in a new part of the country!) I also still love the idea of taking a picture of my outfit each day, so I am going to try to do that as well, to chart the pieces in my closet that I actually wear (we'll see if I can keep that one up!) At the end of the year I will reevaluate my fashion journey that I have taken with you over the course of these coming months, and decide where to go from there. I really hope this process will not only give me some accountability but also help me to be honest with myself about what I really wear in my closet and what I don't. And learn how to dress for the classroom in the process. And I hope that it gives you some fashion inspo along the way! I'm 16 days into my minimalism project, and I can already see a pattern emerging. Okay, two patterns. There's a blogger I follow named Caroline, who has a fantastic blog called Unfancy, where she talks about her version of a capsule wardrobe, and living intentionally. She recently wrote a post sharing her summer wardrobe, and included a few "uniforms" which she sees herself using often throughout the summer. Looking at my outfits from the past few weeks, I'm noticing that I too, have a few uniforms that always seem to work for me. 1. The Denim-and-a-tshirt uniform See a trend? Even though these outfits all look very different, they all have something in common -- they each subscribe to the denim + tshirt rule. Sure, one day I'm wearing a button down and another day I'm wearing a tank top, but for the most part, this seems to be one of my go-to outfits. Why? It's fast and easy, and because of my predictable color palate (more on that later) pretty much everything matches. Is it a little chilly? Throw on a sweater. Too hot? Substitute a tank top for your tshirt. Wear it with pointed flats, vans, sandals or even heels. It goes with everything! 2. The solid-color-dress uniform Enter my second summer uniform: The solid color dress! I find them easier to wear than skirts, because they are a one-and-done thing, but still exciting because, again, they match with pretty much everything. Most, if not all my dresses are either grey, black, or some version of maroon, so I can pair them with accessories and shoes to make each style feel unique. Add a belt for a more defined waist, or a jacket if it's a bit chilly. Wear it with platform sandals for a night out, or flats during the day. Fast, simple, easy, and always stylish!
Do you have any uniforms in your closet? I would love to hear about them! Happy styling! xoxo A week ago, I watched a really interesting documentary called "Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things," (learn all about it here!) about people who are living intentional lives with less. There were lots of types of minimalists interviewed in the movie, from a "homeless" traveler who carried all his possessions on his back to a father of 6 living an intentional life while raising a family. It was a wonderful and thought provoking movie, and as I have tried to live more intentionally in the past few months, the movie really struck a chord with me. We, as a consumer society, have been programmed to want more all of the time, whether it be a super-sized soda or the newest iPhone. The movie points out that despite what the media and advertisements might make you believe, this consumer-driven lifestyle is not the only way to live. You can live with less stuff, and still be as fulfilled (if not more so!) than the voice-over guy claims you will be if you just buy this new fancy car.
For me, I got caught up in the fast-fashion phenomenon. That's where the advertisers hooked me. I've been focusing on de-cluttering and getting rid of the clothes that I don't wear during these last few months, and I've given away probably a third of all my clothes and shoes since starting this process in April. But watching this movie I realized, hey, I still have a lot I don't wear! So, I created The Minimalism Project, as a way to show myself what I really wear in my closet. I've decided to take the month of June (I started early, because I had been doing the OOTD posts this last week) and take a photo of each outfit I wear during the month. Then, at the end of June, I will look over my pictures and get rid of the things I never wore at all over the course of 5 weeks. (Of course, this doesn't include things I didn't wear because of the weather, like heavy sweaters or winter boots, etc.) This is going to be a challenge for me, but I think a revealing one, especially as I approach an out-of-state move. Why keep things in my closet that I just don't wear? Empty space is nothing to be afraid of. I invite all of you to join me in this project if you feel inspired to do so. You don't need to take a picture a day if that doesn't work for you. Another way you can keep track of what you wear is via an outfit journal! If you do decide to join me, I would love to hear about your progress! In just one week, I'm already noticing that I have things I've worn a few times already! Happy June! xoxo Happy Memorial Day!
I'm spending today at the beach so I thought I would keep it classy and cool for such a beautiful, hot, but important day! Introducing the the only other pair of shorts I own. They're basically my denim ones but white. And I love them! Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day, everyone. Let's not forget why we celebrate today: for the men and women who have fought to make our country safe. Thank you, truly. xoxo outfit: shorts: Gap tank: Banana Republic shoes: Steve Madden sunnies: Prada Gooooooooood morning, world! Despite my smile, I am EXHAUSTED from a long and wonderful night of dancing. Now onto naptime before my Sunday Funday starts!
Sunday Funday = bike riding! So...this is my bike riding outfit! It's great because it works for bike riding and still looks like a normal outfit. :D (Sometimes, it's the little things) Hope you are all having a fun and safe holiday weekend! Today there are two looks I'm giving you: The Cubs game look and the night out dancing look. Here's the first one. Please forgive the mirror selfie...(and I'm wearing my Levi denim capri jeans and my white high-top Converse with this outfit in case you were wondering). Don't have much to say about this outfit other than the hat was a MUST because it was so sunny and the Cubs got the W so that's always great. Here's outfit 2: Dancing! Yes, you've seen this dress before, and it's only been 5 days into my OOTD adventure...but this dress hugs my curves in all the right ways and makes me feel so HOT...perfect for a night out with friends!
Also, note the sandals: I wanted to wear heels, but that's not practical for dancing, so these are the perfect solution. Super comfy and still give me the hight of heels while being practical and easy to dance in! Yay! Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! Be safe out there. xoxo Outfit 2: Dress: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Steve Madden Today was CRAZY busy, but beautiful outside. I tried wearing bronzer and I think I might need to add it to my makeup routine regularly...I felt so myself in in it! My brain is all over the place today (took a difficult exam, had my 2nd to last day of undergrad, etc) so I opted for a look that was easy and simple. (Note that this is probably the only skirt I own) Please forgive the bad bathroom selfie...wasn't home at all today long enough to take one of me outside! xoxo Shirt: Loft Skirt: Res Denim Shoes: Vans Sunnies: Prada Purse: Bought in Italy! Today was HOT out! So I brought out this sleeveless beauty which makes me smile in so many ways.
Also, I was wearing different shoes today (sandals!) but after walking to class in them I realized that they are not the comfiest...to the donate pile they go! I've got some awesome new fashion project in the works for you all, that I should be launching soon...stay tuned! I'm so ready for it to be Friday. xoxo Outfit: Dress: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Dansko (SO COMFY) Some days, you just want to wear a giant blanket and call it clothes. Today was one of those days.
Also, this might be a good time to mention that I don't wear bras very often... (it's very noticeable today, which is why I bring it up). I choose not to wear a bra because I feel more comfortable that way, and because it's no surprise that I have nipples (WE ALL HAVE NIPPLES! SHOCKER! Edited to add: most of us have 'em, but not all of us. I shouldn't generalize) so if you see them, I don't really mind. How do you ladies feel about bras? Have you ever tried not wearing one in public? xoxo Outfit: Jeans: Levis Tshirt: Aritzia Cape: Aritzia Shoes: Vans Sunnies: Prada |
Fashion BlogHere, I take a break from my usual blog posts to bring you style tips straight from my closet! Archives
October 2016
Click below to see what I really wear each day!
|