and pretty proud of it. I can't function without a list because honestly my memory is that of a drug addled gnat. If I have a list though, I can do amazing things.
I know that wende has said this wardrobe cure isn't about lists, must haves, etc... but, for me, I need that structure. That structure is why I was drawn to the cure in the first place. Having a week to get a certain task done appeals to me.
I spent last night (well part of last night- I had to watch "Atlantis Squarepantis" with my son and then "2 1/2 men" for me) trying on some pants. The only full length mirror is in my basement workroom and that is for the best really. I was surprised to find that many of my multitude of pants actually kind of fit me and were the correct style for my body type- even though it has changed since the purchase of these pants. That is good, because I will save many of these pants for a second chance in 6 months. (except those identical 9- those have to go)
I have many basic black dressy pants that in many ways are identical. They are very classic, nice quality, traditional pants, none are the cheap trendy kind. The large majority are solid black, but I have a few pin stripe pants. They are all lined and mostly a wool blend or poly blend. At least I did that right.
Now I need to sort them into size categories so I can set them aside. I feel pretty good about this part really. I would like to be able to have 3 pair of dressy pants available to wear, 5 pair of more casual pants , and 4 pair of jeans. If there are more, then I need to decide what to do with the extras, if I am deficient in a category, then maybe I need to purchase some. I am going to dress the body I have right now, not just wait for the future.
Once I pick out my pants, then I will do the final cull on my shirts. I would like to have about 10 button front shirts, 7 long sleeve t shirts, 7 short sleeve t shirts ( I like to buy t shirts new each year- I find they tend to look pretty icky after a season of wear- or maybe that's just me). I need about 4 sweaters for the winter- I would like at least one to be merino wool. I also need about 3 lighter weight sweaters for spring and summer because it gets cold here even then. In the blazer/jacket category I am at a cross road. I love jackets and I look better in them because of my body type, so I plan on having probably what seems like a large number of them for someone who stays at home with the kid. I do wear them a lot so I think that makes sense. BUT all of these items that I am listing need to work well and play well with all the others. I really do want a "garanimal" type of wardrobe- for lack of a better word.
I am also going to try something rather scary for me. I plan on taking pictures of outfits that I think look good together. If I find that I am right, I plan on making a separate file on the computer for those pictures. That way, if I do find myself at a dressing crossroad, all I have to do is go the computer, look at a picture of an outfit that I KNOW looks good, get dressed and go.
I am going to pick the date in April I need to re visit my stored clothing and put it in my planner this week. My garage sale is the first weekend in June ( it corresponds with a festival my town puts on every year) and then I can get rid of some items and donate some too....
3 comments:
Wow, impressive organization and planning! Good for you. That "photograph the outfit" idea is great. I really wish I'd photographed some outfits of the past that I remember as working well -- I'd like to be able to see a photo and see what it was about them that struck me as good. Memory isn't all that helpful in the details, sometimes. Photos will be good.
I know that wende has said this wardrobe cure isn't about lists, must haves, etc.
Nah -- it's about not having anyone TELL you what to put on your list of must-haves. The priority-setting is supposed to imply the start of a personalized list, for those who make lists.
At the end of the 8 weeks, I must remember to go back through everyone's posts and see if there are any garments that turned out to be truly universally appropriate for every woman.
I love the photo collection idea -- it would eliminate what I call "clothing fits," which is what happens when getting dressed requires leaving a trail of failed outfits across the bedroom.
There's another one for the lexicon, Wende: "Clothing Fits (when nothing fits...)"
And yes, lists are just fine, so long as they're your lists. There are certainly items that you "must have" - this is about figuring out what those are. All that business in the wardrobe-fixing books, like, "Every woman needs a great pair of jeans." Ok, (a) not literally true - most people in this country need jeans, but you can imagine someone who doesn't, and (b) if I need jeans, I already know about it. Hearing it from some Cosmo-slurping assistant fashion editor isn't any sort of revelation...
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