Large Closet Pride

Okay, I am starting to appreciate this cooler yet still summery weather. It's not fall and it's not face-melting summer, but it's somewhere in between. It requires a little creativity, layering and mixing in pieces that haven't been worn in months. After a summer of dress/sandals/jewelry, I was out of practice in the Art of Layering, but it's starting to come back to me now!
 


This is my navy Target dress, tan Aquatalia perforated boots, Oriblu microfishnet stockings (I always wear those with these boots), burnished gold Hive and Honey bracelets, and this lovely gifted animal print infinity scarf. I guess it was dressy for a Friday, but the whole thing was a little edgy so it felt appropriate for that day than mid-week.

To get myself mentally ready for Layering Season, I spent some time this weekend thinning the herd in my closet. My sister had given back to me a lot of the size-18 clothes I had given her, but I'm not quite fitting into those yet (which galls me more than I can say), so I put them away in a bin for now. (Along with the bins of 16s, 14s, 12s...you get the drill. The part I am looking most forward to is my weight continues to go down is all the shopping in my own basement that I will be doing. There are so many pieces that I really miss!) I re-organized things so the cardigans were back together, the blazers and jackets were ready to go, only the jeans that fit are in the drawer, and even the casual shirts got re-sorted and re-sized so they aren't a jumbled mess anymore.

I know that for many in the fashion blogosphere having a small closet is a point of pride, but I like having a big one. It's not really a debate over quality versus quantity; I have both in my closet, from high-end Coach bags to cheapo LOFT sweaters that barely make it through a wash. And it's not about brand loyalty: Target, Old Navy, and Kohls are my main stores right now, but I cycle through others depending on my size and what their designers are doing. Nordstrom's, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Marshall's, etc: I have plenty of all of these brands in smaller sizes. Gap runs hot and cold because their designers are so inconsistent; they had a good run last year but they are starting to get crappy again. Same with LOFT (their best year was three years ago).

I've even shopped at consignment and thrift stores, but they're not my first choice; all that chaos tends to ping my clutter phobia, and I get overwhelmed and a little grossed out. Consignment stores are usually better, but their prices aren't that much better than buying first-hand on sale, so I rarely see the point.

Let's face it, I just like shopping. :)

But right now, as a larger-sized woman, there aren't a lot of options for me in brick and mortar stores. The stores carry my size online only, or in the case of Target and Old Navy, often have better selection overall online of the good stuff like dresses. So I order from everywhere, and since I have no idea how it will fit or what it feels like, I end up returning a lot. On the plus side, since I am trying these things on in my own bedroom, I get to see immediately if I have things to go with it. If it fits and looks nice, I mix and match on the spot, and if I can't find anything, back it goes.

Large closets are great during Layering Season; having a good variety of scarves, cardigans, jackets, shoes, jewelry, etc means that I almost never repeat outfits even if I have the same basics (dress, pants) underneath. I really get to let my creativity soar, and for me, that's the fun of fashion. It's not about being trendy and having all the newest styles; it's the putting together of an outfit so all pieces work together harmoniously and bring out my assets that gets me excited. That's why I shop, that's why I have a blog. That is fun, to me. :)

I am proud of the closet I have built. I used to feel guilty about it, like buying duplicates of cardigans in different colors was somehow wrong or shameful. Or that I should only buy expensive clothes that last for years, or I would look tacky. But I am not listening to those voices anymore; small closets may work for some people, but not for me. And I am okay with that.