This month's edits were all grey or black, strangely enough.
This H&M short-sleeved chunky knit long open cardigan has served me well the last few years over the ups and down up the scale, but it's reached the point of being too small and looks odd. I am storing it in my bins downstairs instead of donating it; I don't want it taking up precious real estate in my closet, but I am not quite ready to give it up altogether.
As mentioned earlier in the month, it is time for these grey Gap straight legs/stretch pants to go. They just look like faded black and the thighs are pilling.
I have a terrible compulsion to buy fancy lounge wear that doesn't work with my non-fancy lounging. This is a cotton jacket from Target that looked cute the two times I wore it, then got stuck in the back of my closet with the rest of the other sweatshirts. The problem is I prefer my lounge tops to be oversized and this only works with fitted. Time to go!
This black ruffled Black Market White House long cardigan is a much beloved Christmas present from my mom during our holiday in Vegas a few years ago. Unfortunately it is too small now, but it is still in great shape so it too is going downstairs to the bins.
Another Target impulse mistake. I love everything about this except the fabric; the knit is too clingy so every roll of my belly shows in stark relief. Such a bummer -- the pattern and the neckline was perfect under all my jackets!
That was it for edits this month. Strangely, it was hard not to add more to the pile; it's not that it is necessarily time for other items to go, but I am so used to doing a giant purge all at once that it's counter-instinctive to go slowly and thoughtfully, genuinely evaluating each piece and deciding if I am ever going to wear it again or if it just doesn't fit my closet now. I just want to pull them all out...and then go buy more to fill the "holes". That was the cycle before, and it feels very different this way. Which is a good thing!
But the most remarkable thing this month was the small number of purchases.
I don't think my shopping haul has been this small in one month in years. And it wasn't for lack of trying; I ordered a couple of rounds from Nordstrom, Old Navy and even picked up a few Target impulses. But they all went back -- either they were too cheap, didn't fit right, or I couldn't find anything to coordinate them with in my closet. The lessons from the Overdressed book still rings in my head every time I consider buying new items, for sure!
I did keep another fleece lounge top (see what I mean about my loungewear thing?) for $6 from Old Navy in a different pink, since I adore my other one so much. Now they can rotate through the winter. :) I also bought some pull-up Jag jeans, in two different sizes. Those I debated sending back, and I will probably regret not doing so. They stretch a lot and the pull-up aspect is just weird; with no zipper/waistband digging into me, I constantly feel like they are going to fall off so I keep tugging them up. But they look great and they do feel better than regular jeans, so I decided to keep them and try getting used to their different fit.
My very best purchase was my new Michael Kors bag. I have been using it nearly every day. Love everything about it: the color, the side pockets, the fit under my arm, the weight, the size, all of it.
I am actually really glad I didn't buy much else this month just so I could appreciate and enjoy splurging on it. Who woulda thunk it?
I was wondering what you had removed from your closet.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you are storing certain items, if I started doing that my husband would flip. HA!
I like your MK bag, I have one in black, it was a gift from my mom and I think I wear it 90% of the time. It is the perfect bag.
The thing is MK has become so popular here that I see TOO MANY people wearing it where I live and it kind of upsets me because i don't like it when an item of mine becomes a fashion whore.
I really love your MK bag...love everything about it.
ReplyDeleteAll of the things you purged are pretty, but I know exactly what you mean about things that just don't work the way we expect them to. I purchase far too many items that end up in the purge pile.
I'm trying to do better!!!
I always think retiring or removing items that don't fit is a good decision. Your phrase "Target impulse purchase" is something that hangs with me. It's easy when you get there, what's another $10-20 dollars when you're filling up your cart? It's closet clutter!
ReplyDeleteI have an MK bag kind of like that, and I had to take the metal MK thing off. It kept swinging into my glass storm door when I came into the house, I was having visions of it shattering the door.
I LOOOVE the loungewear.
ReplyDeletebut never have a THING to wear when the attire is not loungy :/