I Hate My Closet, Part 2 (or how I found some better necklines and colors)

In my last post, I bemoaned the limited options for me in plus-size clothing, especially the dreaded fat-girl neckline. (HATE SO MUCH.) My closet was narrowed to black pants, oversized blouses or cascading cardigans, and black sneakers.

I tried to make my peace with it. I really did. I told myself that I was chic for wearing neutrals, that wearing all-black was something millions of women did intentionally, that the colors of the season (blush pink and mint) were unflattering on me anyway.

Then I lost 12 pounds and none of my clothes fit.

Even better, suddenly I could fit into the XXL and XL of the regular stores. I wasn't just limited to the plus-size stores and departments.

The first thing I did was pick up a half-dozen vintage and slub style vee-necks from Old Navy. On sale at 5 bucks a pop, suddenly I had tees to wear at the park. Baby pink, fuschia, teal, peach, striped pinks -- they were bright and fun and perfect for early summer.

Next I tripped over some cute mid-sleeve knit tees at Talbots. I happened to walk through the store after a haircut at the mall a few weeks ago, and sorted through the sale rack. Their regular prices are not in line with the value of the items, in my opinion, but at the sale price I was willing to go for it. The striped top was so adorable I actually wore it out of the store. I grabbed a white boatneck tee in a really soft cotton while I was at it.

(Mine is in a summery-color pattern, blues and pinks and greens.)

Next up I hit Lands End: their knit shorts are my go-to item every summer, and I had the spectrum of sizes that were no good anymore. I got the basic navy, black and brown, of course, and then added white, blue polka-dot and raspberry.

They were having a fantastic sale on their cotton sweaters too, and since the summer has been pretty cool, I snapped a bunch up in blush, purple, coral pink, and a great pink-and-red windowpane pattern. I get so many compliments on that one! Their sweaters are great because they keep their shape and often look sharper than a blazer.

My Kut from the Kloth boyfriend jeans from Nordstrom also made a return appearance, in both the larger and smaller sizes. Thanks to a slew of gift cards and Nordstrom notes, I also just added these in white to my collection too. They'll arrive next week.

Last was a surprise trip back to Old Navy, thanks to a tip from Corporette. There was a great boatneck stretch-cotton top with elbow-length sleeves that just work fantastic as work tops, under jackets or as stand-alones. I got it in black, hot pink, and cream-and-pink stripe.

Such a great relief after all those months of fat-girl neckline!

After all that, I didn't hate my closet anymore. There are fun colors and pieces for casual, and plenty for work too. There's a lot of pink, which is one of my favorite colors and has been missing from my closet for too long. I feel excited when I open up my closet to get ready for work; I've missed that too!

Plus Goodwill got a few bags of clothes, including many of my beloved shoes and sandals. But that's a post for another day. (Spoiler alert: I bought more shoes.) 

It was interesting to shop in a big burst instead of the steady stream of shopping I had done in the past. I liked it -- I made my decisions pretty quickly, and then incorporated it into my wardrobe. Because I hadn't even been browsing sites, everything looked fresh to me -- but I didn't get overwhelmed by choices. I knew the colors and shapes I wanted, and I found them pretty easily. 

Speaking of quick, decisive shopping, I needed a dress to wear for a night downtown yesterday -- we were celebrating a friend's birthday and my cousin's first trip to Chicago, so we did a nice dinner at an Italian tapas place, and then we watched a fireworks display on a night cruise out on Lake Michigan. I stopped at Target for some other groceries, and found the cutest sleeveless striped fit-and-flare dress (with pockets!) on the clearance rack. $19 bucks later, I had a new dress!

P.S. We had a fabulous time watching the fireworks. If you are ever in Chicago on a Saturday night in the summer, I highly recommend you go. It's magical.

Everything on is new within the last six months: Lands End purple cardigan, blue floral necklace from J Crew Outlet, black-patterned canvas wristlet from LOFT, tangerine Fitbit. :)

P.P.S I got a new hat too!