Purple, Camel, Red and Goals

Quite chilly this morning, so I'm in cashmere (I swear this sweater is purple, not blue), wool and boots, but no tights yet, I can't make myself put them on. I'm plenty shielded from the wind and the magical Skimmies give me a nice smooth line. Magical, I tell you. This outfit is a little bland, eh?

A patterned skirt would have been a better idea.

Delightful chunky Loft bracelet on sale! Love!

Over the weekend, I thought about wardrobe goals. I was reading an article about three women and their clothing budgets for fall (from $400 to $3,000), and what they planned to purchase. My own goals are decidedly blurry, if you don't count "stumbling on things I really like and deciding whether or not I can afford them". I want to thin out my closet, as it feels crowded, and I want to raise the ratio of delight in each piece. I had the unsettling experience of muttering to myself for a week, "Gee, I sure could use a purple scarf, that would jazz up my fall wardrobe no end," and then FINDING a purple scarf in my closet. I don't even know what I own.

So I spent some quality time sitting on the couch, thinking about what I have ardently wanted in the past year, what I stopped wanting, and what I still want in my closet. I decided that most of the things I currently want are ephemeral or too driven by trends - something burgundy for example, when that color has never been that flattering on me. I have lots of purple and dark red in my closet; that'll do, pig. Ditto with a pair of bright blue slim jeans - really? Will I still like those two weeks after I buy them?

Last year I really wanted a pair of beige suede ankle boots. I have beige flannel pants that I wear frequently, and dark shoes look a little jarring. They need to be a bit dressy; last year I wore my leopard boots in this situation and that was generally fine. Leopard is the new beige. Anyhoo, I saw these at the mall over the weekend:

Nine West Bleaker

I didn't try them on, so have no idea if they are comfortable.

I also have wanted a new military-style olive jacket for a long while, and since I couldn't find one (I did but waited for it to go on sale, and thus missed my chance) that sort of morphed into a parka of some kind, with a hood. I have several dressy fall coats (leather, suede), and a true winter coat with a hood, but nothing that would be good for the frequent walks I take in cool weather. I tried on a few at the mall, but they were all too voluminous in the hips. I looked like the Liberty Bell.

This summer, I started yearning for a cognac/tan shoulder bag. I really liked my Kenneth Cole bag (eBay), but as nice as it is, the handles don't stay on my shoulder. I am always fussing with it. A crossbody bag or a single strap hobo might be more stable. I've bought and returned two bags that weren't quite right, and this quest has become about the things I don't like: chain handles, dark interiors, glazed leather, heavy hardware.

The last item I've been thinking about for the last year is short red boots. Hard to find without a high heel, let alone in the "right" red. I showed you the Miz Mooz western option last week. How about these?

Nine West Paperlane

The dilemma is that I think I would also like to wear them with dresses, and the ankle boot might not be the right silhouette. Maybe I would MAINLY like to wear them with dresses, not pants. And if I do wear them with dresses, do I need a similar red belt? You see how difficult it is to set goals? And DEAR LORD, these are such white girl problems.

There you have four reasonable fall goals:

1. Casual, hooded, short-ish, warm coat
2. Brown-ish handbag
3. Beige ankle boots
4. Red short boots

None of these are really absent from my closet (perhaps #4), but rather are improving on what I already own. My faux shearling short jacket doesn't have a hood. It's a tragedy.