Love Your Closet

Sometimes it feels like no small accomplishment to love your closet. When you add up the organizational time and thought, the ruthless weeding, the discovery of color theory, figure flattery and textile chemistry, the positive affirmations to love your body while acknowledging your fussy feet - well, that represents the equivalent of designing and building a nuclear plant in order to flip on a light switch.

Most mornings I slide open the closet doors with pleasure and anticipation even if I already have an outfit ready to go. My closet represents an oasis of orderly cleanliness that the rest of my home will never achieve. The only inroads are the rare cat hair tumbleweed. I organize clothes by color, and then by item type within that rainbow. I wonder if this is good feng shui? The clothes themselves seem happy.

The sliding doors are a little tiresome. If I had bifold doors, I could see the entire closet at a glance - which would make it easier to both pick things out and also to put clean clothes away. The second thing I would alter is having no full length hanging space. I inherited this closet, of course, and it was clearly laid out for a single man. Which is fine with me 95% of the time, as about that much of my wardrobe is separates, but the few dresses and long skirts that I do own drape awkwardly over the lower rack.

My modest involvement in Pinterest helps me love my closet too. For every potential outfit that I pin, I can discover the equivalent piece on a hanger. I have white jeans, a denim shirt and a black jacket: no problem!

The inspiration.

  

The interpretation.

I thought it was too warm to wear a jacket, and also had an interview this morning, so I didn't want to wear jeans. I also considered these variations:

 The skirt is pretty, but a little tight at the waist for a Friday.

I didn't like the proportions with the shorter skirt. I wore black and silver jewelry, but you know, gold would have been better, now that I look at it. Gold would have warmed up the outfit a bit.

My closet generally seems infinite - but I don't have anything like these:

Miz Mooz Papaya Sandals, $75

Remedial Blogging, May 2nd 2013

Well, I've been away, obviously. I was a little bored with the blog, had a lot of things on my mind, and my old tripod didn't fit my new phone. So.

I'll clearly be learning how to take pictures of myself all over again, and here is an outfit that points that out.

MOST of my head is in the frame.

But this is cute, no? Another thing I forgot how to do is take closeup shots of details. The jacket is an eBay find after typing in "polka dot jacket". The dots are actually little octagons woven into the fabric.

This is probably the last wearing of tights, unless the temps drop unexpectedly.

I can't remember how to write, either. New purse fancy.

Black and Beige and Born

This outfit is almost a no-brainer - put all of your favorite things on and walk out the door. Each item brings the whammy.  The skirt is linen, but lined and heavy and swishy. The top is a faux wrap, in a heavy jersey, and is just the right length everywhere. The boots are my black Borns, and the necklace is light yet dramatic. Notice the perfect combination of heavy and light in each piece: drapey but not weighty.

Imagine if my whole closet felt like this? At least 20% of my clothes are items that work only under something else, or only with one other item, or only on special occasions. I'll make an exception for the Christmas sweater or fancy pumps, but should I be weeding my closet even more?

Par example, what I'm wearing today. I love the Athleta skirt for many reasons (zippers, stretch), the red linen jacket goes with everything, and the boots are, well, my Born boots.  :-)  The top is a favorite, but you can see I like it better under things than on its own. The little puffed sleeves combined with the gathered neckline emphasize my chest too much. 

The Nine West top is definitely a key player, and even more so because I paid nine dollars for it, but still isn't my A game. Even the Athleta skirt isn't PERFECT, because the zippers go all the way to the side seam and make an odd little bump in my hip. Not that anyone notices that but me.

Many bloggers espouse the optimal closet - keep only those items that you love and work in every way. These bloggers often have what I would consider a very small wardrobe. As I go through the summer stuff, I think I'll be a little more ruthless than in previous seasons. I also want to count everything this year, and finally know how many of everything I own. I suspect it will be a staggering number! And if I feel that MORE than 20% of my clothes are limited use items, I will take action. 


 

Pink and Black

Hello again! I've been off having fun in the city, at the movies, and shopping. Occasionally at the same time! My city buddy is also an excellent shopping buddy: "You must buy that right now." You'll be seeing what she was referring to very soon, my friends.

Friday I wore a skirt and t-shirt and flats to walk all over Chicago on a hot day. By the time I came home my feet had mutinied." Get some supportive sandals OR ELSE!" Now, supportive sandals is not my favorite phrase. When I see that stylish 70-year-old woman at Nordstrom, that's what she's wearing. I don't want to pay that much for ugly shoes.

But I didn't want to be abandoned on a desert island like William Bligh by my feet, either, so I went to William's in Evanston on Sunday and tried on every pair of supportive sandals that I could stand. I bought these:

Clarks Un. Port (the dot is silent).

They are a nice pewter color and not TOO orthopedic looking. I guess. I wore them back into the city on Monday for a couple of miles of NeoCon, and they passed that audition. Moderate arch support, no rubbing anywhere, very light and pretty good cushioning. Now there's some faint praise.

It makes me think about the influence of aging on what I wear. I've mentioned my middle-aged feet, and I'm inclined this summer to cover my upper arms, both to conceal my many speckles and protect them from more sun damage. I saw a woman in the library that was 25 years older than me, and her outfit was only a slight variation of what I might wear. Her white pants were double-knit, not jeans, her cardigan might have been Jones New York, and her sandals were way too close to mine for comfort, frankly.

So how can I dress to accommodate my aging joints and changing perspective on covering up, without turning myself into a pensioner 20 years too soon? It feels like I got over thinking I'm fat in every picture to worrying that I look like Grandma.

This is what I wore above the shoes.

That's an Athleta skirt, a Boden tank, and a random eBay cardigan (I liked the color). I'm wearing pink and sparkly jewelry:

I have a couple of thoughts on young vs. old:

1. it isn't about age. The choice is stylish vs. frumpy.
2. Denim instead of polyester. Short(ish) skirts instead of pants or midi skirts.
3. Very expensive shoes don't look as orthopedic.
4. Stop shopping at Macy's.
5. Dear Lord, don't ever stop coloring your hair again.
6. Pack away the shawls. The combination of 5 and 6 was particularly deadly.

As always, other voices have said this earlier and better:

Angie at You Look Fab: Identifying the Frump Factor 

Sally McGraw of Already Pretty: Five Ways to Avoid Frump

In the end, it's like feeling fat; there's always someone out there who will make you feel thin and someone who makes you feel fat. Concentrate on the former. And keep the judging in your head if possible, though that's another blog post, because I am the most judgmental person in the world out on the street.