I use to stare at people in envy. Tall people, short people, thin people (still do), big people, whatever kind of people but for the same reason- they looked so darn good. Their clothes were always fashionable with great color combinations and cute acessories. And I would sit there. Frumpy in jeans that didn't fit properly (always frayed at the ends), a t-shirt and my hair up in a pony tail (still working on it).
But remember this post? In that post I stated that I was determined to make a change in my life (more motivation, less excuses, more action) and I am doing that. One slow day at a time and you know what? It feels great.
I'm eating better, becoming more active, and trying to change myself from the inside out. So today I decided to work on the outside.
Goodbye! frumpy mommy with those dreaded mom jeans, messy pony tail and stained clothing. Hello! hot sexy mom who'd rather spend more money towards clothes and home decor than fast food.
But I've never really been great at putting clothes together (despite having a mom who is very fashionable..but don't tell her I told you that). My mom always use to say, "M...all your taste is in your mouth." Perhaps she was right. No one could tell me I wasn't doin' somethin' with my ratty t-shirts and Chuck Taylors with holes in the sides. But now I can see the forest through the trees and I am not ashamed to say that I may have been a late bloomer.
So what am I doing now? Well, Pinterest helps me a lot. People are constantly pinning outfit ideas and color combinations that they like and I've been pinning them to my own boards, keeping them for inspiration. But that wasn't enough and then I stumbled on this blog. More specifically this series. The skies opened up and it all came together.
Purge
I went through my dresser and closet trying on everything and evaluating it in the mirror just like the article told me to do. That took me about 45 minutes but it was a great eye opener because the clothes I thought I liked, I didn't or some things I thought fit, didn't. So after I was done doing that I put what clothes I liked in one pile and the rest went into my donation pile (maybe someone else would like them).
Evaluate
I then looked at my clothes and evaluated what I had. I essentially separated the pile into clothes that would work for my casual life and my professional life. Some clothes fit both categories and others were strictly work or casual. Once I determined that, I wrote down everything I owned in a notebook. Something small so I could take it with me.
Inspiration
Once I had a list of things I already had, I was surprised that I had a few hidden outfits in the mix. But in general I found that I had some huge deficits in my wardobe. I'm talkin', no black cardigan, no black pencil skirt, no all purpose white collar shirt...you know, the staples. I didn't even have a pair of jeans! No wonder I always looked frumpy, half put the together, and very frustrated in the morning- my closet is only a fraction of what it should be.
But I didn't want to fall into an old trend of mine. One where I just went out to the store and bought whatever I thought I needed only to find out when I was trying to get dressed that I actually don't have any clothes. So to help me, I continued to look at this blog for inspirations. I even tried to look at her link section for other blogs like hers but felt extremely overwhelmed. My tip would be, find one or two daily fashion bloggers that you like and stick to them for inspiration. I found that she really spoke to my own style so I looked over her blog for hours, looking for inspiration.
The List
So I already had a list of things I had and when I was done looking through fashion blogs and websites like the Gap, J. Crew, and Lane Bryant I made a list of things I need to add to my wardrobe in order to make it somewhat complete. I really thought about what pieces I needed to buy to add to what I already have. Pieces I could remix. I didn't want to go out shopping without having a direction, a grocery list for clothes you can say.
Shopping
Armed with my list this morning I set out to a few stores that carry my sizes (plus size with a long inseam) and managed to find some great bargains. I didn't run around the mall with my head cut off or making stupid purchases (almost, but I challenged myself to look at the list and I put the items back) and it was actually really easy.
The Result
When I got home I sat my new buys out and began to put together the outfits I had found on the internet and even outfits I thought about on my own. With my new purchases I saw how with only a few things I could have multiple outfits and what was even better? TP was extremely happy.
I urge anyone who is looking to spruce up their wardrobe or looking to build one (like me) to really take a look at this blog series because it will do wonders for you.
-M
