Nothing to wear…
There are times I’m embarrassed to let people see my closet. And, that’s not because it’s messy. On the contrary, it’s very, very organized. My best friend would laugh at that word being applied to me! When I was teaching, I could probably count on both hands the number of days my desk was actually clean and neat. OK, maybe we’ll throw in both feet. But, I was never known for having a neat desk. I could, however, at any moment, come up with exactly what I was looking for when asked! One of my teacher friends once said, “Your desk is a mess, but you know where everything is.” I took some pride in that comment. But, I digress!
Too much to wear…
My closet is organized by color, sleeve length, type of top, prints, etc. You name it, and I’ve probably organized my closet by that category…all at the same time. No, I’m not embarrassed by a messy closet. I’m almost, but not quite, embarrassed by how big and how full my closet is. Rena did one of her famous counts of sweaters in a recent blog post. Y’all! I have more than that in my chest of drawers!
Choices of what to wear…
When I began blogging, I’ll admit I bought lots of new clothes to show on the blog. That kind of purchasing has slowed way down. Now, I buy things to fit my style as it has evolved. One would think someone in their sixties would have their style nailed down. One would be wrong. My aesthetic has become bolder, more colorful, and, dare I say it, more whimsical. I love the way I dress now, and I love having choices.
What to wear formula…
So, what, exactly, is the point of this post? Well, it’s this. How many times do you walk into your closet and think, “I’ve got nothing to wear?” What you most likely mean is you don’t know what to wear. You’ve got jeans; you’ve got pants; you’ve got all kinds of tops. And, you have dresses and skirts. How to decide? I wish I could give you a formula. Sally, from Within a World of My Own, gave me one in a comment recently, and it was brilliant. “Dress + flats + earrings + necklace!” You could change dress to tee and jeans or sweater and trousers. Flats could be boots. You get the idea, right? If you really need styling tips, subscribe to Angie’s blog at Your True Self. Angie gives lots of ideas around a central theme.
Wearing what you’ve got…
Now, I bet you’re wondering if I’m going to rid myself of a certain percentage of my closet. The answer is a deliberate and definite no. I never know when I’m going to want to just wear a pair of jeans, a tee, and a cardigan. As you’ve seen in Fashion Files, I often do wear that combination. I also have room for these clothes. While I am constantly evaluating my closet, I am also, unfortunately, constantly shopping. In fact, I recently got a new Talbots catalog (that siren song is strong, my friends). I was perusing the offerings and saw a couple of outfits I liked. I then realized I could recreate each of them with what was already in my closet and was probably Talbots to boot! So, if I got rid of these items, I would perpetuate the cycle of buy, donate, buy. And, I honestly do want to stop that.
Why I keep what I’ve got…
I also have kept things from my teaching days because of the quality of the clothing. In the latter years of my career, I bought a lot of Talbots clothing. I did get rid of a lot of that because I lost over 60 pounds right after retiring (no more stress and Weight Watchers). But, I kept many of the sweaters and tops. I just recently got rid of some of the shells (as we called them then) or tanks (as we call them now). But, the Charming Cardigans, which used to be a staple of the Talbots catalog, still have their place in my closet. Their quality is so much better than the cardigans you can buy at a decent price point these days.
The outfit…
Here I am using a version of Sally’s formula. This is Top + Trousers + Flats + Earrings + necklace. I bought these fun print pants at Nordstrom a couple of months ago, and I needed to hem them. I had to take about three inches off of them. Instead of hemming them by hand, I just went ahead and used my sewing machine. After all, that’s how they were hemmed to begin with. I love the print and thought they worked well in my closet. Then, because I’m contrary, I went with a color that wasn’t even in the pants. I bought a plum colored baby cable short sleeved sweater because its color works well with the earth tones of the pants. Try as I might, I could not find the pants. I wore them to the museum and felt a tad underdressed, to be honest!
The Lewk!
Yes, my Miz Mooz Freya flats are making another appearance on the blog. I’m trying to get as many wears in before the weather turns cooler, and it becomes boot weather! I did end up buying a back up pair in this cream color. I can see myself wearing these out. The necklace is an old, old Stella & Dot as are the earrings.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I really hope this post didn’t come across as boastful or coddled. I admit to being coddled. Nigel is very generous about what I buy. We have saved for this time of our lives and provided very well for our children. Instead of taking my clothes to thrift or consignment stores, I have trunk giveaways! My docent friends go through what I have culled from my closet and select things. One even chooses pieces for her family. I am more than happy to give away clothes rather than take the risk of them ending up in a landfill or crossing the ocean. Am I trying to justify my shopping? Nope, I’m just being completely transparent with you. So, can we talk? How has your style evolved over the years? Have you got pieces you hold onto because the quality is so good? Have you been tempted to buy something and then realized you already have those pieces in your own closet? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Is this Mutton, and Shelbee on the Edge. I also link up with I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month as well as the Global Writing Challenge on the second Thursday. I now co-host Fashion Files with Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa every Tuesday. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, Cat, and Rena. I also host 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
As I said before, I pretty much wear a uniform for inside and for outside. Work meant a graphic tee, jeans, and sneakers. I still have a lot of tees some of which are up to 30 years old (memories of where I bought them, mostly zoos), but I’m getting rid of even them bit by bit unless I’m really very sentimental about them. My “uniform” isn’t laziness, I’m just not interested in fashion experiments for myself and like the comfort. My only experiments have been my handmade jewelry pieces most of which are one of a kind.
That outfit looks really good on you. I love the color of the sweater and think it goes great with the pants.
This outfit is perfect: I love those pants, the contrasting top and the shoes. That’s a great outfit formula. I am taking a shopping break this month and will be having fun reorganizing a little: I gave my mom a couple of tops but otherwise, things are staying. I think my style definitely changed in the last 10 years and I am definitely bolder with some of my choices. I am liking unique things!
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