Carter's and El Cee's Wardrobe Challenge Accounting after Week 1

Challenges are fun for me. Carter brought up the idea of a new challenge up in her thread about slippery slopes. El Cee continued the idea by posting a Week 1 Progress Thread. Carter and El Cee suggested that we check in on Wednesdays. Wednesdays are hard for me. I am going to follow along with Carter and El Cee, but I will post on weekends.

Continuing with the wardrobe evaluations, I pulled everything out of my closets and out of storage. Everything got heaped onto the bed. I started physically building wardrobe ensembles based on either work or casual bottoms.

Some observations:

I own a lot of Kut from the Kloth ponte pants. I don't need to buy any more in the near future. This is important because I lean toward this brand because they fit me so well. Most of their ponte pants are too heavy for my climate. I have more than enough. I don't need anymore. I will have to constantly remind myself that their ponte pants are too heavy for me.
My Winter casual wardrobe is much better than my Summer casual wardrobe. Building my Winter wardrobe was a labor of love. I am going to really, really focus on buying "dressy casual" for my climate.
Toppers are not a huge part of my style element. I find them hot.
I always thought that garments went unworn in my wardrobe because I was "saving them for some unspecified event in the future." Although this is true to some extent, I discovered that a lot of those "wonderful saved pieces" don't actually have a corresponding coordinating piece. So they aren't being worn because they are orphans. Figuring out what to do with these orphans is the focus of next weekend's post.
Finally, as a nod to Carter, I segregated all of these pieces that read as sloppy out of my working wardrobe. I washed them, folded them, and tucked them into a bin that is inaccessible. I won't be able to reach for them as a lazy default when I get home. I will literally be forced to pick dressier pieces to wear. This is a huge step. I can say over and over again that I am going to up my style quotient, but then I default to those same pieces when I get home from work. AND I frequently wear them in public when I run errands!!!!!!!! No longer possible.

Week 1 of the Challenge => Success. Thank you Carter and El Cee.

7 years ago

El Cee

Veteran

I totally understand about weekends being more convenient. You've done some intense wardrobe evaluation work and have some very interesting observations. That "orphan" problem seems to be popping up for a lot of us. I think you are right in that things become orphaned when they do not have the right supporting acts. I like your method for avoiding default outfits -- keeping them out of sight might just be the answer.

Joy

This is brilliant, Sterling. It sounds like you have learned a lot. I have been off track, busy with guests and not finding time to photograph outfits or pull out clothes. However, I see a huge need to focus on daily casual outfits that can be tweaked to accomodate weather/temperature changes during the day. This includes footwear.

Bonnie

I would love to see before and after photos. I can't image the chaos I would have if I piled everything I own on the bed. Great job deciding what works for you (lighter weight dressy clothes?) and getting rid of what doesn't (heavy weight pants and tops and casual clothes?) and forcing yourself to wear a nice outfit every day for work.

Suz

(website)

You've done a huge amount already. Good for you for figuring out you have some orphans. It will be fun shopping for their companion pieces. Great decision to get rid of the easy sloppy pieces. Your style is going to move ahead in bounds.

Anonymous

That's just it, Suz!! Do I shop for companion pieces or do I admit they were a buying mistake???? I don't know. I am going to follow Cerinda and see what she decides. I might follow suit.

BUT I did learn something really valuable. I can't buy pieces that don't fall in the "plan" unless I buy the coordinating piece at the same time.

Challenges are so instructional.

Ah. For me that would depend entirely on whether I still wanted to wear the piece that needs a companion. If I did, then I'd shop for its companion. If not, I'd chalk it up to purchasing error and move on. That has happened to me on occasion by the way, with separates. It's quite rare now, but not unknown.

Rambling Ann

It will be interesting to see if you need the same sort of companion piece for a number of orphans. I realized that a tan pair of jeans and a chambray shirt would go far in eliminating my orphans

Rambling Ann -- I have three chambray shirts that are orphans!!!! I'm going to make those shirts work because I really feel great when I wear them. So much nicer than a tee shirt, yet just as comfortable.

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