DH Closet Challenge Recap-Week 9

Hi,

No recap from week 8, but here is week 9.
Current wardrobe totals are near the end. I tried to underline some subtopics in case you have a specific one in mind.

To read more about the challenge, including the rules, click here.

For a recap of week 7, click here.

Reflections for Week 9

I edit often

Since I’ve started the challenge, I’ve been editing my working closet regularly. At first it was to build up enough clothing to see how much to have in the working closet. And more recently it’s been to swap in and out items as I’ve made adjustments based on the changing weather (adding cold weather items as we shifted in to winter) and personal preferences (add in lighter colored items to
brighten up the closet). I’ve always been interested in the idea of a small working closet where one shops only a few times a year but now I’m thinking this may not be the correct model for me. I cannot find the thread but I recall at one point Angie answering that she nibbles all season long with her wardrobe. I may be another nibbler.

Joining team wear

One habit I noticed was that I tend to “save” my clothes. But then I run the risk of the item falling out of favor before I even get to wear it (remember the black sweatercoat from week 7). So my Christmas gifts (poncho, jacket, sweater) were promptly added into the working closet. Which means I have to donate/swap out a few items to maintain the size of the working closet.

Photo 1-Camel jacket replaces cobalt turtleneck. Returned turtleneck to the boutique since I still want to pair it with those elusive white straight leg jeans I'm hoping to find in spring.

Photo 2-Turtleneck replaces printed knit top. I added this knit top and haven't worn it once yet. I'm donating.

Photo 3-Poncho replaces sweatercoat and turtleneck tunic. My favorite combination was pairing these two items together, but I'm really tired of this look and it is quite dark. I have plenty of other sweatercoats in the boutique if I want to sport them again and I never found layering a tunic with no sleeves easy to do. It worked best with really long or really cropped toppers.

No photo-BR cream jeans, these were added and a pair of jeans were demoted to gear wear.

Extreme weather and the end of the season in stores makes me want to extreme shop

We are currently having record breaking cold weather for my area. This means bundling up in my warmest clothes. Which makes me want to run out and shop for more warm sweaters, sort of like a bear who overeats to prepare for winter hibernation, I want to overshop for warm sweaters so that I am prepared for the extreme cold. But a) it’s record breaking cold, which means it doesn’t happen all the time and b) I’m panicking because the stores will be clearing out cold weather merchandise soon for spring items, yet we still have at least 2 ½ months or longer of cold weather. So at this time of year I usually panic “what if I NEED something for the cold weather and there’s nothing to purchase?” Yet I’ve already made it through the first month and a half of cold weather, so I obviously have enough clothes to get through a month at a time, if not a little longer.

At the end of week 9, I had 53 items:

6 bottoms (one was demoted to gear)

2 hoodies (no change)

12 toppers (this includes: pullover sweaters, blazers and cardigans; added one jacket, one turtleneck and one poncho; donated one sweatercoat and one tunic)

8 knits (returned to boutique one turtleneck, donated one printed knit)

4 gear items (one pair of jeans was demoted to gear)

1 shirt (for layering; no change)

3 LS T’s (for layering; no change)

4 tanks (for layering; no change)

6 thermal layers (added one)

5 scarves (no change)

2 workout outfits (top and bottom; no change)

No closet photos this week, but I posted some outfit photos here.

Thanks for reading!

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12 years ago

Anonymous

I've been following these updates and am fascinated. I know what you mean about wanting to go buy more warm things when the weather is so cold. I started making lists of what I have and they have convinced me that I really do have enough.

Vildy

Veteran

"Yet I’ve already made it through the first month and a half of cold
weather, so I obviously have enough clothes to get through a month at a
time, if not a little longer. "

Years ago, I had a friend who developed extreme anxiety over driving. He was grown but lived at home and worried he'd be criticized if he got into a fender bender with the family car. He ended up at a cognitive therapist who got him to see that he only had to live with driving to the end of the block he was on, at a time. That worked for him, stopping to borrow trouble. Your reasoning reminded me of that solution. A kind of wardrobe mindfulness.

amiable

I still love this project of yours. I need to figure out a way to do it in my wardrobe.

Ingunn

(website)

How interesting, Lisa. I'm impressed by your analytical approach to this, and you seem to gain valuable insights. I know I do from reading. My approach this Winter is similar to yours. I have a selection of about 50 pieces in my wardrobe, the rest is put away in my " boutique" - my daughter's old closet, she left for college last year. It really simplifies my life.

I am following with great interest. I am doing a modified version of this (best things in closet and duplicates, things I am not sure about in the "boutique"). I have shopped a few things from the boutique; others that have been there for a while I have decided to donate. Curious to see how you feel about your remaining winter boutique items after they have been chilling in the boutique for a few months. Will they have fallen out of favor or will they look fresh and fun again?

April

I am also following with great interest, Lisa.

And MAN has it been cold around here -- I also was in a sweater panic when the temp reached 2 below zero.

Lisa

Joy-I used to make lists all the time. Now when I get the itch I look at my spreadsheet and see all the items I own and am not wearing.

Vildy-Thanks for sharing about your friend. I like the term wardrobe mindfulness, it's easy to remember and a perfect summary.

Amiable-Thanks!

Ingunn-I agree, reducing my wardrobe has really helped me speed up getting dressed in the mornings. I don't spend time trying to figure out what to wear. It's a lot easier for me to see what I have and have not worn recently.

Pam-That is a great question. I think some items I'll be ready to pass on after not wearing for a season. Other items I'll probably be ready to wear, especially new pieces that I haven't worn since purchasing them yet. Another question I thought of was, how much o fmy winter wardrobe am I going to want to keep for next year's working rotation, all of it, half of it? I don't know yet.

April-Unfortunately the extreme cold weather casued a pipe to burst in our house, what a mess!

Suz

Lisa, after weeks of reading this, it finally dawned on me -- except that I have a smaller core wardrobe and a larger "working" wardrobe than you -- I already basically follow your "boutique" idea. I keep my things in two closets, broadly seasonal. And I switch items in and out depending on weather conditions.

And I'll tell you what -- in many ways, doing this in itself satisfies the shopping urge. Because when you get tired of one item or it no longer works for the weather conditions, you move something else forward to take its place.

I really like your observation about "nibbling." I am 100% sure that I need to do this, as well. The rotating working wardrobe definitely helps, but still, it's also really lovely to add something new in when it appears.

In future, I think I will aim to buy my absolute core essentials (e.g. footwear, coats) at the start of the season when the pickings are good. But if it's not an absolute essential, then I may wait until later in the season to see what appeals or what I feel is needed to give punch to my closet.

I totally hear you on the hibernation issue. I just ordered a pile of sweaters!!!!

Carole

This challenge is so intriguing to me, Lisa, and I am going to be trying your method after we get moved and settled. Seems like the perfect way to experiment with a smaller wardrobe and I love the idea of a "boutique" to shop from. Will continue to follow along. Thanks for sharing your great ideas.

Alassë

Oh good, another Lisa post.

I love these posts! Especially the psychological bits.

I recently realised part of why I kept thrifting wool cardigans and sweaters and skirts is that I'm secretly afraid something terrible is going to happen within my lifetime and we're all going to be living in a postapocalyptic world with no more thrift stores so I'd better stock up now. And wool will come such handy, being a kind of natural miracle fabric.

Once I brought that thought/motivation from my subconscious into my conscious, it was easy to see the flaws in the reasoning (because during the apocalypse I'll be packing all of my sweaters into a suitcase? lol) and stop myself from being home more wool sweaters, because I have enough. Cardigans at least. I must admit I still think my wool jumper/pullover collection needs some work.

Anyway, the point is, I understand your panicky desire to stock up on sweaters, and applaud your ability to rationalise yourself out of it!

Suz-It sounds like you have a good shopping plan. I always have footwear on my must buy early in the season list. I have picky feet and it could take quite a while to purchase shoes. And now that I think of it, I always stock up on core items at the start of a season, layering tops and jeans are always first on my list.

Carole-Please let us know how you do with the challenge after your move.

Alasse-Thanks for reading!

E-It's nice to know I'm not the only "imaginary panic/drought of favorite items" shopper.

shedev

I've always panicked and bought lots more warm stuff when the weather turns cold in the past. This year I'm thinking of waiting until fall. I do have a couple in my wist list that I am mulling over though so that may change.

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