Looking over my wardrobe, both pre and post YLF, some things jump out at me: my clothes are either

*good quality, but a little worn or dated
*lesser quality, but newer and current

Because of my budgetary restrictions,when looking at quality, fit, style and color, my attitude when shopping has been, "Hey three outta four ain't bad!" which, while cheerful, may not be serving me well anymore.

I have some goals in mind which I need a little help on; let me bounce them off you all, if I may. I would like to graduate to a Better. Quality. Modern. classic wardrobe. I want to cull the items that are dated, worse for wear, poorly made and eventually get rid of most synthetics since they are so uncomfortable here.

When talking with Khris in LA (chewyspaghetti), we discussed the need to have a *good enough for now* item while we searched for a better/more perfect version. I have enough of those to hold me for now, I think. From now on, I want to thoughtfully and carefully replace things with quality, timeless items that will last for several years at least. I am almost 46 years old. I want to ask myself, "Is that something I want to be wearing when I'm 50?" when making a new purchase.

I'm starting where I am with fall/winter. We have a very short, warm winter so I want to keep my wardrobe small and versatile. I favor a classic style, and I think this will save me money in the long run. I'm a SAHM, but my kids are teenagers now.

My most pressing need is for tops. After lamenting ON and ON I am ready to explore wovens, which I think will be more sophisticated as I age. They need to be easy care and natural or quasi-natural fabric. I'm not opposed to a little ironing in the wintertime. They need to be short sleeves as it can get into the 70s during the daytime here. I must be able to easily layer cardigans/blazers on top and still have them look good. I'm not planning to buy more toppers so they need to work with what I have:

* black corduroy blazer
* blue denim 3/4 sleeved jacket
* soft white corduroy 3/4 sleeved jacket
* charcoal grey fly-away cardigan
* burgundy V-neck cardigan
* soft white V-neck cardigan
* light grey cropped short sleeved cardigan
* black faux fur-collared cropped L/S cardigan with rhinestone buttons

In looking back at this list, I'm realizing all of the sweaters have very fitted arms, so the top sleeves need to fit under them. Soft fabrications may be better than crisp. I'd like to find some prints and solids in neutral colors so everything can mix and match.

Some of my tops now look great with everything except my (1 pair of) jeans. Upon closer inspection, (duh!) I realized that the jeans are the problem. They are a cheap juniors' style with an extreme amount of stretch. I bought them really big for comfort and even though they still look very "skinnny", they stretch out right away and offer very little structure. They allow my tummy to pooch way out and the crotch to sag and I'm always hitching them up; it is time to replace them--or at least demote them to loungewear. I'm headed to the Gap, the last stop on the style train before we get to premium denim land. Hopefully I can find a slim straight style that will fit me.

My other bottoms are a pair of slim black side zip trousers, a black straight skirt and three assorted denim skirts (1 faded and 1 dark trouser front and a dark A-line side zip). I have one printed wrap day dress. I have one pair of ankle boots and a few pair of flats, driving mocs and sneakers. I eventually want to buy some really great quality shoes, but I need the tops and jeans first.

We have an outlet mall about an hour away, so I'll check out the Gap and Ann Taylor Loft for blouses (I like what I see of them on YLF). I also think they have a Brooks Bros. there. Any other suggestions? If I'm able to find easy-care, natural fabric short sleeved blouses that I can wear in the summer too, then I can justify spending more money on them, especially if they last a lot longer than knit tops would. I just need to make sure they won't seem like "old news" in a year or two.

So all in all, I'm not really *changing* my style a lot right now. These are things I've admired for years on other women. I'm seeking to moderize and upgrade my style more than anything else. Later when I know enough and have saved enough to buy great shoes and a bag, that may propel me a lot further on my style journey. Even if no one ever reads this, it was a great excercise for me to do! Thanks to anyone who made it through and still has the strength to comment!