https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:53:08 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266545 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:25:12 +0000 Theresa 266545@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LOL Kristen I hope you girls organise a celebratory shopping expedition!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266539 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:59:50 +0000 Kristen 266539@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations to all the SYCers! Fantastic job all around, and it is just so cool to hear how the challenge resonated and made a difference in how you see other parts of your life, too. That's when you know a change is meaningful.</p> <p>And YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY I got my YLF shopping buddy back!!! I have missed you, Laura! ;-D </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266398 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:35:53 +0000 Theresa 266398@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh Laura sign me up for your novel too!!! That sounds great! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266147 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:53:17 +0000 RoseandJoan 266147@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ooo put me on the waiting list for your novel Laurel, I have never experienced letting go of a home which you have an emotional attachment to but love that SYC eased this process for you.</p> <p>I will be very interested to read about the after affects of SYC, will the lessons learned be forgotten or last a lifetime? Will you let the forum know? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266084 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:02:37 +0000 Laura 266084@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, and meant to laugh with Kim at the I Love Lucy episode :)</p> <p>There might have been a teeny tiny Zappos order placed a few days ago ... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266018 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:17:50 +0000 Scarlet 266018@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations on your challenge and this gorgeous boots. The blue ones are so cute I wish you could keep them too. Really enjoyed reading this. If there is a SYC 2011, I think I may need to take part. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-266006 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:53:26 +0000 Laura 266006@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, thank you so much SYCers. It is hugely gratifying to know that people were inspired and made changes of their own. I often wondered if it was worth it - now I read all of your posts and know it was!</p> <p>Theresa, I love that you want to sew more. That is *exactly* the spirit of SYC. Unfortunately nothing can make me want to sew. Wish you were here to teach me!!</p> <p>One thing I wanted to mention is that this house move is far from easy. We renovated this house for ourselves for 1 1/2 years before moving in, and our best friend was our builder, and he put way more into it than usual. So we had lots of time and energy invested in building a home for our family, and letting it go was a very hard experience. However, now we accept it, and I hope that someone finds respite here. There is another beautiful home in our future, somewhere.</p> <p>The other interesting thing is that I have been working on a novel off and on for a couple of years, and this is exactly what happens to the protagonist: she starts cooking from scratch, making her own (pretty wacky) clothes, selling her Range Rover for a beat-up station wagon. I just love my protagonist for the way she throws herself into a new way of living, even though everyone in her wealthy suburb thinks she's certifiable. The similarities only just occurred to me. Life imitates art! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-265959 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 09:31:48 +0000 Theresa 265959@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well Done Laura! I'm so very proud of you for making the 4.5mths and have found your journey very inspirational.</p> <p>I've rambled here with my insights often enough, so you know this has had a fairly big impact on me. And I didn't even do it as completely as most of you LOL</p> <p>The biggest thing non-clothes related that I have discovered is my absolute hatred of clutter now! I'm still working through my house - I really only have my craft room and the kids play room to sort through - but I am finding these the most difficult to commit to decluttering...</p> <p>As far as clothing/fashion goes, I have become so discerning now that its actually nearly impossible for me to find anything i like when I am out shopping!! In the past month, despite trying things on every single time I went near the shops (so say twice a week), I have found a grand total of ONE item worth purchasing.</p> <p>This has actually re-awakened my desire to sew - I love sewing and have dabbled in it for over 20 years now, but haven't really had time with the girls being little, but now that they are both older and my youngest starts school next year, I'm determined to get back into it - I'm currently perfecting my basic fit pattern (as commercial clothes are very difficult to fit in a way I am happy with, commercial patterns are the same!), so in no time I hope to be whipping up my own fine fashions.</p> <p>I'm now really looking forward to your household changes Laura - your blog shall remain read by me!!</p> <p>(Actually, SYC has enabled me to know that i could consider smaller housing next time I need to move too. I have emptied an entire garage full of junk and around 30 large garbage bags from inside the house throughout SYC - and I'm not even done yet!)</p> <p>So, from the bottom of my heart, Thank You Laura!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out/page/2#post-265924 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:15:53 +0000 Michelle 265924@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations for turning a routine professional assignment into a life-changing experience!! I'm most impressed. If SYC has another incarnation in 2011, your example has inspired me to get on board. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265922 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:06:50 +0000 Lynne 265922@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Laura, I am in AWE of all of you. And I love that so many people participated at their own level - from you with your total abstinence (I cannot wait to see your lovely green bag outed at last) to others who reduced or were more thoughtful about their purchases. I followed your threads here and you inspired me every time I tried something on - do I love it, do I need it, how would I feel if I left it and someone else got the last one (usually 'not too bad, actually' in which case I walked away). I'm sure the ripple effect of your challenge has reached much further than you imagine! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265878 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:47:51 +0000 MNsara 265878@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, Laura - it sounds like you got more of out than you ever thought, but all good Your next adventure will be a fun one to follow too! Those are great booties and I'm hoping we'll see some pics ;-)</p> <p>I loved Mo's realization about wearability vs tickling her fancy - she described me to a "T" Also, QM's #3 speaks to me.</p> <p>I did make headway into thinking more about every thing I buy. Progress . . . not perfection . . . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265870 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:18:21 +0000 stringy 265870@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, sounds like the challenge really opened up new ways of thinking. That's fantastic, it really looks like the effort has had a fantastic payoff for you! </p> <p>I'm a reforming packrat - before YLF I had a tiny wardrobe but the rest of the house was full of stuff. Now I'm decluttering everything else but finding my wardrobe ballooning - I might have to do a SYC challenge myself, sometime next year. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265866 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:00:47 +0000 Patience 265866@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was wondering what your first purchase was, Laura. ;)</p> <p>I think SYC has really helped me recall my discipline. Since starting, I have been much clearer in my mind as to what things, pretty as they are, I really don't need. And I'm not even close to three months along.</p> <p>Congrats! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265858 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:36:35 +0000 celia 265858@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations.This challenge/project was very inspiring to follow(if not actually fully participate in it) .<br /> The most important thing that I learned has to do with your last point.Life is as adventurous as we make it.Somehow I had forgot about that during this year but thanks to you I found the will to live an adventurous life again and not to settle.<br /> Thank you very much. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265820 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:21:56 +0000 Kristine 265820@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nice job Laura! Thanks for sharing your lessons! I didn't participate in SYC because I'm still getting my wardrobe in shape. But even so, those are lessons I'll take to heart as I build. Enjoy your new boots, you earned them! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265806 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:40:09 +0000 yublocka 265806@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Look forward to reading about it Laura. I am always fascinated by how one area of life can result in changes to other, seemingly unrelated areas.</p> <p>And can you please please please post pics of the Seargants??? I have been uhhming and ahhing over them for ages. Love the look but the gapeyness has me a bit wary!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265780 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:45:57 +0000 Mamapicklejuice 265780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Queen Mum - I thought so, too! LOL and I was thinking of the SAME episode! LoL ("It's teal...with little pearls scattered all over...")</p> <p>Laura - Are you sure you can't justify the second pair - they are so you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265776 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:34:11 +0000 Queen Mum 265776@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>LOL Laura. Those boots arrived awfully quickly after declaring yourself done It reminds me of an I Love Lucy episode where Lucy made a bet with Ricky and right after winning the bet she called the store to "order" a new hat and it arrived 2 seconds later.</p> <p>I'm just kidding you though.. I certainly haven't been the YLF saint the past few weeks. Those are great boots! Can"t wait to see you model them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265757 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 22:50:31 +0000 Laura 265757@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, it's not like the house thing happened overnight. It's been brewing for 2 years. SYC was a merely symptom of bigger things! But SYC was a good experience that definitely reinforced some of the ideas and changes we'd been mulling over.</p> <p>BTW, my first post-SYC purchase arrived today. I ordered those MIA boots from Angie's recommendations. I also ordered three other pairs and they are all going back. But for four months I haven't had black boots to wear with my bootcut jeans - none of my boots had a heel of the right height and I was always walking on the hem! The MIAs are perfect. I also loved the Vince Camuto blue clogs and ordered those, but given how rarely I'd wear them, it's hard to justify. They'd be cute for going out, though! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265716 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:22:12 +0000 Jonesy 265716@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for guiding us and being an inspiration through this, Laura! I appreciate your comments--the change in your home is a fascinating spin on this whole thing. I too have learned about moderation, and not settling for something just because it's about 85% right. Now I am much more selective, and willing to put in some time to find the exact thing I want. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265676 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:49:04 +0000 AJ 265676@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>4 1/2 months....that is a MAJOR achievement! Congrats!</p> <p>Wow! Downsizing in homes because of SYC?! That's an awesome lifestyle change just from less shopping.</p> <p>I look forward to reading your article about the whole SYC experience! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265637 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:10:15 +0000 Angie 265637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hallelujah and well done! Your lessons are inspiring, Laura </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265630 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:55:53 +0000 Mo 265630@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I first realized that all these years I didn't shop with outfits in mind. I would then have to search for missing pieces to put outfits together after the fact, quite often. So when I went to make outfits I found that in many cases, I couldn't because I hadn't thought them through back at purchase time.<br /> My SYC became more of a looser interpretation (following the one in one out rule, rather than not shopping at all) after the first few weeks. Since I am still evaluating and purging, that left some wiggle room ;)<br /> I also had to come to terms with the *idea* of an outfit vs. it's wearability in my life. Or, what someone recently mentioned as the Tuesday afternoon look instead of the Saturday night dream look. I counted more dresses than anything in my closet, when what I really needed was more tops that were the right length to wear with pants and shorts. So my impulse to grab things that tickled my fancy wasn't in line with what I truly wore day in and day out. That was a big learning step.<br /> Some other sillier stuff was the revelation that I can wear things for a few hours and then hang them back up for another later day. I used to wear something, then hang it over the bannister and re wear it within that week so it could be laundered. So I was reworking the same tops and shorts, etc each week without meaning to. This in turn, led to limited pulling from my closet's choices.<br /> Anyway, I think Laura already summed it up quite well. Thanks for the challenge! It was a very eye opening experience and super helpful to me as a beginner on this journey. I think you saved me from some very expensive learning mistakes!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265621 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:34:35 +0000 bella 265621@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations on completing the challenge! I am finding all of your insights very interesting. Thanks for sharing them with us. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265562 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:47:43 +0000 Queen Mum 265562@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Woo hoo! let the shopping begin!</p> <p>here are my take aways (which are of course similar to yours)</p> <p>#1 I've learned how much is enough. Each of my wardrobe categories is complete (with one or 2 two exceptions) and now I will follow a strict one-in/one-out rule. </p> <p>#2 Shopping is time consuming, so I might as well make it worth my while and purchase things that have a longer shelf life than one season. </p> <p>#3 Shopping is enjoyable and I shouldn't try to fast for long periods because it does leave me feeling restless.</p> <p>#3 I can ALWAYS make do with what is in my closet if I have to.. and sometimes I need to suck it up and do just that. There is always "one more outfit" to be discovered in my closet.</p> <p>So, I guess in summary, I've learned that (as with all things), moderation is key. I don't need a new outfit every week, but I also don't need to deny myself the pleasure of a couple new items each month. While I don't need to spend $$$ on each and every wardrobe item, I also don't need to focus on finding the least expensive way to fill a wardrobe hole.</p> <p>Thanks for an incredible journey Laura. I hope that at the end of 2011, we can all look back at our year and know that this experience did make a difference in our shopping habits. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265560 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:47:09 +0000 PalmFronds 265560@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congratulations Laura! SYC was a fantastic experiment,and made even better by being a part of the group. Those 10 weeks that I lasted were very needed for m and I learned alot too. Your summary is right on! Thank for both your encouragement as well as sharing your own angst with us at times.Looking forward to reading your blog post finale! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265555 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:41:54 +0000 Vix 265555@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Woohooooooo! You (and other SYCers) made it so far. </p> <p>What fascinating results came out of your experiment, as well. Sounds like you are getting back to the core of who you are and how you want to direct your life. Good luck as you move onto your next challenge(s)! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265553 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:40:00 +0000 Laura 265553@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Tam, thanks for your comment too. I think I will blog about our house move now that it's in motion. Nothing posted today but starting tomorrow you can follow the action at:</p> <p><a href="http://www.writing4dummies.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.writing4dummies.blogspot.com</a>. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265547 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:33:37 +0000 Laura 265547@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>SYC started out as a challenge to use what I had, and to change my shopping habits, and it spread like a virus to every part of my life!! </p> <p>Oh, and I would add that 3 months of this is plenty. No need to go for 5. That was overly ambitious.</p> <p>Glad to hear that others took a lot from this too. It was a fun journey because we were on it together. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/shop-your-closet-over-and-out#post-265537 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:21:52 +0000 Barbara 265537@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great post, Laura. Now I know what to expect if and when I decide to shop MY closet.</p> <p>I downsize and declutter every six months, more often if necessary. Doing so seems to positively enhance other areas of your life, doesn't it? </p>