2022 has been very similar to the previous couple of years, just with more wardrobe variation.

When I started working from home, my usual formulas for dressing didn't work so well. I don't like wearing heeled shoes or sheer hose all day at home. And there's a lot more temperature variation at home. But my usual home/weekend outfits felt too casual, sloppy, or boring, at least for six days in a row.

In the summer, I quickly adopted a uniform of self-made linen dresses in various colors. As cool as possible, but pretty and flattering and easy to sit at a desk. For cold weather, I pivoted to skirt+top+topper, with a collection of light neutral sweater tights and coordinating house shoes.

I have to note that all of the dresses and most of the skirts are made by me. (A few skirts are 50s vintage.) Fabric is rarely cheap and sewing time is a significant cost as well. But the benefit is that these items are exactly what I want, "better" in every way. They fit my body, my taste, my weather, and my life. I tend to use the same couple of customized patterns.

Over the years these formulae have held up remarkably well, even with my appetite for variety. Each year I have tweaked them slightly, like adding new garments in different colors or designs, altering a favorite pattern, wearing light sweaters instead of tees and cardigans, etc. I'm pretty happy with this arrangement and getting to wear things I really like every day. Sometimes on the weekends I will switch to jeans or shorts if I feel like it, but I don't always.

2023 I see continuing in the same manner. I have a stack of new cotton ginghams and seersuckers for summer dresses, and eBay has been rewarding me with some gorgeous wool tartans for circle skirts. (Including a scrumptious red and green plaid in November that I wore all through December!) I want to work on refining my footwear choices as well, since my feet are just getting crankier. Vintage-styled moccasins, loafers, and sandals all work for walking around the neighborhood.

My wardrobe has never been small, and a large part of it is office and church wear. There is a lot I could move on. A good, basic clearing-out seems in order - except I always regret those! My style preferences change and cycle. I DO put things back into rotation after years of non-use. Most of my wardrobe is pretty unique, well-fitted, and not dateable, and would be very difficult to replace. It's also likely that I will go back into an office in the future.

I think I do need to do a clean-out, but with the goal of setting aside specifically dresses and footwear I am unlikely to use even for a possible return to the office. For example, I have a pretty sweater dress from Boden with a full skirt and frills at both neckline and wrists. But it's a super dark green and I don't feel pretty. I haven't worn it even to church. It would be perfect for funeral wear, however.

There is also a big hodgepodge of good casual wear that somehow doesn't quite work. Like flannel shirts that are too straight for my body. Or sweatshirts that are hard to layer under or too long in the torso. I really like the fabrics and colors but struggle with how I feel in them. That needs some work.

So here are my goals for 2023:

1. Conservative cleanout of the wardrobe. Consider what I wouldn't wear even to church, or even to a day back to work. Holding zone is probable for most things, but I expect several bags to donate or list on Poshmark.

2. Continue replacing waistbands on existing skirts with wider ones. For some reason they are far more flattering and comfortable. Replace too-stiff horsehair braid in some hems.

3. Work on middling weather formulas. This is the hardest to dress for, especially when days start out cold, get hot, and then get cold again. I've been wearing nude dance tights some, since they're warmer than sheer hose but don't get hot like sweater tights. Or sometimes I wear knee socks - seriously unglam! - but fairly effective. Other ideas:
- More natural colors in dance tights
- Lightweight vintage blouses for linen skirts
- Summer-weight but poufy petticoat

4. Buy good fabric for more skirts. Keep an eye out for cropped but well-shaped tops.