Checking in to assess where I'm at in relation to the goals and guidelines I set for myself at the start of the year.

This spring has thrown a few curveballs.. Cool and wet weather combined with continued WFH has meant limited need for any of what I have purchased. More importantly, my mom's breast cancer diagnosis has pulled a great deal of time and attention -- although I have used shopping (and returning, and shopping again) as a diversion strategy. Gardening has been the other diversion, so no dressing up there!

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Remember it’s not over yet — ...Until I have a better sense of where things will settle (both body and life in general, frankly) I’d rather have a small collection of clothes that work well together than a lot that don’t. This means still trying to exercise some restraint ... HAHAHA! I have been buying too much -- and am now working on taking myself in hand and returning things I don't really love or need. I lost a couple of the pounds I added on over the winter, but with everything else going on further weight loss is not my priority -- will be happy to just hold where I am.

Re-use what I can — My closet includes a wide variety of sizes from the journey to my heaviest weight. Where it makes sense, I will make use of those pieces while I work on building my wardrobe... I'm getting use out of a few older pieces, although mostly for gardening or other messier activities.

Be complementary — Enhancing some of my existing complements will help me pull cohesive looks together. I’m thinking cream/white, burgundy, toffee/cognac and maybe grey/pewter/silver . I've made some progress here. I now have a few nicely interchangeable summer complements that include:

• White -- I've added white footwear, a white linen trucker-style jacket and several white tops in a variety of styles. I have a couple of pairs of white jeans and brought home a pair of pale beige cotton pants to consider adding. These replace a synthetic pair I had shown the forum a while ago but returned after deciding I'd rather have cotton.
• Cognac/toffee -- added cognac sandals, a bag and linen topper. I just brought home a pair of linen-blend cropped pants in the same hue, but haven't decided if I can justify keeping them yet. Also have a pair of toffee and white cigarette style pants.
• Navy /blue-- I bought and returned a few tops in navy and white or various shades of blue but have ended up with a good little navy capsule -- navy linen pants, a darkish-wash denim jacket and the chambray shirt I found not long ago. I've got a navy and white striped tee from a couple of summers ago. I recently brought home two other navy items still under evaluation -- a solidy linen top with an interesting sleeve and a very basic tank. I kept a pair of light blue linen pants, too, for hot summer wear.
• Floral - I don't know if this is a 'complement' or not, but I have picked up a few colourful polyester floral shells that work with absolutely everything. I had purchased a few colourful solids as well, but have returned almost all of them. The florals are forgiving of spills and smudges, making them a no fuss option that also makes me feel and look alive.
• I am very pleased with how all of the above works together.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I think the bigger challenge for me is to learn to hold out for at least CLOSER to perfect!!

Treat black as an ensemble player — VICTORY -I haven't worn black much this spring/summer. I bought one black tank that I haven't needed yet and am on the fence about a skirt with a black and cream pattern.

Lighten up — I hope to introduce a greater variety of lighter neutrals to wear with black and the brighter colours covered in my next point. I've been successful here! In addition to the white and cognac complements, I've also added lightweight cotton pants in charcoal and cool brown/taupe that are both going to be workhorses in my summer closet.

Brighten up — While I like the quiet simplicity of wearing neutrals, sometimes I want something more vibrant. Um, my bright floral tanks definitely meet this goal! I also have a couple of colourful toppers under consideration -- a little orange shrug-type cardigan, and inexpensive magenta cardigan, and a couple of longer cardigans (sorry, still like em long...) in a bright green and golden yellow that I found it hard to walk away from. Yeah, not very minimal, I know...

Be thrifty — I haven't tried my luck at thrifting yet.

Be pragmatic where it matters — ...I need a strong cast of ensemble players that are versatile enough to play dressy or casual, office or (gasp) evening out. I think I've got enough variety to meet these needs for my casual lifestyle. The only hole would be a very formal event, but since there are none on the horizon...

Be playful — I don’t want to take myself or my wardrobe too seriously. I’ll keep an eye out for playful patterns and colours that will work with my basics and neutrals. My flowery pants and new floral tanks fit the bill here!

A FEW WORDS TO LIVE BY...

Easy, elegant, simple, playful, timeless, creative, intelligent, functional, confident, carefree...Not sure there's a lot of elegant here, but easy, simple, playful, functional, carefree are in evidence.

SOME KNOWN 2022 NEEDS

• New eyewear - no progress
• Workout gear - still limping along with the old
• Sleeveless tops for ‘hot summer’ - SORTED
• Lightweight bottoms for ‘hot summer’ — MORE than sorted
• Mid-weight knit tops for early spring and mid to late fall - reasonably well sorted for now
• A few pairs of casual-ish pants (suitable for the office if needed) - sorted for summer. Still need to figure out fall/winter.
• A blazer — I’d like to find a light- to mid-weight, light coloured, slightly oversized blazer to dress up jeans or wear to the office. Not a priority, but keeping eyes open for the right one. I have lots of colourful ones under consideration in the meantime.
• An oversized denim-look shirt — SORTED with my Talbot's chambray shirt.
• Jeans - Nothing urgent here. Might add a pair in a dark wash at some point.
• Swimsuit - Still working on this. Came close on a couple of colourful one-pieces but decided to be picky. I kept a simple black one so I at least have something basic in the meantime.

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I feel like I am pretty well sorted for summer clothes at this point, although, due to the cool and rainy start to our spring and summer I might not get enough summer or enough occasions to actually wear it all!

Still need to create finds for some pieces.

The next challenge will be to figure out my office wear needs for this fall and winter. I don't feel terribly well sorted on that front.

If you’ve stayed with me this far, thanks for reading. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome!!!