30x30: Week 3 Lesson Learned and Substitutions

No pictures this week. I wore black, white, red, and blue for the 3rd and 4th, and semi-duplicated an outfit (olive pants and navy draped top) on Wednesday, but switched out the shoes so I met my entirely self-imposed no-exact-duplicate-outfits rule.

As a few other people have also discovered, I'm a lot less tolerant of clothing that I don't love when it's in a limited capsule and I'm trying to make myself wear it. If I have my whole wardrobe to play in, then it's easy to say, "Well... I'll give it another chance later." When it's 1 out of 30 and "later" is "next week", I'm much more willing to let it go.

So a few discards and substitutions:

1) Those charcoal pants I keep waffling on: They're not a terrible fit, but they're not great, and they annoy me every time I wear them, so it's not worth it. I know I'm capable of finding pants that fit, and I can afford another pair, so it's not worth the mental weight of keeping these in my closet. Out they go. For the rest of the 30x30, I'm swapping in a pair of black pants that are also a placeholder until I find a better fit. It's funny... I have three pairs in the same size and style (ankle-length Express Columnists): charcoal, black, and olive. The charcoal is too baggy, the black fits better overall but the waistband is a smidge too tight, and the olive fits perfectly. What the heck, modern retailers? Is it too much to ask for consistent sizing on the exact same item in different colors?

2) I forgot to include my favorite white tee in my capsule, so I swapped it in and traded out a button-front shirt that I haven't worn yet during the challenge. I'm afraid the tee is already showing a fair bit of wear, despite not having it for all that long --I had to run a sweater-shaver over it to remove some recent pilling-- so I may as well wear the heck out of it until it's beyond saving, then find a new one to wear the heck out of.

3) I just noticed that the black tee I wore today has two small holes near the bottom hem. They're probably not super noticeable as long as I'm wearing darker bottoms and/or have my shirt front-tucked, but I know they're there. I'm retiring this tee to the nightshirts and grubbies pile, and swapping in something else... maybe my new Sevilla Smith shoes.

4) I think I'll also be getting rid of my blue & white geometric blouse. It's nice, and usually gets compliments, but the colors, pattern, and shape don't feel like me. It was a Stitch Fix item and not something I would have chosen for myself... I don't regret getting it since it was a step on the "figuring out my style by trying things I wouldn't normally try" journey, but I have a stronger sense of my own voice now and can let this go to someone else who'll enjoy it more.

8 years ago

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

Srah, are your discards truly being discarded...like, donation pile? I'm trying to become more brave about this...

ETA: But, if I decide I really DO NOT like something or it gets damaged, then I'm finding it a lot easier to let it go.

Nomad

Active Member

Emily K, yep, discards in good condition either go to donation or get eBay'd.

Anonymous

Your observations are astute and ring true to me. I also, doing this challenge, have found it easier to get rid of something that isn't quite right when constantly forced to consider wearing it. As you noted, it is easy to keep things in the closet when there are lots of choices, thinking maybe next season or next year I will give it another chance.

Barbara Diane

Sounds like you are learning a lot of useful information from this challenge. Thanks for sharing it.

Style Fan

Lots of useful information from this challenge. I also wonder about sizing. This is one of the reasons I find online shopping so difficult. I also have found that if I am not fond of a piece of clothing nothing will make me wear it. It can be the only thing in my wardrobe and I will ignore it.

I'm a lot less tolerant of clothing that I don't love when it's in a limited capsule and I'm trying to make myself wear it. If I have my whole wardrobe to play in, then it's easy to say, "Well... I'll give it another chance later." When it's 1 out of 30 and "later" is "next week", I'm much more willing to let it go.

Isn't this an amazing discovery? It instantly becomes so much clearer that something isn't working for us and why that it is. That makes it so much easier to make the decision to donate it.

I can't comment on the differences in sizing. I just shake my head and sigh. I am glad that your olive pants fit the best though. That color is hard to find in my area and when I do find it I hang on to it for a while.

So that brings me to another point. My olive pants, which have been included in this challenge, have some fit problems. It is butt thing. There does not seem to be enough fabric in the butt area and they slip down in order to accommodate the butt. I have to pull them up every time I stand up. I am not yet read to donate them though. I would have to have another true olive pant in hand first. As I say above, finding a true olive is not as easy as you would think.

Style Fan, I've been finding that to be true, too. I had outfits planned out that incorporated my less-than-favorite items, but when it came time to get dressed in the morning, it was a very definite nope. This challenge is making it so much easier to identify and let go of those things.

Sterling, yes! That clarity has been the biggest gift of this challenge. I'm clearing out a little space and lifting some mental baggage off my shoulders. But ugh, sizing. I realize we're all shaped and sized very differently (more variation in women's shapes than in men's, I imagine, exacerbated by different expectations in how clothing should fit our bodies vs. theirs), but why is it *so* hard to find good fits? I can't tell if retailers have become much less consistent or if I'm just more observant and pickier than I used to be. Maybe some of both. Good luck in your hunt for well-fitting olive pants!

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Thanks for the report. This was a good exercise for you. Learning a lot. Miss your pics and kitty.

cindysmith

I'm with you, scratching my head and wondering how three of that same garment can fit in three entirely different ways for each of the three colors. It's like they have them made on different planets or something

Carla

Interesting about the heightened intollerance and clarity around the imperfect pieces.

DonnaF

Even across the same size and color I have found that Express pants can differ in fit. Actually, a lot of garments are probably like that but I am just not that motivated to try that many on. So much for quality control.

Sal

I am pleased that you are gaining in confidence in your own style and also gaining clarity in your pieces that work and those that do not.

Lynn

Sterling- if you like your olive pants try the following- pin out about 1/4-1/2" along the crotch seam just below the buttocks (you are essentially lowering the curve in the crotch area). This may give you the sitting room you need and keep your pants from pulling down with sitting. For many women it also helps a lot of wrinkling in the back leg too.
Lots of women need this alteration. In sewing we call this "scooping the back crotch curve". If it helps it is a quick fix that a tailor or alterations person can do for you. Takes maybe 5 minutes.

THANK YOU, LYNN. I will take the olive pants to the tailor next weekend!! I especially appreciate the technical term. It helps if I can use actual words with my tailor and not just motion my hands around in the air.

Yay! Lynn, I'm in awe of your tailoring knowledge. I hope that works for your olive pants, Sterling!

Lisa

Some great insight here, thanks for sharing!

Category