Hello, all!

As suggested by the title, I'm experiencing some major body changes. I've been working on improving my nutrition and physical activity habits and, as a consequence, I've been losing weight and my body shape is changing a bit.

At the same time, my style preferences are shifting. This is partly due to feeling a sense of boredom with where I'd settled and partly due to feeling more comfortable and attractive dressing a bit differently, in line with my body size and shape.

So, I'm taking this opportunity to do a big closet evaluation/edit. I'm getting rid of a lot of things that are now too large or don't flatter me in ways I like; some are going to my mom, who is about the same size as me before weight loss, and others are going to my favorite thrift store in Atlanta, which supports homeless LGBTQ youth. I'm also being very careful about how to proceed with any new purchases. I don't want to just buy the same things in smaller sizes, I want to make sure I'm creating useful capsules that suit my changing lifestyle.

Practically, I want to move toward smart casual dress most of the time; it makes me feel put together, prepared, and attractive. I have a lot of pieces I can use to achieve this, but I'd been "saving" them for... whenever I finally don't work from home anymore. My temp job that was supposed to last for up to 9 months has lasted for 15 so far--I'm done holding onto my best clothes because not many people will see them, because I'll see them, and feel them, and enjoy them. I still love comfy, more casual clothes for days off, running errands, etc. and will keep enjoying them, but I don't need as many pieces as I currently have. I need good athletic clothes to move around in, as I've started taking kung fu classes (an absolute blast) and working out at home more. As it cools down, I plan to get more into hiking, too.

Aesthetically, I've got a better idea than ever about how I'd like to dress. I've worked out a starting color palette based on what's already in my closet and still working for me and based on colors I have smaller amounts of and am pining for. I've realized that I enjoy tough but polished looks for professional settings and RATE looks for casual ones. I've got a really good sense of what proportions and lengths and such I enjoy and what isn't going to work for me, even if I like the idea in *theory*. I've been feeling bored dressing mostly in neutrals and am excited to play with color more moving forward--balanced with my favorite neutrals, of course. I've realized that I'm an accessory minimalist and I want to cull my collection so I actually wear most pieces *often* and only have a couple that are an "occasional" addition.

One of the most important things about this leg of my style journey is that I'm becoming much more of a stickler for quality. If something looks or feels cheaply made, I'm not going to be happy with it. For much of my young adulthood, I was living below the poverty line and struggled to find things that fit my needs that were within my budget. Now I'm a professional and I can afford to treat myself. It means buying fewer items, but the items will be higher quality. I'm also getting better at letting nice items go if I can't budget for them at the time... another piece like it will most likely come around, and it'll be worth the wait.

So, here's the action plan:
1. Finish selecting items to pass on (T-shirt collection, accessories, and shoes remain)
2. Identify how items I own fit into wardrobe capsules (I already listed the capsules I have in mind that I need to create)
3. Identify what's missing from wardrobe capsules that would help the items I already have work even better
4. Create wish list of items that are needed
5. Create wish list of items that would add variety to existing capsules and coordinate well with existing items
6. Shop for those items slowly over time, being mindful of changing body
7. Continually evaluate items as body changes to make sure they still fit and flatter in ways that make me feel good

And here's what I will NOT do:
1. Buy wish list items on impulse; instead, take the time to make sure they will actually serve their purpose and check all the boxes
2. Buy items not on the wish list without ensuring they fit in with the capsules I've planned and items I already have
3. Hold onto items that no longer fit, flatter, and make me feel happy
4. Settle for new items that are close, but not quite what I wanted

If any other forum members have experienced major body changes (in either direction <3) and have practical advice for how to edit your wardrobe over that period of change... I'm super interested! General advice on capsule development would also be appreciated; I've combed through the blog archives already, but I'm also interested in miscellaneous tips from others who've done similar projects before.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I've included a recent picture of me in one of my favorite outfits, featuring a black and white star blouse and a crescent moon necklace--one of the few accessories I actually wear. I grew my hair out during lockdown last year (not that we had a formal one in Georgia, but I did my best) and I recently went back to my natural dark brown color because the rainbow colors were too difficult to maintain when I couldn't go to see my stylist regularly.