Dug into my holding zone this afternoon. It's just one shopping tote on the floor of my closet.

First thing I did was compare the actual bag contents against the things I'd marked as "holding zone" on my spreadsheet (photo 1). They mostly matched, except that the holding zone also had a few pieces I'd already made a decision on and marked as retired. I set those aside with my donate/sell items, which are waiting for shops and donation centers to fully reopen.

Second, I went through the remaining items to see where I stand on them at the moment. Most of these are in Finds.

  1. Calvin Klein fit and flare dress - This isn't a perfect fit for my current style, but it fits well and is flattering. It hasn't gotten a lot of wear because it's not an easy piece to dress down, even though it seems like it should be. If I don't pull it out in the next six months or year, I'll pass it on, despite the shockingly low number of wears. Until then, back in the bag.
  2. On the Road tee - I love the idea of this tee and the design of it, but it's very thin, so I rarely wore it. I can't quite bear to part ways yet, though. Back in the bag.
  3. olive infinity scarf (not shown) - This was an inexpensive acrylic scarf from Target, but it's so soft and has an urban edge that I like.  Only problem is that days when I need a warm, fluffy scarf in southern California are few and far between. And generally, when we do have those days, I choose my cashmere wrap instead. Still...I like it, so it gets  a reprieve.  Back in the bag.
  4. Orvis fur vest - Nothing wrong with this, but I never felt like myself in it. Not even when I wore for 5am elk bugling in Rocky Mountain National Park, which I feel like should have been its natural habitat.  Passing on with 15 wears.
  5. LL Bean Fisherman's Sweater - Bought this in 2015 and it has 22 tracked wears. I don't think I've worn it since moving to California and it's too heavy and bulky to make it into trip capsules. I offered it to my son, who likes the look of it (which is less waist-defining than the Find appears), but thinks the yarn is too stiff. We're going to try a couple of things to soften it. If that works, he'll take it. Either way, passing on with 22 wears.
  6. Converse leather low tops - Oh, my babies.  Designed custom in 2015. Falling apart, but they were in the bag because I wasn’t ready to let them go. I am now. Retiring with 135 wears. 
  7. navy Boden cardigan - Still in great shape after 64+ wears, but doesn't quite mesh with my style anymore. I have some sentimental attachment, so I'm holding onto it for a bit longer. This is another unisex piece that suits my son's Kurt Cobain aesthetic, and he likes it, so if I don't keep it'll go straight to him.  For now...back in the bag. 
  8. Seychelles brown ankle boots - 67 wears and looking a bit rough at the moment. The footbed lining is peeling off and making them uncomfortable, which could easily be solved with an insole. I'll decide in the next month or two if they're worth a rehab project.  Back in the bag.
That being done, I added two things to the bag from my closet.

Target long-sleeve linen tee - Bought this for $12 and have worn it 73 times.  It's been getting thinner with each wash to the point where I can't wear it without an underlayer anymore. It's an essential, but I've been keeping it around until I find a good replacement. No luck yet, so it's going into the bag to see if I can do without. 

Eileen Fisher linen shift dress (not shown) - 24 wears since 2017. So close to the 30, but I just don't enjoy wearing it. The arms are a bit tight, it's shorter than is strictly comfortable, and I don't like it over pants. I will probably sell it, but we'll see if I dig it out this summer.

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