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My FL closet today

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have been toying with the idea of the boutique a la Lisa's DH challenge. But then I think I'm pretty well pared down as it is. Yet, I still don't wear half my dresses and dressier tanks. Would separating things out help or is it simply a matter of dressiness level vs environment? I wonder.
At any rate, here is my closet in FL as of today. I took a lot of pants and heavier footwear back with me to Tahoe on our March trip out there. I have only 3 pants, 3 sweaters, and 3 light jackets here with me. Have worn only one of the pair of pants since said visit out of all of the above. Understandable, given the weather. And I honestly had an eye toward the drive home in fall when keeping the few items that I did. The rest, though, I should have no issue wearing, weather wise. Maybe with my new wheels, I will find my dresses in rotation more, and my heels. I'm curious to see.
So far, it has been shorts with tanks and tees almost exclusively, and flat sandals. I seriously have been wearing about a 24 item wardrobe or so. 5 shorts, 2 or 3 skirts and about 12 tops in regular rotation, with an occasional dress appearance every couple of weeks. The same 5 pair of sandals almost exclusively.

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Dressing

15 replies

Latest reply was from Caro in Oz

Angela K

Veteran

I love that you are using everything that you have in your closet. Very streamline yet from your posts, I think flexible as well. Excellent job on pairing down!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I've actually been wearing about half of it Angela, but wonder if that's enough, all things considered. I do hope my shift to having transportation of my own might open up more opportunities for things that just wouldn't do on a bike.

abc

Veteran

I'm watching your posts closely, Mo, as I realized starting in Aug I will need to drive the kids to school rather than walk. Seems like our circumstances are mirroring one another!

amiable

Veteran

Gorgeous and streamlined

Thistle

Veteran

Seriously streamlined closet! Honestly, in the heat where you are, I am not surprised you weren't wearing dressier pieces when you had to walk or bike everywhere. Transportation is a big determination of what you will wear.

I would give it time and see what you wear now that you have wheels.

Lisa

Veteran

How much of your wardrobe are you hoping to wear everyday, 50%, 70%, 80%? One thing I've learned from many closet purges that never stuck over the years was, my needs change and that can swing how much of a certain capsule I am using at a given time. If I purge too fast, or too much of a capsule prematurely I end up repurchasing.

Within your FL wardrobe, it sounds like you are currently using 50% (is that correct?) which is pretty good! After all most people say we only use 20% of our wardrobes. New wheels may or may not influence your wardrobe. For me, car transportation or not influences my shoes the most. My NYC days, it's flat walking shoes only but my drive to work days, a heel or sitting shoe is ok to use. But the rest of my outfits are the same most days.

I think you've identified a mini capsule in your FL wardrobe, which has been your bike/errand running around capsule. This is great news, because now you know your 'set point' for this capsule, which is what the DH challenge is all about anyway. I wouldn't get rid of other items too fast, have you used more dressy items on past FL trips and this one is just more casual? Or has your FL lifestyle truly changed, in which case, you can purge dressier items. The one thing you can definitely do now, is not purchase anymore of the dressier items you are not sporting.

Also, weather plays a big role. Has it been overly hot and humid in FL, which has influenced your outfits? Last year, we had the coldest winter in the northeast that I can remember and I have never worn my thermals so much before. But before I go stocking up I want to make sure this winter will be another cold one.

Glory

Veteran

Looks lovely - so neat, tidy and streamlines.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Lisa raises really good points. I sometimes purge before paying attention to the reasons I haven't been wearing something. And then, lo and behold, conditions change, and I want to wear those things again. Of course if I've had a style shift, something's worn out, or my lifestyle has definitely altered, that's a different matter.

Your closet looks in fantastic shape. I would say if you don't need or want more for this capsule, that's terrific news! Whereas if you do want to wear "different" -- maybe having the car will make that possible.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

As long as the weather remains the same warm and sunny every day, I suspect you don't need more than a few pieces. My summer capsule is way smaller than the rest of my wardrobe, and we have warm weather, too:) I think it could be interesting to remove the pieces you don't wear to a boutique and see what happens. Will you get bored more easily with what's left? Will the absence make your garments "new" to you again? It will be interesting to hear about that.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Ingunn, I was thinking more along the lines of what you just described. Will I miss it/them? I'm not necessarily looking to purge just for the sake of it, but I do want to take a look at some things that just aren't being worn.
I bet if I only had the half that I'm wearing, I would feel restricted and like I needed more. But I wonder if only half of the remaining half would suffice. I'm losing the non math people already, I can feel it LOL.
For instance, I have several tops that I've only worn 2 or 3 times. White button down, strapless bustier, sequin striped black tank come to mind first. But I don't think I want or need to get rid of any of them. They do serve a purpose. The white crisp shirt was perfect for checking to see if I'd been hired at the golf course. The striped sequins were great with my blush moto for a funk show at the casino. Etc, etc.
But on the other hand, the ribbed Target layer tanks all seem to be too bodycon for me at the moment and are looking worn. Should I keep them just because they are supposedly a versatile basic? I'd rather ditch the 3 layer tanks and save the other 3, more specific occasion pieces. That's kind of where I'm at. What supposed 'every day' items do I hold on to that I just don't wear in an every day kind of way?

Anonymous

Two things. Having a car will vastly change the kinds of things you can wear day-to-day. You'll go from A/C in your apartment, to the A/C of the car, to the (monster) A/C of the stores, or wherever you're going. Hardly a chance to sweat, and you can be as dressy and you please, even wearing heels if you choose.
Second thing, I'd hang on to the body-con tanks for a base layer back in Tahoe. It won't matter if they're a bit worn looking if they aren't seen. Your closet looks great!

rabbit

Veteran

I think your situation so far has just lent itself to an extremely streamlined capsule because you were walking and biking in extreme heat.

I did a residency one summer where I didn't have a car and did physical work somewhere with no AC. I literally wore three pairs of shorts and about five tee shirts for three months. I had to wear steel-toed boots, but outside of work it was pretty much one pair of flat walking sandals, one pair of running shoes, one pair of fashion sneaks. That and one sundress for barbecues and one cardigan if I went into somewhere with AC was all I wore. I compare this to what one outfit can contain in the fall where I'm living now: shoes, tights, skirt, belt, top, scarf, topper -- the outfit contains over twice as many items, let alone the wardrobe ;).

So if this situation changes due to having a car, your needs and flexibility as to what you can wear will change considerably, so I wouldn't purge until you have gone through this process.

Second, I figured out that if I wanted to dress up more from time to time for fun, I had to make that happen by planning the excursions. Movies have AC, I go for drinks somewhere interesting, see live music, make a lunch date, am a stylin' Trader Joes shopper . I don't 'reach for' more fancy clothes and heels, I 'plan for' wearing them, and then I do, and it adds a little something to the whole experience that is fun for me.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Yes, Rabbit! And this is something that plagues me, and perhaps others. We get tunnel vision pertaining to the situation we find ourselves in now. Always good to be aware of the big picture. And I hear you on making the dress up opportunities yourself. Wore my 'fancy' shorts to the grocery store today, with earrings! ha

rabbit

Veteran

Oops I see I was echoing others while writing a long post, apologies.

In terms of layering tanks/tees I wonder the same thing. Basically I track which ones I wear, and so far it's been one cami of each color I need (black, white, gray), one comfortable body-con short sleeve and one long sleeve with deep vee necks for under sweaters that won't show.

I don't really think I need any more if I'm not going to wear them on the outside (assuming the washing frequency isn't an issue).

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Agreeing with the others. When our circumstances change what we want to wear usually changes too. A holding zone sounds good