Post Your Personal Style Challenge (Week 8) - YouLookFab Forum

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Post Your Personal Style Challenge (Week 8)

El Cee

Veteran

Hi Again -- Welcome to Week Eight! I will be continuing our thread at least through the end of November. Feel free to pop in and out as the mood strikes you and as time and energy allow.

For those new to our challenge, it is not too late to join us. The "Post Your Personal Style Challenge" thread was an idea proposed by forum member Carter in her post: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....slide-long

Continuing with our weekly thread, here is your spot to post your own ongoing or brand new challenge(s) as well as to give updates and reports. Feel free to jump in at any time, even if you missed the last several postings. Your personal style challenge could be one that extends through the whole season or something that is of a more limited time frame (a month or even just a week or two to get you through the seasonal transition). Pictures of items from your challenge and "What I Wore" photos are, of course, most welcome but not required. Please also feel free to refer directly to your own separate challenge postings.
For ideas of what other forum members are doing in terms of challenges check out Carter's initial thread (above) as well as our first six weekly threads--

Week One: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....e-week-one
Week Two: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-2
Week Three: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-3
Week Four: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-4
Week Five: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-5
Week Six: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-6
Week Seven: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nge-week-7

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34 replies

Latest reply was from El Cee

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Every week I've tried to think up something for this thread and failed, but the endless pondering, along with musings on shopping strategies and wardrobe churn, forced me into a Style Lab.

El Cee

Veteran

Sorry that I have been absent from the thread. I have been dealing with health and family concerns. As a result, I have been very fatigued and needing some time for healing and quiet reflection. I want to thank all you wonderful ladies for keeping last week's thread going and for responding to comments when I could not do so.

Last week: I did not accomplish much at all with respect to my challenge goals. I was able to take all the storage containers with warm weather clothing to the basement -- all carefully labelled so I know wear things are come Spring. I am in the process of bringing up my Fall/Winter garments one container at a time... a long and tedious process. (How I long for large 4-season walk-in closet!). My goal for this week is to complete this task. Even if I get nothing else accomplished this week in terms of wardrobe management, I will consider it a success. But, if I find I have extra time and energy, I would still like to take some old orphaned dress pants to the tailor for professional hacking. I think I could give these garments new life and a place in my cool weather wardrobe.

Looking forward to hearing what you gals are up to this week. I am always so impressed and inspired by your challenges.

Anonymous

Style Lab is great, Approprio. I'll watch your posts with great interest.

I had a really busy week. I have defined so many personal challenges for myself I wonder if I can even capture them here.

Foremost, I want to address wardrobe churn. I decided to do that by implementing a clothing fast for myself from now until January 2, 2017.

A clothing fast will help me address my "sales addiction." I buy clothing items when I find them on sale at a price too good to be imagined. I need to stop shopping sales for a while and reground myself.

I also found myself in a shopping rut. I shop at exactly the same retailers over and over again. I am making a list of new retailers. I am going to explore new retailers and new trends in 2017.

With this in mind, I am going to take my three or four descriptors and define exactly what they mean to me and how I will implement them in 2017. Even if I am not buying during the next couple of months, I am still going to collect items that would work in my wardrobe. I am going to assess those items and see if they fit into an overall plan or if they are all impulse buys that don't further my wardrobe goals.

So many goals. None of them involve buying anything. This might be hard because I started my Christmas Shopping this month. I'll be in the mall or on the internet all month long. Hopefully, I'll have some sort of restraint.

Hope you are feeling better, El Cee.

Joy

Veteran

Approprio, I will also be following your Style Lab posts with Interest. My challenge for the next few weeks will be to tackle winter clothes although it is still comfortably warm here, 71F as a high today. I really need to do a closet edit but feel it may be too soon now while I see what is needed for my new climate and area.
Right now I feel like wearing black for 4 years of mourning.

shedev

Veteran

I hope you feel better El Cee. Take some extra care of yourself at this time.
Sterling, stay strong, you can survive the holiday season without adding to your wardrobe. After Jan 2, allow yourself to get the stuff you still want.
I think for this week, I will look at my descriptors and definitions of what an essential is to my wardrobe.

El Cee

Veteran

Approprio -- I am enthralled by your "Style Lab" post -- such a fabulous way to do an in depth analysis of your personal style and future goals. I will come back to comment on your thread later today.

Sterling -- Sounds like you have developed a smart approach for tackling your issues related to wardrobe churn and shopping concerns. I am also on a self-imposed shopping diet for a few months. I want to enjoy and wear the heck out of what I currently have in my closet.

Shedev -- I think having descriptors is very wise and so helpful in planning upcoming purchases. I need to find time to do some sort of analysis in this area.

Joy -- 71 degrees? Wow! You are having eternal summer out there. That would make it too soon to tackle the usual seasonal turnover. Like you, I held back my closet edit for several weeks due to higher than average temps. We finally have Fall and I should be excited about going through my cool weather wardrobe (my favorite fashion season). But I am not feeling much interest in style right now... just in being dressed for the day, and this is OK. You hit right at the heart of what I am feeling at this moment. I am actually wearing black today (which is not that unusual for me)... but my dark garments are reflecting my present state of mind. It is indeed a state of mourning.

Anonymous

Joy -- Coincidently, I too am wearing all black.

Thanks Shedev -- this is quite a challenge for me. I am still in shock that I thought these words, much less actually wrote them down!!!! My goal is to tell everyone online and in my real life how I did on a weekly basis. Because I have been so vocal about it, the sheer shame of failure will be motivating.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Okay, this is getting depressing - it's a fashion forum, right?
I challenge all of you NOT to wear black this week.

El Cee

Veteran

Texstyle -- Challenge accepted. Tomorrow I will wear some color... perhaps my red culottes.

Anonymous

So despite the fact that I am on a shopping fast, I find myself still browsing internet sites. This is a slippery slope. If I am going to be successful in my challenge, I need to start finding substitute behaviors.

Substitute Behavior Number One: Go the gym. Do a light cardio workout in a location away from the TV monitors.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

NICE Texstyle, and an easy challenge for me.

Style Fan

Veteran

Hope you are feeling better El Cee. I am working on my packing for Montreal. I hope to post my packing list. After buying Sophie's food for 5 weeks yesterday (the food is more expensive in Quebec) Mr Style Fan wondered if he should go and buy a bigger vehicle. Sophie and her food takes up most of our back seat and back compartment. We have a Rav 4. We do have a roof top box. Maybe I will be in there.

El Cee

Veteran

Sterling -- I empathize with you over the urge to browse. For me, it is a stress reliever -- and I am currently very stressed. So -- I am allowing myself to "window-shop online" in order to get ideas for how to style pieces that I already have. I am just not allowing myself to put anything into a virtual shopping cart. But -- yes, going to the gym is even better and far more therapeutic. I may go to the YMCA this afternoon, but to use the pool where there is no TV.

Stylefan -- Oh, what we will not do for our precious fur babies!!! (The sacrifices are entirely worth it for the love they give back.) So exciting about your upcoming month in Montreal. It is such a gorgeous city. Bon Voyage!

Texstyle and Angie -- Just for you two ladies, I am giving up all black for today. Cannot promise a full week as black is my primary neutral. Below is what I will be wearing. Do I get extra credit for putting aside my usual black framed glasses for my purple specs?

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Wow, El Cee, I love your outfit choice! And it sounds perfect with the purple specs. That top is beautiful and I love the flares.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

LOL Style Fan... maybe that's a whole other capsule we need to think about, the "Thule Traveling Capsule". Warm, comfortable, wrinkle-free, washable....

Anonymous

Purple specs are the bomb!!!! Now I want some.

Bonnie

Veteran

I finally filled the two wardrobe holes I had. I ordered black crop jeans and white high top sneakers from Nordies, then checked Amazon and found them on sale for $65 less so ordered them, too. I've received both jeans and they are exactly the same so I'll have to return one pair. I should get the second pair of sneakers today and it will be interesting if they are the same, too. My new jeans need to be hemmed and deciding just how far above the ankle will be a big decision and I may ask Angie and the forum for help.

approprio: I am impressed how well you understand and articulate your style descriptors and goals.

El Cee: What a big job it is for you to change seasons - good idea to break it up. Carrying all those heavy bins up and down stairs doesn't sound like much fun. Great outfit and I love that top.

Sterling: A clothing buying fast sounds like a good idea for me, too. I should just be tracking wears and finding out what I actually wear and need. I might wait until January, though.

Joy: It's still warm where I live, too. My winters won't be as cold as yours will be and I mainly just wear a tee and topper with jeans and boots or sneakers - more like everyone else's F/Spring. It's a good idea to wait and see what you actually need for your new area.

shedev: I find descriptors and definitions useful, too. But usually just ask myself "Would (insert style icon) wear this?".

texstyle: I didn't wear all black, I wore dark gray and black.

Style Fan: I always mean to make a packing list but have never done it. It must be great to have one. Last time I forgot my computer power cord and luckily I could use DH's. Maybe a list should be my next weeks's goal since I'm going away for a couple of week in Dec.

Anonymous

Hi Bonnie -- I am thrilled that you found the same exact jeans at a cost savings at Amazon.com. That has happened to me in the past as well. It is like a joyous little gift from the universe.

I would encourage you to order the sneakers as well. You might be doubly pleased. I discovered this same thing earlier this year but it was too late for me to take advantage of it because I had already worn the shoes from Nordstroms by the time I found them on Amazon.com.

And aren't Approprio's style descriptors great!? I sat down and attempted to do the same thing. My mind utterly blank. I don't think using the term: would [style icon] wear this will work for me. I discovered that I don't really have a style icon. But it is a good idea, nonetheless.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I took the clothes to consignment! And she took most of them! Yay!
Luckily I took them right after hard rains because it has taken a warm turn again. She might not have taken them this week.

I have not yet done the other items on my list, but I gave myself 2 weeks, so I will report in again next week. Or later this week.

El Cee

Veteran

Texstyle -- Thanks for the compliments. I actually do enjoy wearing color from time to time but, as an emotional dresser, I guess I just have to be in the right mood for it. Wearing black (and other dark neutrals) for me is somewhat soothing and grounding -- sort of like wrapping myself in a blanket. I know that other forum members have commented that wearing neutrals, whether they be dark or light, has this same effect on them. I wonder why that is? I should give that some thought. Perhaps someone who is knowledgeable about color psychology/theory can weigh in on this subject.

Elizabeth P -- Your "Thule Traveling Capsule" comment made me laugh so hard that I nearly wet myself. I love your sense of humor!

Bonnie -- Glad that you wear able to fill those wardrobe holes. Good fitting jeans are sometimes hard to find. That you were able to get them for $65 less than you planned for is icing on the cake.

El Cee

Veteran

Sterling -- Yes... Approprio's style descriptors are amazing. Tried to do the same exercise for myself and, like you, I came up short. I find it hard to find the words to describe my style persona. I definitely have one but find it difficult to describe it in text form. Perhaps pictures would work better for me as I am visual and not much of a wordsmith.

Barbara Diane -- Kudos to you on your consignment success. I wish we had better consignment options around here. Just two shops and they are so picky about what they accept.

Cold and blustery here today -- so I must get moving on bringing all my Fall clothing up to the bedroom. Guess this will be my weekend project. I hope that next week I will have time for a more interesting and creative mini-challenge. The current one is necessary but "Dullsville"!

Anonymous

Ok. I had to post today.

I got my hair colored/cut and I was at the mall. Because I was there anyway I stopped by Ann Taylors (shopped the sales), Talbots (shopped the sales), Nordstroms (shopped for Christmas ideas), Nordstrom Rack (shopped for bags/lingerie), and other stores (tops).

I did not buy a thing!!!!!!! I browsed. I walked away without buying anything!!!!!!!!

Eleven days down!!!!!!!

Would this would be all that hard for the average person? Should I worry about myself?

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Sterling, I'm amazed that you can successfully browse like that. If I want to not shop I have to not go into stores. I did that a few years ago when I was losing weight and could work with my fall/winter clothes but expected to need a whole new S/S wardrobe. Which didn't really happen.
Anyway, Congrats on your success.

El Cee

Veteran

Sterling -- Yay -- you get four gold stars today! Good job! For anyone who either really enjoys shopping (me included) or finds it to be, at the very least, a soothing distraction or stress reducing mechanism (me included), going 11 days can be very tough. I believe there are a lot of us out there who have these urges and temptations. You are not alone. Perhaps browsing just on its own is satisfying your urge to shop. You get all the visual stimulation without having to spend a dime. And you did some pampering/self care in getting your hair done. That was probably very satisfying all by itself.

Barbara Diane -- I am like you. If I want to avoid shopping, I probably should stay away from stores altogether. Too many "new and shiny" temptations.

Anonymous

I wanted to share my strategy to support my shopping fast.

I still have a very strong inclination to shop for myself (especially while Christmas shopping).

To combat the urge to buy, I am identifying what I am focusing on in the stores and then picking substitutes from my existing wardrobe to satisfy those urges. This accomplishes two things. One, I have a hard time rationalizing buying something new if I have something comparable in my closet (that I am not wearing). Two, I have the opportunity to figure out why I am not wearing that particular garment. This informs the decision to either purge it or bring it back into rotation. (I'm secretly hoping to bring it back into rotation). Win-Win.

I saw this Madewell denim skirt in the mall on Friday. I fixated on it. Then I remembered that I actually owned this Vince Camuto black ponte skirt. Yes, different fabrics, but the same general esthetic, don't you think?

I can't rationalize the denim skirt IF I am not wearing the black ponte skirt. The black skirt is actually more in line with my current life style too. I can definitely wear it to work and I doubt I would wear the Madewell skirt to work.

The shopping fast is more challenging this weekend than it was earlier this month. I can't imagine what will happen after Black Friday.

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Madewell Denim Midi Skirt

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Andrea H

Sterling, I don't know if this would help you, but a few years ago when I wanted to cut down on the amount of online shopping that I was doing for, basically, entertainment, I would make a Pinterest board entitled something like "things i want, January 2014" and pin everything I was tempted to put into my online shopping cart. I'd promise myself if I went back to the board in 2 or 3 weeks and still wanted what I'd pinned, I could buy it. What happened in practice is that when I went back, the item would no longer be available or would no longer be on sale or I just wouldn't be enchanted by it anymore. It cut down my impulse entertainment buying by like 95%.

Anonymous

Great idea, Andrea H. Thank you for the suggestion. I found that announcing it to everyone I know is a huge deterrent too. I just don't want to have to tell my BF that I bought x, y and z.

Runcarla

Veteran

I have been on a 'shop your closet' for almost 6 weeks and making an effort to inject a little more colour and style. Though I had outfits planned for the week, some things that happened recently put me in a sad mood, and I defaulted to dark comfort items (black and navy turteneck sweaters and grey trousers.). I even wore black outerwear. On Thursday an uptick in the weather inspired me to pair my black turtleneck with yellow crops and leopard accessories (shoes and belt). I got compliments from folks at work and from two SA's in 2 different shops. I think it was the punch of colour in a sea of dark outfits that is so common this time of year in the Big City that drew the comments.

Friday (a day off) and yesterday were devoted to self care. Hair cut, esthetics overhaul, and Yoga instead of cardio. I'm going to affix a safety pin to all my outerwear, and pull up my (colourful) socks, and make a go of getting back on track this week.

Anonymous

OMG RunCarla -- You and I are the same wave length. I had Friday off and I devoted it to self care as well. I got my hair dyed and trimmed. I had a facial and I took myself out to lunch. I was thinking of creating a "safety pin" necklace (threading fake pearls on the safety pin and hanging it from an old silver necklace). I looked for the necklace today and didn't find it immediately. It might be in the safe deposit box.

That punch of color really makes a difference!!!!!! I wore a white jacket to the park on Saturday morning. I felt fabulous among the sea of dreary black, dull grey, and boring navy. I thought I was the best dressed person at the park until I saw several people wearing bright yellow. Wow. They looked great too. Then later I saw shades of pink and purple showing up. So any color in the sea of darkness was a welcome sight.

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