It's been a rough week for my wardrobe. A tunic I really liked got ripped, a pair of sneakers got ruined by black sticky mud that I swear had superglue in it, I shrank a sweater I loved, a much loved pair of joggers got destroyed, and a longline top got chewed by a goat. The longline top can be saved by letting the guys use it for target practice, the rest are hopelessly doomed.

I think it's telling that, of the 5 items ruined this week, there's only one I want to go full-on dystopian with.

I still like my dystopian stuff: my tactical boots, my Benenato sweaters, my shotgun peppered jeans. I have 2 sweaters with slits at the elbows that I love and will wear frequently (weather permitting). The really, really RATE stuff and the full-on dystopian stuff definitely still fits my job, and it still works for my rural homesteading lifestyle on some days. I still have a need for things that I won't cry over when they get a stain or a rip.

Maybe it's the changing weather (I think we're getting an early spring). Maybe it's the new house; it feels so RATE, so dystopian--maybe I'm getting my daily dose that way and want my clothes to be a stark contrast to it.

Whatever it is, I feel like my style might be shifting. I'm completely ok with that, since we humans do evolve and our tastes change. I've been drawn to a lot more grey and black lately, and simpler shapes/cuts. It doesn't feel like a seismic shift to polar opposite or anything, it just feels like I'm refining my aesthetic (if that makes sense). I still want it to feel RATE, just a bit more refined.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting more of my wardrobe audit, preparing to purge things that don't fit or otherwise don't need to move into the new house with me. I'll be doing some try-ons and getting input from you guys about fit and proportion and general worthiness.

Here are some pics. I'm fortunate that I already have pieces similar to a lot of these inspiration pics, so all I have to do is start putting them together to get this sort of look from them. And get over my mental block against bare ankles

how on earth do I get over the mental hurdle of the pants length? I really feel weird in pants that don't cover my ankles. I know I don't have to copy these looks exactly 100%, but being able to get over that mental hang-up would definitely expand my options.

Anybody else struggled with getting used to the idea of ankle pants? How did all of you cropped pants ladies get used to them, or did it just come natural to you?