Angie has talked about this many times -- that is, how a garment can get orphaned if you don't have the right clothes and/or footwear to wear with it. I'm thinking about this today because I'm wearing something that had been hiding, unworn, in my closet from before I joined YLF way back when. They are LuLuLemon culottes, made from some kind of stretchy yoga-pants cotton blend, which means they are very casual. I originally bought them because I loved the colour (a dark chocolate brown) and the cute ties near the hemline, but it didn't take long before I realized that they are a stumpifying mid-calf length. This problem would have been solvable with heels, but I didn't have any heels that seemed casual enough. Plus, all my casual tops seemed to cling awkwardly to the roll-down waistline, even if they were drapey.

But a few months ago I found a great drapey charcoal top with an interesting uneven hem that I've been wearing with jeans. Today it occurred to me to try it on with my yoga culottes, and it works! It falls nicely without "grabbing" the waist fabric. And because there is low contrast between the colour of the top and the pants, it's less stumpifying. Plus last year I finally acquired a pair of low wedges, which give just enough lift to fix the proportions, while at the same time being casual enough for the outfit. Problem solved!

If you have a story involving the de-orphaning of a clothing item, I'd love to hear it.