Simple Wardrobe

I became a wanna-be minimalist a few years ago.  The idea for me was that having less stuff is less responsibility, less things to take care of and and easier, simpler life.  Even just the word simplicity brings a free feeling to my chest.  So I have been slowly getting rid of things in my home over the past few years and have actually made a lot of progress.

I still live with a non-minimalist.  So, there are still places in our home where I have to pretend they don't exist.  I also still have hobbies that require a lot of stuff, like music and photography.  So, there is still stuff in my home, but it does clean a lot quicker now than it did in the past and I can truly relax in the evenings, knowing exactly where everything I need is and that it's where it should be.

My most recent project in the minimalist realm is what is called a "capsule wardrobe".  In the past, I have just gotten rid of clothes that I don't wear often.  The problem with that was I would end up not having a lot of clothes, especially ones that matched.  So, I would buy more to fill the gaps.  It wasn't a great cycle.

A capsule wardrobe, at least in my understanding, is a minimal amount of very wearable clothing that all matches.  Basically, the idea is being able to pull any top and any bottom out of your closet and walk out the door feeling confident in your outfit choice.

Being that I'm just 'oh so fashionable' (I'm no good at online sarcasm... but THAT WAS IT!), this sounds like a wonderful idea to me.  I don't have to stare at my clothes and wonder what would look good with what.

I'm still a work in progress, having a few clothes yet that I wouldn't mind seeing disappear and having a couple of things on a list that might make my wardrobe even more co-existent.   

But this is what I've done so far.

1. I picked a base color.  Gray.  I feel like gray isn't as harsh as black or as bland as brown.  I have always liked gray.  My shoes, for the past few years, have all been gray.  My purses have been gray.  It's basically my base color anyway.  I guess if I had a "secondary" base color it would be jeans...

2. I picked accent colors.  Navy and burgundy.  In the summer, I add peach and a mint/light blue. Again, these were a lot of the things I love in my closet in these colors already.  My favorite skirt is navy, my favorite long sleeve top is burgundy.  

3. I removed everything that wasn't these colors from my closet.  Everything.  

4. I added back what was necessary.  I play in a jazz band in the summer and an orchestra in the fall with specific clothing guidelines.  So, black pants, black dress, black shoes, white top were all essential.

5. I added back favorites that just don't match.  Because I paid good money for that oatmeal colored cardigan and khaki skirt and I think I look cute in them.  So they are here to stay.

6. I took pictures of me wearing everything.  It sounds daunting, but when you get rid of most of your attire it isn't that bad.

7. I uploaded the pictures to Closetspace, an website/app that lets you organize your clothing and create outfits (GENIUS!)

8. I started creating outfits with my clothes that I could see on the website to know if it would match.  If an article of clothing didn't really go with a lot of other stuff, I considered getting rid of it.

9. The app actually lets you add outfits to the calendar, so eventually I could essentially plan my outfits for weeks at a time.  Which sounds great, because finding clothes in the morning is the worst. 

Once I have completed my capsule wardrobe (basically, once I have let go of a couple of things and filled in the gaps... like, if I can find my khaki skirt in a charcoal gray...) it will simply be about replacing.  It will make shopping for clothes a lot less tempting, because I only have 4 colors I'm really after and after I have everything so I feel confident in every outfit, every day, I will just simply replace as things are needed. 

At least, that's the goal.  It's still a major work in progress.  

Not The Update You Deserve

After taking a blogging break I was hoping to come back fresh faced and full of good, thought out blog posts. 

But, it just wasn't happening.  And today of all days is probably not the one I should be using to update you on my life, but,it found me in some interesting positions that I thought might make you laugh at my misfortune.  Because what good is misfortune if you can't make a joke out of it.

This morning I found myself sitting on the curb outside of the Cenex near the interstate waiting for my husband to pick me up after a running injury stopped me a few miles from home.  People driving by kept glancing at the neon-clad girl shivering along side the road.

Due to said injury and with the help of little sleep the night before I was upset and slightly dramatic.  So, later in the morning, you could find me bawling in the Wal*Mart parking lot while I talked to my mom.  Or, because it was Wal*Mart and I had lost all self-respect at that point, I could be found wandering around the store carrying toilet paper (the only thing I buy from Wal*Mart, typically), still blotchy-faced, red eyed and runny nosed from crying in my car.

My students just had an off day, which is draining.  When kids just mess up a lot on things they know, it's hard to teach.  So by the end of lessons, you would find me laying on my couch in raccoon pajamas (you heard me), watching a TV show and calling my husband to, for the first time in years, ask him to pick something up in the frozen aisle to make for dinner tonight.  He was sweet and got me a gluten free pizza.

Then I got a call from my mom.  Calls from my mom in the evening are usually not a good sign.  No exception here.  Dad is still not cancer free.  His options are higher levels of chemo or surgery.  But, as he was nearing his retirement, he now has to stay on for the insurance for at least a few more months.

So today wasn't the greatest.  But that's okay.  At least I was almost worthy of being a "people of walmart" person, and I freaked people out at a cenex station.  And, all I have to do is sit on the floor and I'm bombarded with kisses from puppies, or call and my husband gives me a hug.


Tomorrow is a new day.  And it'll be a good one.  Because I'm thinking I'm going to start it off with a chai tea.  And nothing ruins chai tea day.