SHOPPING MY CLOSET

Shopping My Closet

I received a compliment from a friend the other day on the outfit I was wearing.   When she asked where I got it I replied “I shopped my closet”. 

My friend asked where this shop was located and I repeated to her that what I was wearing came from my closet and that I had just “shopped my own closet”!

I explained further that I was not working much these days, basically just delivering some part time Training.  

I was transitioning into retirement mode and trying to cut back on spending and part of my restraint program involved a personal challenge to stop buying unnecessary clothing. 

I have always loved fashion and take great pleasure in shopping for clothes.  The result was a closet bulging with so many items I had a tough time finding ‘anything to wear’! 

New items would be purchased and added to the already overflowing closet and although I did on rare occasions clear out that which I didn’t fit or wear much I knew that I had more than enough to wear without buying more. 

Shopping, although fun and therapeutic at times, had become a costly habit for me! 

My closet is not large and yet it isn’t too small either but I knew it wasn’t more space I needed. 

I needed to organize the space I already had.  This would aid my motivation to ‘shop my closet’ instead of a store.  I devised a plan to clean out my closet and organize it in a way that I could clearly see and find outfits that I actually wore.  In the past I had thought about removing seasonal clothes however it seemed like too much work at the time.  In spite of this I started with the removal process and I eventually removed EVERYTHING with the intention of only putting back what I actually wore regularly!

Having freed up some space allowed me to spread out my outfits and be able to clearly see what I had available to wear.  I tried on everything and if the buttons were bulging or the waistline too tight they were sent off to the Thrift Shop.

I found things that I had forgotten I had.  I discovered ‘shamefully’, outfits I had never worn. 

 

I had more than enough to wear and the best things were jammed in where I couldn’t even see them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now that I have completed this mountainous task I can ‘shop my closet’ and revisit items that are like new.  

So take a peek in my closet and think of me the next time you say “I have nothing to wear” and consider “shopping YOUR closet”!

Author:  Trish Repay (BlackCrowCurios)
visit me at my personal blog:  http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/a-bit-about-me/

All About Style...

Hello to all our lovely readers!

Looking back over our posts, I realized that we are a super diverse group of ladies with unique interests, personalities and creative passions.  Being a unique and diverse group means we also have unique style; this is how we show the world around us who we are.

My style reflects who I am as a person.  My style is reflected in what I wear, how I communicate and in the things I enjoy.  I am both extroverted and introverted (yes you can be both!); creative, outgoing, colorful, reckless, thoughtful, reserved, spiritual, cautious, compassionate and analytical.  Of course I am many other things too but we don't have all day. :)

Fashion and accessories are two of my favorite ways of expressing myself. I love combining colors and patterns that are unexpected!

When I get to put on clothes and accessories that make me look good, I automatically feel that much better about myself.  "But WAIT!" you say... "clothes DO NOT make the person... do they??"  Of course not; if you are not a good person a stylish outfit isn't going to change that.  "Hold on a second!" you say... "are you saying I have to wear those pants/shoes/shirts/colors to be in fashion?? If that's the case, forget it, that just isn't me!"  Ummm no. The golden rule of style when it comes to trends: wear what is appropriate for your body type, lifestyle and personality!  If you work as a kindergarten teacher, wearing 4 inch heels or short skirts probably isn't going to work for you.  That being said, there is no reason to go to work (or anywhere really) in clothes that are ill fitting and/or inappropriate.

If you want respect, you need to respect yourself and appreciate and celebrate who you are!  For most people, taking care with your appearance and doing nice things for yourself helps you feel and look more confident.  Going back to my original point about style; we are all unique in who we are and we need to be true to ourselves.  Use your style to decide how you want to portray yourself to the world around you.  Pay attention to yourself and treat yourself with the respect by having great style; if you do that, everyone else will too.

Thanks for reading!

Merry W. (This Merry Life)