So now you have seen my clothes that I have been wearing for quite some time. I haven't shown you the worst-- at some point you will see pictures of me in my typical work outfits... haha
To further understand my clothing situation I looked at them from a (simple) mathematical perspective:
Long sleeve shirts
Total: 3
1/3, the white one is worn the most
Note: One is flimsy cheap fabric and the other two are so spandexy they ride up... Will be going in the giveaway pile.
Basic shirts (shown w/ the striped top near 'em)
Total: 10
6/10 is the amount I wear the most... that means the other 4 are hardly used
Note: Basic shirts + a black or cream sweater + slacks/jeans = boooorrrrrinnng...
Spaghetti Straps
Total: 8
2/8 worn the most (cream and blue)
4/8 worn frequently (cream, blue, green lacey and white lacey)
Note: These are wearing out quickly, most aren't worn.... get rid of most of them.
Other shirts
Total: 6
2/6, the white and blue are worn the most (blue shown in front)
Note: Not good quality and plenty aren't being used-- giveaway, giveaway!
Tank Tops
Total: 16
1/16, white one from Old Navy has never been worn- tags and all are still on it.
7/16, worn for road trips and to Arizona
4/16, never been worn
5/16, hardly been used
Note: NO MORE TANK TOPS! Yes, they're cheap but it doesn't mean I need to buy them all of the time... And uh, the PNW is not at all a desert. ;-)
Long Sleeves/Sweaters
Total: 10
Note: Without counting my workout items, I have very few warm items. May I remind you of where I live-- it is often chilly on this side of Oregon! Something isn't right here....
Too Much Blue
Total:
34!!!!!
Note: This is without counting workout clothes as well (probably 5 more items if you add that in). Yes, oh yes, do I love blue. It's truly one of the best colors on me-- and all different kinds of blue (teal being my favorite). My dear friend Jennifer is always giving me heck for always choosing this color... she has good reason huh?! While I will continue to buy blue items, I am going to do my very best to broaden my color scheme (and patterns as well- notice the lack of that? ).
*I want to make a side note to all of this and say I didn't comb through my whole closet, as that would be a bit much but I think these evaluations make some good points.
What I Have Learned From This::
-- Just because the clothes may be cheap doesn't mean they're good choices (such as the shirts). It's easy to get a whole bunch of cheap things and stick with them... and become Boooorrrrrring.
--Related to above: As a professional, I need to have shirts/tops that don't require me to wear spaghetti straps under them. I need shirts that are good quality (not expensive necessarily) and that cover everything. Spaghetti straps are fine but a majority of my outfits shouldn't require them.
-- I need to be more conscious of shopping for the kind of environment I live in. That means more layers, warm sweaters, and good quality long sleeve shirts. Don't buy for your favorite season if it hardly exists in your location! haha
-- When buying clothes, don't just buy them... THINK about how to CREATE outfits. This is a mindset I have not had until now. I will spend my money more wisely if I am planning on how to use the desired items. If I am able to mix and match items to create several different GOOD outfits then my money is better spent than buying a bunch of cheap t-shirts, spag. straps, fashion tops (which I didn't show today) and tank tops.
-- I need to love everything that I buy! Otherwise, what is the point?! Don't just buy to buy...
Oh so much knowledge!! Analyzing one's closet is a great way to see where improvements are needed and how to not fall back into the old patterns. Another good reason to do this is to be less of a consumer. Kind of ironic, in some ways: looking at old clothes so I know how to buy new ones. BUT hear me out: doing this allows me to see how I have wasted my money, even if I make super cheap purchases ($3.50 for those shirts I wear w/ spag straps, from F21, ~ 1.5 yr ago). Yes, I have gotten a lot of use out of the cheap clothes and I do take extremely good care of what I have.... but I look boring, I'm tired of wearing the same type of outfits. It all comes down to, if you don't feel good about what you're wearing/how you look then you don't feel good about yourself. Clothing is a statement and I don't like what I'm reflecting right now. I want to have fun creating outfits and showing that it matters how I present myself. Just can't do it all overnight so one step at a time :)
