I am still thinking about getting to work on my shoe closet. Everything is just sorta jumbled up in there; I don’t think I could find a pair of shoes in there if I tried.

And I’m still looking for good footwear that’s work appropriate, nice with skirts or dresses, but still comfortable and has some personality. It’s a tall order, it seems.

I got a very nice compliment from a lady in my office today. She really liked my outfit, said I looked sophisticated! Wow :P

(btw I’m wearing: black knit spaghetti strap dress with a long sleeve light brown shirt underneath, brown boots, black leggings, and a leopard print ‘cardigan’ over the dress. My new glasses. And I put a little mousse in my hair this morning when I got out of the shower to give my bangs some volume. My nail polish needs a renew; I painted them last week in OPI “I’d like to thank”, kind of a coppery coral pink)

I’ve gone thru my closet and gotten rid of a LOT of stuff. Goodwill should be happy. Next step: get rid of shoes.

I have 2 pairs of work pants now—one black corduroy in a small pattern, and one black denim. One pair of jeans that I’m not 100% happy with, but good for Casual Friday at work. And one pair of jeans that I really like.

I got a good deal at Newportnews.com on some plain long sleeved shirts in various colors: offwhite (will layer under things, not wear by itself!), light brown, dark brown, olive, burgundy, and black. They’re the right ‘weight’ to layer or wear all by themselves.

1 shirt that looks layered but isn’t. cuffs, collar, and hem in leopard print cotton/poly, V neck ‘overshirt’ in dark brown. Spiffy.

2 camis: one dark brown and one leopard print.

2 blazers: one light brown corderoy and one black tux jacket that’s fun and I’ve had since I was 19 or so. Vintage :)

And a long sleeved sort of wrap-cardigan thing in leopard print. It’s not warm, but it’s really cute and can be worn open or wrapped and tied in a few different ways.

I’m mostly going for neutral colors, a couple of prints, and then cool shoes and jewelry.

I’ve been remembering to wear earrings and necklaces. Need to get bracelets, rings and pins someplace where I can easily see them in the morning as I’m getting ready.

Now…SHOES. I have a lot of those little chinese mary janes in different colors, which are cute but not really professional for work.

I’m having a hard time finding shoes that are a good heel height, professional without being old-lady/church shoes, ...I want to find the middle ground between frumpy and precious. I want to look quirky enough to express my personality a bit, but not so odd that people won’t take me seriously.

(OH, and I am kinda nutty…I don’t like open heels, open toes, or open sides on shoes. Picky, picky, I know.)

I have a couple of pairs that work well with trousers, one light brown suede and one in black patent with kind of a leopard print on the tongue area. So I probably don’t need any more shoes that go with pants. But I still like these:

Mudd Knowles
$31.49
Brown

Outlooks Darian
$20.99
Black

Women’s Rampage Tierney Loafers
$28.99
Black

Women’s SO Tamera Dressy Loafers
$29.99
Black

& the Rigid Platform Loafers from goodgoth.com look cool, too but I can’t seem to get a price or size to load.

http://www.goodgoth.com/shoesunder15.htm

NOW, here are the ones I think would look nice with skirts or dresses, but still be sorta ‘me’.

$22.49
Naughty Monkey Women’s Nightie Night Pump
black

These are bordering on “Old lady” but still kinda OK looking:

Aerosoles Women’s Volcano Platform Skimmer
$24.90
comes in Black & Brown

Rampage Women’s Oliviya
$ 29.99
black

Rocket Dog Women’s Rattle Slip-On
$31.99
black

A little too ‘gothic lolita’ for daily wear, and the heel’s probably too high. but still kinda cute:

T.U.K. Women’s Piped Mary Jane Pump
38.95

& These are great, too…but WAY too “young” for work. Also might be too ‘clunky’ for wearing with a dress or skirt.

T.U.K. Women’s Cat Multi Color Mary Jane
$38.95
black

====

Also, I just like these. For general Piratey dress-ups. Probably not daily wear.

RAMPAGE Rugby Motorcycle Boot W/ Knit Trim
$15.00
black

T.U.K. Women’s Jolly Roger Mary Jane Pump
$38.95
black

===

And…these are just WRONG. But I want them for Vegas. (yes, I have a ‘Vegas’ section of the closet—3 tacky shirts with things like dice, money, and cowgirls on them.)

http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merchandiser/19641.jpg
$59.95

Another handy guide I found online:

http://www.bremercommunications.com/Organizing_Your_Wardrobe.htm

ORGANIZING YOUR WARDROBE AT HOME

By Jill Bremer, AICI, CIP

Bremer Communications

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of your closet just staring at your clothes? You see hanging before you a few items you love next to many that-

Look out-of-date?

Need mending?

Don’t coordinate with anything?

Don’t fit your lifestyle?

Make you look fat?

If you feel like you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, you’re not alone. The garments hanging in your closet represent an investment of several thousand dollars. But studies have shown that only twenty-percent of an individual’s wardrobe is purchased wisely; eighty- to ninety-percent of a closet represents a waste of money.

Pulling together a wardrobe that works can be daunting. And that is precisely one of the reasons Image Consultants were created – to help men and women build wardrobes that are flattering, affordable and effective. One of my favorite services as an image consultant is in-home wardrobe planning. I travel to clients’ homes, review and analyze the clothes they currently own and make recommendations for future purchases.

A closet audit is only one piece of the wardrobe puzzle, though. Coloring, body type, personal style and lifestyle must also be taken into consideration. But certainly the chore people dislike most is cleaning out their clothes. Wardrobes should be assessed, thinned out and reorganized twice a year. Here are the steps to accomplish this dreaded task.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Set aside several hours for your wardrobe assessment. Send your spouse to a movie and banish all pets. Make sure you have adequate lighting in the room; bring in additional lamps, if needed. You will also need a full-length mirror. You’ll be trying on all of your clothes, so wear suitable undergarments.

STEP 1

Empty everything out of your closet and drawers. Stack all of your clothing and accessories around the room in piles according to the type of garment: jackets, skirts, pants, ties, sweaters, scarves, etc.

STEP 2

Move from pile to pile and try everything on, even the items you love and wear regularly. Take a long look in a full-length mirror at each item on your body. Honestly assess:

Color – does it flatter your coloring?

Style – does it enhance your assets and camouflage your challenges?

Lifestyle – is it appropriate for some aspect of your life?

Style Expression – does the design, silhouette, fabric and pattern appeal to you?

As you try on the clothes you wear regularly, determine what it is you love about them. Is it the color? The style? Make a note of what makes this garment work so well for you. Your goal is to duplicate those features in all of your clothes. You should feel attractive and comfortable in everything you put on your body. Don’t settle for anything less than feeling terrific! If the item doesn’t work for you anymore, get rid of it!

TIP: If you have an emotional or sentimental attachment to garments you should get rid of, box them up but don’t give them away just yet. Store the box under a bed or in the attic for a while. In six months, you won’t be able to recall what’s inside the box. You’ll then be psychologically ready to part with the items.

STEP 3

After trying on each item, place it in one of four new piles. Things you love, wear regularly, feel comfortable in. Older clothing that just needs a little “pizzazz.” Items to be given or thrown away. Mending (and get it done!).

STEP 4

As you try on your clothes, start a shopping list of what you need to purchase. And take a good look at the items you’re getting rid of. Does this collection shed any light on your shopping patterns? Does it contain too many impulse items or similar types of garments? For instance, do you buy more white blouses than you need? Do you have a stack of ties that don’t coordinate with any of your suits?

STEP 5

Try new combinations of clothing pieces: tops with skirts, jackets with pants, etc. Don’t rule anything out until you try it. You may discover many new ensembles you never knew you had. Be sure to include accessories as you experiment.

STEP 6

Put everything back into your closet and drawers. Hang similar items together – blouses together, pants together, jackets together, etc. Unlike men, women have the luxury of breaking their suits up and wearing each piece as a separate. So I suggest they hang suit skirts with their other skirts and suit jackets with other jackets and blazers. By hanging them up as separates, they will start to see them as independent pieces and new clothing combinations will be easier to spot.

TIP: Use quality hangers in your closet. Hang jackets on shaped wooden hangers. Use clip hangers to hang pants straight, don’t fold pants in half over a hanger.

TIP: When you take off your wool suits at the end of the day, let them hang out overnight before placing back in your closet. This step will help them shed wrinkles, moisture, and odors and regain their shape.

STEP 7

The last step is to prioritize your shopping list into your “List of Five”. Choose the top five items you need most, write them down and keep the “List” with you at all times. When you shop, look only for those five items. If you see something else you like, don’t buy it; just add it to the main list. The “List of Five” will keep you focused when shopping and away from impulse purchases. As you buy something on the “List of Five”, move an item up from the main list to take its place. The impulse item you fell in love with at the store may eventually make it to your “List of Five”. If it doesn’t, you didn’t need it in the first place!

Following these simple steps will help you pare down your wardrobe to the pieces that really work for you. Don’t fret if your closet suddenly looks a bit empty. Think quality, not quantity. Use your prioritized “List of Five” to gradually add more pieces. It took me two years of pruning to do it, but I now have a closet full of clothes I love. The colors and styles are flattering, each piece coordinates with two or three others and I can get dressed in five minutes for any occasion. Conduct your wardrobe audits twice a year and, before you know it, your closet will be your favorite room in the house!

Jill Bremer, AICI, CIP, owner of Bremer Communications, offers training, consulting and coaching in professional image development and presentation skills. Her clients include Oracle, Abbott Labs, W.W. Grainger, U.S. Department of Energy and the National Association of Realtors. She can be reached at 708-848-5945 or at www.bremercommunications.com

I have 3 closets in my house with stuff I rarely wear. I look like crap. I wear jeans and T shirts pretty much all the time. I have cool shoes and jewelry that would look better on me than stuffed away somewhere, but I rarely accessorize. I’d like to have a more put-together look, not just for work, but also in my day to day.

I looked at torrid.com today; most of their stuff is
a) too young/unprofessional
b) polyester
c) big ugly prints
d) made for people without waists (pregnant women? I hate empire waists and anything else blowsy that makes it look like I have more of a belly than I actually do).
e) and too much emphasis on cleavage, which I find personally distasteful because although I do have large breasts, I don’t really feel the need to display them to the world.

I want a more tailored look than Torrid seems to offer, one that will not make me look like a sausage with breasts.

Of course, I have to give props to Torrid for actually using models who wear the sizes they’re selling; I think a lot of plus-size clothing can be disappointing when you see it in the catalog on a size 2 model, order it in your size, and then wow, you don’t look like Ms. Size 2, you look more like…a sausage with breasts. bummer.

So, I’m looking for

1) inexpensive
2) flattering fit
3) adult style
4) natural fabrics
5) hand or machine wash

If at all possible.

I spent a good amount of time at newportnews.com and found stuff that looks good and seems reasonably-priced.

I also like their “10 things 10 ways” feature, that shows you how to mix and match clothing for a put-together look. This one is nice:

http://www.newport-news.com/shop/category_splash.aspx?gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&gp_fashcoll_id=201&nav_cat_id=8212&category_id=8213%20

http://campfrugal.savingadvice.com/2007/11/05/10-items-10-ways-wardrobe_31791/

10 Items, 10 Ways – Wardrobe
November 5th, 2007 at 04:33 am
I love the way the Newport News puts together 10 items to wear 10 different ways. Even after looking at the different ways to put the clothes together, I was able to find another outfit they left out.

http://www.newport-news.com/shop/category_splash.aspx?gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&gp_fashcoll_id=201

Anyhow, I am heading to my closet today to go through my clothes. I want to keep the items I mostly wear and try to do this 10 items, 10 ways look. I am going to get rid of old and worn out clothes and make a list of items I should be replacing. I have noticed that I do like blacks, whites, blues, but I also have browns, grays and some other colors.

I was also looking at the must have’s for the fall season and patterned tights are back in and longer skirts. This might be something I would like to add to my wardrobe. I will try everything on and ask my kids for their honest opinion on how it looks on me and is the color right for me.

Anyhow, I usually wear the same couple items from off the top of the dryer when I do have a closet full of nice clothing. This should be fun.

I started this goal under a different title, but i like this one better.