update my wardrobe

I’ve had several wardrobe successes in the past few months…

I’ve got all the extraneous junk out of the closet, so when I go in there to get dressed I can actually wear all of the items.

I’ve scored a couple really great finds from charity and second hand shops: an Alberta Ferreti backward wrap top, and a lambertson truex boxcar bag. I am thrilled about the latter!

I went to Nordstrom for a bra fitting. I actually went up a cup size! I picked up three new bras. Now my fitted garments look more sleek bra straps don’t fall down as much.

Getting the seamless undies was the way to go. Big improvement! (And I thought my backside looked like that becuase I needed to lose weight!)

I have resisted the pressure to buy those tunic tops that hit me at the widest part of my hip and make me look shapeless.

And finally…
People keep asking me if I’ve lost weight, but its really just that I’m wearing pants that fit.

Yesterday I wore my new grey wool straight skirt to work and my undies kept riding up and making bunchy folds on my butt. Yikes! I went straight online to jockey.com and bought a couple pairs of Jockey “no panty line promise” bikinis. Hopefully that’ll do the trick.

I’ve managed to cross a couple things off the shopping list.

They had a screaming sale at Benetton, I got a grey straight skirt in a firm wool blend, and a pair of charcoal slacks that show off my assetts nicely. I found some black pumps at DSW, they are reaction kenneth cole and have a flexi rubber sole for comfort. I got a patterned cami and a black cowl neck (low cut) for going out. I also got a blue silk wrap sweater for work.
Finally, I picked up a red coral beaded necklace from the tibetan guy at the farmers market.

That took care of my clothing budget for a little while. Need to save up again before I tackle the rest of the list.

My tailor has been taking in my tailored shirts. Finally, I look like I have a shape! The clothing care has been taking time, but it feels good for the stuff in the closet to be cleaned, pressed, altered, and ready to wear.

Its been tough for me to find jackets/blazers that don’t overwhelm my narrow ribcage and petite bosom. If there are any other pear shaped (“type A”) ladies out there, I am open to suggestions.

I’ve been getting some compliments on both new and old items and outfits, and my husband told me I’ve been looking good lately. That made me feel great.

I mentioned in a previous entry that I bought the Lucky Shopping Manual. This book is okay, but I can’t give it the rave reviews I gave to the pocket stylist.

Lucky has a chapter on each major article of clothing (shirts, suits, pants, etc) using photos to depict the range of styles for each, and sample outfits. There are tips for fit and styling. They also feature profiles of stylish women; these are pretty fun.

The book is a couple years old; although the styles are fairly classic, the pieces shown won’t be in style forever. The wardrobe staples they describe are far more extensive than in the pocket stylist.

I have enjoyed the photos of outfits, and have used the book to develop a concept of what I want to wear (from my own closet) when I feel stuck. Its also helped me develop some new wardrobe combinations.

Its a enjoyable book, but not a must have.

So now I’ve been through my closet, and I am shocked by the result. I truly have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

*I own 12 sweaters. Eight of them are black.
*I own 10 tailored shirts that I can wear to work. Eight of them don’t fit and either need to be tailored (too big) or need to go away.
*I own 5 going out tops, three of which show my love handles.
*I have five pairs of office trousers. None of them fit properly.
*I have 7 pairs of “weekend” pants (color, crops, etc.). I can only get my “ass”ets into one pair, and those don’t even fit properly.
*Of 4 pairs of jeans, only one pair fits well.
*Of 11 skirts, 5 fit properly, 5 are too small, and 1 is too big. None of them are basic skirts in solid colors for work.
*I have two suits. One is a turquoise silk skirt suit only appropriate for weddings and easter. The other is a charcoal grey pants suit with an atrocious fit.
*I have three dresses. One of them I got married in—I don’t plan to wear it again. The little black dress doesn’t fit. The third is a white linen number that I only wear for visiting my parents in the southeast (a white linen sleeveless shift has no practical use in San Francisco).

Things are ugly. Very ugly. I already took a couple bags to goodwill. Looks like I need to take more. Now I have my wardrobe inventoried in a excel spreadsheet, along with comments for what is worn and should be replaced, what I should discard in three months if it doesn’t fit, and what needs to be tailored. I have my shopping list in the spreadsheet, too. This way I can cross off recent aquisitions and track my budget and wardrobe expenditures.

I will post my shopping list as a comment.

Ever since my hubby and I moved into our 520 sf studio apartment (hey, that’s living in San Francisco!) my closet has been a disorganized mess. We have one walk-in closet to provide all the storage for the apartment. I used to have a big wardrobe / armoire but we sold it when we bought our apartment and it wouldn’t have fit anyway.

My husband takes up 2/3 of the closet, including his dresser, clothes, drafting table, guitars, and photo equipment. Yikes! We embarked on a major reorganization weekend, and managed to clear some more space for me.

The most important thing was to get my foldables (including socks, undies, workout wear, t’s, and pants) out of the wicker bins on a high shelf, where I can’t see them, and into some kind of drawers where they are visible.

I bought two little sets of drawers from the Container Store. They are Elfa brand, and allow me to keep my clothes in mesh baskets where I can see them. The only take up about 36 inches of closet space, and they fit under my hanging things. I now have five drawers of my own! It feels so good to get my things out of drawers, and not have to reach above my head for those heavy bins.

I also piked up some see-though plastic boxes: one for my new boots, one for accessories (silk scarves & belts), one for winter accessories (wool scarves, hats, gloves), and one for shoe shine gear. I got an open metal mesh basket for holding my handbags.

Now everything is on matching hangers, neatly folded, or in see-though bins. I feel so much more relaxed about my clothes. Its almost like getting new things just to see my wardrobe lined up like that.

I also took two paper bags to goodwill. I unloaded most of the things that I haven’t worn in the last 18 months. I did keep three skirts and five pairs of pants that don’t fit, but if my new healthy living efforts don’t pay off (by May 1) their days are numbered.

Next I’ll be taking an inventory and making a shopping list.

In my quest to take my sense of style up a notch, I figured I would get some expert help. After scouring reviews of fashion and style books available on Amazon and in the bookstore, I selected and purchased “The Pocket Stylist” by Kendall Farr and “The Lucky Shopping Manual” by Andrea Linnet and Kim France. I haven’t read the latter yet, but I devoured the former and I thought I’d share what I learned. I have already started applying some of the principles.

• The book describes three body shapes (A, B, C) for women who wear standard sizes, and three body shapes (D, E, and F) for women who wear plus sizes. For each shape, the flattering cuts and lines are described, and the cuts to avoid are presented.
• The author then describes the process pruning back your current wardrobe and building a wardrobe of quality basics in flattering cuts. (I was very surprised—the recommended number of garments for this wardrobe of basics was very minimal!).
• The basics of closet organization and clothing care are also discussed.
• The author takes you on a virtual shopping trip, and recommends that you shop based on your measurements (take your measurements and a tape with you) and not based on the size of the garmet.
• To create the right line, a woman’s clothes need to fit perfectly. The author give the details of good fit, and provides recommendations on having your clothes tailored or custom made to acheive proper fit.
• The chapter on undergarments is top notch!
• There is a sparse section on beauty and hair.
• Finally, the book discussing accessorizing. The approach seems to be a mix of buying high quality classics (especially shoes, handbags and coats) and scouting out unique pieces that communicate your individuality (such as vintage jewelry, scarves).

Revelations
I turned out to be a body type A: my hips are larger than my shoulders and I have a narrow torso (this body type applies to women of all breast sizes, though mine are quite small). I’ve always known that my waist was not well defined, so I always thought of my body as being very rectangular and straight. But I’ve always had trouble getting certain garments to fit, especially dresses. I always blamed this on my body, either 1) my legs and hips are too big and I need to lose weight, or 2) my breasts are too small and I need to stuff my bra (In my teens and twenties I imagined that I would someday have breast enhancement surgery. I have grown to be VERY glad now that I did not do that!). Now I realize that no amount of weight loss or bra stuffing is going to make my hips smaller than my torso. The book is right, I need to start choosing clothes that are right for my shape. I’ve been told before that I was pear shaped, but again, I thought that was just code for “you gain weight in your butt and thights, thus you should lose weight”. All my clothing fit problems have suddenly come into perspective. My husband has always been attracted to women with full legs and curvy hips. All this time I did not realize that I am one of them!

The other thing I realized while reading this book is that I have been holding on to eight pairs of pants and twelve skirts with the plan of losing weight and getting back into them (most of them are 1-2 sizes too small). Some of these are five years old!! This is ridiculous. I am actively trying to lose weight (one of my other 43 things) but if I can’t fit in some of these garments by May 1, 2007 (three months from now) they are going straight to the Goodwill thrift shop. No wonder I can’t find any thing to wear—nothing fits!!

• I have been wearing boat neck t’s and shirts with horizontal stripes for years.
• I wear decent colors for my skin tone
• I have the right approach to maintaining a wardrobe of basics (the approach to good fit, and individualizing my look, are another story)

• To dress up or go out, I usually wear solid tops, with skirts in splashy patterns, or black tops with pants in bright colors. Not a good idea! Instead I should wear darker bottoms and brighter, punchier tops.
• My pants fit all wrong. They are too short in length, and the rise is too low (does your crotch hang low? does it wobble to and fro?). One pair bunches under the waist band because there is too much fabric in the seat.
• Many of my tops fit all wrong. They are too big and boxy for my torso, making my top look shapeless. The fit on the jacket to my suit is a wreck.
• I thought wrap tops wouldn’t work for me because I am small breasted. Now I understand that they will hug my torso to make me look like I have a shape.

• Pants with on seam pockets are getting their pockets sewn shut or they are going out the door.
• I need to get some undies that won’t show seams.
• I should not be wearing the same length pants with flats and heels.

After reading this book I feel totally validated in ignoring a number of trends that I see on the street in San Francisco. There is no reason for me to try to wear leggings with shift dresses, high waisted pants with pleats, tunic tops, or pencil skirts (although straight line skirts look almost like pencil skirts once they are pulled over my derriere).

Next Steps
1) Clean out and organize the closet.
2) Develop a shopping list.
3) Visit the tailor.

I recently got my first pair of boots and I am soooo excited.

My calves are 15.5 inches in diameter (I am an avid cyclist). They typcial circumference of a boot shaft is 14 to 14.5 inches. I took to shopping for boots with a tape measure because I could never find any big enough to fit my calf. I would zip them up and the zipper would stop with three or four inches to go.

I know that they make plus calf boots, but these usually have a 17 or 18 inch circumference. The were so big on me that they looked like boots you’d use to muck a horse stall!

I orded a pair of boots online. They had a 15 inch circumference, and I could zip them up but then they were so tight I couldn’t walk.

Finally I took them to Frank’s Shoe Repair on Polk Street. He said he couldn’t stretch them, but he could add a similar piece of leather next to the zipper to expand the boot shaft. He says he does this for women ALL THE TIME! I had no idea you could have boots let out.

So now I have a pair of black leather boots that come below my knee. They are an equestrian-inspired style and have a half inch heel. After years of looking enviously at the city girls running about in boots, I have a pair of my own. Now I can wear skirts even when its cool outside!

Its not that the fashion police have been ticketing me; its just that my sense of style has gotten so BO-RING!

In my mid twenties I was a vintage cocktail princess sporting crazy frocks from the late 50s and early 60s. Eventually I got tired of expending the energy required by always going out in public in what amounts to a costume.

In my late twenties I moved to Europe for a couple of years, got really skinny, and got a bunch of eurotrash clothes. There weren’t even H&Ms in the US at the time. When I moved back with a bunch of H&M and Zara clothes, my body was hard and I was STYLIN’.

Now here I am at 33, working a corporate job and schlepping myself back and forth between downtown SF (live) and downtown Oakland (work).

Two things have happened to take my style sense down a few rungs:
1) I gained a couple dress sizes in the years after my time in Europe. All along I’ve figured I was just a couple months of dieting away from getting back into those leather pants and sexy skirts. I’ve finally come to accept that I should not be waiting around to dress well. I can look good as a size 8/10 and don’t have to wait to get back into size 4/6. Besides, my eurotrash getups from the turn of the millenium may not be the end-all be-all of fashion in 2007. Nobody wants to see me in that ruched, backless, burnt orange H&M top—least of all me.

2) What I want to get out of my clothes is different now. The most exciting part of my life is no longer taking place in bars and clubs or on dates. I want to look professional at work, and slightly hip or design-y for gatherings with friends. I want to feel sleek, confident, and put together. I want to look beautiful for my husband, but don’t want to attract attention from the crackheads down the block. I want the men at work to notice me only for my brains and business acumen. These goals should not be a style death sentence, but I haven’t found a way to transition my fashion sense from the old me to the new me. Instead, I have fallen into a very bland uniform. Everyday I wear a merino v-neck or cardigan in a solid bright (red, royal blue, kelly green), with black or grey trousers and slingbacks with a low heel. On Fridays I wear jeans. I am so bored I could cry.

My new year’s resolution is to improve my wardrobe. I want my work clothes to convey class and composure. I want my going out clothes to say “I’m pretty cool after all”. I want the clothes in my closet to fit me, not me from five years ago. And most of all, I want to quit standing at the mess in the closet saying “What am I going to wear?”.

Wish me luck!