dress up my wardrobe

I’ve been making good progress on this goal, to the detriment of my sorry wallet. But still, wearing prettier things makes me feel more confident and happier. I used to be such a plain dresser. What a waste. Here I’m listing what I have and what I still need, though thankfully, I’m almost done for this season. Totals do not represent cost of all clothing, but what I spent this time to update the wardrobe.

What I have

1. 2 pairs of long jeans, 1 pair capri cut.
2. 3 pairs of black pants.
3. 1 pair of khakis, 1 pair dark green. (Total bargain! $63)

4. Dressier blouses (4) (T—$60)
5. Pull-over sweaters (3) (T—$80)
6. T-shirts
7. Tanks (T—$10)

8. Jean, brown corduroy & black suede jackets.
9. Button down sweaters (T—$8)
10. Skirts
11. Dresses (T—$32)

8. Long boots (T—$171)
9. Short boots
10. Sneakers
11. Walking shoes
12. Thong sandals (T—$20)
13. Slip-on black shoes

To be continued…

Total so far: $445.

Possible returns—
Green silk blouse, $30, if I can find the receipt. done
Camisole, $15.
Black dress, $32. keeping it

I hate returns, but I need to be conscious of my budget, and unfortunately, it all does add up.

1. Two pairs dark pants
—one for day
—one for day & night

2. Two pairs jeans
—one hemmed for heels
—one hemmed for with flats & sneakers

3. Three skirts
—A-line in black
—A-line in a fabric with drape for day & evening
—Neutral in a mixable fabric

“Closet shopping” is a phrase one of my friends uses when she dives into her closet packed with clothes and accessories and dresses herself up. In my case, it was about cleaning out the closets and drawers. I laid everything out in piles on the carpet and draped over the sofa and chairs, and went through everything piece by piece. In my mind, while I looked at the piece of clothing, I asked myself, “If I were at the mall, would I buy this again?” If the answer was no, it was going to the garage sale. If yes, I kept it.

I’m not completely done yet, but I did go through most of my clothing. I also treated myself to a beautiful pair of black leather Ecco boots, knee-high, to wear with skirts. They were expensive, but I hardly ever treat myself to something really nice. And this time, I told myself that I was worth it.

This same day, I also bought two blouses and two skirts, from the clearance section at Macy’s. They were dressier than I usually wear but in my style. I want to start looking good!

What I want to do is to create a wardrobe out of my clothes suitable for work and for casual days where I consistently look good and feel comfortable. Right now, I feel comfortable, but my clothes look so frumpy on me. Doesn’t help with this extra weight I have.

First, I plan to sort through my clothes and give away things that fit any of these criteria:

1. Haven’t worn in over a year
2. Look frumpy or too worn or old
3. Are uncomfortable