my wardrobe Archives - Page 3 of 10

How to Shop Your Wardrobe, or Why I Own Wooden Hangers

July 6, 2017

We've all read this advice - when you see an outfit in a catalog or magazine that you really like, you should (rather than purchase said outfit) "shop your closet."

I suppose we all know, in some way, what that means - don't buy something, but find something in your current clothes that will do the trick. Sounds logical, doesn't it?

But I suspect that a lot of people don't manage to make this work very well. There's something fundamentally backwards about this advice. I'm not lusting for something that I already own - I'm filled with desire for something NEW. Something FRESH. Something... different.

Frankly, there's no way to get around that desire for novelty; it's hard-wired into our psyche, and no little tip ... View the Post

When You Don’t WANT to Get Rid of Clothes… or When The Closet Purge Goes Awry…

This is just an observation that I've made in the last few days, that I hope might be interesting and/or useful for you...

Belovedest and I live in a roomy, but not insanely large, 1 bedroom apartment. For 6 weeks or so, in March and April, we had a TON of additional furniture in our apartment. Our neighbor was having floors redone, and rather than have her pay to put things into storage, we agreed to host things like a SOFA, a BED, a large number of occasional chairs, and a very bulky and fragile glass cocktail table.

We were... crowded. But we were fine; it really wasn't nearly the inconvenience you might have expected.

After all of the furniture was returned to its home, we realized that we could now get into a closet and a few other ... View the Post

Want to See a Really Adorable Scarf?

May 12, 2017

I plain and simply can't do the New York shoes today - I had a bunch of broken hyperlinks to fix on yesterday's post, and I'm feeling distinctly horrid. (I have a chronic pain condition that I'll tell you all about some day...)But I have to share this with you; last night, Belovedest comes into the apartment after work carrying a gift box. Now, my birthday isn't until the last part of June, but he tells me that he has an early gift for me...

We're going to Paris in September for HIS birthday, but you can bet your bottom dollar that this scarf is going to be in my bag!It's not a Hermès (thank heavens, they can't all be that outrageous!), but it's lovely quality silk, nicely printed, with cheerful images and ... View the Post

New York – A Whole Bunch of Random Thoughts, Observations, and Tales…

New York was lovely - I could live there TOMORROW... Sigh...

Our hotel was very near the United Nations, and the first afternoon we were in town, we went on the tour there. Just do it, trust me. It's a lovely facility, which makes mid-century modern architecture and decor look amazing. The guide that we had was both smart as a whip and a lovely young man, and the experience of being somewhere where everyone is working toward peace and prosperity for the entire human race is absolutely calming and invigorating, all at the same time...

If there aren't active sessions, you get to go into the General Assembly and the Security Council chambers. And I'm just sayin', the gift shop and the bookstore are worth a few minutes of your time ... View the Post

W.H.A.T. to Pack for New York?

May 5, 2017

When you read this, I will be in New York for a long weekend with La Photographe. She's got a chance to photograph at Ellis Island on Sunday, and so we decided to make a long weekend of it! Why not?

But of course, one must pack.... How do you make these choices? I have thoughts - oh do I have thoughts!

(my brain generates acronyms like normal people make conversation...)

W - here are you going? This is pretty critical, because the difference between the city and the beach, or between the mountains and the downtown office, are massive. The joy of going to New York is that I could pack a tutu, a Buddhist monk robe, and a leather jumpsuit, and still be fine... it's pretty difficult to be inappropriate there!

H - ... View the Post

How to Build an “All-Neutral” Capsule Wardrobe in Ivory and Black

March 22, 2017

Someone asked me what this wardrobe would look like with ONLY ivory and black pieces, incorporating prints and patterns as the accents. And someone else asked what I would do if I were choosing how to build on the original 9 Neutral Building Blocks. So I thought I'd incorporate both ideas into one post - a last look at those 9 ivory and black pieces!

First off - these are the pieces that I would add, if I were going to build on the neutrals. It would be really easy to just get seven striped garments! But I always love a good marled sweater, the mitered skirt is a fun way to slim one's hips, and then there's that Keith Haring tee shirt that I like so much...

And just for reference, the original nine ... View the Post

My Year Without Shopping – March 2017; What do you buy when you aren’t shopping for “clothes”?

February 28, 2017

Today (I write a day ahead...) is the 57th day of my shopping fast, and so far I'm feeling very minimal pain or unhappiness from my choice. I see beautiful things that I admire - every day! - but I remember something that I wrote a long time ago, and so I admire, and then I walk away. (literally, or digitally!)

But just because I'm not buying "clothes" - meaning all of those things that I wear out and about in the world - doesn't mean that there's no shopping that really should be done.

I pondered this question at length, and have concluded that there are, in fact, six categories of apparel that might need to be... "shored up" through the year. Not buying scarves, jewelry, or pretty sweaters might free up my ... View the Post

My Year Without Shopping – February 2017

January 30, 2017

So far, so good for my year without shopping!

I bought one thing in early January, using a gift card that I received for Christmas. I've been searching for a hands-free way to carry essentials when I travel, and I never have much luck with crossbody bags. When I saw this very modestly sized - but not twee - backpack, I knew it would work well. It holds my travel toiletries, my tablet, and my backup phone battery, so it's just about perfect. So far...

I really like it's low key look - just the one logo, simple leather zipper pulls etc. And I'm the kind of person who always gets confused when I have a bag with lots and lots of pockets. "You'll be so organized..." Nope, I'm just rummaging around trying to remember ... View the Post

What I Packed for Ireland, and Why

By the time this is posted, I will in fact be back from Ireland, and in Florida! My head spins at the very thought....

But my packing for Ireland is pretty compact (as usual) and I had a specific approach that might be worth keeping in mind.

First off, my travel outfit, which includes one of my "target garments" to try to wear a lot in January:

Please note that I'm also checking a suitcase, because I am of course bringing undergarments and pajamas with me, as well as fleece leggings and a couple of wool base layer shirts. I've got gloves and a couple of Buff fabric gizmos in my parka pockets, too!

Because the whole purpose of this trip is to reacquaint ourselves with Dublin, we're going to be walking a lot, and thus I'm ... View the Post

My Year Without Shopping – January 2017. The Reasons, The Method, and The Rules

January 3, 2017

Yes, it's true, and it's long overdue; I'm taking a year off from shopping! I've begun to feel just a bit too much like this:

Untitled (I Shop Therefore I Am) by Barbara Kruger

(By shopping, I'm including clothes, jewelry, and all accessories.) It's become apparent that I have a lot more clothes than I need, especially when considering my current life. It's not uncommon for me to spend at least 2 days a week in gym clothes - I'll wake up and put them on immediately, but then won't actually GET to the gym until mid- to late-afternoon. By the time I've finished working out and cooling down, (at least in the winter) it's time for me to shower and put on my pajamas! I could get ... View the Post

What to Pack for Paris? The Easiest Answer, So Far!

November 29, 2016

Yes, I got back from Florida late Sunday night. And yes, I'm leaving for Paris on Thursday....Somehow, that got past me when I was planning these trips individually! But it's going to be fine.

When planning a travel capsule wardrobe for cold weather, it's critical to start with your outerwear. During the day in Paris, virtually EVERYONE is going to see me in my coat, and only the rare person in a restaurant and maybe a museum will see what's underneath. Thus, the coat is pretty important!

For this trip, I felt like I wanted to wear my red Barbour jacket. Partly because I want a break from black, partly because it's a wonderful jacket (with two big snapped pockets that completely obviate the need for a ... View the Post

My Travel Capsule Wardrobe Packing: Italy, September 2016

August 23, 2016

We're leaving for Italy in less than 2 weeks, which means I need to get this travel capsule wardrobe sorted! I'm notorious for having my suitcase out a month ahead of time...

But seriously, I should start setting things aside so that (a) I don't forget anything, and (b) I don't carelessly wear something that I want to pack, 2 days before we leave, and find that I have to do laundry at the last minute. There'll be quite enough laundry the last morning, because we like to return home to clean sheets, clean towels, and as little in the laundry bags as possible!

As always, I start with what I'm going to wear on the flight. I'm still undecided about accessories (probably an upcoming blog post?) but I know that I'm going ... View the Post