April 19, 2016 by Debbie Roes

A Year Later: April 2015 Purchase Update

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while knows that I publish monthly accountability updates. These posts (see the most recent one here) include what came into and left my closet in a given month -and why, as well as how I’m doing with my clothing budget and item limit for the year. It’s been very helpful for me to do these updates, as they help me to stay honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals.

Last month, I started a new feature in which I review my purchases a year later to see how well (or not) they have worked out for me. Although I periodically reviewed past purchases previously, I got the idea to review things from a year ago from Mette of “The Yogastic Shopping Planner” (see her most recent edition HERE). Since I started this new series a few months into the year, I began with an update on my first quarter 2015 purchases. Most of my purchase reviews will look back on just one month’s purchases to see whether these items have become wardrobe workhorses or closet benchwarmers. Occasionally, if I bought very few items in a given month, I will combine two months into one update.

Good or bad purchases Continue reading →

April 12, 2016 by Debbie Roes

The “KonMari Method” in the Jewelry Box

In my last post, I shared the results of a wardrobe memory exercise that I recently took on. I tried to remember the contents of my closet and jewelry box without looking. I found that I was able to write down 91% of my wardrobe (including shoes) but only 77% of my jewelry collection. I came to a number of conclusions from doing the exercise, one of which was that I still own too many garments, shoes, and accessories for my lifestyle.

Since it has been almost a year since I used the “KonMari Method” in my closet (I also used the process with my books and compact discs), I have decided to take it on again, beginning with my jewelry. This afternoon, I spent approximately an hour and a half going through my bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry pieces to see what does and doesn’t “spark joy.” In today’s post, I share the process and the results of this session.

My jewelry box is actually much bigger than this one!

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April 8, 2016 by Debbie Roes

Can You Remember Everything in Your Closet?

Do you think you could write down everything in your closet without looking? I recently challenged myself to do just that after reading and article titled “Deep End: Clothing Analytics” on the new “Reasonably Presentable” blog. Here are the basic instructions that I followed this past weekend:

First, write down everything you remember owning, including what color it is.
Put the letter “A” by everything that you feel awesome in every time you wear it.
Put a “W” next to the ones you wear all the time (of course, the definition of “all the time” can be very relative…).
Then go wherever your clothes live and write down everything you forgot to write down.

In today’s post, I share my experience of doing the exercise outlined above, as well as what I learned from taking on that challenge. I highly recommend that you read the entire article and try the exercise for yourself. In addition to the instructions above, the author also shares what sorting through your nail polish collection can tell you about your wardrobe, which could be especially useful for some of you.

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April 4, 2016 by Debbie Roes

March 2016 Accountability Update

I was a bit delayed in posting my January and February accountability updates, so I thought I’d be timelier with the one for March. Also, I don’t have as much to share this time around, so this won’t be as epic a post to write (or read).

For those who are new to the blog, these monthly reports are where I share what came into and left my closet, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and item limit. Sharing what I bought, what I culled, and how much I spent helps me to stay honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals. I’m also going to update you on how I’m doing with my theme for the year, “balance.” I want to make sure to at least check in on my 2016 theme each month, but I also plan to share more in-depth thoughts from time to time. I think it’s important to keep our goals “top of mind” as much as possible.

Being accountable to others can help you stick to your goals.

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April 1, 2016 by Debbie Roes

How a “Rolling Capsule Wardrobe” Can Help with Both Closet Chaos and Personal Style

The following is a guest post from Dianne, who lives in Brisbane Australia. This is the story of Dianne’s battle with clothing chaos and how she’s conquering it through the use of an unconventional capsule wardrobe that she created herself.

If you would like to be profiled in an upcoming installment of the “Stories of Recovery” series (you can be anonymous if desired), please connect with me to share your thoughts.

From Strict Budgeting to Bags Full of Clothes

I love finding bargains. After years of not having money to spend on myself as a stay-at-home mum with three children, I got a part-time job and found that I finally had some extra money to spend on me. This coincided with my losing 12 kilograms of weight. I then had a new figure, a new life, and some disposable income to spend on clothes.

After years of strict budgeting, I didn’t spend that much at first. I slowly started to cultivate my “boutique,” my own shop in my home. I began to buy more and more, and suddenly I became the person who went shopping for sales and came home with bags full of clothes. At some stage, it occurred to me that I was bringing in so much clothing that I couldn’t possibly wear it all. However, I dismissed this thought, as I was stocking my own private store.