Wardrobe Management

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A Winter Wardrobe “Benchwarmer” Update

In my last post, I shared my November Accountability Update, including what came into my closet, what left, what I wore, and my clothing budget status.  I had intended to include an update on my “wardrobe benchwarmer” project as well, but the post was already more than long enough!  Instead, I opted to do my benchwarmer update separately, so that’s the topic of today’s post.  This way I can also go into the level of detail and statistics that my “inner nerd” enjoys and which many of you appreciate.  Win, win, I say!

Benchwarmers

Not all “bench warmers” are as cute as these guys!

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What I’ve Learned from Shopping My Closet

As much of the world moves into the frenetic shopping blitz of the holiday season, I’d like to talk about a different type of shopping, the “shopping” we can do in our own closets.  I first heard the term “shop your closet” a few years ago on a fashion forum and I have to admit that it didn’t sound like much fun to me at the time.  As a dyed-in-the-wool shopaholic, I believed the only shopping I could enjoy was the type that took place in malls or on e-commerce sites.  I was always looking for what was new and better than what I already had.

Benefits of Shopping Your Closet

Have you taken the time to shop your own closet?

Before this year, I regularly purchased at least 150-200 new clothing and accessory items per year.  I bought so much – and so fast – that I generally had little idea of what I already owned.  My closet was so jam-packed that even if I spent a large chunk of time looking around in there, I still wouldn’t have been able to remember most of what I possessed. Continue reading →

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Wanting Less and More at the Same Time

As human beings, we can sometimes be walking contradictions. We often say one thing and act in a completely opposite manner.  This is definitely true for me in terms of minimalism and simplicity.  I say I want a simpler and less complicated life, yet my past “maximalism” still hasn’t been completely exorcised from my psyche.

Less and More Dichotomy

Do you struggle with the less vs. more dichotomy?

Another Type of Excess Besides Clothes

I’ll tie this discussion in to clothing and wardrobe shortly, but allow me to start with another personal example…  I subscribe to a lot of magazines; too many, in fact.  This excess happened gradually, as I regularly received low-cost subscription offers from a number of publications.  I’d see the offer and think, “Only $12 for a year?  Of course I’ll subscribe!”  And so it went, until piles and piles of magazines were delivered to me each month. Continue reading →

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Do You Save Your Clothes “For Good”?

Many of us have quite a few clothes in our closets that are rarely or never worn.  The reasons these clothes are gathering dust are many…  They may no longer fit our current bodies or suit our present day lifestyle, or we may simply not love them anymore.  These are all good reasons for passing things along to friends, family members, charity, or consignment.  There’s little sense in keeping things around that no longer work for who we are today.

Why We Save Our Clothes “For Good”

However, there’s another reason why our clothes don’t see much, if any, wear.  Sometimes we’re simply saving them “for good.”  What does that mean?  Saving “for good” is when we don’t want to wear clothes we actually like – or even love – for one of the following reasons:

  • We think our everyday occasions aren’t good enough for wearing our “nice clothes.”
  • We’re afraid of wearing out our favorite clothes and having to replace them.
  • We’re afraid we may never be able to find such nice clothes again, so we should only wear them on “special occasions.”

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A “Mixed Bag” of Useful Links

My “useful links” posts are generally centered around a particular theme, but I’m going to mix it up a bit today…

Today’s links are to articles I’ve read (and one video I watched) over the past week that I think will be of interest to my readers.  While some of these articles are on popular blogs (so you may have already seen them), others are from newer or less well-known bloggers.  I’m happy to introduce you not only to interesting and thought-provoking articles, but also to excellent blogs you might decide to follow.

Mixed bag of useful links Continue reading →