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Who Are You Dressing For?

Who are you dressing for?   Although you might immediately answer this question with “myself” and that may be a spot-on response for you, it’s not the case for all of us.  Many people dress more to please or impress others than to make themselves happy.   This is a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and I will share some of my thoughts in today’s post.

Dressing for Others

Do you dress more for others than for yourself?

On Fashion Forums and Lemming Behavior

A few years ago, I used to spend a lot of time on fashion forums.   Some of the participants on these forums post outfit photos and are given feedback on their looks from people all around the world.   The feedback usually centers on whether or not the ensemble is in line with current trends and fits the accepted definition of what is “fashionable.”

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October 2014 Accountability Update

It’s now November and the holidays are right around the corner.  Sometimes I wonder where this year has gone!  Before we know it, 2015 will be here.   I should probably check in with you soon regarding my wardrobe and life goals for 2014, but for now it’s time for my October accountability update.

For those who are new to “Recovering Shopaholic,” these monthly reports are where I share what came into and left my closet during the previous month, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and rules.  It’s my way of keeping myself honest and on track with my goals, and some readers have opted to share their own updates in the comments section to stay accountable, too.

Full Honesty and Accountability

Honesty and accountability can help in our recovery.

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October 2014 “Grab Bag” of Useful Links

Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it!   Since it’s the last day of the October, it’s time for another installment of “useful links” on a variety of subjects.   Included below are links to articles I think you might enjoy on the topics of shopping and shopping psychology, wardrobe management, style, and personal development.  I’m also sharing a few early “Recovering Shopaholic” posts that you may have missed the first time around (or may choose to revisit now).

Happy Halloween with pumpkins

Yes, there are a lot of links in these posts, but I don’t expect you to click on all of them! Just explore the ones that most intrigue you.   You can always go back to this post later via my Archives page if desired.   While you’re on the site, you might also want to check out my Recovery Tips and Resources pages, as well as learn about my book, “UnShopping:  Recovery Solutions from an Ex-Shopaholic.”   And as an FYI, I’m hard at work on my second book, “End Closet Chaos,” and plan to release it before the end of the year.  Stay tuned!  Okay, here are the links:

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Peeling Away the Layers – Another Jewelry Pare-Down

Last week, I shared some of the advice Bridgette Raes gave me in regards to my jewelry collection.   In response to that post, I received lots of comments from readers on the level of duplication among my jewelry pieces, as well as some suggestions for paring things down.    This feedback, coupled with my own feelings of overwhelm with my jewelry, led me to peel back another layer and let some more things go.

Jewelry Pare-Down Process

Is your jewelry collection a manageable size?

In today’s post, I share how I managed to release more jewelry pieces this week and my plans for continuing to cull my collection moving forward.   There will be lots of photos below, but you may also wish to refer back to the full set of photos from last week.   Those images, which I took to send to Bridgette, were what made me realize it’s time to let more pieces go.   Sometimes the old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words is really true! Continue reading →

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Styling Advice from Bridgette Raes – Casual Skirt Outfits

Last week, I shared my initial debrief of my second virtual style consult with Bridgette Raes.  In that post, I wrote about Bridgette’s feedback on paring down my large jewelry collection and cultivating a more workable accessories wardrobe.   Bridgette’s words of wisdom coupled with readers’ comments provided some excellent food for thought – and now I want to do some more culling!  I’ll be back with a follow-up on that topic before too long, but today I’d like to talk about skirts.

A Skirt Conundrum Revisited

Skirt outfit advice

In my first session with Bridgette back in August, we reviewed a few of my skirt outfits, two of which were very corporate and/or church-worthy and not at all appropriate for the life I lead.   Using Bridgette’s feedback, I put together some new skirt outfits that I hoped would be more suitable for my casual lifestyle.  In today’s post, I share what Bridgette had to say about my skirt ensemble “reboots,” as well as my follow-on thoughts and future plans for this area of my wardrobe.

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