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Wardrobe “Benchwarmers” Past and Future

I’ve written several posts on the concept of “wardrobe benchwarmers,” my term for closet pieces that were worn only once or not at all during a given year (read more here).  Sadly, I had 146 wardrobe benchwarmers for 2012 (125 garments and 21 pairs of shoes), which was close to half of my wardrobe!  With my wardrobe benchwarmer project, I vowed to wear and evaluate all 146 benchwarmers this year and either integrate them into regular closet rotation or pass them on to someone else who might love and wear them.

Excellent Progress But…

I’ve made excellent progress on dealing with my wardrobe benchwarmers over the course of this year.  As of the end of August, I had consigned or donated roughly two-thirds of them and had worn and evaluated all but 17 of the remaining items.  I felt pretty proud of myself, but then something dawned on me…

I’ve been so focused on dealing with my 2012 benchwarmers that I didn’t stop to consider my potential 2013 benchwarmers!

Since there is only one quarter left in the year, I decided to take some time to look at my wardrobe benchwarmers past and, perhaps, future.  My fellow data nerds out there will love this post, as I include lots of numbers!  But I hope the more right-brained of the group will also stay tuned, as I include photos and useful insights about my wardrobe that can also be applied to managing your closet. Continue reading →

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September Accountability Update

It’s hard to believe that nine months of the year are already behind us!  The year is going by fast and while I feel I’ve made progress with my “recovering shopaholic” project, I know I’ll need at least another year (if not longer!) to get to where I want to be.   I have to continually remind myself that after over three decades of compulsive shopping behavior, I won’t conquer my problem overnight.  As with all major life changes, it takes time to recover from shopping addiction.

Doing my monthly accountability updates is helpful, as they keep me aware and honest about my behavior.   As I prepared my August accountability update, I was shocked at how many new pieces had made their way into my closet.  This month, I was much more conscious of my shopping and as a result, my wardrobe additions were fewer and more well thought out.  I still feel I made too many purchases, but the pendulum is swinging in the right direction.  Read on for a full update on what left my closet, what came in, how much I spent, what I wore, and how I fared in adhering to my shopping rules. Continue reading →

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Useful Links on Pants and Jeans Fit Issues

In my Monday post, “Neglected Wardrobe Areas – Part Two,” I wrote about my issues with finding pants that fit well and are flattering on my figure.   In the comments to that post, I not only received lots of suggestions for finding pants (many thanks!), I also learned that many of you also struggle in the pants arena.  Consequently, I decided to devote today’s useful links post to sharing resources to help us deal with these (usually) essential garments that can be troubling to find, wear, and love.

Pants are Tricky, But Online Resources Abound!

Shopping for pants and jeans

Do you have trouble finding pants and jeans that fit you?

In this post, I share some links on the following topics:

  • Proper pants fit
  • Finding pants and jeans that fit
  • The proper length for various types of pants (and tops to wear with pants)
  • How to wear those tricky cropped trousers we see pretty much everywhere these days (for those who dare!)

Continue reading →

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How to Tell if a Piece is a Classic

The following is a guest post from Erin DePew (this is Erin’s second guest post – read her first one here).  Erin is a web developer and graphic designer who happens to love shoes almost as much as “hackathons.”  She also enjoys musing on minimalism, client-side scripting, and the pursuit of the perfect pumps.  

If you have an idea for a guest post on “Recovering Shopaholic,” please connect with me to share your thoughts.

Every woman knows that having a closet of classic pieces is the secret to a versatile wardrobe. Of course, actually finding classic pieces is a lot easier said than done. While top-ten lists and fashion blogs are a good place to start, it’s important to take the time to learn your own personal style and to find out what your classics are. Because at the end of the day, some of us are just never going to wear a white button-down.

Distinguishing Classic Pieces

Can you tell if a piece will stand the test of time?

Even if you know what your personal classics are, it can be overwhelming to wade through the myriad of options out there. Here are five simple ways to tell if a piece is a classic or a trend du jour. Continue reading →

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Neglected Wardrobe Areas – Part Two

Back in May, I wrote a post titled “Neglected Wardrobe Areas,” which addressed the issue of people not shopping for the wardrobe items they need most.  I wrote that even though I spend a lot of time in workout clothes and lounge wear, I generally spent less than 10% of my clothing dollars on such pieces.  Until recently, I didn’t believe these types of clothes were important enough to merit a larger portion of my wardrobe budget.   I now understand it’s important that we feel good about the way we look in all situations, even when we’re sitting at home in front of our computers.

Other Areas of Wardrobe Neglect

While I’ve successfully upgraded my at-home and workout wear in recent months, I’ve come to realize there are other areas of my wardrobe I’m neglecting for different reasons.   Although I still have a large wardrobe, my closet is sadly lacking in terms of bottom pieces, especially pants.  Most of my pants are at least two years old and many are from more than four years ago.  I’m doing a bit better with skirts, but half of my skirts date back to 2010 or earlier.

Neglected wardrobe areas - pants

Do you neglect certain areas of your wardrobe when shopping?

Even though I’m someone who shops a lot, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to older clothes, particularly if they are still in decent condition and are a good fit for your body and lifestyle.  However, I don’t love most of my pants.  Many are showing their age, and most could really stand to be replaced at this point.  So you may wonder why I haven’t replaced them during one of my many shopping trips this year or last. Continue reading →