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“Benchwarmer Project” Update – February 2013

About a month ago, I introduced my “Wardrobe Benchwarmer Project,” which is a catchy term for my efforts to wear and evaluate everything in my closet this year.  In 2012, I had 146 garments and shoes which were only worn once or not worn at all during the entire year!  I termed these items “wardrobe benchwarmers” (because they sat on the sidelines in my closet) and I was quite dismayed to learn that they constituted close to half of my wardrobe!

I love a good challenge and this year is all about challenge for me in terms of my wardrobe and shopping.  I’ve created compelling goals and strict rules for myself in order to overcome my destructive compulsive shopping habit, and I’ve also decided to address my “wardrobe benchwarmers” head on.  Each month, I will address one or more categories of benchwarmers, wear the items in question, and make definitive decisions as to whether they should remain in my wardrobe or be passed on for someone else to use and enjoy.

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You Don’t Need a Large Wardrobe to be Stylish

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a large wardrobe.   I’ve always adhered to the “more is better” philosophy when it comes to my clothes.  Much of my over-shopping in my adult life can be attributed to my wanting to dress well, as I thought a full closet was part and parcel of being stylish.

Whenever I felt less than chic, I assumed a shopping trip was in order to add new fabulous and trendy pieces to my wardrobe.   This regular practice has led me to where I am today, with a packed closet of over 300 pieces, most of which have been purchased during the last three years.  While I have been diligent at doing regular closet audits, my continuous shopping has generally replaced all of my discarded items – and then some!

Full closet not always stylish

A large wardrobe does not automatically make you stylish!

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Favorite Outfits – January 2013

Today’s post introduces a new monthly feature for “Recovering Shopaholic.”  Each month, I will post photos of my favorite outfits from the previous month.

Why post my outfit photos?  This is not really a fashion blog, but I will periodically include photos of my outfits to illustrate style concepts or demonstrate the power of remixing wardrobe items.  The outfit photos I post will usually be more educational than artistic or aspirational, but my monthly favorite outfit posts will serve a different purpose.

Revisiting My Goals

When I started my “Recovering Shopaholic” project and blog, I created a series of goals for myself for 2013 and beyond.  Two of these goals are as follows:

  • Create a more manageable and minimalist wardrobe filled only with items I love and wear.
  • Define and express a personal sense of style that resonates well with who I am and where I am in life.

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Thoughts on the Target Designer Collections

Shopping the Target Designer CollectionsOn Tuesday, I needed to return something to Target.  While I was there, I decided to check out their latest designer collaboration.  These designer collections, the most recent of which is Prabal Gurung, receive a lot of hype and often sell out within days of their release.  In fact, I half expected to see nothing left of this latest collection, as it was released on Sunday.

I knew I couldn’t buy anything, as I had already made my February clothing and accessory purchases, but I was curious as to the look and quality of the new collection.  I had seen quite a bit of buzz about these items on Facebook, with various stylists and style aficionados touting their “scores” from the coveted line.  I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about.

“Ho-Hum” and Not Worth the Fuss

When I reached the Prabal Gurung display, I was surprised that a wide assortment of garments and accessories was still available, although the size selection was a bit sparse.  I perused the offerings and my overall impression was “ho-hum” at best.   I’ve seen Prabal Gurung’s garments on celebrities and the Target offerings couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing in terms of fabric quality, design, and construction.  In my humble opinion, the Target pieces looked cheap and flimsy and not even worth their relatively low prices.

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What is a “Normal-Sized” Wardrobe?

NOTE:  The topic of this post has been revisited in an updated December 2016 post.  To read my updated and expanded thoughts on the topic of a “normal-sized” wardrobe, please CLICK HERE.

Last week, I received my March issue of Oprah Magazine, with the theme of “De-Clutter Your Life… And Discover the Incredible Lightness of Less.”  One article which caught my eye was “The Closet De-clutterfest for Couples.”  This article profiled a couple who helped each other purge their closets of old and unwanted items.

Husband Mike’s Closet Audit

Inspired by what I read, I suggested to my husband Mike this past weekend that we do some closet de-cluttering ourselves.  Since I regularly review the items in my closet and had done a “mini purge” not long ago, I recommended we tackle his wardrobe first.  He didn’t think we would find too many cast-offs in his closet, but when all was said and done, we had filled two large bags for donation and one large bag of garments to be tossed.   In contrast to my situation, some of Mike’s clothes were actually worn out enough to hit the trash heap instead of the Goodwill.

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