Wardrobe Updates: Learning Myself

 I promise not to write about clothes for days on end. But I wanted to write a follow-up to yesterday's post, because it was an important next step in this project I've been working on for several weeks.

If you missed yesterday's post, you can read it here. I shared about reevaluating my actual clothing needs for this season of my life, which look very different for me than some previous seasons.

My next assignment from the Putting Me Together class was to begin scouring Pinterest to look for inspirational ideas. Her suggestion was (essentially) to think about a particular scenario and then look for outfits you think you would want to wear in that scenario. I made a secret Pinterest board that I named Style Profile, and I fille it with a sub-board for reach of the categories I named yesterday. Then I searched for outfits I might like in each of those categories.

For the most part, I didn't stumble upon any surprises in this part. I know myself well enough to know what kinds of clothing I like and don't like. My preferences are just that...my own preferences. For example, I don't like joggers, so those didn't show up in any category - even lounging at home. I also don't like rompers, because I don't think they work well with my body type. I do like dresses with a defined waist, because swing dresses make me look pregnant. (And I'm not.) I don't like cold shoulder shirts. I don't like super heavy clothing, because I get too hot.

I spent a week or so using my free time to look for outfits and build my boards. I had a lot of fun with this part, too. It's fun to look at clothes and get ideas for how to style different outfits. 

My next assignment was to begin to learn about what colors work with my skin tone. This was surprising to me. I've always worn a lot of jewel tones, and I like them. I'm pretty pale by nature, and I've always felt like those colors brighten up my life. But after doing some study on my skin tone, hair color, and eye color, I learned that I actually should lean more toward softer, muted versions of those jewel tones. Pink is good, but not hot pink. Soft pink. Same for blue, green, and purple. It's not as harsh, and as I've begun to try it, I've learned it's true! It's a more natural look for me. So...yay! I learned something new!

Then I began to think about the specific functionality I wanted my clothes to have. Confused? Let me explain.

Last summer, on our way home from our big vacation, Ryan and I spent a day in Casey, Illinois. You might remember that: small town of big things? It was a fun day of seeing the touristy spots, but we also stopped in a boutique so I could do some shopping. Ryan bought me a pair of workout leggings from their clearance rack, and I love them. I have other workout pants (that are a decade or so old), but these pants have a pocket. Did you hear me? A POCKET! I can slide my phone down in it before I go out for a walk. It is a bigger game changer than I could have imagined. 

What I learned from that purchase is that I want all my future workout pants to have a pocket. I need a place to put my phone!

The same goes for dresses. If I can find dresses with pockets, I want them! (I feel like more dressmakers are putting pockets in them these days, so yay!)

I'm also learning that for most of my clothing, I no longer want a V-neck. Not only do they tend to stretch out and look strange, but if the V is very deep, it doesn't really look appropriate for me. I don't want to be up in front of a women's event and feeling self-conscious about my neckline. If I'm just hanging out at home, it's fine. But if I'm out and about, I want more coverage.

I also don't want super thin shirts. While I definitely appreciate the cool factor for my overheating self, if they're too thin, I have to wear a shirt under them, and that just makes me hotter!

It was exciting to learn all these details as I created my lists. 

Once I had all this knowledge under my belt, I started creating wish lists of specific clothing pieces I want to get. Sometimes I looked for the exact pieces I found on Pinterest. Other times I looked for something similar.

From here, my plan is as follows:

* Go through my present wardrobe and remove anything that is no longer a good fit for me. This would include things that literally don't fit my body, but it also includes things that are not flattering colors or cuts for me. It includes things that look worn or are just very, very old. 

* I frequently receive hand-me-downs, and I love that. Anytime I can get clothing for free, it's a win! But I am pushing myself to be very considerate of what I keep from freebies. I've learned that for me, several of my poor choices over the course of my adult life were pieces I wore because they were free. Merely being free doesn't make it the right choice. I keep my guideline lists and color information on my phone so I can know quickly what works.

* I want to continue to shop second-hand as much as I can. It's important for us to be as frugal as we can be across the board right now, and this includes clothing. Buying super expensive clothing is not realistic for me. Replacing everything at once is also not possible. But again: just because something is on sale or at the Goodwill doesn't mean it's a good choice for me. I want to be a good steward with this project!

* Be thorough in my research and selection about new pieces. I do want some things that are new to me. I want to be able to mix and match how I wear those pieces, and I want my purchases to be flattering in cut and color. I want them to be functional and comfortable, too. It's a lot to ask, I know.

So this is what I've been learning! It's been a fun summer project. I've already gotten a couple of new pieces, and I'm excited to see how they mix and match with other things along the way. (Doing this right before fall/winter and the seasons of layering seems like the most fun!)