Pardon the Interruption! (Plus a Pinterest Plug)

Sorry for the brief hiatus there folks! I have a million and one excuses on why I haven’t blogged over the past two weeks: Busy with work, possibly coming down with a cold, Cubs Opening Day, yada, yada, yada…  There’s good news though! Even though I haven’t been blogging, I’ve still been thinking about the blog and ways to inspire all of you to dig deep in your closets before hitting the shopping malls this spring and summer.

First on the agenda: It’s time for spring cleaning! Just like I purged before starting this endeavor in the Fall of 2011, it’s time to clean out the closet. If I didn’t wear the sweater this past winter, then it’s time to pass it on! Even though I vowed to wear everything at least once before buying anything new, I’m not looking at this as an excuse to get to the finish line faster. Instead, I’m looking at it as an opportunity to be realistic about the amount of clothes one girl really needs. If I was “trying” to wear all of my clothes and I haven’t worn it, then I’m going to take that as a sign that I probably a few too many sweaters sitting in the pile that could be keeping someone else warm!

Second on the agenda: PINTEREST! Are you on it?!  And more importantly, are you following me?!  You can follow posts from the Wear Everything Project as well as my Outfit Inspiration Board to get ideas on outfits you can create from things you already own! So, with that in mind, it’s time I announce that each week I’ll be including at least one post that focuses on an outfit inspired by my Pinterest Outfit Inspiration Board.  Look for the first one tomorrow, but start following me on Pinterest Today!

April 12: Black Sleeveless Dress (American Apparel) and Black Cardigan (Walmart!) with brown boots and belt

 

What I’m NOT Buying this Season

Sorry for my lack of posts so far this week, but it’s been a crazy one! My outfits have also been fairly uninspiring and not all that much fun to take pictures of. On the plus side, I’ve been crossing items off my inventory list left and right! It’s hard to believe, but in just under 3 months I’ve worn 40 percent of my closet.

Even though I’m proud of my progress, it doesn’t mean I don’t dream about new spring clothes. It’s hard to ignore it with all of the New York Fashion Week press and articles that are screaming “WHAT TO WEAR NOW!” Never mind that it’s 36 degrees today in Chicago and the outfits consist of mini skirts and chiffon tank tops.

So here it is– my spring wish list of what I would  be buying!

1. Bright Jeans– They’re everywhere and hard to ignore! If your wardrobe is in need of a burst of color, then this is a simple way to add one item to your closet that will carry you through the spring and summer months. My Picks:

AG Adriano Goldschmied Jeans, also available on piperlime.com

The Chelsea Jean by Joe's Jeans in Gold, Available on Piperlime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Bright Blazers- While we’re at it, why not add a fun pop of color to the top half too? You can pair one with jeans for a casual look, black pants for work, or with those bright jeans for a totally on trend look ! My Pick:

Gibson One Button Blazer , available at Nordstrom

3. Color Block- While we’re at it, why not add in a fun color block tee or dress to round it all out? I love these two options:

Color Block Slub Top from Forever 21-- LESS THAN $10

Color Block Dress from Express

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Open-Weave Knits– A great way to transition from winter to spring and look effortlessly chic. My Pick:

Halogen Textured Long Sleeve Sweater, from Nordstrom

5. Lace- Soften up those colors and harsh stripes with the soft touch of lace. This is what’s on my list!

Brocade Yoke Sweater, from Forever 21

Joie 'Rori' Sleeveless Lace Dress, from Nordstrom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fringed Lace Top, from Anthropologie

So what’s on your list? What have you been buying? And what do you already have in your closet that is inspired by these trends? Happy Spring Shopping!

Flurries and Florals

Time to think Spring! Today’s forecast calls for a high of 20 degrees and flurries, so of course I busted out a short sleeve fluttery floral print dress. Even though I have plenty of unworn sweaters to get me through the next few months, it’s fun to change it up and prove that everything in my closet is there for a reason.

For all of you Top Chef fans out there, I would call today’s look  “a play” on a summer dress. I started with a short-sleeved floral print chiffon dress and paired it with a chunky zip up sweater, cozy tights, and boots.  What do you think? And do you have any tips or tricks for making different pieces work through multiple seasons? Let us know!

January 19: Floral dress (Express), Cable Knit Cardigan (Banana Republic)

Pastels, Graphic Black & White, and Tangerine– Oh My!

Can it really be Friday already?! It’s hard to believe that it’s time to wrap-up my 2012 Color Trend Week. Here’s what I’ve been up to since I last posted.

Wednesday: Pastels

I have to admit this was harder than I thought it was going to be! Even though I was born to wear pastel with my blonde hair and pale skin, it’s a little more difficult to pull it off when it’s 25 degrees outside. I’m not 100% satisfied with what I came up with, so I may try to work this in again in the future. The lesson here, just because you look good in a certain color or color palette doesn’t mean it’s a no-brainer. As Michael Kors and Nina Garcia constantly remind us on Project Runway– it really is all about the styling!

PastelsJanuary 11: Mint V-Neck Sweater (J. Crew), Pink Slub 3/4 Sleeve Tee (J. Crew), Straight Leg Jeans (Joe's Jeans)

January 11: Pink 3/4 Sleeve Tee (J. Crew), Mint Green V-Neck Sweater (J. Crew), Light Wash Denim Jeans (Joe's Jeans)

Thursday: Graphic Black and White

I actually surprised myself on this one and pulled out something different from what I had originally planned to wear. The take-away: if it feels right, just go with it! Who cares if you had something planned? Sometimes your best ideas are when you’re free styling… just ask Jay Z!

Graphic Black and White January 12: Black and White Print Wrap Dress (Target), Royal Blue Cami (NY & Co.), and Royal Blue Cardigan (NY & Co.)

January 12: Black and White Print Wrap Dress (Merona, Target), Royal Blue Camisole (NY & Co.), and Royal Blue Cardigan (NY& Co.)

Friday: Tangerine Tango

We wrap the week up with the Pantone Color of the Year. Behold: Tangerine! Of course the day that I’m slated to wear the spring-iest of all of the color trends happens to be on the snowiest and coldest day of the year so far, but I have to admit that it brightened up this otherwise dull and dreary day. The moral of this Tangerine Tale? Just because it’s gloomy outside, doesn’t mean your outfit has to be! Punch-up the color and improve your outfit and your outlook.

Pantone's Color of 2012: TangerineJanuary 13: Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater (Charter Club, Macy's), Dark Denim Jeans (Joe's Jeans), Statement Necklace (Forever 21)

January 13: Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater (J. Crew), Dark Wash Jeans (Joe's Jeans), Statement Necklace (Forever 21)

Sneak Peek for Next Week: Summer in Winter– I promise, you really can wear it all!

In need of some color!

If you’ve clicked through any of my the pictures I’ve taken for my blog, you’ve probably noticed that I stick to a lot of black, navy, and gray.  Plain old black (not counting anything with stripes or dots) accounts for 53 items in my closet! Add in pinstripes or checks and we’re up to 72 (that’s 25 percent of my closet!). I also own 29 gray pieces of clothing and 27 navy items, for a grand total of 128 clothing items– 44 percent of my closet– that are considered to be dull, drab, or just plain boring.

With that in mind, I decided that I should pay close attention when Refinery29 put out their article “2012 Color Trends- Five you need to know now.”  Here’s the rundown:

1) 70’s Appliances (think harvest gold and avocado green): Um, yeah… I don’t think I really own any of these colors. There’s a reason none of the models in this picture have blonde hair. That being said, I think I can pull this off…

2) Layered Neutrals (think soft oatmeals, browns, tans, and grays): As noted above, I’ve got this one down. For the record, I own three items already that I categorized as “oatmeal.”

3) Pastels (think mint green, blush, and robin’s egg blue): Finally, we’re getting somewhere! Note to self: wear more “blush.” And yes, ironically, I also have a skirt and a shirt that I put into my inventory as “mint green.” This should be fun!

4) Graphic Black and White (does this really need an explanation?): Again, this shouldn’t be problem. I will take extra care to add a “splash of color,” such as an “inky blue” for what is sure to be an “audacious effect”! On trend here we come…

5) Tangerine Tango (Pantone’s color of 2012– yes, this is real): So I have a few items that fall into this category, proving that if you’ve been shopping the right way for the past 27 years, something in your closet is bound to fall into the “color of the year” category.

So now that we’ve all been educated about the 2012 Color Trends, it’s time to take action! Since next week is the first full work week of 2012, I’ll be using each of the five days to show off my take of the new color trends. Nothing says Monday like 70’s appliances, folks!

Until then, here’s another drab gray outfit to check off of my list!

January 6: Gray Sweater Dress (Gap)

Happy 2012!

After a short break for the craziness that is the holiday season, I’m back and happy to report that my commitment to wearing all of the clothes in my closet is still going strong.  My resolution for 2012 is to take more pictures and post at least 3 times per week… I guess I’d better get crackin’ since this week is almost over!

What about all of you? Any good resolutions out there? Let me know!

Confession time: I didn’t take as many pictures of my holiday outfits as I had hoped (so what that really means is that I didn’t take any besides those that my family took), but that’s all about to change folks. From here on out, every post will include an outfit pic and I’m gearing up for the weeks and months ahead with all kinds of inspiration from the new 2012 collections. I’ll also be out to prove that the copious amounts of clothing I’ve been amassing hasn’t been in vain. I’ve just been building my own collection!

So fasten your seat belts and get ready to dig into the depths of my closet (and hopefully yours as well!) as we kick off the new year!

January 5: Black V-Neck Tee (Old Navy), Royal Blue Cardi (New York and Company), Black pants (J. Crew)