Happy DIY Day!

Just a quick post to update you on my DIY success from yesterday!

I may not be Gwyneth, Mila, or Kristen:

Capped Toe Pumps in Action

But, I’m still pretty stoked about easy it was to create my own pair or pumps:

A Black Canvas

I’ve come to the point in my challenge where I’ve worn many of the items in my closet and the majority of the ones that are left are either summer items (shorts, tank tops, and sun dresses) or more formal attire options. So, unless it warms up soon (fingers crossed!) or I start wearing cocktail dresses to work (hmm… that could be fun!), I’m going to have to start cycling through some old outfits.

With this in mind, I’m thinking this is the perfect time to introduce you to my black canvas. Just like a blank canvas, this outfit screams to be added to! It’s also a great opportunity for me to emphasize (one more time)  that you can totally transform two items that everyone owns (a black shirt and black pair of pants) into a million different outfit combinations, just by adding a few accessories. I’ll be bringing this plain black outfit back every now and then to further illustrate my point– so keep your eyes open for future posts!

Today I simply added an ombre polka-dot scarf and a pair of green sling-backs for a pop of color and ta-da: outfit bliss 🙂

The Plain Black Canvas

 

The finished product!

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

 

More than Meets the Eye

Another day, another misfit clothing item to conquer! Even though I’ve owned this simple cotton dress from Old Navy since at least 2008, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually pulled it out of my closet. I bought it thinking, “This will be a great all-around piece for my closet- I can dress it up for work, I can pair it for boots on the weekends… ”

<INSERT GAME SHOW BUZZER NOISE HERE>

How wrong I was! I don’t know if it’s the color or the cut, but something about this dress never seems quite right when I go to wear it. So, with that realization out of the way, I decided that if you can’t fix it, change it! Instead of trying to make this dress work, I covered it with a simple black turtleneck and totally changed the look  from a dress to a skirt and top combo. Brilliant!

We’ve all seen this advice in various fashion magazines, and now I know why– it totally works! The best part is that, while this works great for a dress that you don’t love anymore, it’s also a great way to stretch an outfit while traveling and totally transform a dress that you do like!

Before:Warning! This picture looks like a typical “Before” shot from an infomercial because I didn’t realize until I uploaded the picture that my eyes are half closed. Feel free to laugh 🙂

Burgundy Dress, Old Navy

 

After:

Paired with a Black Turtleneck from The Limited

Emergency Outfit

Today I woke up late…eek! But never fear, I had an emergency outfit idea ready to go. Remember a few months ago when I posted about the dreaded “I have nothing to wear” syndrome? Well, I took my own advice and taped a list of ideas inside my closet door. Not only does this work great when you stare into the depths of your closet and can’t seem to find a single thing, but it’s also a lifesaver when you have exactly 2 seconds to throw on an outfit!

So, can you tell I got up late?

The Classic LBD

You know you’ve got one: A Little Black Dress (LBD) that you break out only once or twice a year. Or perhaps, like me, you got sucked into buying a dress as a part of a suit combo. You wore it to one big meeting– three years and two jobs ago.

Using the InStyle Instant Stylist Game’s “Day Dress” Round, I found the inspiration I needed to transform a sleeveless, suit-based LBD with other pieces  into a great winter work outfit.  I opted for a turtleneck and ribbed tights with chunky heels, but you can easily achieve the same look with a collared or bow blouse, or even a plain long-sleeved tee. You can also take a simple sleeveless dress and jazz it up for going out with a bright colored top or tone down a sparkly sleeveless party dress by pairing it with a plain black long-sleeved tee or turtleneck. Let me know what you come up with!

Today’s Classic Look:

January 25: Gray Turtleneck Sweater (Mossimo), Black Sheath (J. Crew)

The InStyle Inspiration:

Let’s Revisit the Classics!

I often describe my style as classic, so it’s no wonder that I jumped on the chance to re-create the “Revisit Your Classics” looks featured in the February 2012 issue of InStyle Magazine. Double Bonus: the  Instant Stylist game on the InStyle Website has a “Revisit Your Classics” Round right now!

The game challenges you to select the best item to complete their outfit and gives you tips and tricks as you play– genius! Since I’d already painstakingly studied each page of the magazine, I already knew the “answers” but make sure to check it out. There are lots of rounds and tons of outfit ideas to keep you inspired.

Today’s Classic Look: Since I don’t have a blazer in a bright color, I added a pop of color with a bright yellow sweater!

Fave Jeans: Dark Wash Straight Leg Jeans (Joe's Jeans), Yellow Sweater (H&M), Navy Blazer (Forever 21)

The InStyle Inspiration:

Summer Clothes in Winter? Of Course!

Although it’s arguably the coldest week of winter so far, it doesn’t mean you can’t think warm thoughts! What better way to transport yourself to a sunnier place and time than by pulling out a few summer items and incorporating them into your routine?!

Don’t think you can do it? I’m here to prove to you this week that it’s super easy!

Example A: Capris

No one has to know that you’re rocking your favorite cropped pants when they’re tucked into boots! Your ankles stay warm and as an added bonus, it’s easier to wear the boots to begin with because you aren’t jamming all of that extra fabric in there. Voila! (Sorry that the picture doesn’t make it obvious, but I promise you I am wearing capri leggings tucked into black boots!)

January 16: Black and White Strip Top (The Limited), Black Capri Leggings (Target)

 

Example B: The Sleeveless Blouse

Think that just because it’s January that it means you have to stick to long sleeves? Wrong! I’ve found that my sleeveless blouses are perfect for pairing under a sweater for two reasons: 1) You don’t have to rearrange everything and get the sleeves “just right” like you do when you wear a long sleeved shirt, and 2) You’re totally ready in case someone asks you how to get to the gun show (Bad Humor, but c’mon… you chuckled)!

Vast Improvement! Navy V-Neck Sweater (J. Crew), Sleeveless Ruffle Blouse (NY & Co.), Straight Leg Jeans (Paige Denim

Boring Sleeveless Blouse

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)