One Month Down!

It’s been exactly one month since I took on the challenge to wear all of my clothes before purchasing any new ones and I’m going strong! As of today, I have worn 55 items in my closet or 17.8 percent of my clothing. At this rate, I should be on track to wear all of my clothes in about 6 months… which sounds crazy, scary, and exhilarating all at the same time.

With Christmas coming up this weekend, I’m also guaranteed to receive a few new items of clothing as gifts. I can’t wait to add them into the mix and keep the challenge going! I’ll make sure to update you on any new additions to my closet and I have some fun ideas to share over the next few days, so stay tuned!

Day 29: Silk Blouse (New York & Co.) and Black slim-fit trousers (J. Crew)

You really don’t need to buy a new dress!

Perhaps my biggest sin when it comes to shopping is the belief that I need something new to wear because the event involves wearing a dress. Unlike pants and tops, it’s difficult to make a dress look different… or so I thought! My company holiday party was this past Saturday and instead of treating myself to a new dress as I’ve done so often in the past with formal events, I thought of fun ways to re-style something I already owned.

Although I forgot to snap a picture before hitting the party, I’ve created the style boards below using ShopStyle to give you an idea of how I took a simple, strapless teal cocktail dress (that I normally would have paired with strappy sandals and called it good), and totally transformed it!

My simple cocktail dress make-over strategy consisted of adding the following:

• Black Blazer– instead of a cardigan or wrap, this added some structure to the outfit!
• Patterned Tights- this helped to balance out the blazer and kept my legs toasty warm
• Chunk Black Heels– an unexpected twist from the usual strappy evening sandals
• Large Statement Earrings– to help keep it fun and party ready

From Plain Jane to Party Ready!

My co-worker Kelly used a similar strategy to revamp a simple black, one-shouldered bridesmaid dress. The red tights added an unexpected pop of color and the gladiator-style heels gave it an edge that I totally loved!

You can re-wear a bridesmaid dress!

Hopefully you’ve gotten some ideas on how to take a dress already hanging in your closet and make it into something totally new and party ready! I’d love to hear what other trips and tricks you have up your sleeves as well, so make sure to post a comment!

The Turtleneck Tribute

What do Gloria Steinem, Steve Jobs, and Rhianna all have in common? A love of turtlenecks! According to recent NY Times Article “The Turtleneck Comes Out of Its Shell,” we are currently in a state of turtleneck redux. Thank goodness I own 14 of them!

From lightweight tissue versions from J. Crew to chunky cable knits and everything in between, I too am a lover of this classic silhouette. Comfortable and functional, I agree with the words of designer Rachel Roy— “I am a turtleneck believer.”

So that begs the question: What is your go-to neckline? Are you a v-neck gal? Or maybe you’re a classic crewneck type of gent? Let us know!

I was hopeful that I could find a quiz or article to give you all some insight on what these necklines all mean, but instead, I thought this might be an interesting article to leave you with: The Most Flattering Neckline for You  (Good thing I have a long face!)

 

Day 17: Chunky Cable Knit Turtleneck (Victoria's Secret) and Tweed Mini Skirt (The Limited)

 

The “I have nothing to wear!” Conundrum

We’ve all been there: You’re staring into your closet and as the minutes pass, you break into a cold sweat. The only thing in front of you is a sea of hangers and suddenly the clock seems to be ticking louder and louder… you have somewhere to be and — eek!– you can’t find anything to wear!

Now that I know exactly how many pieces of clothing I really do own, this seems somewhat ridiculous. Yet,  this is precisely what happened to me yesterday morning. Eventually, I ended up throwing something together and rushing out of the door, but once I was fully clothed and on my way, I started to think of how many others deal with this same problem.

Luckily, I think I have a solution! On the train, I pulled out the notebook I keep in my purse and started to write down some tried and true outfit combinations for a variety of occasions. For example:

• Work- White Button Down Shirt, Black V-Neck Sweater, Red Pants, Black flats
• Casual- Long Black Cardigan, Gray V-Neck Tee, Black Leggings, Gray booties or Black flats
• Evening Out- Black Blazer, Black Tank, Gray Skinny Jeans, Black Boots

I wrote down three ideas for each and am going to tape it to the inside of my closet door.  This way, before I give up all hope, I can just turn to my handy list and be on my merry way!

Let me know if you have ideas for combating the “I have nothing to wear!” conundrum.

Day 12! Black and White Striped Sweater (Forever 21) and Black Pants (J. Crew)

One Week Down!

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday!  Over the past few days, I’ve enjoyed getting a chance to wear my Turducken t-shirt (check that off the list!) and cozying up at home. I’ve never been a big Black Friday shopper, but that being said, I usually can’t resist a few of the online deals… 50% off at J. Crew? Don’t mind if I do! 40% off and free shipping from The Limited? Yes Please!

This year, instead of perusing a retailer’s site just to see what I might need, I’ve taken on a two-pronged approach: unsubscribe from the site’s email list-serve and delete. This morning, instead of waking up to what could have easily been 50 emails advertising Cyber Monday deals, I had only eight emails from online shopping sites.  Talk about feeling cleansed!

With Thanksgiving over and Black Friday behind us, it’s officially the holiday season.  Time to gear up for the holiday parties that consume my weekends from now until the end of the year.  Don’t worry– I’ll keep you posted on what I’m wearing and how you can find great outfits in your closet too!

Day Eight: Pink Silk Blouse, Black Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater, and Jeans

By the Numbers

And we’re off! The Wear Everything Project is officially underway. As an added bonus this time around, I’ll be documenting my outfits (as much as possible) so that you can see what 305 items of clothing really look like!

That’s right folks, 305 items of clothing. Am I a bit ashamed? Of course I am. Does any one person really need 11 V-neck T-shirts? What about 13 button down shirts? I guess I had to have something to wear under my 17 cardigans…

It’s amazing to see what’s buried in that closet once you really start digging! As someone who loves a good pivot table, it’s also interesting to have the data on what colors and brands I’ve been collecting over the years.

Black is the most commonly found color in my closet, clocking in with 54 items. Gray, White, and Navy were the next most frequently found hues—25, 22, and 21 items, respectively. I can’t say I’m entirely surprised, look at what I picked out to wear today…

Running the numbers on the brands I’ve been amassing was also fascinating. With 48 items in my closet from Express, they should be paying me for all of the advertising I’m doing! Forever 21 came in at a distant 2^nd Place, with 32 items and The Limited slid into 3^rd place with 28 items.

So with two articles of clothing down and 303 to go, how long do you think it will take me?!

 

Day One: Navy Tissue Turtleneck (J. Crew) and Gray Cords (Levi's)