one closet, one year!

I was getting dressed for a friend's birthday party and I didn't know what I was going to put on my body. I looked in my closet and it seemed empty, unpromising. I've had these moments before; everything was old, ill-fitting, or blah. I thought to myself, "Ugh! I have NOTHING to wear!" Then I began rifling through my closet and saw a forgotten shirt I loved and many more, and I realized I was crazy. I had plenty to wear, and plenty to choose from. My closet was FULL of treasures! At that moment I decided I would take a year to explore my closet and to add NOTHING new to my wardrobe.

I would create a NEW outfit for each day in order to maximize my wardrobe and shake up my style.

Basically, I would try to "snap out" of my fashion rut, and appreciate what I have.

It was my New Years' project:
One Closet, One Year.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Gifts!

After Richard's sneaky surprise post, I was at a loss for how to proceed with my own posting. Garment Bag Outfits? Goodwill finds? Dressing without drama?

And, of course, by drama I mean the preoccupation with not repeating outfits, and, having to photograph said outfits daily...

So, now I have no obligations. At least in blogging I don't. And this leaves me in a bit of a quandary.

To Post? Or not to post?

How 'bout post? Briefly.

I have received many gifts since the end of my year of no-shopping, no swapping, new outfit every day.

Here is a "new" outfit comprised of two handed-down garments.

A lovely seventies style peasant dress, and an incredibly warm and awesome coat!

Shout out to the two ladies who passed these on!

Oh! I can't forget to mention the nearly-new Seychelles flats I nabbed at the G.W.!



And my collar! This was an accidental gift taken by me and made by a very talented friend! Love it!

Thanks to all for my "new" rags! And thank you, Richard, stealth blogger, for the last post!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Collateral Damage!!!

Hi all. This is Richard.

Shelayna has slowed her posting schedule, so I thought I'd stop in and talk about what has been going on since she completed her project.

Here is a picture of our bedroom from this afternoon.



These are all of my clothes.

For some reason, a year of only wearing the clothes that are on her side of the closet has made Shelayna very introspective, and today she decided that I had too many clothes. Did I ask for this munificent behavior? No. Did I get it anyway? Yes.

Since I work in technology, my normal clothing is a polo shirt, and jeans. Dressing up means wearing a white button down shirt... and jeans. However, I do have some seldom worn clothes that I love - my suits, my party shirt (buttons optional), that sweatshirt I used to wear all the time in 1999. All of them went into the out pile. Now, I'm going to have to go clothes shopping for myself - something I really dislike. And I'm going to be really upset if I see my favorite patterned shirt on some homeless guy.

Even poor Jordan got pulled into this craziness, and was forced to do a fashion show of his old jeans.

Anyway, I'm significantly clothes poorer, and Shelayna has been to Goodwill twice this month. Maybe this is a subtle move to get more closet space?

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Blog-Drawl!

So I have gone one full week without posting! It feels very strange. For the first few days after my last post I felt as if I had a phantom limb that had been lost at sea... (Does that image make sense?) Coming home after work, and not taking photos of my outfits was surreal. It was also otherworldly not getting dressed without thinking about repeating. It still feels weird sometimes.

I also went shopping for the first time in a year! At Goodwill! My Fresh friend gave me a Christmas gift o' cash in order to go shopping at the G.W., so, of course, I had to go. However, I Still haven't bought clothing in retail.

I got four things:
           A creme sweater with metallic thread.
           A cap-sleeve jacket that also has metallic thread.
           A pair of black cargo pants.
           A navy mock-turtleneck long-sleeved shirt with gold  sequins!

I wore the sweater with the jacket on my first day back to school, and I wore the sequin shirt with the cargo pants on another day. I also broke into the garment bag so generously bestowed upon me by my lovely friend's mother! I made an outfit from her hand-me-downs, including an awesome belt, that I thought was very cute! I did wear my own sweater with it though! I am thinking of maybe doing a "Garment bag" series of outfits.  I have included a few photos of the aforementioned outfits. You can tell me if they're cool or drool! There's also a photo of HaHa in a handed-down cape-let, and plastic heels she got for Christmas! So cute!

I hope the first week of January went swimmingly for you all!

Here's to a happy second week!





Sunday, January 2, 2011

Happy New Year!!!

This was the dress I saved for New Year's eve, but forgot about! My aunt bought it for me at a yard sale from my neighbor across the street. It was five dollars! It had a bunch of gathering that I took out, and now it hangs a bit awkwardly. I safety-pinned it in the back, and put my trusty flower-brooch from my cousin over the pin to "hide" it! It makes for a "bustle-like" effect in the back that I rather like. I am sorry I did not wear it to dinner last night, but I had fun wearing it today!



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I hope that you all enjoyed the first day of 2011. Please, please, let it be a sweet year!!!