Great advice. Another thing I recently found that's helping me to curate my closet and fill in empty holes is the Stylebook app which lets me take photos of my clothes, categorize them and combine them into outfits that are again categorized. It's helping me to see that although all the colors in my capsule wardrobe look good together, I really favor the green bottoms with orange tops and the yellow-brown bottoms with blue tops, etc. And so I can better see what things I ought to make next, and which things I have too much of already (I'm looking at you, blue-greens and green-blues!). And I can easily screenshot things I like on social media/ the internet and add them to an inspiration board in the app. I'm loving having it all in one place.
Thank you, Dacy! Relating clothes shopping to meal planning is a gem for me. I meal plan every week.
Thank you too for writing that clothes shopping is work. I don’t like clothes shopping at all! Your advice to go on a weekday is a great idea.
You helped me previously with your advice that it’s worth the shipping fee to send stuff back because we’re worth it and it saves the trip to the store, and we can try stuff on in comfort at home. Just getting over my resistance to return shipping fees has been a big help.
I ordered a bunch of stuff online from a single vendor, much more than I usually would, in multiple sizes. It was a huge help! One style of swim top, the smaller size was actually bigger and fit better than the size marked larger. 2 inches difference in width! You really can’t tell about stuff until you try it.
Finally all your messages are getting through to my brain. 😆 I got a comfortable bra by purchasing a bralette THREE times bigger in size than the measurement charts say, because I cannot stand the feeling of the elastic squeezing around my ribcage. It stays down where it should but doesn’t squeeze and the bralette style means no gaping cups.
And I needed the reminder to get rid of the less liked items (tank tops) when I find ones I lime better.
I'm starting to wonder if it would take less time for me to make my own clothes than to find the unicorn of style and fit for items I like. Seriously, I'm looking at sewing machines on Amazon. Any tips for someone that's considering sewing their own clothes?
It probably would. The patterns i was making, and that I think would fit your style were very very simple. I just didn't have the spatial cognition for the ways the pieces fit together and it was extremely frustrating. You can go back in my IG highlights and there's a highlight titled sewing with my makes. It also seems like most towns have a sewing center of some kind that does classes, I might have been more successful if I'd started there.
I can sew, but what I mostly do is knit. And even knitting for myself, it’s a toss up whether a design will be something that I actually like to wear. It takes a lot more effort to make something and then have it turn out to be something you don’t wear. I do have friends sewing their own clothes who get great results. Is sewing something you already know how to do?
This was part of my problem with sewing too, it was so hard (for me) and then sometimes I wasn't happy with it and I had a very hard time seeing the process as learning.
Nope. I haven't sewn anything in over 30-35 years. I see a lot of outfits that I like on style boards, but the people made them from patterns so... there's that.
I want to hear more about making the list! Like I always end up buying something that I "just had to have" or caught my eye that is not necessarily on the list. I think this is because I enjoy shopping since I've been going to thrift stores, antique stores, and yard sales since I was a tween, so I've kinda honed my style and eye, and always find great deals. I feel like my dilemma is different than the person who hates to shop and doesn't know what they like. YET I feel like there is always some major gap in my closet, that I am sure exists somewhere but I cannot seem to find it. How do I find those unicorns? The perfect high waist full legged trousers with an elastic back waist that are in wool or a cotton blend or maybe even velvet? and less than $50. A turmeric colored vintage button up cardigan with bobbles all over it? The perfect blousy ivory cotton poet blouse Doen style but in the $20 range? Some moss green or navy suede clogs? These are my Fall wishes. Some high waist tights in wool or cotton that actually stay up or some other alternative? The perfect wool wrap waist coat that DOES NOT look like a bathrobe. I also rarely ever buy anything new b/c of budget and ethics- unless it's things like basics. So that adds times to my search since I have to regularly make thrift store rounds etc. to find things or long Poshmark searches :)
Sometimes when you have all special and unique things you do have a hard time making outfits because you're missing the more simple items. You've done a good job making the list, and making it specific. I am planning on doing a workshop on this on 9/8, hold the date, but essentially now you just start searching: google shopping, ebay, posh, stores you already know you like, etc. Or you just focus on those items when you thrift. It's a process!
Great post! I like the idea of thinking about items in relation to the rest of your clothes/style. I feel like my (unintentional) style right now is a bunch of random stuff.
Having recently completed an inventory, my first thought is that I have nothing to wear this summer. Of course that's not true. I have lovely summer dresses that haven't gotten less pretty while hanging in the closet through the cold months. But I'm not excited about them this year as I was past summers. I have a hankering for fresh which is really a hankering for the past. When in my 30s the only summer fabric worth wearing - according to my sensibilities - was linen. I didn't have much money, but I made it a point to visit a linen boutique on Capitol Hill, buying a black or white piece each payday throughout spring and summer. I collected quite a bit and felt chic when wearing it. I want that 30-something self again (30+ years later). Of course the linen shop closed decades ago and another boutique hasn't replaced it - I assume fast fashion and big box stores have sucked the life of boutiques near dry. [We're seeing a resurgence of indie bookstores despite Amazon's reach so I have hope for little fashion fish to spawn despite the cesspool.] For now, what does it look like to create that summer wardrobe and what does it take to do it mindfully? Affordable natural fibers are not in abundant supply at run of the mill chain stores. I can be specific about my wants, make a list, order more than one and assume returns. But where does one shop for what is now almost considered speciality items? Suggestions?
there are many quality places to buy linen these days (many are made to order like Not Perfect Linen and Linenfox, Magic Linen is one that has some pieces in stock), and you can also find some secondhand!
Great advice. Another thing I recently found that's helping me to curate my closet and fill in empty holes is the Stylebook app which lets me take photos of my clothes, categorize them and combine them into outfits that are again categorized. It's helping me to see that although all the colors in my capsule wardrobe look good together, I really favor the green bottoms with orange tops and the yellow-brown bottoms with blue tops, etc. And so I can better see what things I ought to make next, and which things I have too much of already (I'm looking at you, blue-greens and green-blues!). And I can easily screenshot things I like on social media/ the internet and add them to an inspiration board in the app. I'm loving having it all in one place.
That's so great! Yes, it's a digital inventory, which can be a lot easier than the physical one. Love those color combos too!
Thank you, Dacy! Relating clothes shopping to meal planning is a gem for me. I meal plan every week.
Thank you too for writing that clothes shopping is work. I don’t like clothes shopping at all! Your advice to go on a weekday is a great idea.
You helped me previously with your advice that it’s worth the shipping fee to send stuff back because we’re worth it and it saves the trip to the store, and we can try stuff on in comfort at home. Just getting over my resistance to return shipping fees has been a big help.
I ordered a bunch of stuff online from a single vendor, much more than I usually would, in multiple sizes. It was a huge help! One style of swim top, the smaller size was actually bigger and fit better than the size marked larger. 2 inches difference in width! You really can’t tell about stuff until you try it.
Finally all your messages are getting through to my brain. 😆 I got a comfortable bra by purchasing a bralette THREE times bigger in size than the measurement charts say, because I cannot stand the feeling of the elastic squeezing around my ribcage. It stays down where it should but doesn’t squeeze and the bralette style means no gaping cups.
And I needed the reminder to get rid of the less liked items (tank tops) when I find ones I lime better.
Thank you!
This is amazing! I'm so happy! And I'm the same way with bras and underwear, they can't be too tight!
I'm starting to wonder if it would take less time for me to make my own clothes than to find the unicorn of style and fit for items I like. Seriously, I'm looking at sewing machines on Amazon. Any tips for someone that's considering sewing their own clothes?
It probably would. The patterns i was making, and that I think would fit your style were very very simple. I just didn't have the spatial cognition for the ways the pieces fit together and it was extremely frustrating. You can go back in my IG highlights and there's a highlight titled sewing with my makes. It also seems like most towns have a sewing center of some kind that does classes, I might have been more successful if I'd started there.
I can sew, but what I mostly do is knit. And even knitting for myself, it’s a toss up whether a design will be something that I actually like to wear. It takes a lot more effort to make something and then have it turn out to be something you don’t wear. I do have friends sewing their own clothes who get great results. Is sewing something you already know how to do?
This was part of my problem with sewing too, it was so hard (for me) and then sometimes I wasn't happy with it and I had a very hard time seeing the process as learning.
Nope. I haven't sewn anything in over 30-35 years. I see a lot of outfits that I like on style boards, but the people made them from patterns so... there's that.
I’ve noticed this too. Lots of items I’m pinning on Pinterest that are both my style + on a similar size/shape body we’re made by the person.
I want to hear more about making the list! Like I always end up buying something that I "just had to have" or caught my eye that is not necessarily on the list. I think this is because I enjoy shopping since I've been going to thrift stores, antique stores, and yard sales since I was a tween, so I've kinda honed my style and eye, and always find great deals. I feel like my dilemma is different than the person who hates to shop and doesn't know what they like. YET I feel like there is always some major gap in my closet, that I am sure exists somewhere but I cannot seem to find it. How do I find those unicorns? The perfect high waist full legged trousers with an elastic back waist that are in wool or a cotton blend or maybe even velvet? and less than $50. A turmeric colored vintage button up cardigan with bobbles all over it? The perfect blousy ivory cotton poet blouse Doen style but in the $20 range? Some moss green or navy suede clogs? These are my Fall wishes. Some high waist tights in wool or cotton that actually stay up or some other alternative? The perfect wool wrap waist coat that DOES NOT look like a bathrobe. I also rarely ever buy anything new b/c of budget and ethics- unless it's things like basics. So that adds times to my search since I have to regularly make thrift store rounds etc. to find things or long Poshmark searches :)
Sometimes when you have all special and unique things you do have a hard time making outfits because you're missing the more simple items. You've done a good job making the list, and making it specific. I am planning on doing a workshop on this on 9/8, hold the date, but essentially now you just start searching: google shopping, ebay, posh, stores you already know you like, etc. Or you just focus on those items when you thrift. It's a process!
Great post! I like the idea of thinking about items in relation to the rest of your clothes/style. I feel like my (unintentional) style right now is a bunch of random stuff.
that will help a lot!
Thanks for this. I need to get better at making a list! Hope the first week of school goes well!
Thanks, Jenn ❤️
Just LOL-ing at your P.S., Dacy.
Having recently completed an inventory, my first thought is that I have nothing to wear this summer. Of course that's not true. I have lovely summer dresses that haven't gotten less pretty while hanging in the closet through the cold months. But I'm not excited about them this year as I was past summers. I have a hankering for fresh which is really a hankering for the past. When in my 30s the only summer fabric worth wearing - according to my sensibilities - was linen. I didn't have much money, but I made it a point to visit a linen boutique on Capitol Hill, buying a black or white piece each payday throughout spring and summer. I collected quite a bit and felt chic when wearing it. I want that 30-something self again (30+ years later). Of course the linen shop closed decades ago and another boutique hasn't replaced it - I assume fast fashion and big box stores have sucked the life of boutiques near dry. [We're seeing a resurgence of indie bookstores despite Amazon's reach so I have hope for little fashion fish to spawn despite the cesspool.] For now, what does it look like to create that summer wardrobe and what does it take to do it mindfully? Affordable natural fibers are not in abundant supply at run of the mill chain stores. I can be specific about my wants, make a list, order more than one and assume returns. But where does one shop for what is now almost considered speciality items? Suggestions?
there are many quality places to buy linen these days (many are made to order like Not Perfect Linen and Linenfox, Magic Linen is one that has some pieces in stock), and you can also find some secondhand!