It has been said that I have a compulsive need to organize.   Pre-ravelry, all of my yarn and patterns were organized in spreadsheets, as my sewing stash is now.  It makes me crazy when some part of my life is messy.  This has been the case with me and my wardrobe for years.  Earlier this year, it became apparent that I had to fix things.  75% of my wardrobe consisted of items I didn’t like because they weren’t flattering or were uncomfortable in some way.  I kept the unflattering items around “just in case,” but even worse… I felt the need to wear the unflattering items sometimes, because I felt guilty owning things I didn’t wear.  Well… I decided there was no room in my wardrobe for items that make me feel bad about myself, so I had a major paring down session.  Anything that I questioned was tried on, judged by a panel consisting of my husband and a supportive friend, and donated.  I got rid of half my closet, and let me tell you it was hard… I felt that I didn’t have enough choices, and yet, oddly, found myself unable to combine the items in my closet in pleasing ways.

I have been inspired by the participants of MeMadeMay, especially those who don’t have a lot of handmade items, yet are managing to combine them in great and fun ways!  I didn’t sign up because I worried I wouldn’t have enough, which is completely insane if  you look in my sweater drawer (which is not so much a drawer as an entire dresser.)  But anyway, these ladies are making it work, no matter how small their wardrobe is, and they look fabulous!

Super Kawaii Mama is doing a series on being glamorous for every occasion, and she specifically asked ” What are your excuses / reasons for not getting glammed up each day?” Now, I’m not going for glamour.  It’s important to decide what your look is.  I want to look elegant.  I like being dressed up, and so I usually am.  I do wear jeans occasionally, but even those are dressy.  My biggest issue was decision paralysis when faced with a closet full of clothes.  So here is what I’ve started doing, in order to simplify getting ready each day.  First of all, I wash and set my hair at night, which is easier, since if I leave it to morning I will wear a ponytail every day.  Then, some days I will take extra time choosing what I’m wearing, and if it’s really successful I take a photo and place it in a folder on my desktop labeled “successful outfits.”  For instance, here is mine from today:

I’m wearing:

Linen dress by Merona from Target a few years ago (I love this dress, and I want to make a pattern from it so I can have other colors!)

DKNY cardigan that used to be my Mom’s – it’s too big for me if I wear it normally, but I love the sleeves.

Belt from Forever 21 (I know, I hate that store, but the belts are really cheap.  I love this one!)

Vintage flats

So now that I have a picture and the details written down (I have a spreadsheet… of course) it’s much easier to get ready in the morning.  I have many of my FO shots of knitting and sewing in there too, as those tend to be my good outfits.  And I don’t feel bad about repeating, because I have the pictures to remind me of why the outfits worked!  Now all I have to do is keep this up – I’ve been doing it for a few weeks and I’m loving it!