A clothing re-do

I mentioned in an earlier entry about my need to get rid of a good portion of my clothing and start over from scratch. I really dislike most of the clothes I own and need to build up a solid wardrobe that I will love and will last for a long time. I'll admit it, I love a good bargain and more often than not, I buy items strictly because they are cheap without really thinking what that article will pair with or how I will wear it.

But that's in the past :) I've made a list of the main things I need and will steadily chip away at it over the coming months and years. I'm sure I will also add to the list as well, but I think these cover the basics.

Tops

• 3 tank tops for layering (in neutral colors)
• 3 dressy tops for work/going out
• 3 plain lightweight t-shirts
• 1 white button down
• 2 blazers (1 black, the other a fun color)
• 2 cardigans (1 white, the other a fun color)
• 1 zip-up hoodie (no logo) for casual days at work
• 1 lightweight jacket

Bottoms

• Dark jean trousers
• Khakis
• Dark grey work slacks
• Black leggings (my husband has been begging me for months to get leggings, but I refused. I figure now is the time to try something new and see if I like them)
• Dressy capris for work
• Black skirt (work appropriate)

Misc.

• 2 summer dresses
• 1 dressy dress (for work/going out)
• New work shoes (probably comfortable black heels)
• Casual shoes (not running shoes) that I can wear with jeans at work and still look semi-professional
• A fun pair of wedge sandals
• Lingerie
• Accessories (necklaces, new glasses, fun headbands)

Am I missing anything? :) Now comes the fun part: browsing internet sites for the highest quality items at the best price and finally starting to make a dent in my shopping list. I'm not in a huge hurry, so I can take my time planning this out and getting stuff I really love and will be excited to wear. I hope to buy a few things this weekend, so stay tuned!

The clothing dilemma

Confession: I hate to shop! I love the idea of shopping and picking out cute clothes and having an amazing wardrobe. I'm always excited as I head to the mall, with a list of things I want to purchase seared into my brain. It's a breeze pulling clothes off the rack and bringing them home and living happily ever after, right? Wrong!

I usually leave the store frustrated and empty-handed, swearing I'll never shop again. Yet, I do and the same situation happens 90% of the time. Either I find something I like and it's too expensive/wrong size/etc. or I just can't find a single thing I could see myself wearing. It doesn't help that I feel very guilty about spending money on myself, so I frequently leave behind items I really love even with my husband insisting that I "need" them.

But I'm ready to turn over a new leaf. I literally hate 75% of my clothes and dread getting dressed in the morning. I also wear the same outfits pretty much week after week; I hope my co-workers haven't caught on yet. lol. So I'm ready to bite the bullet and spend some money on me. Life's no fun when you feel bad about yourself due to your boring clothes, right?

I've made a plan to donate a good portion of my clothing and slowly build my closet back up with pieces that I absolutely love (no matter how much it costs) and can't wait to wear. Also, items that are versatile and will last several seasons. This may take a year or two to accomplish, but once it's complete, it will be easy to add a few new pieces in to create all new outfits without having to start all over again.

I've made a list of all the items I need (I'll post that another time) and am probably going to do a lot of online shopping, since my real-life shopping always ends in ruin. I'm lucky that I work in a casual environment where I can wear jeans if I want to, so my work wardrobe and my home wardrobe are basically the same. I still want to be budget-conscious in regards to my purchases, but if I truly love something and will wear it until it falls apart, I'm ok with spending extra on it.

I leave you with a mood board of Spring essentials from my style hero Lauren Conrad :) If I can end up even half as stylish as her, I will declare this little experiment a major success.