I feel compelled to tell you that my hair is looking far better in person today than it was in any of the 11,000 photos I took. Just so you know.
tee: Mr. Darcy Proposal shirt, Etsy
skirt: GAP (also available in navy blue)
espadrilles: Target
dress: GAP
boots: Ariat, via Langston’s
I mentioned a while back that the nice people at Langston’s sent me a pair of Ariat boots; I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love them. The boots, I mean — although I really like the Langston’s people too. But I’m in love with the boots. They’re incredibly comfortable, and absolutely beautiful. I’ve tried them on with pretty much everything in my closet; you’d be surprised how versatile cowboy boots can be. Truly.
Western wear isn’t a look that I typically go for, but the secret to cowboy boots is this: you can wear them with anything. Even a little black dress.
dress: GAP
necklace: Stella&Dot, via eBay
photo: Rita Ortloff
Western wear is back for Fall 2010, and while I’m not falling on myself to pick up a denim shirt or a plaid tunic, I’m totally into the idea of wearing my boots with my more Preppy pieces, like my J. Crew pencil skirts and my GAP dresses. I love the idea of mixing something more feminine (like a ruffly dress) with the more masculine boot.
And I also like the attitude that comes with pointy cowboy boots. Get out of my way, y’all, or I’ll kick your ass. Truly.
Like the boots? In a few weeks, I’ll be giving away a pair of Ariats! Thanks to Langston’s for making that happen. Stay tuned for details.
Cool front! Thank god.
tee: J. Crew
jeans, loafers: GAP
tee: J. Crew
jeans: GAP
belt: Target
I cleaned out my closet this weekend; I have a pile of things for consignment and another two piles for the tailor (one pile of pieces I can wear now, and another of pieces I will wear when it is no longer hotter than the surface of the sun here). Thanks to Couch to 5K, nearly all of my skirts are too big in the waist now, so I’ve got that going for me.
The consignment pile is made up of pieces that — not surprisingly — were impulse buys. I’ve worn all of them, but only once or twice, and never with any real delight. So off they go!
I would like to say that I cleaned the closet because the weather is turning and it’s time to get out the fall clothes, but I would be lying (see above, re: hotter than the surface of the sun). No, it’s all Felicia Sullivan’s fault I’m cleaning my closet. And I cannot thank her enough.
I am, as you know, a diehard fan of the Carefully Edited Wardrobe. I don’t believe in shopping just to shop (in fact, I don’t even really like shopping — I would rather see a movie or read a book or flip through a fashion magazine); I think everything you purchase should work with what you already have. I believe that getting dressed should never be something you agonize about, not even for a special occasion, and your clothes should never overshadow you.
I also really believe that less is more, and that too much stuff just makes you feel heavy and dull. Or at least that’s how it makes me feel.
So Felicia had me when she announced her 15:30 Challenge: “Simply put, here’s the concept: 15 items worn in 30 days — the ultimate wardrobe remixer. 15:30 is a return to chic minimalism, an embrace of fall’s siren call for refinement. Because haven’t you stared at your closet and been overwhelmed by it? Ferretted out clothes that came from another decade and are not foxy enough to be considered vintage? Pilfered through a dozen shirts with the ominous feeling that you still have nothing to wear.”
Yes. Yes I have.
I’ve done various no shopping, remixing challenges before, but never one quite like this. Felicia has posted full guidelines here (my absolute favorite is #4, the COMMIT LIST: “Stain on shirt? DEAL WITH IT. Cat ripped your pants? Get a SEWING KIT.” Amen, sister) but after hearing from some of my Oklahoma neighbors, I need to add some caveats. Because, as I may have already said, we are currently living on the face of the sun here in the Sooner State. But by mid-September? It could be in the 50s. God willing.
That’s a lot to plan for.
Felicia will be committing to a list for the entire month of September; what I would suggest to those of you living on the face of the sun in Oklahoma, or in other places where September is the transition month from hot as hell to cool, crisp fall is this: take the 15:30/4 challenge. Choose 15 pieces, and then reevaluate weekly, based on the weather forecasts, what you will need for the next week.
Felicia’s 15:30 rules, with the Oklahoma Loopholes in italics, are as follows:
1. Select 15 items from your closet: These can include shirts, trousers, jeans, cardigans, dresses, etc — in short, clothing. Make your final selections by August 30th. Each Wednesday, check the forecast for the next 7 days and adjust as needed, but ONLY in response to the weather. In other words, if the temperature drops from today’s near-100 high to something more appropriate for September (say, highs in the 70s) you can trade a tank top for a long sleeved tee. But you cannot trade one tank top for another just because you’re bored. That’s a no.
2. Use unlimited accessories: Remix your outfits relying on all of your jewelry, shoes, scarves, outerwear (blazers/suit jackets do not equal outerwear!), and belts.
3. Captain Obvious: your pajamas and lounge-at-home clothing do not count, undergarments do not count, gym clothes do not count. I’m going to add my weekend pre-shower wardrobe of shorts and tees that are fit only for housework to this category; I’m also lumping my running clothes in here, for — as Felicia says — obvious reasons.
4. Make the COMMIT LIST: Document your list on your blog, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, loose-leaf paper, etc. Feel free to snap photographs of the items, list them — get creative! This is your commit list, and you can’t stray from it. Stain on shirt? DEAL WITH IT. Cat ripped your pants? Get a SEWING KIT. If you amend based on the weather, update your list. Keep the total to 15 pieces, and stick with those pieces for at least a week; only change them out if the temperature soars or drops dramatically. As it hopefully will in September.
5. Keep a diary: Document your outfits each day, whether it be via an “outfit of the day” photo or a log of what you’ve worn and how you’ve mixed it up. Don’t forget about The Working Closet Flickr pool, too! Share your outfits there — we’d love to see them.
6. Ask for help!: Call your friends, pen a blog. Don’t be afraid to ask friends for help on creative ideas on keeping your wardrobe fresh!
I would add one last thing: don’t be afraid to make your own rules. If you only want to do this for work, or only for the weekend, then do it; the idea is to get you to think smarter about what’s in your closet and how you can wear it, and to give you a break from the slog of getting dressed.
I’ll be posting my 15 pieces, just as soon as I have my skirts back from the tailor. And I will also be praying that the weather cools off soon because I’m really completely over my sundresses. Totally.
What say you — are you in?
