The Best Wardrobe Advice I've Read.

When I was pregnant, I loved getting dressed. Not only for the opportunity to accessorize my cute little bump, but also because it was easy. Of course, I bought plenty of cute maternity tops and pants and dresses - but compared to my pre-baby wardrobe - the amount of clothing I had available to me was negligible.

Quite awhile after I had Olive and recovered (and lost all of that baby weight), I packed up my maternity clothes and tucked them neatly into 1.5 under bed storage bins. All of the clothing items I had worn day in and day out for the past 5 months could fit into 1.5 bins. Bras and maternity underwear included. When I turned back to my actual wardrobe, filled with hundreds (literally, hundreds) of tees, sweaters, jeans, dresses, skirts, blouses, sweatshirts, dress pants... it was overwhelming. And the irony was I didn't want to wear half of it for one reason or another. The fit wasn't quite right, or the color didn't suit me, or I bought it because it was super cheap on sale and I didn't even really like it, or the classic - I'll keep this until I can fit into it...

Getting dressed was a chore and I had to try on every outfit I put together to make sure it fit alright. It wasn't 'fun' anymore, Then, I started noticing bloggers doing capsule collections. Picking a set number of tops, pants, dresses and shoes, and wearing and re-wearing them only for a set amount of days.

This was very appealing for a working mom of a toddler who doesn't want to think so much about her clothes but still wants to look "fashionable".

I did some more research and one blog in particular said to do this -

• Take everything out of your closet. EVERYTHING.
• Take each piece and put it in one of three categories:
• LOVE IT. I'd wear it right now. No questions asked. - These items go back in your closet.
• NOPE. - Get rid of it.
• Maybe. - To me, this was anything outside of Love it and Nope. Put it in a box and store it. If you don't go looking for any of it over the next 6-12 months. Send them the way of the nopes.

Can I just tell you how freeing this process was?

This blog (here) had for more in depth options for paring down even further and creating a perfect 37 piece capsule collection, however, I didn't need to take it that far. By doing this process alone, I had more than halved my wardrobe and the irony was I felt really, really good about it. I'm living on my LOVE ITs and having no problems feeling good about getting dressed every day.

My maybes are still hanging on the bottom rack, just in case, but over the past month I haven't touched them. In fact, I think now is already a good time to pick through them again and find a few more 'Nopes'.

If you haven't done this to your wardrobe in awhile - DO IT. If you are frustrated and feel like you have nothing to wear - DO IT. Make the tough calls and be honest with yourself. You'll feel so much better about your wardrobe when you do!

Simplify y'all!

My Review of Ribbed Waist Short

Originally submitted at Maurices

These comfy shorts are a great casual option for t-shirt or tank top day, or at the beach to cover your suit. The stretch ribbed waistband is comfortable and the drawstring lets you cinch. Cute side ties add detail. Imported.

Ribbed Waist Short

OBSESSED w/this for comfy spring/summer!

By KathrynLaine from Tri-Cities, WA on 4/5/2012

4out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size
Pros: Well Made, Quality Materials, Figure Flattering, Comfortable, Practical
Best Uses: Date Night/Night Out, Casual Wear
Describe Yourself: Trendy/Stylish Dresser
Was this an online or in store purchase?: in store
Do you have a maurices store in or near your town?: Yes
Comfort vs Style: Style Driven
Was this a gift?: No

I picked these up in black because that was the only neutral color in my size in-store, but Im actually really glad I did! They are really casual, however, when I paired them with a dressier black and white patterned shirt in my closet, it made for a dressy summer date night outfit!
Excellent Maurices! Ordering in 2 more colors!

(legalese)

So I've been toying with this idea....

…Of doing daily fashion blogging. I'm not entirely sure I can commit to daily yet....but at least 2-3 times a week?! I follow a few awesome DO blogs and I’m constantly thinking - I would love to share my take on clothes like that!!

Here's a tiny bit of background about me... I love to shop. Always have, always will. While in my early-mid 20's my life circumstances were ever changing, and with it so was my style. I've gone from shopping the high fashion stores on Michigan Ave, to perusing Wal-Mart for cheap summer dresses, and back again. I do NOT discriminate! You can have $10 and you can have $1000 and still put together amazing outfits that rival each other. Right now I think I've evolved to a place in my life where I'm really confident in myself and style, and I am always pushing myself to come up with new outfits from the plethora of clothes in my closet. I'm not really one for full-on repeat outfits, though I will indulge on occasion.

I recently moved from Chicago with my boyfriend, to the great state of Washington. The culture here is a lot different and I'm really enjoying getting to learn the area. The shopping leaves something to be desired - but thank God for online shopping. The UPS guys already know me by name! :) The weather has already had an effect on my wardrobe, as its typically a lot warmer and windier then Chicago (who would have thought?) But the move itself also created its fair share of stress related weight gain. I’m not really complaining, because I’ve always liked my curves, but I'm definitely learning to dress them differently! So I'm hoping, in general, a) This will be a fun hobby, since I love to write and I love to shop, and I believe myself to be excellent at both, and b) This will help challenge me to push past my invisible style line and think of my clothes in a new and creative way (I dont pattern mix... but I want to!!!)

I dont have a fancy camera or my own web site, but I have an iPhone and a lot of heart... so lets do this thing!