Tag: closet edit

Six Week Summer Remix

Every year around this time I think to myself, “Man, I have a lot of summer clothes and now that summer is half over, I need to make sure I’m wearing them ALL.” Because clothes that don’t get worn have to go to the donate pile at the end of the season. I know Marie Kondo wouldn’t approve of doing it that way, but I think she’d be mostly pleased that I’m passing on things that clearly didn’t spark enough joy to be worn. 

Enter the #sixweeksummerremix. This is to ensure I’m wearing all of my summer wardrobe that I L-O-V-E without spending a single cent. 

  1. NO MORE SHOPPING UNTIL THE LABOR DAY SALES HIT. That’s right. No shopping. No new tank tops or swing dresses or sandals or t-shirts or swimsuits or cover-ups or thin sweaters or maxi skirts or… oh my, I love clothes. But in all seriousness, I know I don’t NEED anything. I can certainly go the next six weeks without a new item of clothing. Who am I kidding? I could probably do 4 summers of no shopping on what I own and never repeat an outfit. Therefore, no more shopping. 
  2. I will remix my wardrobe to create outfit combos I haven’t worn before. This is for sure a personal goal (and wouldn’t necessarily need to be your goal) because I can certainly repeat outfits from last year, but for an extra 3 minutes a day, I can come up with something new. I find it’s always worth the time and creative brain power to remix my wardrobe because my creativity + my clothes = cute outfit + personal satisfaction. That’s a math equation I can get behind! 
  3. I post my outfits on Instagram and in my Facebook group specifically for remix challenges. It’s great for me to do these two steps because A. Instagram gives me a visual diary of what I wore. It’s fabulous. If I need a little inspiration from my own closet, I can scroll through my feed to see what I have and what I’ve already done. And I can, of course, find other people doing the same thing and get inspiration from them. B. The Facebook group is awesome because you can post your outfit or a specific piece of clothing and ask for style suggestions from the group, and there’s no pressure to have a perfect, pretty picture to post. 
  4. This may be the most important part of the success of a closet remix: PLAN YOUR OUTFIT THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU WILL WEAR IT. Sorry for yelling, but I find that women that skip this step experience 78% more frustration and 82% more anxiety than women who do plan what they will wear the night before. Ok, those numbers are totally made up, but I promise you will feel less stress over getting dressed in the morning if you PLAN AHEAD.

Now, before you go thinking this is all work and no play, there are many benefits to remixing your closet. If you choose to join in the remix fun (please come play with us!!), you can expect these benefits when you join the challenge:

  1. Maybe the most obvious is the monetary benefit – You won’t be spending money on clothes. Therefore, the money you would have spent can be spent on other things (hello, summer fun and back to school purchases!) or saved for those Labor Day sales and the purchase of your fall wardrobe completers (there are definitely some cognac colored booties in my future). I think Dave Ramsey would approve. There have been times in the past when I just needed some room in the budget. This is a great way to not feel bad about not spending. You can always say, “I’m using what I have right now,” and feel good about it because it’s a challenge that you CHOSE instead of feeling like it’s a restriction imposed upon you.
  2. Your brain will be creatively challenged. Exercising your creativity is good for your mind, and if you’re like me, you need a creative outlet anyway. Creating a different outfit every day serves to meet that creative need, and let’s face it, you have to get dressed anyway. 
  3. Joining the F-R-E-E Facebook group will give you access to a community of women just like you, doing the same thing, who will encourage you in your remixing journey. They’ll tell you they love what you’re wearing and, if you ask them for help styling an item, they will give their ideas, which is fabulous because it takes the guesswork out of styling the piece and you’ll probably get 3-5 different ideas for the one item! 
  4. Probably the best benefit of doing this six week remix is you’ll know what’s in your closet, you’ll have a better sense of your style and what you really love, and you’ll be more inclined to purchase and wear items you LOVE rather than things you think will work. You’ll also identify what no longer works for you and can send it on to the thrift store guilt free!

You may have noticed that there are now only 5 weeks until Labor Day. That’s because I started this blog post early this week and I’m finishing it now. But that just means you if you join you have only 5 weeks to remix! 

Here are my looks from this past week…

gap ikat dress, dsw lace up sandals, stella and dot bracelets, armparty, stella, dot, ootd, blogger, fashion, style, fashion blogger
gap ikat dress, dsw lace up sandals, stella and dot bracelets

gap asymmetrical dress and cropped tee, old navy sandals, stella and dot armparty, maxi dress, edgy, fashion, blogger, style, fashion blogger, bracelets, howlite, gladiator sandal
gap asymmetrical dress and cropped tee, old navy sandals, stella and dot armparty

old navy tank swing dress, stella and dot totem tassel necklace, armparty and sunnies, target wedge sandals, targetstyle, fashion blogger, style blogger, fashionista, closet remix, restyle
old navy tank swing dress, stella and dot totem tassel necklace, armparty and sunnies, target wedge sandals

joe fresh swing dress, steve madden studded sandals, stella and dot jewelry, necklace, bracelet, coffee, starbucks, thrift, thrifted, thrift find
joe fresh swing dress, steve madden studded sandals, stella and dot jewelry
target swing tank and wide leg pants, st. john's bay wedge sandals, stella and dot jewelry and tote, fashion blogger, style blogger, targetstyle, jcpenney, preppy, boho, quill, armparty
target swing tank and wide leg pants, st. john’s bay wedge sandals, stella and dot jewelry and tote

Ok, who’s in?! Tell me in the comments if you’ll be doing the challenge. Please join the Facebook group (invite friends to join, too!) and use the tag #sixweeksummerremix on Instagram to make the most of it! 

I’m posting my outfit each day in both the Facebook group and on Instagram with an explanation of what I’m wearing, and two other styling options for my outfit using my style mantra “dress it up, dress it down, wear it straightforward.” Follow me to watch me maximize my wardrobe and get some style inspiration for your own!

Advertisement

Wardrobe Spring Cleaning: How to Edit without the Mental Anguish

Spring Cleaning is around the corner (end that sentence with the emoji of your choice – mine would be the face of grief mixed with disgust and turmoil). If you’re like the majority of people, you see this as an opportunity to get rid of the things in your home you no longer use or need. Easy peasy if we’re talking about old issues of magazines and expired pantry items, right?! But when it comes to the clothes in your closet that still have tags on them or the pieces you loved but haven’t worn in a while, the task becomes more difficult – ok, if we’re being honest, it becomes emotional and kind of impossible.  So let me help you break it down into easy, actionable and turmoil-free, steps that work for you either as you go or all in one shot. 

cluttered closet need wardrobe edit
When your clothes are this close together, it may be time to purge!
 All-at-Once: If you like to tackle a task and have it done in a day, this method is probably for you. Be prepared to make some decisions, get in touch with your feelings and free yourself of clothing that is dragging you down!

  1. Have a bag or box ready for trash and another for items to donate. 
  2. Take everything out of your closet and dresser drawers. You heard me. Everything. (I wasn’t kidding when I said this would take a day.) To make this process go quickly, don’t start sorting until everything is out of your closet and dressers.
  3. You will now take one item at a time and ask yourself this question: How does this item make me feel? If the answer is anything other than positive (for example: guilty, fat, pale, gross, irritated…) it needs to go in the trash or donate box. If the answer is positive (happy, pretty, powerful, optimistic…) ask yourself the next question – When was the last time I wore this? If it’s been over a year, figure out why. Does it need repair? Is it a special occasion item that you will use this year? Is it no longer in style, but it was one of your favorite things? You’ll need to be honest about wearing it again and decide if it’s time to let go.
  4. After all the questions have been asked, place the item in either the trash (stained, ripped, or otherwise inappropriate to donate), donate box, or back in your closet or dresser. 
  5. Repeat these steps for every item you own, and make sure the trashed clothing goes in the trash and the donate box makes it to the donation center. If you want to take the next step in using everything you kept, follow the directions in the As-You-Go section below!

As-You-Go: This is my personal favorite method. It takes no extra time, but it isn’t done in a day and takes a little more creativity. Your plan of action is to: 

  1. Commit to a minimum of 30 days of unique outfits created from the clothes you already own (no shopping retail – you’re shopping your closet!).
  2. Find your favorite way of keeping track of what you have already worn (my favorite is the fastest way by Hilary Rushford called the Ribbon and Record. Tie a ribbon (yarn, string, or actual ribbon) on the bar at the end of your closet and get a “record” (piece of paper or notebook) for each stack in your dresser. Everything you wear either goes behind the “ribbon” or under the “record”. Then try not to wear that item again during the 30 days. (Please note: I said TRY. I definitely wear my favorite jeans more than once a month – ok, week – but I could swap them out skirts on some of those days, for example.)  
  3. Choose your outfit the night before you wear it, including accessories (jewelry, shoes, bag, outerwear – ALL of it!). This ensures you have time to use your creativity, choose something unique and try it on together. Don’t skip trying it on – just because it looks good in your head doesn’t mean it will look good on your body – I speak from experience.  
    planning what to wear the night before makes for a less stressful morning
     
  4. At the end of 30 days (or longer for a more abundant wardrobe), assess what you didn’t wear. Ask yourself why – if the answer is remotely negative (I don’t like the color, it doesn’t fit right, etc.), take it out of your closet and donate it. You will seriously feel better when you do! Your brain won’t use up mental energy cataloging it as you pass over it every day, and you won’t spend any emotional energy on it (feeling guilty that you don’t wear it  because of the amount of money you paid, or having received it as a gift but it’s not your style). Taking those things out of your closet will free your mind, and after they’re gone, you won’t think about them any more! It’s truly amazing. 

If you’re looking for a little motivation, accountability and community during this venture, join my #springcleaningclosetremix under that hashtag on Instagram and on Facebook here. (It’s a closed group, so only the people in the group will see what you post, not all of your Facebook friends and family – unless you invite them to participate, which is totally welcome – the more the merrier!) You’ll be welcomed by a host of encouraging women, sharing their closet remix creations and what worked for them when cleaning out their closets. I’ll also be chiming in with stylist secrets, tips and tricks to remixing your wardrobe, finding/refining your style and shopping! The challenge begins March 1, so go join the group on Facebook and start outfit planning now!