Zalina and the Modified Liebster, and Weeding the Wardrobe

First, it is my pleasure to refer you to the home of the lovely and amazingly talented Zalina at My Peace of Jewelry

and include my thanks to her for playing the Modified Liebster game. She is one gorgeous creature and makes some extremely beautiful and interesting jewelry. Thank you Zalina, and I appreciate your patience and your really interesting answers!  Pop over through the link above as well as her VM Link and see what she has to say!

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Weeding the Wardrobe

Finally ... our two weeks of spring seem to have arrived. I think I missed the first week of it somehow, 'cause it's jumped from 50 degrees to 80-ish, and summer is hot on the heels of spring's pink patent leather pumps. And instead of working on this blog post this morning, I found myself pulling things out of the closet, either to store or begin to wear now that it's warmer. I've been performing major wardrobe weeding. I have piles and piles of clothes on our bed. (I can't be bullied or even shamed into anything so punishing as real gardening with the pollen counts as high as they are!)  

Beyond moving the seasonal stuff to and fro for best accessibility, I'm going to be ruthless this year about pruning that third category of clothes: things that I should be wearing but won't because they just don't inspire. Or flatter, or fit well and were never loved. Time to send them to consignment and out into the world where I hope they find true love in someone else's closet. No more guilt-tripping myself into keeping one more mistake.

And I'm noting that there are some distinct categories into which my wardrobe rejects fall.

A-line skirts

Universally flattering, or so I'm told. I just don't wear them. And I have some pretty ones, in varying lengths. But not for long. It's a proportion thing that I've never figured out for my shape.

White sleeveless tops

I have obsessed over these for several years now. I've always liked Carolina Herrera's classic look, and white tops with long sleeves seem to work much better for me. I have half a dozen pretty white tops without sleeves, in various shapes, all of which that look like poo on me. It's not upper-arm shame. It's all that white across my chest without long white sleeves for balance. And there's no wearing them with jackets to cut the vast expanse of white across my chest down to size. It's way too hot for jackets, so out they go. This year, I vow to not even try to wear them any more. I feel better already, just by giving up and letting go!

Bat-wing / poncho- cut chiffon blouses

And these seemed like such a good idea.  However, I cannot ignore the fact that, when wearing one, I look like I should be revving up for a rousing night of bingo or an early bedtime after Lawrence Welk re-runs.  These similar styles were everywhere last year, and didn't work well for a lot of us, it seems. Additionally, if they are everywhere here where I live, that can be a wildly waving red flag.

Wide-leg pants

These will work well for consignment because there are women who look good in them, but I am not one. I had fun with these in the 70's and 80's ... but my body was cut differently. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My Current Crop of Fat Clothes

Most of us have a range of sizes we hang on to for security.  I'm giving up my fat jeans. ( Pity I can't send my fat genes with them.) Accompanying them will be the too-big dresses I saved just because I loved them, and I might gain 10 pounds and have a semi-formal event to attend that requires a several-years-out-of-date cocktail dress. Not happening if I can help it. In fact, there are several departing  items that I purchased during that period after weight loss when you really don't believe you're smaller in girth as well. They will go to taller women, I hope.

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The following might well be a Preview of Coming Attractions in more ways than one. I loved my first pair of printed jeans so much (you saw them HERE), I had to have another pair.

Sorry about repeating the coral heels ... I'll wear them out this summer!

What is cool about these is that they are reversible. I would NOT lie to you. They're from Target, and this is what the other side looks like.

 They are an absolute two-fer. I'm not nuts about the reverse side print, but it could come in handy on one of those days when ya' just have to wear something different. The vertical-ish pattern is not a bad thing.

And because I liked these so much I bought two additional pair of printed jeans (single-sided, sadly) you will be seeing fairly soon.

This brings up a final category of my personal fashion-fail. The ever-classic What Was I Thinking?! group of cast-offs. I hope my printed jean obsession won't fall into this company.  My guess is that this little style won't last long, so I'm inclined to wear it with grown-up and modest tops and shoes for as long as it's still fun.

And, for now, it's still lots of fun!

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Speaking of fun, I'm linking to the very fun Visible Monday and always adorable hostess, Patti.  Join us to show off and out, just a little!