Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

A Closet Purge & a New Plan

I have way too many clothes.

Actually, I should amend that sentence… I have way too many clothes that I don’t wear.

Even though, I do a bit of a clothing purge when I switch my closet over for each season (twice a year) somehow I have a big ol’ pile of clothes that I keep packing up, unpacking, never wearing and then packing up again.

I’m so over it.

Part of what I’ve learned over the past year of using Stitch Fix is to only buy what I love. In order to pass my tests, I have to not only love each item, but it has to go with stuff already in my closet AND it has to make me feel pretty great about myself. This new way of shopping has really helped me avoid that ‘fast fashion’ and clothes that I buy because they’re on sale… only to never really like wearing them.

Unfortunately, I still have a bunch of clothes that I bought BEFORE I learned that… so what to do?

Well, I’m getting rid of them all.

Here’s my closet before I started cleaning it out.

It’s PACKED and it doesn’t even contain any of my winter clothes. Many of the items have been in there since spring and I never even wore them at all. I like my shoe organizers, but they are so low I can’t really find what I’m looking for, so I just keep wearing the same few pairs over and over again.

I decided that instead of just pulling out a few things and throwing in my winter stuff, I’d start fresh.

Yup, I took every darn thing out of that closet. The shoe shelves were still bothering me though, so I tried a few different configurations and ended up with this.

It was dangerous as heck though – especially because Jack likes to poke around in my closet – so I secured the top two organizers to the wall with these Safety 1st Furniture Wall Straps. Luckily I had a couple left over from when I childproofed the house. The cubbies are off center because there is a bar in the middle that is just a little bit lower than the top organizer. It works though, because it divides the closet into two areas. You can’t really see it, but there is a couple feet of space to the left of the cubbies.

Oh, and here is what the rest of the room looked like:

I purged pretty relentlessly this time. Out of 10 pairs of black work pants, I cut it down to just the three that really fit me well. So now, instead of pulling them all out to figure out what pair is which, I can actually just grab any of them. I also got rid of a bunch of ill-fitting dresses, a few skirts and a TON of tops that either didn’t fit right, looked kind of worn, or just didn’t make my heart pitter-patter.

RELENTLESS purging for the WIN!

Next, I went through the mountain of unwanted clothes and organized them into three piles: trash, a Goodwill donation, and the nice stuff to go to Twice {If you want to try them out, you can use my special referral link to earn an extra $10}. I ended up with two huge trash bags full to take to Goodwill, so I’ll be getting a receipt to write that off my taxes. I also have a large pile for Twice, but I need to wait until I get a bigger box so I can send it all in!

Here’s my pretty impressive “after” picture:

To the left of the shoe organizers I have my blazers, jeans, and a belt/scarf organizer (from my Ikea trip last week). My statement necklaces are on hooks on the back wall. To the right of the organizer, I have my blouses, sweaters, skirts, pants and dresses.

Although this is a great start, I still have WAY too many clothes. I know for a fact that I don’t love every single piece of clothing in this picture.

So my next goal is to try and wear everything in my closet, instead of just the five items in the front.

At the end of the day of wearing an item I’m going to give myself a little quiz:

At any time throughout the day did I feel uncomfortable because of the item’s fit?
After a full day of work, do I feel messy, disheveled or super wrinkly?
For work clothes, do I feel like I look nice and professional?

If the clothing doesn’t pass the test, it goes in the laundry basket to the left (there is a small one hidden back there), and will be leaving the house by way of Twice or Goodwill.

If you follow me on Instagram, I’m planning to take pictures of each “new” outfit and will be hash-tagging them with #thejoulespurge. If you’d like to play along and purge your own closet, feel free to join in on the hashtag fun!

My hopes are that within a couple months I’ll be left with a wardrobe that I love. Even if I’m left with just a couple dozen items when I’m done, at least those items will make me feel good about myself! Also, by selling my clothes to Twice, I’ll have a little extra cash to go out and buy what I really need… like maybe that pair of Frye boots that I’ve been drooling over!

Do you do a regular closet purge? How do you decide whether to keep or toss an item? Do you want to join in on #thejoulespurge with me?

My Shoe Obsession: Frye

You know when you want something it just kind of lives in the back of your head all day, every day? Well, I’m RIGHT THERE with a pair of boots. And have been for quite a while.

In fact, I’ve been drooling over Frye boots from afar for a couple years now. I’ve even had this pair pinned on my Pinterest board for 2 years. I didn’t even realize I HAD Pinterest for 2 years…

With cooler weather finally coming to Maryland, my boot obsession has reawakened with a vengeance.

I stopped by Nordstrom Rack last week and made the mistake of putting a pair of $350 boots on my feet. I walked around in those shoes for probably a half hour, planning out outfits that would showcase them for the rest of the year. I had tears in my eyes just anticipating the moment that I would have to take them back off. When the moment finally came, I pulled them from my feet to pet them one last time before turning my back and running away.

Obviously I’m not going to spend $350 on a pair of shoes. {Which I’m pretty sure gives you all the proof you need to show that I’m not a REAL style blogger…}

I’m not even going to spend $250 on a pair of shoes. To be honest, $150 even seems like too much for a pair of SHOES. I’ve been checking ebay like a fiend, ‘watching’ every pair that I like. I’ve searched for Fry boots, Fry boot, vintage Frye boots, and more. Unfortunately, it is pretty much impossible to find what I want for less than $150ish.

Here are a few of my favorites. {Don’t let the prices fool you, most of them don’t have any bids yet. As soon as people start bidding the prices just go up and up and up.}

Oooh, they’re SO SASSY and I want them SO BAD!

It’s such a dumb obsession though. I mean, they are BOOTS. Expensive boots. Sure, they are gorgeous and well made… but they are boots.

With the holidays coming, I just don’t have the money to be splurging on a pair of expensive shoes. I like paying off my Visa too much. And frankly, even if I did have a bunch of cash just sitting around wanting to be spent, I would probably choose to spend it on something for the family instead.

Part of me – a selfish little part of me – really wishes I could just treat myself though. So, when I wander into Nordstrom Rack I do a little browsing. And when I’m online, I stop by eBay and click around a little. If I could just find what I want for less than $100, I’d snap them up in an instant!

I am holding out one hope though… I’m going to Austin, Texas for a business trip in a couple of weeks and it only seems to make sense that there will be lots of perfectly worn boots sitting around in the thrift stores just waiting for me to snap them up! Right? Right?!

Do you find yourself obsessed with silly stuff like boots? Do you own a pair of Frye boots? Any tips for finding an awesome deal?

My October Stitch Fix: FALLing in Love Again

It’s STITCH FIX TIME!

Am I a little excited?
YES I AM!

Am I making super corny pun’s in the post title?
Heck YEAH!

That’s right… there’s shouting. And arms waving. And even a bit of booty shaking. Because I LOVE doing these posts and hearing back from you guys!

{For my new friends, if you’re wondering what a Stitch Fix is, please check out this post. If you want to know why I spend money to have a stylist send me clothes and whether I’m getting rich off these reviews, click on this one. If you’re wondering if I ever regret a Stitch Fix purchase, give a clickty click over here. If you’re feeling super stalkery and want to see ALL my Stitch Fix posts, you get on with your bad self and click around here. Okay, all caught up? Let’s join the rest of the class now…}

In the notes section for this month’s Fix, here is what I put: “Stylist: Sara J again. This month’s Fix will come right before my anniversary weekend at a B&B with my husband. I’d love something sassy to wear to go to dinner and walk around Baltimore. Fall transition options would be great and please no more sleeveless tops for now. Check out my pinterest page!”

So, did I end up with anything to wear for our upcoming weekend?

Check out the FASHION SHOW and YOU be the judge!

Item #1: Olive & Oak Mulliken Raglan Striped Knit Shirt – $48
I have been dying for an awesome mixed-stripe shirt! Remember how sad I was when I had to send the sweater from last month’s Fix back?! I’ve had a couple striped tops on my Pinterest board FOREVER and recently pinned this exact shirt, so I was super excited to get it in my Fix.

This shirt is SO incredibly soft – putting it on is like slipping into a well-worn pajama top. The colors are so pretty and there is even a band of burgundy around the neckline. I styled it for two kinds of date’s with my hubby. The first would be a normal dinner out with Jack – my distressed jeans (Stitch Fix) and my green chucks make this outfit cute, but also appropriate for toddler wrangling. The second look is something that I could wear this weekend – pretty sparkly necklace (J.Crew) my grey skinny jeans (Kate Spade) and a pair of leopard print heels (Target).

My only issue with striped tops (and this could totally be a me being crazy thing) is that when you have a larger chest it kind of drives me crazy keeping the stripes straight across so that they don’t get all wonky and look weird. Also, um… do the stripes make me look kinda chubby? I haven’t been doing so well with my diet and I’m up a couple pounds… which all seem to have found my tummy.

Keep or Return? I’m leaning towards buying it. What do you think?

Item #2: Gilli Kary Drape Front Knit Dress – $64
I HAVE been on quite a dress kick lately and love one that is comfortable, but work appropriate. When I first saw this one, I thought the cobalt blue color was beautiful and would transition well to winter with some black tights and a sweater.

My stylist recommended I wear it with my quilted faux leather jacket from my last Fix and I really like that she thought about what was already in my closet when sending it. For each picture I’m wearing a statement necklace (J.Crew) and sassy leopard heels (Target). Unfortunately I’m not a fan of knit dresses, because they cling in all the wrong places. You can’t tell in the pictures, but I’m totally sucking my stomach in so hard that I was in danger of passing out. Also, if I turn to the side, the high waist makes me look like I could be wearing a maternity dress.

I styled this one for a date night, with and without the jacket. I have to admit, it does look pretty cute in the pictures and I could probably make it work with some hardcore spanx underneath.

Keep or Return? As much as I love the color, I’m going to have to pass on this one. While it’s okay to break out the confining undergarments on an as-needed basis, the last thing I want on our anniversary weekend is to feel totally uncomfortable the entire time.

Item #3: Mystree Maiya Canvas Jacket – $88
Now this jacket is something I would never even pick up in a store to try on, but the mix of materials is really cool and interesting. My stylist recommended that I try the jacket with the two tops she sent, so that is exactly what I did. For the first two looks, I’m wearing my distressed jeans (Stitch Fix) and a pair of grey boots (9 West). For the third look, I’m wearing a pair of Kut from the Kloth bootcut jeans that I recently picked up at Nordstrom Rack. I never even heard of that brand before I started getting Fixes and now I’m in love with their jeans!

This jacket feels like a super comfortable sweater when it’s on and I was super tempted to add it to my coat collection. However, it is too similar to the Mystree Skylar Asymmetrical Jacket I received in July. Even though fall is my absolute favorite and I’m a sucker for a cute jacket, winter is coming soon and I don’t really need another lightweight option.

Keep or return? I really like this jacket, but it’s too similar to one I already own.

Item #4: 41Hawthorn Mission Abstract Dot Print Blouse – $68
Speaking of loving fall, this shirt is like fall exploded all over it… in a good way! I love the rust and orange colors – it reminds me of a tree changing color. The fit is okay, maybe a little tight in the bust if I move around in weird positions. The neckline is pretty though, kind of like a curved v-neck. For the first styling, I’m wearing a date night outfit of skinny jeans (Kut from the Kloth) and wedges (Toms). For the second look, I’m all set for the office in a navy pencil skirt (Banana Republic), canvas blazer (Anthropologie) and heels (DSW). My only question is… is it TOO fall? I’m on the fence with this one.

Keep or return? I really like the colors of this top, but I’m not 100% loving the fit on me. I’m looking to you guys to tell me what you think!

Item #5: Toma Floral Print Short-Sleeve Blouse – $44
Oh my gosh, I’m in LOVE with this shirt. It is that magical mixture of floral and fall/winter appropriate. Its short sleeved, but would look fantastic under a cardigan or blazer too. The fit is great and there is no pulling at all on the chest area or arms. There is even a cute little tab-sleeve detail that I love (you can see it on the close up picture at the top of this post).

I love this shirt so much that I styled it three different ways. First, if the weather is nice I would absolutely wear this walking around Baltimore for our anniversary weekend – bootcut jeans (Kut from the Kloth) and that pair of leopard heels (Target) that keeps showing up. I’ll probably bring flatter shoes if we will be doing a lot of walking through. For the other two looks, I could wear either of these to the office. The middle look has a long necklace (Wantable) and a cranberry colored pencil skirt (Banana Republic). The last look has my swing skirt from a previous Fix (Stitch Fix), the same necklace and a colorful belt (Banana Republic).

Keep or return? I’m pretty much making googly eyes at this shirt, so I’m going to have to buy it!

Help me!
Now it’s time for you to chime in and tell me what I should buy! I’m leaning towards buying the striped shirt and the floral shirt. I’m undecided about the fall blouse and I’m passing on the jacket and the dress. I’d love to hear your feedback, so please leave me some comments below and tell me what you think!

Also, I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to the person who used my referral code a couple days ago. Because you were so nice as to use my code when signing up for your own Stitch Fix, I received $25 in my account. So anything I purchase will be $25 less. Thank you!

10/16/14 Update: Thank you ALL for your feedback! I appreciate each and every comment that you guys take the time to leave! After much deliberation I decided to JUST buy what I love… so I bought the floral top. The fit was perfect, I can imagine it with lots of different outfits and {best of all} I’m already planning when I can wear it! Stay tuned for my next Fix… I have it scheduled to arrive Thanksgiving week!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction!

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!