January purchases and contemplating some future wardrobe additions

January shopping highlights

A few marginally successful eBay sessions resulted in some spending money for me, so in January I purchased the following items:

• Veronika Maine vibrant blue silk blend tank
• Etoile Isabel Marant faded khaki linen blazer
• Etoile Isabel Marant Ariana knit jacket (pictured above)
• A.P.C. striped boat neck knit (pictured above)
• SABA silk front white tee (this has proven to be an awesome staple!)
• Missoni grey toned zig-zag infinity scarf
• Witchery sleeveless gather dress
• J.Crew black and white silk boy shirt in heart throb (pictured above)
• J.Crew red mini skirt 

Hopefully the J.Crew pieces fit.  They are sitting at my US parcel forwarding address while I wait for one more parcel to arrive.  I have loved the black and white heart print blouse from day dot and the red skirt appeared long enough for work, but we'll see.  Fingers crossed.

I'm sort of at the point now where I justifiably cannot buy any more discretionary clothing items without afterwards checking myself into a rehab clinic. Slap me if I tell you I have no tops to wear to work, as I have worked hard to fill this particular gap this Summer.  I just need to get into the habit of regularly steaming and ironing.

The gaps in my wardrobe are now blatantly obvious and I will focus my energy now into filling these. My major wardrobe gap is work suitable bottoms (skirts and trousers).  I seem to have a lot of average fitting pants and skirts.  Come Winter, I will need some new work dresses.  Some of my favourites that I have been wearing for the past two years are looking tired.

I would also like new pair of knee high boots this Winter (incidentally a pair I have been stalking just went on sale), and I would not say no to a new pair of leather ankle boots (maybe tan?).

My black J.Crew ballet flats are looking a little battered too as I have started walking to and from work a little more, but I do not change into sneakers.  No longer do I look down at my feet and feel polished. This must be fixed ASAP. 

I also have a wedding to attend in mid-March, if I can I would like to avoid buying something new, but we'll see.

2012 shopping wrap up

After buying the one Topshop top in Melbourne back in October, I managed to not buy anything until just recently, probably because I was too busy living life in the fast lane to shop.  I nevertheless managed to list a few things on eBay which sold and I saved the proceeds for a rainy day so to speak.

Needless to say there were a few 'rainy days' in December and it bucketed down on Boxing Day...

Apart from the peachy pink top (which I have since returned because I decided that it was not perfect on me), I bought:

1. Kate Sylvester cotton sundress (eBay);
2. Country Road viscose tees in white and pale grey (using Spend 'n' Save voucher);
3. Camilla & Marc bird singlet (David Jones);
4. Veronika Maine striped silk tank;
5. Veronika Maine jade green silk tank;
6. Kachel polka dot shift dress (David Jones);
7. Nudie High Kais in dark blue organic denim (David Jones);
8. Seed soft blazer in marine blue (David Jones);
9. Country Road mid-heels in black and tan; and
10. Country Road ballet flats in jade green and blue (using Spend 'n' Save voucher).

When I put it this way (and I cheated even by placing the items which I bought in two colour ways in one row), it seems that I have bought a lot... Who am I kidding, I have bought a lot!  I must say though that I am pretty pleased with almost everything.  In a sick and twisted way I am *almost* looking forward to going back to work in a week's time, so that I can wear my shiny new things.

The striped tank is amazing on and the polka dot dress makes me look 5 kgs lighter - both winners!

Praying that the mid-heel shoes prove to be comfortable

By the way, I am shopping off a list now (with eBay proceeds only), and this pretty much ticks off all the items on my Summer wish list (with the exception of a few items which I'm still looking for) and one item off my replacement wish list (the jeans).

My 10 favourite purchases in 2012

In undertaking my current cull, my most ruthless cull yet (I'll blog the results when I'm done), I thought to consider the 10 best things I have bought in this past year.

In no particular order:

1. Isabel Marant "Dickers" in anthracite.  What can I say except that these ankle boots are extremely comfy.  I took them with me to the US earlier this year and crossed Manhattan in them - that's how comfortable they are.  I also think that this style of ankle boot looks better with skinny jeans than say the ACNE Pistol which means that they are more versatile for casual wear in my circumstances since I wear jeans every weekend.
2. Marni at H&M Necklace.  I love this thing. I wear it all of the time. It was waiting for me on the shelf at Madison Avenue H&M the day after the launch. I think someone must have returned it. As I stood in the line for the cashier, no less than 5 women asked me where I got the Marni. Haha.
3. Mulberry "Alexa" (regular) in black.  Since I bought this bag, I have not stopped using it.  I love that it is light and that I can go hands free.  At the time I also bought the "Alexa" in oak.  It has not made the list as it is no longer mine!  Over Christmas my Aunt did not have to work hard to convince me to swap with her... So I'm now the proud owner of the "Bayswater" in oak that she bought just last month but found too big for her after only using it twice. Thank goodness for an Aunt who buys designer handbags and is willing to swap since I now can't afford to drop a small bundle for just one bag.  I think the Bayswater will suit my corporate job a little better than the "Alexa" since it just fits A4.  You might see the "Bayswater" make next year's list :)
4. Marni at H&M zigzag top.  This is so flattering on me. I wear it casually with jeans or under a blazer to work. It's really easy to take care of too.  Although comprised from silk, I just throw in my front loader washing machine on the delicates cycle.  All tops should be made like this.
5. Comptoir des Cotonniers bird print blouse.  I bought this at Bloomingdales in NYC. I really like the vibe of this brand and wish that it would open up shop in Australia. Please?
6. Jane Lamerton breton stripe top.  I actually bought two of these tops and I'm glad I did.  I absolutely love the style and that fact that there is some Lycra in the fabric, which means it keeps its shape.  If it was re-released again in other colours, I would buy them all.  I think that is saying something.
7. Étoile Isabel Marant "Lexy" jacket.  I bought this jacket from the comfort of my hotel room in NYC.  I got an email from Net-a-Porter to say that it was back in stock and reserved for me in my cart for the next 24 hours. It only took me a couple of minutes to whip out my credit card to purchase it and I'm glad I did.  It's wonderful.  It's the second jacket I own from this label, and although disappointing that they are unlined for the money, the cuts really work on me.
8. Fleur Wood "East 63rd Blazer".  I have really enjoyed wearing this... once I finally got around to snipping off the tags.  I feel really neat in it.  It's a great equestrian style and the elbow patches are cute.  Warm too!
9. MM6 Maison Martin Margiela 2-piece knit.  Another NYC purchase.  It's ingenious really.  It is a knit with a detachable vest so that when worn together, it looks like a thick woolly cardi with a light grey knit underneath.  I wore it all through out Winter as well as the vest buy itself.  It has a real 'grandpa' feel to it, which I love. 
10. Cue in the City black dress.  This was really cheap.  $60 I recall.  Although not perfect, some how it found itself on my permanent work dress rotation in Winter. A winner.

This year I have struggled in the pants and skirts department.  I have bought a few, but none have really stood out.  Although worn everyday, each and every bottom has its flaw *sigh*.

Also, I should point out that in the past week I have bought a couple of coloured items (!). Quarterly shopping wrap up coming up in the coming days as promised in my last post.

I will stop short at declaring that I want to turn minimalist (the fact that I still own 37 pairs of shoes makes me ineligible to join that club)... but seeing this rack filled with my favourite pieces, has again helped me remember that I really do not want to own anything that I do not love anymore.

This whole culling process has been a long one for me. I have read many other people's culling journeys and they seem so much easier.  I hope my journey ends soon.  I'm getting tired.

The cull diary - My shoe collection revisted

A year ago now I blogged about culling my shoes HERE & HERE.  I thought I would revisit where I stand in the shoe department especially now after a few recent purchases (I will do a quarterly shopping wrap up post in the coming days).

So I had 72 pairs at the beginning of this year, and after my big shoes cull I whittled that number down to 45 pairs.

These days without counting my slippers and sneakers, I own a total of 37 pairs (a pair I store at work is not pictured below).  Not bad for a woman who once owned in excess of 120 pairs!

Here they are in all their glory - together with some commentary.

Chloe "Silverados", ACNE "Pistols' in contrast , Isabel Marant "Dickers" in anthracite and taupe

Apart from the Chloe booties (which I love love love, but just not with everything), the other three pairs are regularly worn.  I would even consider repurchasing each pair upon it wearing out.  Which fortunately is now possible given that some designers are now repeating their most popular items.  What a great "trend"!
 

Row 1: Witchery black wedges, Witchery brown wedges, Wittner bow heels, Witchery leopard loafers.  Row 2: Robert Clergerie platform sandals, Country Road tan heels, Country Road black heels, Country Road pointy heels

Having now re-read last year's post detailing my shoe collection, the Witchery brown wedges will be culled this weekend (I'll give them to my mum).  I think I may have worn them once this year and I recall them hurting my toes.  Also, the Witchery leopard loafers are cute, but they are not the first pair I grab to wear. Potentially I will cull these too.  We shall see.

Marni heels, Miu Miu heels, Marc Jacobs bow heels, Marc Jacobs studded heels, Marc Jacobs 60s pumps

The Marni and Miu Miu heels, although not regularly worn, get whipped out when the occasion calls for them... they look great and the they are comfortable.  I can't say the same for the MJ heels. Although I like the look of these three MJ pairs, they just don't get worn given their height and lack of platform. My 30+ year old feet just can't handle them anymore. Sad.

Row 1: D&G pumps, Guess pumps, Chloe "Jodie" pumps, Wittner pink heels, Witchery cream  heels.  Row 2: Marni at H&M sandals, Country Road leopard sandals, Witchery gold sandals, Urban Soul tassel sandals.  Row 3: Country Road ballet flats in blue, green and red, Witchery tan ballet flats.  Row 4: J.Crew "Cece" flats, Marc Jacobs "Maddie", Witchery embellished flats, Urban Soul flats

I love the Chloe pumps, but the other 4 pairs on the top shelf do not get any love.  I think I'll definitely cull the D&G pumps and I will look at replacing the Wittner and Witchery heels with a single pair in a light tone but with lower heels. It seems that 7 cm is the most I can handle these days without a platform.

All my ballet flats are regularly worn except the MJ Maddies.  They are a little bit too small for me, yet I just can't seem to let go.  Why is that?

Robert Robert heeled boots, Country Road over the knee flat boots.

I have worn the heeled boots only once or twice in the past year, but I am keeping them until I can find a suitable replacement.  The Country Road boots have been worn a lot and they are ok but just not perfect. I'll look to replace these too.

Since undertaking my big shoe cull earlier in the year and in the course of this last year I have determined the following when it comes to shoe shopping:

1. My feet can no longer handle high heels, so I will no longer buy them.
2. Nice mid-heels are hard to find.
3. It's worth splurging on well made shoes that will be worn regularly. Putting such shoes on and wearing them is a pleasure.  Buying cheaper shoes in a similar style becomes a nonoccurence.  You actually save money in the long term.
4. There is one caveat on the above statement: ballet flats.  I jump at the opportunity to buy ballet flats on sale. Although I can appreciate Lanvin, Chanel and Repetto flats, I cannot imagine paying the big bucks for them since I buy flats for walking in properly, as in to and from work.  Each and every pair I own apart from the J.Crew and MJ flats was purchased for less than $50.

My US shopping list - the items which need replacing...

This time next week I will be in the midst of packing... In the meantime I am seriously starting to think about the types of things I want to buy during my travels.  The items in my wardrobe that need replacing are the first to make it on to my shopping list.

A.P.C Fancy Mariniere Tee, Boy. By Band of Outsiders striped  cotton-blend top, MIH Jeans breton striped cotton top, Etoile Isabel Marant Ina coat, my Country Road dress, Repetto BB leather ballet flats

Black ballet flats.  I have worn my ballet flats so much that there is a hole worn through the sole.  Usually with my absolute fave leather soled shoes I take them to the cobbler to have a TOPY rubber sole protector applied.  On this occasion I didn't bother because I wasn't entirely happy with the fit of the shoes to invest a further $30 into them.  Nevertheless they became a workhorse in my wardrobe.  I am not intending to spend mega bucks on a new pair but I am after a good quality leather pair.

Black leather biker boots. My Country Road biker boots are also well worn out - to the point that there are holes in the leather lining at the heels. Given that the retail stores in the US are now starting to stock Summer attire, I am not holding my breath that I will find the perfect pair - but I'll be on the look out.

Black pumps.  My go-to black pumps are pretty much wrecked. They are looking overly stretched, they are totally scuffed up and the back of one heel is damaged. Black pumps are supposed to make a woman feel elegant - but these make me feel like I can't afford new shoes (even though they are comfortable). Time for a replacement pair!

Black leather biker jacket.  My beloved jacket is so well worn that the lining is starting to fall to pieces. I will not throw it out though - it will become the jacket that I keep in my car in case of emergencies.  I would love to find a new black biker jacket which is perfectly fitted, not too cropped and made out of soft smooshy leather just like the one which has served me so well for all of these years.

Black silk dress with sleeves.  My current Country Road number (pictured) has developed holes under the armpits.  To avoid peek-a-boo moments I always now have to wear this dress layered over a black sleeved top.  The replacement dress will need to be suitable for the office, but fancy enough to transition into Friday night drinks.

Striped tops.  I donated the one long sleeve black and white striped top which I owned because I disliked the neckline, the ruching on the ends of the sleeves and the fact that it was starting to pill.  I will be looking for a number of  new striped tops to add to my collection, especially plain 3/4 sleeve and long sleeve striped tops in black and white, grey and white and red and white with either boat necklines or soft scooped necklines.

Dark coloured wool coat.  I'll know it when I see it, maybe there is a lucky find waiting for me on a sale rack somewhere.  I'm after something in black or dark grey.

Black work appropriate handbag.  My Chloe Heloise is currently at the repairers for the second time... I guess nothing lasts forever if you use it almost everyday and use it to carry cans of tomatoes home from the supermarket! 

Cozy knitwear dreaming...

Ahh, knitwear... what's not to love about a warm woolly cardigan? When it adds pounds, swaps your frame, pills like crazy (a topic which by the way has its own Wikipedia entry) or makes you itch like you have fleas - that's what!

A good number of my knits were recently (immediately) culled - no qualms whatsoever, for the following reasons:

• I got rid of ALL my skivvies and turtlenecks as I find them to be suffocating.  I am uncertain about how it is that I managed to build up a collection of 7 such styles if I despise wearing them.
• A long line grey cardi seemed like the ideal addition to my wardrobe one Winter, but in wearing it I discovered that it just clung horribly to my hips and crept up over my bottom - not a good look. 
• Another long line 'lounge wear' type cardi made me feel like a desperate housewife (of which I am neither), so it was culled before I even got to wear it. It was way too drapey and and a little too "homely" even though that's what I desperately seek from a cardigan.
• Knits with extreme piling - I'm looking at you acrylic. 
• I sadly threw out a couple of knits which quite clearly due to not being worn for an extended period of time had become delicious meals for moths.
• Culled also were a couple of short sleeved knits (one with a turtle neck even!) a concept which I do not understand.  If you are cold enough to wear a woolly knit, why on earth would you want bare arms?

A small pile of knits survived my cull sessions and now sit folded neatly in my drawer.  Nevertheless, due to fit and quality issues, all but a few are destined to be culled in the future as soon as I upgrade and buy replacements.

I really long for one of those gorgeous cozy knits (sans all the problems listed in my opening paragraph and the above list) that ends up becoming my 'go to' on a cold Winter's Saturday or Sunday.  I've had a quick look online and the styles below take my fancy if money was no object (but it always is).

Top row: La Garconne 'Moderne' alpaca handknit sweater in black, heather grey and cream, Etoile Isabel Marant 'Claire' cropped pullover, Crumpet raglan sleeve cashmere sweater, Bottom row: Chinti and Parker striped knitted organic sweater, Peter Jensen waffle knit cardigan, J.Crew fisherman cotton-blend cardigan and Hope 'Ease' cardigan

The perfect white t-shirt

James Dean

I think the *perfect* white t-shirt is the quintessential wardrobe staple. The appeal of this piece lies in its simplicity yet versatility, easily taking one from day to night to weekend.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect white t-shirt for many years now and for years I have not found it.  Sure I have owned the odd white t-shirt, but it's never been perfect.  In fact it's been far from perfect.  Never would I dare to wear any of my white t-shirts to work, and on a few occasions just catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror wearing one of these t-shirts has resulted in swift outfit changes and the relegation of said t-shirt to the around-the-house-and-pyjamas drawer.  

So what is the perfect white t-shirt (in my opinion)?  I'm looking for a t-shirt of the perfect length - not too short and not too long.  I would like the fabric to be a super soft cotton blend, with just the perfect amount of fluidity and drape. I want it to hang on my body so that it flatters. It cannot be too loose and it has to be a little nipped in at all the right places... but it cannot be clingy!  I would like the neckline to be femininely scooped and not too casual. This is important if I am ever going to wear it to work.  I might settle for a t-shirt with a breast pocket, but any other feature details such as prints, bows and ruching and it's going back on the rack.  The sleeves?  Don't even get me started about the sleeves...  Most importantly though I want it to be reasonably priced, because after all it is JUST A T-SHIRT.  Am I asking for too much?

Net-a-porter's selection of white t-shirts

Do you own what you consider to be the perfect white t-shirt?

If not, once you do find it (if you are looking), I suggest that you buy another and then also the same style in the black and the grey and the blue... at least.

My 2012 shopping philosophy

Sorting out my drawers, overflowing with tops, reminded me of when I was in high school, and of what one particular friend of mine used to do...

Every second Thursday my friend would receive $20.00 pocket money and on that same day after school she would drag me to the shopping mall for 'late night shopping' to help her buy yet another bad quality long sleeve top.  I asked her on one occasion why she didn't save her money to instead buy something of better quality or even something a little more expensive, like a jacket or something? She just shrugged and said she wanted to enjoy buying something NOW.

Judging from this memory, it seems that I was a smart lass back in the day to even suggest such a thing and although I have never spent my entire fortnightly paycheck on cheap thrills, something clearly went astray as 6 months ago I was faced with a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear.

Surely but slowly I am now culling my way through all my superfluous 'stuff' and figuring out what works and what doesn't.  I am finding though that a lot doesn't work anymore, but this being partly due to the fact that I am at a different point of my life now. Saturday nights now involve snuggling up to my boyfriend and cats to watch a movie or one of our favourite macabre TV shows, or dinner and wine with friends.  Neither occasion calls for a thigh length tuxedo dress.

This year in building my ideal wardrobe, I have decided to take a leaf out of my 16 year old self's book, and withstand purchasing filler items and instead apply my money towards staples and beautiful pieces, or at least things I need or KNOW will work for me.

What's in the box?

My shopping philosophy will be to:

• predominantly shop from a defined wish list of things I need and want (something I've never done);
• think through the long term value of each item before opening my wallet to purchase;
• if possible place an item on hold for a night or two to have a think about said item or to only shop in stores which allow (unworn) merchandise to be returned (and when I say returned, I mean refunded - non of this credit note nonsense);
• consider an item's cohesiveness with respect to the rest of my wardrobe before buying it - if it doesn't go - don't buy it; and
• do my best not to fall into the but-it's-only-x-amount-of-dollars trap - in the course of a month or two but-it's-only-x-amount-of-dollars adds up to hundreds of dollars.

So what's in the box? In the box are my first purchases for the New Year.  All will be revealed soon.

The perfect jeans

I love almost everything there is to love about a good pair of jeans.

What I don't like is that I can't wear my jeans to work (with the exception of casual Fridays once a month).

Mysteriously I can find jeans that I end up loving to death, but trousers and pants just languish around in my wardrobe unworn... I want to find pants that fit like jeans.

My Jeans from top to bottom - Ksubi, Nudie, Country Road and Country Road.

This morning I undertook a mini cull and the jeans pictured above are the ones that are staying for now.

I am looking to upgrade both Country Road pairs as they are not PERFECT (but comfy nonetheless).

Culled from my wardrobe were a pair of Witchery black skinnies (loved to death) and a pair of Morrissey beige straight leg jeans (which I planned to wear cuffed, but they are too low-rise).

Waiting in the wings for when I am a size skinnier are two pairs of the most perfect Paper Denim & Cloth jeans and a pair of Nudie jeans like my black in a blue rinse.

Set yourself a goal...

If you are like me (whereby you can only save money to spend money) - I think that there is nothing more effective than booking a holiday (or buying a new car... or saving a deposit for a home... or renovating a house) in order to get one's butt into gear to start scrimping and saving.

In exactly 3 months time I will be in the United States.  My first stop is New York City!

I have never been, so just writing these words makes me all giddy.  Of course the thing that makes me more excited is that I plan to shop till I drop... but for the time being I need to STOP shopping.  I keep telling myself that every dollar saved now is an extra dollar that I can spend in the US (sorry Aussie economy).

Over the next three months I plan to do a lot of wardrobe planning to best prepare myself for the biggest shopping spree of my life.  Hopefully I can also find the time to document events on my blog.

My wardrobe planning will involve:

• Completion of my wardrobe culling and cull diary. I am eager to see at the end how many items I have eradicated.  Like I said in my last post - I have a long way to go...
• Creatation of my wardrobe inventory list (a complete list of the items in my wardrobe). Ideally I would like this to be both a written and visual record. In doing so I also plan to critically analyse each item in my wardrobe in terms of frequency of use, adaptability for all seasons and occasions and each item's cohesiveness in terms of the other pieces in my wardrobe. I would like to do this to better understand the types of clothes I should be buying over those that I buy because they just look great, but then don't get worn. I'm interested to see how many pieces I own.
• Determine exactly what it is that I want my ideal wardrobe to contain. The missing items will comprise my US shopping list (again, just writing the words "US shopping list" gets me all excited). I want to shop smart and not like a shopaholic maniac.
• Creation of the perfect travel wardrobe, for travel across the US in March... I gather layering is the key?  I also need to keep in mind that I will need lots of space for my shopping! 

Image source: myfdb

Wardrobe organisation

Even though I have culled quite a bit of stuff (I'm not finished yet) and bought a few new things, I'm finding that I still have issues finding things to wear each day. Why? I think my under-utilised and disorganised wardrobe is the problem.  Considering how much storage space I have, it's disappointing indeed that my wardrobe is in such a state of disarray.

In the bedroom there is a big built-in which is 3 metres long and about 2.5 metres high with lots of hanging space, a 4 drawer chest of draws, a six drawer tall boy and 3 medium IKEA Billy bookcases (with doors) in which I keep all of my shoes. In the hallway there is the same sized built-in as in the bedroom, but apart from one short hanging rail for coats, it is all shelving - perfect for linen and household items (and handbags!) etc. Add to this my IKEA Pax in the spare room! 

I have set myself a goal to get through the majority of my culling (including selling) prior to Christmas, so that over my break (a blissful 3 weeks off work!) I can organise my wardrobe and the rest of the house (don't even get me started...).

  

I'm thinking about organising all my clothes by occasion.  This meaning, that all my work and everyday wear will be stored in the bedroom wardrobe and all the off-season and "going out" items of clothing will be moved into my IKEA Pax.  I have decided that shoving aside party dresses (that are worn only a few times a year) each morning is not conducive to getting dressed for work quickly, nor coming up with brilliant outfit ideas the night before.  I think I struggle because my eyes are overwhelmed with choice - and not all appropriate choices.  Furthermore I plan to hang everything back grouped by type - eg. pants, skirts, tops etc grouped together.

Ideally EVERY item of my clothing would be hung, however because I have to share the bedroom closet with my boyfriend, it can't be. And although it could all be hung in the IKEA Pax, I do not want to store everyday wear in the spare room.  I just know that if I do this, clothing will end up on the floor of the bedroom once worn - simply because I will be too lazy to go into another room to put it away (I know I'm hopeless).

Also I am going to "archive" the few pieces of clothing that I want to keep but that I no longer wear (be it too small or not fashionable anymore). By archiving clothing I mean to place in a space bag and then hide it out of sight. This is another trick to hopefully streamline the contents of my everyday wardrobe so that the only items before my eyes each day are the ones that can be worn.

Image source: watondesign.com

Wardrobe culling and the revelations that come with it...

Now this post is not about what I culled over the weekend (I will write about that in time), but rather it is about how I culled and the horrible realisations that I made immediately after and in the following 24 hours.

In the past I would cull my wardrobe bit by bit.  I understand now that this is the noncommittal way of doing it. Yes, you will successfully cull your wardrobe slowly over time, but you will probably not make any revelations about the "state of play" of things - to put it tactfully.  It will be a rather painless and unemotional experience with nothing being learned about yourself or your shopping habits.  So if you are reading this and thinking 'gosh, how ho-hum' or 'but I'm a fashion masochist' - then do it my way! Read on...

THE BIG CULL

On Sunday morning I found myself suffering from an upset stomach (I blame a funky olive that I ate) and hay fever - both excellent reasons be anti-social and to stay at home.  I decided to undertake a pre-Summer cull.  I did this by removing EACH AND EVERY item from the hanging rails in my wardrobe and I tried each item on.  Let me tell you... my next purchase will not be a silk top or tulip skirt - it will be a push bike!

The number of pieces that were hanging in my wardrobe that were slightly too tight or TOO SMALL was staggering (granted I've owned some of the dresses I culled on Sunday for many years and as we get older our bodies change... or so I tell myself).  No wonder I have been finding it tough to find clothes to wear each morning if for every one item there are two that fit poorly!

Even though I have known for months now that I need to loose a few kilos, there is nothing like seeing a MOUNTAIN of too small culled clothing on the bed to spring one into action!

During my culling process on Sunday I documented each item on a spreadsheet, be it staying or going... I found this to be a very interesting exercise indeed and I'm surprised by exactly what I own and in what quantities and whether each item it's actually a truly perfect piece (a post for the future I think).

THE REVELATION

There is that philosophical question which makes one question human perception and the knowledge of reality: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" .

In relation to one's wardrobe, this question can be phrased in whatever manner currently describes one's situation and way of thinking, but for me it goes something like: "If I get rid of all these clothes so that I can't try them on anymore (to see exactly how much weight I've gained) and buy new clothes that fit, does it mean that I don't really need to loose any weight?"

I realise now that before this day I saw one of the benefits of culling to be a self-validating experience.  In that in some cases one culls so that they can continue on their merry way of exercising the same behaviour until the next big cull. 

My Oprah-style light bulb moment came last night, about 24 hours after I had finished my cull.  A friend posted pictures from Saturday's garden wedding on Facebook... I don't think I need to write the words here, but suffice to say I was upset with what I saw (I hope it was mostly the angle).  So a mountain of culled clothing plus horrible Facebook pictures and I realised something which I have subconsciously known but consciously denied for a year... I need to shape up again.

Another realisation that I made about the state of my wardrobe is that I don't like the style and fit of the majority of skirts and bottoms that I own (which actually isn't that many).  I have always found it difficult to buy the perfect bottoms.  This realisation helped explain why there are no less than 30+ dresses hanging in my wardrobe and why I own some beautiful tops that have hardly been worn.

ACTION PLAN

In reading the preceding paragraphs one may think that I'm going to hold on to my "skinny clothes". I am not.  This is my action plan going forward:

1. I have decided to sell or give away almost everything that I culled on Sunday.  A lot of the pieces are pre-house acquisitions meaning that they are getting a few years old now anyway.  Furthermore a lot of the pieces aren't exactly classic, so not to my current liking.  If I cut my losses now, while most of the items are still in style and the brands are coveted, I may actually make a little bit of money.  If I wait but inevitably cull everything again down the track, I may miss out all together. 
2. I will keep some of my favourite, more special "skinny clothes".  I think though these items need to be moved into my spare closet, so as not to confuse me each morning into thinking that they are an outfit choice (when in fact they are not).
3. I am returning both skirts that I have bought in the past week to the stores they came from. Neither are perfect and furthermore each skirt is one or even TWO sizes bigger than the clothing I culled on Sunday.  Although one of the skirts is quite flattering to my current shape, by buying new clothes in my current size I am in effect accepting a figure which quite frankly makes me unhappy.
4. I must stop shopping for the time being and focus on the bigger picture (see next point).  I have decided that I will not buy anymore pants or skirts in my current size.  I will make do with what I have.
5. Lose weight (but because this is not a weight loss blog, I will not go into, how, what and when).

So there you have it, hardcore wardrobe culling and the revelations that come with it.

Back to answer a reader's question

My blogging hiatus has been due to work, social and eBaying commitments... but I'm back to it as of now and thought I'd re-start by answering a reader's question asked recently. 

Wendy has asked: Has [the culling] process helped you control your impulses or perhaps just given your wardrobe more room for new items?

I guess the best way to answer this question is to explain what started me off in the first place. To summarise for those that cannot be bothered reading the rest of this post:

1. I moved house (twice).

2. I put on a little bit of weight.

Here are some of the disturbing tales from both of my moves which have played a part in my commencing culling.

Moving Tale No. 1

I threw out about 3kg/6.6lbs of old makeup and skincare!

Newsflash to all the women out there who "collect" makeup - it's akin to collecting food - it goes off eventually! 

I threw out about 30 lipsticks and lipglosses ranging from Dior to Revlon and almost untouched bottles of foundation because they weren't quite right.  I couldn't bring myself to calculate the 100s of dollars that I was throwing out into the bin. I vowed at that point not buy anymore makeup unless I really needed it and most definitely not to be sucked in by GWP promotions.

Over the past year I have polished of bottles and tubes of foundation and tinted moisturiser, a pressed powder and I've hit pan on a couple of eyeshadow - not to mention I'm about to finish a MAC lipstick!

Maybe I'm a weirdo, but finishing a tube of makeup or skincare actually feels really good - a real feeling of accomplishment!

Moving Tale No. 2

I had to make A FEW trips in a STATION WAGON to move all my shoes and clothes.  I had more clothes and shoes than other household possessions!

Moving Tale No. 3

I used to store all my shoes in their original box at one point.  Unfortunately I did not have room for said shoe boxes in my new house... When I went to discard one of my shoe boxes (belonging to a pair of sneakers that I last wore in high school, AKA a long time ago) - I found a redback spider nesting in there...eek!

Moving Tale No. 4

Earlier this year when I was moving for the second time, I found myself moving the same box and the same two space bags filled with clothes from when I moved the first time!  I lived at my place for exactly a year and for this whole time I didn't feel the need unpack this stuff! Mind you these are the very bags and boxes which started the culling process. I culled the majority of the contents bar an old favourite or two which I re-discovered at this point.

Furthermore, and I'm not sure whether this point is more disturbing than the last, but I found myself moving items of clothing and shoes that I had not worn since before when I moved the first time!!!

Both moves made me wonder 2 things about the possessions that I was moving:

1. Why did I buy this? (If the item had never been worn or used.)

2. Why do I still own this? (If the item wasn't being worn or used anymore.)

Fast forward 6 months and 5kgs extra on my hips and again I found myself asking the same question about the same things that were still hanging in my wardrobe that now in addition to not being worn ever, did not even fit anymore! SO WHY DO I STILL OWN THIS!?!?!?!?

More frustratingly was a wardrobe full of clothing that was uninspiring, ill-fitting and old (I stopped/slowed down my shopping when I ploughed money into my renovations) - hence I made the decision to cull and re-invent my wardrobe.

My aim has NOT been to turn into a minimalist. Kudos to those who get by with owning 3 pairs of shoes, but being a minimalist does not interest or excite me at all.  I don't even think I need to say this, but I enjoy buying new things now and again (or every week).

My one and only goal has been to eradicate all the things in my closet that I do not wear anymore (for whatever reason) and to replace those things with a few items that I will wear.

Another behaviour which I am trying to adopt is to get rid of anything that I buy that does not quite work on me and does not quickly become a regular go-to-item. For example, just last week I decided to cull my Witchery animal print dress that I bought only a couple of months ago .  I like the dress, but I do not feel awesome wearing it, so it must go!

I'm over allowing my shopping mistakes to hang in my wardrobe for eternity to mock me each time I look inside.

In terms of the lessons I have learned from my culling adventures:

• No more sky high heels. No matter how much of a bargain they are!  Given that I am not a spring chick anymore, mega high heels are seldom worn. I have decided that it is better that I only own a few pairs of truly great or comfortable shoes rather than many uncomfortable heels that just end up standing around looking pretty. 
• No more cheaply made garments from cheap chain store brands. Not that my wardrobe was ever been filled with such garments, but I admit that sometimes I would succumb to a Sportsgirl or Miss Shop sale only to be dissatisfied with the polyester top that I ended up buying for a bargain - it's not a bargain if it's never worn or only worn once.  That my friend is classified as a waste of money...
• YES to Country Road, Cue and Veronika Maine dresses ... great quality and re-sell well.
• YES to designer bargains... (that fit well and that I can see myself wearing).

And yes, the culling has made room for lots of new purchases that I'm excited to wear ASAP - no more of this hanging around with tags still on!

Additions from Witchery: "around the house" clothing

Culling clothes, wardrobe organisation (post coming) and eBaying call for comfy pants...  Out go my 8 year old lilac purple trackie dacks (which sort of give me camel toe and in which I wouldn't be caught dead in taking out the garbage) and in comes something a little more stylish:

 Witchery "Space Dyed Fashion Jogger" in Grey Marle

They feature exposed zips at the cuffs and slit pockets on the backside.  They are surprisingly flattering and only cost $17.95 - bargain!

Buying these pants got me wondering - when lounging around the house, cleaning and what not, what do you wear? Do you buy specific around the house "lounge wear" or do you begrudgingly wear the things that didn't quite work in public and that you should have culled (read: given away or thrown out) years ago?

Traditionally I have fallen into the latter category.  I've noticed of late, however, that even these "around the house" clothes are having a negative effect on my psyche.  When I come home from work and *slip into something more comfortable* I want to look good and feel good.  The last thing I want, is to be reminded that what I'm wearing makes me look fat, but that for some reason I bought it anyway.  I think it's high time I got rid of the majority of my around the house clothes - ONLY the majority though... I'll keep one or two lovingly worn out pieces :)

The cull diary prequel...

As promised here is a post devoted to a list of the pieces I culled since starting this blog on 22 May 2011 before the inception of my "cull diary" on 30 August 2011.

Item culled	Reason	Comments
Beige wool vest	Seldom worn.
Navy military style blazer	Seldom worn.	Although I liked this jacket, I found the shade of navy difficult to match to other items in my wardrobe.  Black looked too heavy and the whole time I owned it I never managed to match another navy piece to it.
Black denim jacket	Seldom worn.	Because I mostly wear jeans casually, this was not worn often as I don’t do double denim. Verdict – denim jackets are not my thing.
Striped cropped blazer	Worn to death, time to let go.	TO BE REPLACED WITH ONE CASUAL BLAZER.
Gold linen blazer	Worn to death, time to let go.
Navy blouse	Too small.
Plaid cap sleeve blouse	Seldom worn.	I never found the right occasion to wear this. Too casual for corporate wear, too corporate for casual wear... if that makes any sense?
Red knit	Seldom worn...	... plus my partner said it was horrible (!)
Black short sleeve knit skivvy	Seldom worn.	Not sure why I purchased this.  I do not understand the concept of short sleeve skivvies.
Black wet look shell top	A piece with no longevity - no place in my ideal wardrobe.	I would like to avoid buying into 'trends'.
5 x white shirts	Too small.	TO BE REPLACED WITH A COUPLE NEW SHIRTS.
Black shirt	Too small.
White printed tee	Never worn.	I’m not really a tee person.
Cream bow cami	Not suitable for my current figure	Made me look like I had giant bazoombas.
2 x blue denim jeans	Too small.
Grey houndstooth skinny wool pants	Uncomfortable.	Even though these pants were lined to the knee, whenever I wore them I developed an itchy rash.
Beige pencil skirt	Wrong cut.
Black pencil skirt	Wrong cut.
Black bow front skirt	Not suitable for my figure.	Because I have a bootylicious figure with a sway back, the excess fabric at the front made me look thick through the middle.
Beige pants	Online purchase – did not fit.
Pink/brown/beige toned pleated skirt	Seldom worn.
Orange body con skirt	Fraction too small and too short.	*sigh* both skirts were fab.  A bit sad that I decided to let them go, but I’m standing by my decision to start afresh.
Black sequinned sirt	Fraction too small and too short.
Cream tank dress	Online purchase – disappointing in reality.
Black asymmetrical work dress	Too small.	TO BE REPLACED.
Black Designer LBD	Too small across the bust.	TO BE REPLACED.
Animal print dress	Too figure hugging and short.	Must avoid buying figure hugging dresses!
Batwing dress	Too figure hugging.	Ditto.
Silk beaded evening gown	Never worn.	It was literally hung in my wardrobe unworn for about 6 years!
Black shirt dress	Too small.
Magenta silk with billowy sleeves dress	A piece with no longevity - no place in my ideal wardrobe.
Black knee high heeled boots	Too high.	TO BE REPLACED IN TIME FOR NEXT WINTER.
Black suede OTK boots	Too high.
Black studded biker ankle boots	To be upgraded.	TO BE REPLACED WITH ACNE PISTOL SHORT ANKLE BOOTS.
Black high heeled ankle boots	To be upgraded.
Witchery ‘Simone’ ankle boots	Upgraded.	Already replaced with Isabel Marant ‘Dickers’.
Black block heel peep toe pumps	Not flattering on my feet.
Black mid-heel t-bar pumps	Not flattering on my feet	I bought them 'cause they were comfy...
Black and white peep toe pumps	½ size too small.
Black and white round toe pumps	Not balanced properly.
Black waist belt with silver buckle	Too small.	TO BE REPLACED WITH ONE NEW BELT (NOT SURE ON STYLE YET).
Black waist belt with antique gold buckle	Not worn in a bazillion years.
Beige leather tote bag	Seldom worn.

TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS CULLED DESCRIBED ABOVE  = 48

Since starting this blog I have culled 60 items from my closet!