Day Thirty: Hokey Parisian.

This exchange happened today:

Chris: Did you get any compliments on your outfit today?

Me: No

Chris: Oh, I'm sorry. (Notice that that is also not a compliment.)

Me: Well, I think it might be a bit hokey.

Chris: Hokey?

Me: Yeah, like corny.

Chris: Like a small town girl in the sixties who gets dressed up and goes to Paris, but when she gets there she learns that real Parisians don't really dress like that?

Me: (jaw dropping) Yeah, pretty much exactly like that.

The man totally gets me. 

So, it's Day Thirty (here in TFB world at least) and I'm so done wearing these clothes. But, I have to admit that it's mostly due to the weather having changed, and not as much due to the fact that I've grown tired of the clothes themselves. Which I think is actually pretty awesome. However, I'm not sure if it is quite awesome enough to make me want to do it again right away. I'm trying to decide whether I want to pick out another 30 or so items for a spring capsule to wear for the next three months. I can tell that I should do this because although I just got done saying that wearing these clothes for a little over three months was not particularly difficult, I am feeling very resistant to trying out the warm weather version of this challenge. Resistance to my own ideas is one of those sneaky little psychic clues that usually means if I push through all the doubts, discomfort and fear I have surrounding a course of action, I stand to achieve much more than if I take the- much more appealing- easy road. I should do this precisely because it will be hard for me. (And now that I've said that I can hardly show up tomorrow and tell you I've decided to start posting with my full wardrobe at my disposal again, can I?)

Warm weather dressing is kind of a bugaboo of mine. I used to be the kind of kid who'd sulk about a tropical vacation paradise in a black turtleneck and combat boots. I've improved by leaps and bounds since then- both in my general attitude and my ability to find things to wear in the summer that I don't hate and won't cause me to sweat to death- but I'm still much more adept at fall and winter dressing. Summer togs do not leave much leeway for camouflaging and concealing and I find it difficult to balance my desire for a lean looking silhouette with my need for my clothes to touch my skin as little as humanly possible. Summer and I have a difficult relationship.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I finally finished posting 30 outfits in just over three months. I could get all self-judgy and harp on the fact that I sure wasn't planning on taking that long when I started out but the fact is, I wore these clothes for way, way, way longer than I originally planned and I think that made a huge difference in what I got out of this undertaking. And other than adhering to the time frame, and the daily posting, I met pretty much all my expectations: I'm blogging more regularly, I've developed some strategic guidelines that are helping me to zero in on how I want to look most of the time, I've tried some new things (lipstick, belts, such a daredevil aren't I?) And I've learned a lot about not just how I'd like to look, but also about how I want to relate to my wardrobe (ie. what I'd like it to do for me versus what I'm willing to do for it.) I'm planning a 'wrap up' post for this 30 item winter wardrobe so I'll stop philosophising now and return to the outfit at hand.

I liked: 

• If I'm honest I like the slightly cornball, phony French feel of this one. There is no great need for serious attire in my life right now so I'm indulging my whimsical side right now.
• My new red beret. How did I do without a red one for so long?
• The adorable polka-dot scarf that I am wearing like a grown up and totally pulling it off!

I'd change:

• The black skirt plus black top combo. The hat and scarf add some much needed color but I think I can safely say that I just don't like the black on black outfits I've worn nearly as much as the black and white or black and grey combinations and this one is no exception. I'm really trying to avoid making rules for myself that include the words 'always' or 'never' but I'm going to say that as a general rule I should never wear just black apparel. The accessories help but I think if one of these black items was grey or white it would look chicer. 
• I'm on the fence about the lace tights. I don't dislike them, I just don't think they really add anything. Perhaps I'm getting too nit-picky?

The verdict:

• I'm going with 8.5 out of 10. No perfect but pretty solid. A little quirky but good-humored. Like that small town girl on her way to Paris.

Day Twenty-nine: And just like that- I feel like myself again!

I've decided that just about any combination of black and white prints or patterns get along like a house on fire. I was concerned when I pulled these pieces together that they would be too different, or too much, or too something. But I liked it, and I got more compliments on this outfit than I've gotten in a long time. Now, I also saw way more people that would be inclined to comment than I have in a long time so I can hardly call it scientific evidence, but I guess I can say, "I liked my outfit and my people did too."

I liked:

• Pretty much everything. The mix of jewelry. The playful pattern mixing. The sleeve layering. The slim silhouette. 

I'd change:

• I'd like to upgrade these shoes at some point. I have four pairs of these patent ballet flats from Nordstrom (BP shoes)  in red, green, purple and blue but I wear the red ones about 10 times as often as I wear any of the other colors. I kind of wish now I'd gotten four pairs of the red. They are about four years old now and they don't look anywhere near as nice as they did when they were new. I'd replace them in a heartbeat but I haven't been able to find a pair that I like as much. They are a beautiful shiny scarlet color and (most important) they do not have any bows. I can not abide bows on ballet flats. Why? I can not explain it. I don't mind bows on hats. Bow shaped pins? No problem. Bows on dresses? Don't mind those. But ballet shoe bows are out of the question. And yes, something like 99.95% of all ballet style flat shoes do have bows. Such is life for those of us with unreasonable fashion foibles. I'm sure you know who you are.

The verdict:

• Its a ten. A home run with bases loaded (if I may belabor my last post's metaphor.) It was just right for the weather, (springy but not yet hot) and the stuff on my agenda, (meeting a friend for lunch and attending a performance of Annie featuring a young family member) and for my sense of self.

Day Twenty-eight: A swing- and a miss.

In my mind's eye I saw this outfit as a fun mix of disparate, funky elements. Elegant equestrian meets dime store princess. Or something like that. In these photos I can see that the only thing funky about it is that it pretty much stinks. The 'shrunken' jacket just looks too small, not charmingly undersized, when paired with this A-line skirt. Even the multiple rhinestone necklaces can't alleviate the dull matronly effect of this combination. I look like a prison warden who only gets invited somewhere nice once every ten years so it's hardly worth investing in a jacket that fits. I look like the blogger that time forgot. And am I wrong in thinking that this outfit adds 20 pounds AND 20 years?

I like: (surely there must be something?)

• The copious amounts of rhinestones. I was recently admiring a woman at the Phoenix Art Museum wearing a T-shirt and jeans and a GIANT yellow rhinestone necklace. Nothing else about her was particularly striking, and her outfit without the necklace wouldn't have caused me to look twice, but with the over the top necklace it was kind of awesome. Casual, cool, special with out being too precious, absolutely not 'trying too hard'. Totally the effect I am usually going for. I did not manage to achieve that effect here myself but I did like this combo of necklaces. The long necklace is actually a belt. From the Gap, years ago. I've had it for probably ten years and never worn it. It's a bit useless as a belt, in all honesty, because you can't really make it snug, and it slips a lot, and it also has quite a high snag factor. I put the buckle at the back of my neck and left the tongue? tail? what do you call that that end of a belt? hanging down the side. I thought it was pretty neato-creative. 

I'd change:

• I think where I went wrong is that the funkier elements (rhinestone belt and its sparkly friends, and intentionally ill fitting jacket) need a much more modern silhouette to make them seem deliberate and calculated and interesting rather than merely sad. Changing the A-line skirt with the black knit and leather pencil skirt in my capsule would make a world of difference. Even jeans would work better than this skirt. Jeans do tend to help play up the ironic notes of an outfit. They say, "an overdose of costume jewelry and a teensy jacket? Don't worry, its all in fun."

The verdict:

• Epic Fail.
• I've decided to get rid of this skirt. It's a bit loose in the waist and I don't like it enough to alter it. It's hard to tell from the photos but it is made of a very heavy, almost felt like, Melton. The waist facing is made of this same thick fabric so the waist is SUPER bulky. I need a black A-line that is a bit lighter in weight, a bit slimmer, dare I say, a bit sexier? As soon as my thirtieth outfit gets posted this skirt is O-U-T out. For now I'm going to fill its place with something more summery, and I will be on the lookout to replace it for Fall with a much sassier black A-line.
• I will wear the necklaces again with something a bit hipper and see if I can't actually achieve the cool effect of the woman at the art museum. People watching at the museum is one of my favorite pastimes. I can get overwhelmed and burned out looking at the actual art pretty quickly but I never seem to tire of people watching.

Day Twenty-seven: A big push to the finish.

It seems a bit ridiculous to still be labeling these posts 'Day whatever number is the next in line' when I am the only person in the history of blogging to take four freaking months to post 30 outfits, but for the sake of consistency I'm not going to change it now. Four months is a bit of an exaggeration but these 30-for-30 (if I can even still use that moniker) posts began in December and will finish in March. I've been wearing the same clothes for all that time (with the exception of the vacation time I spent in Maui and Arizona) and I haven't felt at all deprived. Some of the unposted outfits have even been pretty good. Some have been exact replicas of posted outfits. And some have been terribly boring. But I've kept to the plan getting dressed, if not the original plan of blogging every outfit every day, and I haven't felt badly dressed and no one has wondered (at least, aloud) if I don't have any other clothes. There are still two items that as yet remain unworn or undocumented. I just need to make the final push to the end. It was a good challenge for me. In spite of not really fulfilling it in the manner it's supposed to be executed I have learned a good deal about how I want to clothe myself in the future. But I'll wait 'till the end to sum all that up.

I liked wearing this outfit but it wasn't a great choice functionally for the activities I performed today and I did not find that out until I was in the process of performing those activities. I volunteer a few hours a week shelf reading at our local library. When I'm working on the bottom two shelves of a section I have to crouch. I used to sit on the floor, but it turns out the industrial grade carpeting irreparably scuffs the finish off of my shoes so I don't do that anymore. Crouching with these boots, jeans and the cuffs of my knee high socks wedged in the back of my knee was awfully uncomfortable.

I like:

• The boots. The make me feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. The are also spectacularly comfortable as long as I'm not crouching in them. 

I'd change:

• I need to rethink my 'bare minimum amount' of makeup. Concealer, mascara and lip balm used to be my acceptable bare minimum. I don't think I can reasonably exclude brow, cheek, and lip color from that list anymore. I appear to have no innate color of my own.
• While I really like the combination of these two shirts when I've paired them with a skirt, I'm not crazy about how they look with these jeans. The untucked shirt looks too puffy at the waist to my eye. I'd tuck in the black and white shirt and push the sleeves of the black shirt up to expose the black and white cuffs next time.

The verdict:

• I'm giving this one an 8/10. I felt really very good wearing it and I was a bit surprised when I didn't love it as much in pictures as I did in real life. I think some of that is due to having had the photos taken at the end of the day rather than right after I got dressed. I'm not sure why that should make such a huge difference but it really does seem to for me.
• Photos also really help to point up the transformative powers of accessories. When I compare an outfit like this one to some of the previous outfits that I think look great, I find that it's really the accessories that make the difference. There's nothing wrong with this outfit but it needs something to make it really shine.

Day Twenty-six: It looks like me, but it's not *really* me.

To my eye this combination looks really consistent with my age, location, education level, social status, politics, and proclivities. I mean, you can just tell by looking at me that I live in a Northern California university town, support recycling and alternative fuels, and go to the farmers market and the library regularly. I feel like this outfit says a lot of things about me- and those things happen to be true- but I don't really like this look for myself. I look fine, but I look like every other 40 something woman sampling produce at the local farmers market. Actually, I wore this to see a movie at our local art house theater and it was perfectly appropriate for that pursuit, and there were at least 3 other women in the audience wearing a version of this outfit.

I like:

• That almost every item was obtained from the thrift store. The cardigan was a gift but the shoes, jeans, sweater and 'scarf' were bought used.
• The fact that the 'scarf' is actually a seasonal table runner. This fact allows me to entertain the fantasy that I am so stylish that I can make an accessory out of anything. I have learned that it is much better to keep this fact to myself instead of excitedly exclaiming, "It's a table runner!!!" when someone compliments it. Other people really don't know what to make of this information.
• You can't see them but the Smartwool Hide and Seek socks make me very happy. They are the only socks I've ever tried that aren't visible outside of shoes AND don't end up in a wad under my instep after slipping off my heels the minute I take a step.

I'd change:

• The long sweater and voluminous scarf combination. I think this is what makes it look like such a typical example of the local uniform. Individually I like all the pieces here, but together they seem so predictably "Yes, I do have a moment to sign your petition for clean energy.' (They have those "Do you have a moment for...[insert worthy cause here]" kids everywhere, right?)
• I wish my hair was not sticking up on top of my head in every single full length photo taken in this outfit but that has already been taken care of IRL.

The verdict:

• Sometimes outfits look just fine- nice even- but they just don't do it for me. If I saw someone who looked like me at the movies I would have probably appreciated how much her table runner scarf complimented her hair, I might have admired her cuffed jeans with her cap toe mens oxfords, but I wouldn't have thought 'I need to copy that outfit.'
• This is a 6/10 for me. I don't think it looks bad. I just don't think it looks like me, even though, somehow, it looks like lots of people who are very much like me. (And whom I would probably like very much.)

Day Twenty-five: Some realizations, more jewelry from New Zealand, and a new acquisition.

Realization #1: As much as I love an Annie Hall style 'borrowed from the boys' look, my most successful attempts at incorporating menswear into my outfits combine a single masculine element with pieces that are unambiguously feminine. Here, it's guys jeans, with a cashmere cardigan, and pointy flats with bows. I usually go all masculine-to-the-maximum and try to wear these jeans with mens shoes and various other gentlemanly touches. I was beginning to think I just didn't really like actual menswear on me as much as I like it on other people and that was making me sad. I want to be able to emulate everything I admire.

Realization #2:  Although I spend a tremendous amount of psychic energy (and blog space) wondering if about the width of my belt or the appropriateness of  my jewelry or whatnot, there are some items that come into my hands that resonate so strongly with my inner glamor girl (or my inner rock star, or my inner Russian spy...) that I don't give a damn what anyone else might say, think or feel about my choice. Case in point- this vintage fur cape that was waiting for me at the Salvation Army store. There was no question it was mine from the moment it hit my shoulders. It might be a bit much, it might be a bit costumey, it might not be terribly PC, but it is beautiful and I love it and I love how I feel when I wear it. That's a feeling I need to indulge and cultivate.

I like:

• Having established a formula for incorporating menswear into my wardrobe. It's making me excited to try other items that I haven't been happy with before- like those giant shoes. 
• This greenstone necklace is a much better match with this outfit.
• I love love love the cape. I have another vintage fur cape but it is a much fancier style so I find it difficult to wear with everyday clothes. This one is a bit more wearable for daytime so I hope to get it a bit more exposure. And it looks fantastic with my hair, if I do say so myself.

I'd change:

• I need to get some sort of shoe cream for these nude shoes. They are looking sort of shabby but I don't have anything to clean or polish them with. 
• And I need to remember to only buy pointy shoes that can be resoled. I am murder on the toes of pointy shoes and I don't think there's anything that can be done for these since they have rubber soles.

The verdict:

• It's not a fancy outfit, but it is a casual outfit that I'm very happy wearing. Although I like to be a bit fancier in general I don't want to always have to be dressed up in order to feel like myself- and my life lately (sadly) tends more towards sweater and jeans occasions than silk and pearls occasions.
• I rate this as 8/10. There are certainly more interesting and exciting casual outfits I could come up with if pressed.
• I need to wear more clothes that make my heart sing.

Day Twenty-four: A pseudo suit.

This jacket seems to work much better without a shirt underneath it than it does with one. At least it doesn't work well when paired with any of the shirts, blouses or tops I currently own. I had been hoping that the sleeve length and proportions would allow for lots of interesting layering options but my attempts thus far have been unsuccessful. I rather suspect this jacket really aspires to be a suit and not a separate. It seems happiest with a straight skirt.

I left the top button of the jacket open to make room for the jewelry. I have a few of these greenstone necklaces from New Zealand. I try to pick up a new piece of greenstone jewelry each time I visit but I don't tend to wear  them very often. Truthfully, I worry that these mark me as a bit of a poseur. Half of my family members were born in New Zealand, but I was not. And then there is the significant difference between being a New Zealander of European descent (my forebears emigrated from Scotland in the late 1800's) and being a Native New Zealander. But on our recent vacation to Maui everybody and their mother were wearing jewelry with Hawaiian motifs and not giving issues of cultural appropriation a second thought. So I decided to get over myself (and my, perhaps, overblown sensitivities) and just wear my own Pacific Island jewelry. (It's not like it wasn't created for the tourist trade anyway. It's not like I'm wearing heritage museum pieces.)

I like:

• The silhouette. Although it is pretty straight up and down- not a lot of waist emphasis- I think it has a bit of a late sixties feel to it. It's slightly boxy but not overly so. That's a phenomenon I associate with suits from the latter half of the sixties- somehow the suits look boxy but the bodies still look curvy. 
• I'm giving myself points for finally having pressed the damn skirt.

I'd change:

• The necklace. After all that going on about the jewelry in this post I think the necklace strung on cord is a little to casual for this pseudo suit. And I'd like something fuller and less angular, something that fills up the neckline more.

The verdict:

• A pseudo suit- a jacket with a coordinating but not matching straight skirt- is another good basic combination for me. I love the look of a suit but I've never had the kind of job that required one. This mixing and matching separates lends the pulled together feel of a suit without appearing fussy, or stuffy, or way more dressed up than everyone else. It is also much easier to accomplish for a dedicated thrift store shopper like me- actual suits that look stylish, are in good shape, and come close to fitting top and bottom are few and far between.
• It's a 7/10. A solid basic combo that needs something to make it really sing. Not sure what that something is yet but I'm open to suggestions.

Day Twenty-three: Double duty.

This is my version of the classic day into evening look-only mine is a Costco shopping into tea party look. Out local library has a terrific rose garden and the Library Rose Club hosted a Valentine's Afternoon Tea fundraiser. The dress code was specified- Sunday best, hats encouraged. If you know me at all, you know that I need very little encouragement to wear a hat. I wore the dress with red patent flats for our weekly Costco run and then switched to the red pumps and hat for the tea party.

The tea party was lovely. Our library is the oldest continuously operating Carnegie Library in California and the tea was held in the beautiful entrance rotunda. Vintage hats were available for those that didn't wear their own and I was impressed by the number of ladies who got in the spirit and wore a loaner chapeau. 

I like:

• The hat. The Valentine's theme of the event kind of called for red accessories.
• The dress. Although it's a bit shorter and tighter than I'd usually wear, the color and weight of the fabric make it really wearable.

I'd change:

• Maybe the iteration with the flats could use a belt? 

The verdict:

• Dare I say that, for me, it's a 10/10? I'm thrilled that I could go from routine shopping to specific special occasion with minimal fuss. Accessories are awesome.

Day Twenty-two: Moving towards a better boring.

I'm quite encouraged by the fact that, by sticking to the limited 30 items I chose for this challenge, even my get-out-the-door-and-go outfits aren't the abject failures they used to be. While this ensemble is a bit boring for the blog it looks and feels like me and was perfectly serviceable for a couple of hours of volunteer work and running some errands. It certainly could have been improved by some exciting accessories but on the day in question I was completely out of time. 

My tights are fishnet. I was hoping they added at least a small dash of sass to the outfit. Otherwise it's incredibly basic but it's so basically me that I have (almost) no complaints at all. An A-line skirt and a somewhat curvy knit top is an easy, practical, and pleasing combination for me. This particular skirt is quickly becoming the most worn item in my wardrobe. I also included a black A-line in my 30-for-30 choices but the much heavier, almost felt-like, fabric of the black skirt makes it less comfortable to wear than this one and somewhat bulky, especially at the waist. (Bulk at the waist has to be something no one wants!)

I like:

• Seeing an improvement even in the outfits that I don't have time to tinker with.
• Feeling like myself in my clothes.
• The neckline of this shirt- it's perfect for showcasing a necklace.
• The perfect skirt. I could probably wear this everyday and not mind much.

I'd change:

• Accessories- some color or sparkle are called for here. I've been singing the praises of the outfit but it is a bit dull. It's a nice blank canvas.

The verdict:

• Even though it's not exciting I'm giving this one an 8/10 rating. I was pleased to find that I could just throw something on and go and not end up hating it and cursing my disorganization all day. 
• It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of combinations like this one that I can grab in a pinch because, although I'm trying to be more organized, I know I will always have those 'Jeesze, where did the time go?' mornings.

Day Twenty-one: I belt a cardigan and I am not convinced it is a good idea.

This black cardigan is the dark sister of the grey one I wore on days two and ten. I also have a blue one which is not included in the 30 garments I selected for this challenge. These cardigans are fairly boxy in shape which makes them, perhaps, not the best choice for someone with my figure. I attempted the 'add a belt for waist emphasis' maneuver here to try to counter some of the boxy-ness. I have never been the biggest fan of belts. I think they tend to make me look like I'm crimped in the middle like two sausages. I've picked the very best of the photos here (ie the least sausage-y ones) but I don't know if I like the sweater with the belt anymore than I like it without.

My decision making is not being helped much by the fact that I look absolutely exhausted in these photos. Do I look like a woman who needs a vacation or what? These were taken right before we left. My eyes look like they are trying to exit out the back of my skull. But back to the belt. I tried several of varying widths and contrasts before settling on this one. I didn't hate wearing it, even though it was not the most comfortable outfit I've had on, but I'm not convinced the belt improved the look.

I also turned up the sleeves on the cardigan a little. I'm convinced I look wider when my sleeve hem  hits at the same height as the hem of my top. Since the sleeves of this sweater aren't ribbed they turned up nicely and I think that little bit of height difference helps the overall look.

I like:

• The idea of this outfit- the sweater and skirt combo is usually a very comfortable on for me both physically and psychologically. 
• That I've attempted something new that I might have otherwise rejected out of hand. Yay me! This is kind of the reason for attempting a challenge with self imposed limitations, right? 
• The mixed metals heart necklace. I don't wear much/ own much yellow gold. This silver and rose gold heart was a gift from Chris. It's from the jewelry store in my home town in New Zealand where my dad shops for his girlfriend. She has impeccable taste, in my opinion, and she has instructed my father that anything offered by this store would be an acceptable and highly appreciated gift. Chris decided that high endorsement would likely apply to me too, and he was right. I don't wear the necklace often enough, mostly because of the length- it's too long to wear in an open neckline without a good bit of cleavage on display (not my style at all!) And it needs a very unfussy neckline if it's going to sit on top of a garment.

I'd change: 

• The belt- I'm not sure how, or with what, but this one just didn't do it for me. I'll keep trying. Maybe I need something softer like and obi wrap belt? Or something thinner but not thin-thin?
• I'm contemplating having a couple links removed from the chain of the necklace to allow it to fall at a more wearable length for me. I often hitch up my necklaces in the back in various ways to shorten them but the design of this one makes that impossible. I think I'd wear it a lot more with one or two links removed from either side of the chain.
• I still need to re-hem the lining of this skirt so that it doesn't peek out but more than this I need to commit to pressing it before I wear it. It would improve the appearance of the skirt significantly and very likely improve my own mental assessment how much (or little) I am well put together. As it is I spend a few moments every time I don this skirt berating myself for, yet again, wearing it without pressing it and, seriously, how difficult can it be to run an iron over a straight skirt? It's not like it has tricky pleats or huge amounts of volume. And I have a sneaking suspicion that once I do press it I'm going to discover that I don't actually need to alter the hem of the lining. 

The verdict:

• I guess it's a 7/10. There is room for improvement but there's also lots that I do like about it.
• I need to make a firm commitment to clothing care: pressing things that need to be pressed before returning them to the closet, making sure sweaters aren't full of pills when I want to wear them, polishing my shoes, stuff of that nature. 
• I will keep experimenting with belts.
• I will look into options for shortening the mixed metal heart necklace.

Day Twenty: In which I explain my absence and vow to keep going.

This outfit seemed to be destined not to be photographed. The first time I put these pieces together it was one of those days when everything conspires against you and it's already too dark for pictures by the time you have a moment to stand around posing. What you see here is the second time out for this particular combination of denim skirt, white shirt and black jacket. Photos taken late in the day, skirt and shirt a bit rumpled, probably a significant amount of cat hair clinging to the jacket (although it doesn't seem to show here,) what little makeup I had managed to apply all but worn off. And for all the trouble it took to get this ensemble on the blog it is rather underwhelming. 

These pictures were taken a few days before we left for vacation. I'd planned a weeks absence from the blog to accommodate the fact that I wasn't going to be wearing these same clothes and I wasn't going to be near a computer. One week of vacation morphed into two weeks without posting- there was much to be done before we left and I did not exactly hit the ground running when we got back. I have been wearing the clothes I selected for my challenge, I just haven't been organized enough to photograph or blog about them. I know that this sort of breaks all the rules of doing a 30-for-30 challenge online. The whole point is to show 30 consecutive days utilizing the same garments. However, I do feel that I am reaping some real benefits from limiting myself to these 30 garments and I have enjoyed posting when I've been able. So I'm going to keep plugging away with these same garments until I get 30 days worth posted. If that means that I end up wearing these same clothes in real life for 60 days so be it. 

I like:

• The silhouette and proportions.
• The layered sleeves. I can't get enough of this short over long sleeved look. The jacket sleeves could be a smidge shorter here.

I'd change:

• The shirt- the collars of the jacket and the shirt don't play well together. The shirt collar isn't big/open enough to be on the outside of the jacket collar but it doesn't look right stuck inside the neck of the jacket.
• Or maybe it's the jacket that needs to change? To something with a slightly shorter sleeve and a collar that accommodates a standard shirt collar. Because I am having trouble imagining what shirt would work well with the neckline of the jacket.
• The skirt- a plain grey or denim pencil would look better with the jacket and stay withing the color parameters I've set for the challenge. I have a hounds-tooth pencil skirt that would probably look great too.

The verdict:

• It's a 6, may be a 6.5 at a stretch.
• Even these outfits that don't thrill me have not been (in my opinion) total failures. This capsule wardrobe is serving me well- well enough that I'm willing to keep wearing it for longer than 30 real life days in order to get 30 entries on the blog. I think that says something pretty significant about its utility.

Day Nineteen: With thanks to Shelia and Adrienne.

When last I wore this dress, I questioned whether I should shake things up by trying to make it look different, or whether I should leave it well enough alone being as I really loved it the way I always styled it. Well, naturally, my blogger-commenters (Shelia and Adrienne) said "Yes. Of course you should shake things up! Do you even have to ask?" So, spurred by their encouragement, I tried some of their suggestions and this is the result. It's pretty good. Thank you ladies for your excellent suggestions.

I like:

• The dress. That was a given.
• Having another option for wearing an easy practical garment I really love.
• The black and white graphic print layered under a basic solid. I have two black and white print blouses and I think my wardrobe could accommodate a few more. They feel very me, especially when layered.
• These caramel color leather accessories. I love this color of leather with black. To my eye it looks very rich and sophisticated. A pair of boots in this color have been on my wish list for at least 3 winters but I have yet to find the prefect pair at a moment when I'm feeling flush enough to splurge on them.

I'd change:

• The shoes. These are rather summery with their open toes but they are the only shoes I have in that caramel color. (I see this leather color called whiskey too but I'm a sucker for sweets!)
• The sleeve roll. I'm not sure there's any way to do this differently, but the rolling I've done here seems really bulky to me. It looks okay in the pictures, though, and I got used to the feel of it during the day so maybe it doesn't really need to change?

 

 

The verdict:

• Even if I love the way an outfit comes together I should not stop experimenting with it altogether. Especially as my goal is to have a wardrobe that excites me and doesn't contain a lot of crap that I don't wear.
• I enjoy the layered print sleeve so much it makes me think I should not dismiss the similar dresses I sometimes find that have short sleeves.
• Damn, I really want those perfect caramel colored boots now but since I'm currently unemployed, and have decided to enroll in yet more school I'm not going to have them this year. They stay on the wish list for more secure financial times.
• I'll be on the look out for other caramel/whiskey leather items. The color looks stellar with my hair (if I do say so myself!)
• I give this combination an 8/10. If I were happier with the shoes it might be a 10.

Day Eighteen: The first switcheroo.

I've stumbled a bit on the daily posting. The post previous to this one is Saturday's outfit. This is what I am wearing today. (It's Tuesday.) Sunday was another lost day- the last day of trying to get our home into a condition that might be considered welcoming to guests- and I did not manage to shower or put on real clothes. Monday I did get dressed, and even got dressed in garments from the 30 for 30 challenge that I had every intention of photographing. Somehow, between the last minute prep for our guest, getting him situated and then taking him out for dinner the pictures never got taken. I was planning to have Chris photograph Monday's outfit for me today, and then change into this and get pics for today too. Let's just say that, although my photographer is very sweet, this was just not the day to ask him to provide two photo shoots. Perhaps tomorrow will be better and I can get caught up.

I built a couple of what you might call 'pressure valves' into my challenge when I started to make it less scary for me. One of those was the option to swap out an item I'd placed in the challenge for something else if it didn't fit well. I had planned to wear another grey dress today but that dress was just too snug for comfort. It was a summer dress I was planning to winterize by layering it over a shirt and tights, but the addition of those layering pieces compromised the fit. So, that dress has been removed from the challenge because either it doesn't fit or, it isn't seasonally appropriate, depending on how you look at it. My excuse for making the change really doesn't matter much- the dress is out of my closet for the time being and this long merino cardigan is in.

The cardigan is a gift from my father. (He's the guest that inspired the cleaning marathon.) It's from Untouched World, which is a seriously awesome New Zealand company. They call it the fling on cardi, meaning, presumably, you can just throw it on over anything. It's going to be  a great basic for me as I am nearly always cold. I love, love, love wool products from NZ. Fine, machine washable, eco-frendly merino wool- I don't think you can beat that.

Day Seventeen: Same sweater and jeans as before.

It was such an overcast day today we despaired of getting any clear photos inside. So, welcome to my neighborhood! Of course, there were people just across the street unloading groceries from their car so I felt like a goofball. I don't know if I could ever be one of those bloggers who goes 'out on location' for her photos. Maybe the self consciousness dissipates with time and experience? I predict I would always feel like a goofball, even with practice.

I belted my jeans here and I think I've made them just a smidge too high. I wanted to highlight the green tights and burgundy shoes but I also gave myself a bit of the ole' turkey drumstick leg as well. Furthermore, I never think this kind of funky casual look really works for me despite my insistence on attempting it over and over. I need to figure out a way to wear mens shoes (which I love) with something other than jeans (which I don't love but keep trying to wear for some reason.) I just don't think I can pull of the shoes with a skirt without looking ungainly. I've got fairly large feet and the shoes are quite clunky. Perhaps I just need to get used to the look of giant feet with a skirt? I think I'm going to have to try it and take photos. My feet don't look as humongous here as I feel they do when I'm looking down on them. Photos provide a much better gestalt view for self critique than a mirror seems to, at least for me.

Day Sixteen: What I wore to lunch when I wasn't cleaning carpets.

Today was almost one of those days when I didn't get dressed. I was deep cleaning the carpets in preparation for hosting a house guest next week. Chris wanted to go to lunch. So I threw on some clothes and jammed a hat over my greasy hair and called it an outfit. No shower. No makeup. (No closeup shot either!)

Obviously, I have yet to get to the carpet in this room. There are bits of Minnie all over the floor.

Day Fifteen: Revisiting a failed outfit.

I wasn't keen on this combination of denim skirt and black shirt when I first wore it on day eight of the challenge. I like it a lot better with brighter accessories but I think that the fact that these are much brighter photos goes a long way towards improving my rating of this outfit. Also, here I am recently showered and I have not spent a couple of hours in the car. With my level of photographic skill and the amount of effort I'm willing to put into photo editing right now (none) it is impossible to show the detail of this shirt. You'll just have to take it on faith that it is more interesting than it appears in these photos. These is a center front seam and some dart manipulations that result in the creation of unusual triangular shaped pieces and a curvy fit.

I really like the skirt but it irks me that, while the vertical striped stitching appears on the front and back of the skirt, the horizontal striped stitching on the band at the hem is only on the front of the skirt. The brand is not an especially cheap one and the skirt is otherwise well constructed so I'm not sure why they cheapened the overall look of the skirt by making this design choice. Since I paid $2.99 for the skirt and, as I said, I really do like it, I can't really complain. And I'm not really complaining, except to say that given the choice I'd prefer to have the stitching go all of the way around. When I bought the skirt I did not think I would be as bothered by this detail as it turns out I am. It's another lesson learned. I recently passed over a jacket that I liked, but noticed had similar cheap detailing- contrasting trim on the front that stopped at the side seams and did not continue on the back of the garment. It's a pet peeve that I never knew I had. 

The little silk kerchief is literally disintegrating but I will keep it until turns to dust probably. I found it at a thrift store when I was in high school and it wasn't in pristine condition even then, but it has watering cans and flower pots and window boxes with hearts on them. Love. I will be sad when I have to retire it.

Day Fourteen: The state of things so far.

A reasonably solid outfit today. Not a raging success. Not a total failure. Functional. Looks like me. Felt pretty okay. It's a 7/10. No complaints. 

At almost the halfway point in my challenge I'm surprised at how well it's going. I was really scared going in that I would have some days when I just couldn't put together something I'd want to wear. That hasn't happened yet and I haven't even had to fall back on the options I left myself for swapping out garments or adding extra garments. So, in some ways this has been easier than I imagined it might be. However, I also imagined that I'd be able to get dressed really quickly having so few options to chose from. Not so- I select my basic garments for the day fairly quickly but then I linger over which shoes, jewelry, scarf, hat, etc. I need to perk up those basic garments. I'm not saving any time at all, and sometimes I go thorough several accessory changes before I either find something I like or give up and go with what I've got on.

I'd also hoped that having fewer clothing items in the current rotation would mean that I'd be more attentive to keeping each item in the best possible condition. Again, not so. My shirt still needs ironing. I still need to let down the hem of the skirt I wore on day two and decided was too short. I've created a running list of  'to do's' to spruce up several of the garments I've been wearing the past two weeks but I've yet to move towards doing any of them. And that running list of things I want to sew? Let's not even get into that!