Hey! I was recently working on cleaning up the blog and restructuring the categories when I realized that the 'food' and 'style' genres have been thrown to the wayside in the midst of all things home that have been happening around here. SO, now that all of the initial home tour posts are up and out I'm hoping to mix in more food and style posts consistently.
It's perfect timing to do so since I've spent this past several weeks filling in the holes in my spring/summer wardrobe since the weather is juuuuuust now starting to finally turn away from winter and on to warmer, greener and sunnier days!
My wardrobe has been a real work in progress over the past year or so.
I've done a few major clear outs from which
I consigned almost all of the non-keepers. A recycling of sorts. Sell what no longer works or fits to in turn re-invest that money into what does. Intention at its best. In doing so I've also been able to curate an intentional list of pieces that need to be replaced or would better fit into my life style than what I already had (for example: get rid of the fancy skirts I never wear, replace with that
casual cute navy romper).
As an outcome or sorting through, I had a fall/winter list which I fulfilled for that season and I have a concise spring/summer list as well which I've just now checked off. The goal has also been to get rid of items that are poor quality, and instead build a higher quality wardrobe with less items over time. It's taken about a year or two to get to this point but I think I can safely say, I've arrived. I feel as though my wardrobe is finally not too big and not too small. Every item can be worn with so many combinations of pieces, is high quality, fits correctly and is certain to get plenty of use.
A few good examples of how this came about would be the black mules and white jeans. I had a pair of black mules from Forever21 which I had purchased quite cheaply since I wasn't sure if I'd really love them or not. Turns out they were my go to heel last summer but due to the poor quality, ended up being really dinged up and lasted just that season. SO, I chose to invest in a better quality (and when I say invest, I mean turn the focus on quality, as the spendy part of it is subjective and not the point) mule this year to last me the next 5-10 years instead of re-purchasing the same cheap pair each year. The same goes for the white jeans, I kept buying a pair from Marshall's every spring or summer, but they would never fit right and always seemed to lose their shape after being washed. Since white jeans are such a staple item in my closet, I "invested" this year and went for something higher quality.
My end all be all goal is to not spend money on clothes beyond a piece or two here and there. Having an intentional, concise, workable and good quality wardrobe means buying once and then it's done. To me, it's freeing and a relief to not have to keep a consistent budget season to season for this sort of thing. I'd rather focus on being creative with what I have and really loving what is already in my closet.
Alright now that I've laid out my philosophy behind the approach I've taken with my wardrobe, here is what drew me to each piece (top to bottom, left to right):
Free People Royale Flats
These are #1 on the this list because, just look at them. I've been eyeing these for about a good year and a half now. I finally caved. And I am so glad I did. These shoes are everything. First of all, they're so. insanely. comfortable. They're like slippers. Second of all, have you ever seen anything like them?! Me either. They're so simple in that they're a brown leather flat but the pointed toe with the cut out......it really just does it for me. Bottom line, I'm obsessed with them. And I get asked at least once a day where they're from so here you go - I cannot say enough good things about them. They're worth every single penny. And I cannot wait to wear them for
so many seasons to come.
Madewell High Rise Distressed Black Skinny Jeans
These are a replace and invest item as I do have some black skinnies but the quality is poor and after seeing how often I wore them this winter, they've really pilled up and it was time to get something to last through many more fall/winter/springs. The ripped knee makes them and I'm okay with embracing the casual lifestyle that allows me to really get a ton of use out of them. Also, almost all my jeans at this point are Madewell's 9" high rise and I'll never look back. The stretch. The high rise that keeps it all in (you know what I'm talking about). Yes.
Madewell High Rise White Skinny Jeans
I'm relieved to finally have a pair of white jeans that fit, don't sag after a wash or two and just plain work. I wear them so often in the spring and summer, I was overdue for a good pair. And yes, again they're the 9" high rise that I can't get enough of.
Madewell Striped Blouse Tank
I had on my list of items to replace a "going out shirt" which to me means a shirt for the occasional fancier date night, holiday or something along those lines. I really love those off the shoulder blouses that are so popular right now, or even a dainty camisole, but it's just not in the cards for me. Bottom line is that a bra is a must so I was on the hunt for a quality top that would allow for that. Initially I went against my will and bought
this top but ended up returning it since I just knew I'd never be comfortable in it since it requires a strapless bra. I'm glad I did and instead ended up with this comfy and realistic (for me) little top. It's slightly cropped in the front which is flattering especially with high waisted shorts or jeans :)
Lucky Brand Black Mules
Lucky Brand makes great shoes, hands down. These are my third pair (I also love and wear
these and
these on a daily basis) and like those high waisted jeans, I'm pretty sure I won't be looking elsewhere anytime soon. I love the classic style of a mule. This particular pair is so comfortable and the heel is just enough where it gives an outfit that extra oomph yet they're also perfectly easy to walk in.
Madewell Whisper Cotten Crew Stripe T-Shirt in Teal Stripe
Stripes are my go to. I love the sage/teal green color and thought it was just enough of a step away from my usual grey and white or black and white stripe t's in the past. This and the other stripe t on this list were replacements for worn out and well loved t's from past seasons.
Madewell Abroad Trench Coat
I've been eyeing the return of the trench coat trend for a few years now and never purchased one because I wasn't sure if I wanted short or long, buttons or no buttons, tie or no tie. I saw this one on sale at Madewell and finally went for it, ultimately deciding to go for the tried and true classic style trench. I was looking for a jacket to transition from winter to spring to summer and I know it'll do the same for summer to fall to winter, score. And the classic style is timeless to boot. (Close runner up was t
his shorter trench from Everlane)
Everlane Cotten V T-Shirt in Rose
All of my basic t-shirts are from Everlane. They're soft, comfortable, wash well, keep their shape, are great quality and so well priced at just $15. They cover all the bases and then some. I practically live in t-shirts so it's important to me to have ones that will hold up. I have white, grey, black and navy thus far. And wanted to add the rose one for a bit of color.....gasp.
Roolee Open Roads Romper in Navy
As I touched on this piece earlier, I really honed in on what a realistic wardrobe looks like for my life style. As much as I wanted to love the fancier skirts and such that I had, I just never have a reason or place to wear them. So, on to a more loving closet they went. For whatever reason, to me the translation for my casual wardrobe is a romper. So many of them are printed and a bit loud, this all navy cotton number from Roolee was my ideal. It also has pockets, win.
Madewell Whisper Cotten T-Shirt in Navy Stripe
Nothing ground breaking here other than I know I need more than one stripe shirt in my rotation and I liked the subtle difference in this one how the stripes are so far apart vs. the usual closer knit look.
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And that's that! Whew! I hope this post helps inspire you to clear out a bit of the clutter in your closet and shop with a clear eye for what gaps need filling in your seasonal wardrobe. It's amazing how much easier it is to put together outfits and how happy I am to do so when I'm choosing from items that really work.
Looking forward to sharing more style posts of these pieces out in the wild and how they fall into my day to day!
Until then, cheers -
