Eh, It's Monday

What do you people want from me? It's in the 20s and it's Monday.

For the record - Seven Jeans ($198), BR sweater ($120), Target layering Tee and Enzo Angiolini Equestrian Boots ($225).

On another note, Heard on the Today Show that a hot trend for 2010 is "head-to-toe denim". I, for one, will not ever be rocking the Texas Tuxedo no matter who says it's okay to do so. Last year they told me acid wash denim was back in and I didn't fall for that one either. Try again, fashion industry!

Challenge #2: Throwing money away.

What you are looking at here is about $1500 down the drain. This weekend I went through my closet and pulled out every item that I've NEVER worn. Some of that stuff has been in my closet for over a year too.

Here are the totals:
5 pairs of shoes
9 pairs of pants
3 shirts
2 sweaters
12 dresses
and 1 $350 hat

It's definitely between $1500 and $2000 worth of clothes just sitting there and taking up space.

Let's imagine what I could do for $2000. A week in Puerto Rico at an all inclusive resort. 6 months of on-on-one pilates and yoga instruction. 2.5 badass karoake parties with my friends at Sing Sing WITH an open bar. 3 trips to dallas to see my friends and their munchkins. Half a Cartier diamond pave trinity ring! Arrrrgggghhhhh! I want any of those things 10 times more than I want the unworn crap in my closet!!! I am angry at me. Are you??

So...why is this happening? You'd think the minute I bought something I'd be dying to wear it. But I'm one of those people who buys for "just in case" and "someday", and in the case of the 9 pairs "I'm planning on losing 5 pounds".

So, new rule. If I buy an item and don't wear it within 2 weeks - it gets returned.

I also plan to wear as much of this stuff as possible (as weather and the size of my ass permit) over the next month. If not they'll be prime candidates for my January closet purge.

Good God I hope I'm learning my lesson here!

Playing Catch Up

Having to play a bit of catch up as my internet was down over the weekend. This outfit was for a Saturday of errand running. It's 23 degrees out and no one was going to see me so it was hard to motivate to do better than this. But still, I tried to not be sloppy, put on jewelry and make up, etc. The cardigan is from Club Monaco and was $150 but I wear it a lot - probably too much. But it looks cute over dresses and belted too, and it's a great length. Totally worth the price and the material has worn really well. No pilling! Jeans, BR Skinny Jeans, Tshirt is plain Ann Taylor ($35) and Uggs are...well, Uggs. They were $180 and worth every penny when it's cold out. Even if they make me look like a yeti hunter.

My eyes are closed in this photo. Maybe I'm dreaming of a better wardrobe?? Or this?

Mourning Edition

Today I'm in black. All black. My Texas Longhorns lost the BCS Championship and I'm showing my disappointment in a fashionable way.

Today's dress is a "Never Worn" item. I bought it about 2 and a half years (BCBG $350) and it's hung in my closet for so long that there was a hole at the seam in the neck from the weight of the material pulling it down. Or a moth. I fixed it with some Hollywood tape for today and will get it repaired eventually. The dress came with a black sash in the same sweater material, but I decided to add a little color with a patent ombre belt with a gold buckle (also BCBG, $30 on major sale).

Why have I never worn this dress? It's so cute. And sophisticated possibly? I know I certainly don't feel as frumpy as I did yesterday so this is a better outfit for sure. But it's not necessarily unique or one of a kind. But that's ok - I don't have to be fashion forward everyday. Just fashionable is just fine.

Side Note: Hollywood Fashion Tape - a clear double stick tape - is amazing. It should b e in everyone's closet. I've used it to do everything from holding strapless dresses in place to fixing a leather tear in my boots. It's a must have and you can find it in various sizes and shapes on their site.

The antidote to Blurgh!!

After some internet searching I found the Phillip Lim top in my size and ON SALE ($320 down from $550). Of course I had to get it. This is exactly the kind of thing I should be getting. It's a standout and I can wear it with everything from jeans to skirts to dressy velvet pants. And yes, I own a pair of dressy velvet pants.

This eats up close to half of my new monthly clothing budget (more on that later) but so versatile and unique I think it's worth it. It's on sale at Barney's if you're interested.

In the words of Liz Lemmon: Blurgh!

Today's outfit did NOT make me happy. I put it on this morning and was overwhelmed with a feeling of blah. I had to add the LV bag just to get myself out the door. (It's 100% true that a good bag can make a world of difference - I never regret spending money on those.) I picked this outfit out last night and was running late this morning so I was kinda stuck with it, but in the end I'm glad. I learned a little lesson today: my taste in clothes has changed.

There was a time when I would describe my look (or at least the look I was going for) as "classic". I would have cited Calvin Klein and Donna Karen as my fave designers. And I've spent years amassing plain basics in ordinary colors in my wardrobe. I can't even guess how many black sweater I have. And now, when I look in my closet and feel like I have nothing to wear, it's probably because everything is basically the same. Now what I'm drawn to are clothes that look unique and one-of-a kind. My outfit today could be probably duplicated in most closets in America. Nothing personal America, but that's not a good thing in my opinion.

For the record - Banana blouse and cords, Zara sweater, Boots ?, Coach bracelet and LV bag. It's a first wearing of the brown cords and navy cardigan.

This year - I'm going to only add pieces that I LOVE. I clearly have all the foundations of a basic wardrobe to mix and match with, so now I'm going to have some fun. Clothes that make me smile and make people to ask "where did you get that!" that's my goal. And I plan to spend A LOT less doing it. Onward!

Sale at Trina Turk - Not to be missed!

Everything I've purchased from Trina Turk stays in my closet and gets a lot of wear. If you're looking for cool pieces at a reasonable price, this sale is a good place to start.

www.trinaturk.com