recent purchases

here

I must have had summer days on the beach on my mind  when shopping this past few weeks. The 4th of July is right around the corner, and when I saw this tank top, I was sold. It's a bit kitschy, but so what? :). It would go great with cut offs and fireworks. I've recently become converted to the versatility of denim vests, and this one looked so crisp in white. I was so excited to try this coverup from J.Crew only to have it be completely unflattering on me (doesn't it look adorable on the model, though?). I sent it back and tried this one instead...it's perfect, with just the right amount of peek-a-boo and coverage going on. Definitely size down - I'm quite busty so I usually size up to an XL to accommodate, but the L was comfortably snug and fit better in the waist than the XL would have. Of course, looking great at the beach requires some sweat...how cute are these tanks?! I ordered them with some shorts and capris last week (when I was taking a break from wedding frenzy...thank God for online shopping), and now I'm ready to get back to a regular work-out schedule. When I was reading my blog roll this morning, it was so fun to see other bloggers (here & here) talking about Old Navy's active wear...I guess great minds think alike. :). And lastly, a splurge...I'd been wanting a white bag but couldn't pull the trigger on other options I had been considering (like this one). But then I saw this beauty. It was still more than I wanted to spend on a high maintenance bag, but Bloomingdale's was having their friends and family sale and I had a rewards card and gift card that I'd been stashing, so this came down to about $115 after taxes. Still expensive for sure, but a lot less than I would have paid otherwise. 


What are your recent purchases?

closet organization

I recently re-organized my closet (that's my half you're seeing), both to edit my wardrobe and to give my guy a better percentage of our closet real estate. In terms of hanging and shelf space, we're close to a 55/45 division. The division of the lower half, aka shoe space, is a different story. There, it's more like 70/30.

We recently invested in slim-line hangers, and now I'm wondering what took us so long in the first place. Even James conceded that they did a much better job of hanging our clothes compactly. After initially planning on purchasing them from The Container Store, we lucked out when they were being sold at our Costco for $8 per box of 35. 

 

I store my sweaters in sweater boxes from The Container Store. Now that it's spring, they've moved up to the highest shelves along with the blue and white basket that holds my tights for out-of-season storage.

I pile my khakis, jeans, skirts (casual and seasonal), and shorts on the middle shelves. 

I hang my tops by type from left to right: camis, tanks, short sleeved solid t-shirts, short sleeved printed t-shirts, short-sleeved blouses, 3/4 sleeve shirts,  long-sleeve shirts, button downs, lighter cardigans, sweatshirts, and lastly, vests/sleeveless trenches.

I store most of my smaller purses (I have around 6) in their dust bags in the butterfly box I found at TJ Maxx. My bigger bags are to the left and right of the box, and they're all on the top shelf. My clutches are stored in the tan and white box directly below my khakis/jeans shelf.

My shoes are also grouped by type and to a certain extent, color. I keep all of my black heels together, followed by heels in different colors and prints. Sandals and wedges are on the top shelf of the second rack. My flats fill up the rest on the bottom, and my boots are lined up on the floor and to the right. The shoes still in shoe boxes are recent purchases that I'm still contemplating on keeping or haven't worn yet. Right now, the boxes are serving as shelving for flat summer sandals. In the future, I'd like to get some cubby drawers to better organize my shoes, but this will work for now.

My dresses are hung on the other side of the closet next to James' suit jackets because that was the only shelf that was high enough to keep them off the floor (the 5% of encroachment into his half). Everything else (socks, workout gear, pajamas, etc.) goes into the bottom two drawers of our dresser (James gets the top two).

How do you organize your closet?

back to basics

About two weeks ago when Chicago was warm and sunny, I was struck by an urgent need to swap out my cold-weather clothes for my warm-weather ones. I've come to regret that decision (as I knew I would, but I couldn't help it!) as the weather has been cold and wet since, but the clothes swap did give me the opportunity to edit and pare down my closet. After sorting the contents of my closet into keep/donate/sell/chuck piles and repositioning the items I decided to keep, I took stock of my closet and realized that every item I kept was really a variation on repeating themes in my closet - my wardrobe basics.

The basics I have:

tops
striped shirts

slightly slouchy tees

flannel/chambray/gingham button-downs

crewneck or v-neck merino sweaters

cardigans

bottoms

dark skinny jeans

white skinny jeans

dark bootcut jeans

boyfriend jeans/khakis

dark trousers

A-line skirts

dresses

A-line

fit & flare

 shoes

flats

low-profile sneakers

ankle boots

single-sole pumps

strappy sandals

accessories

long scarves

watch

delicate necklace

stud earrings

 

bags

medium/large & semi-structured

small/medium crossbodies

clutch

totes

outerwear

utility jacket

denim jacket

winter coat

 

odds & ends

good underwear

 

The most-used items in my closet used fall into one of these categories. I have other items in my wardrobe, of course, that don't, but those items are far less used in my day-to-day life - i.e. statement necklaces, bangles (I hate how they sound when I do anything productive with my hands/arms), shoes with a platform, small shoulder bag, etc. I also noticed that I favor grey, black, white, dark/cobalt blue, and red when it comes to clothing, but I'm more adventurous in color when it comes to shoes, scarves, and jewelry. 

 

Taking stock of what I had post-edit allowed me to make note of basics I had covered and the ones I'm lacking. These are the items that I find myself wishing I had to complement the much-loved basics I already have.

 

The basics I'm looking to add:

 

white button-down

trench coat

riding boot

various belts

All four of these needed basics are part of an ongoing, never-ending quest. Because I'm short and busty, finding a flattering, semi-dressy white button-down that doesn't gape at the chest but isn't swimmingly long or huge in the waist is like finding a needle in a haystack. For similar reasons, my perfect trench coat has yet to be found. My perfect flat riding boot has also evaded me thus far because as a former long-distance runner, I have short athletic legs and muscular calves that make finding any boot with a long shaft near impossible, much less leather riding boots of good quality under $500 (which is why ankle boots have been my go-to). The belts aren't too hard to find, but I haven't taken the time to really pick out a variety of styles. In the midst of other shopping, I feel like belts are always last on the list and the first to be put off. I'm hoping to change that...and to find my elusive trifecta.

What are your basics?

 

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