Clothing Challenge #3

I've decided to let go of a few more of my pieces. But at the same time I want to finish and have more me made things in my wardrobe that fits and flatters my body.

I've resolved to a few new sewing rules for 2017.

1. Sew a seamwork (I explain this at the end of this post) pattern every month to completion. They are supposed to take 1-3 hours to do, unless you add steps like I always do. Even still I think I can do this as they are all pretty simple. Getting the fit right with a muslin will be the longest step for me.

2. Finish one piece of clothing that has already been started. Sadly I have more than 12 so this won't be clearing up my sewing room too much. But it will help me to complete things and that is what I am concentrating on in 2017. (even if I can make progress on these things!)

3. Finish up a quilt that is already started. I have at least 5-6 of these and maybe it will be more like get something finished on them. Quilts are larger projects and if I give 2 months to each I can still get my backlog finished and be snuggling under them for Christmas 2017.

4. Plan, shop and begin on handmade Christmas presents for one person each month.
 I'm still working on this list, but I know I need to keep it reasonable. For example, for my husband's niece I was thinking of making her a makeup bag and buying her some brushes and a few staple pieces.



So far I have written down all the things I have unfinished in my sewing room and have tried to put them all together so I can just grab it off my new sewing rack and start working on it.
I know that this seems like a lot to do, but I am considering this my stretch goal. I also have homesteading chores and lots of gardening to do.


Underwear- 21
I feel like this number is OK. I always have more than I use in a week, but if I don't get to the laundry one week (rarely happens) then I'm still going to have underwear. There are a few lacy ones that I don't really like to wear because they are polyester lace and itchy. I need to get them out of there. I just ordered a few new pieces from pact. I'm hoping to replace all my undies with these now or make some. We will see how that goes. 

Bras-5 in use 8 waiting. Total 13 -1 that broke and I took one out of storage=12
I loved the fit of a specific bra I bought and when I found out it wasn't being made anymore I ordered 10 of them. I still have 7 in packaging for when I need them. I hate to even think of the day when I will have to go look for a new favorite bra. :( 

Socks-46
A lot of these socks are from when I lived in SC so I have so many pairs of thin summer socks, which I don't really even wear that often up here. Maybe I should just let them go so that drawer isn't so packed. Or maybe I could combine it with my leggings. 

Slips/Camisoles-3
I use these occasionally and I feel it's a good number. I have one full slip, one skirt only and one camisole.

Tights-2
Both of these are going to wear out this year probably and will find their way to the trash. So, nothing to worry about here. 
Pantyhose-13
These all fit nicely in a shoe box that I have in my sock drawer, but I don't wear them often as I have better things to keep me warm and in the summer I'm in the garden most of the time. Again...maybe I should be more ruthless with these.

Thermal tops- 5 3
Thermal bottoms-3 2
I released the cotton long johns that don't actually keep me warm in the tundra that I live in. Released 2 tops and 1 bottom.

Swimsuits-4
one of these is wearing out and in need of replacement. I would like to loose a bit more weight around my middle, but wishful thinking won't do it. 

Tees-16 +1=17
I won another t-shirt on new years. 

Blouses/tops-52 +4=56 -1 + 55
I made 2 Sorbetto tops. Then on vacation I got something on a mint blouse (black of course and it's not coming out...) I bought a short sleeve spring knit top and a black velvet top to go out in. 

Tanks-4
These are always worn under a shirt for modesty or warmth.

Pull over Sweaters-14
I LOVE wool things and cashmere so I have invested in a few (too many?) sweaters. I might be willing to let a few go though that don't match the direction my closet is going or are too thin to bother with up here. Most of the thin ones are not wool or cashmere anyways. 

Cardigan Sweaters-6
These are great for layering. I think I have a bit of crossover in the pink section of my closet and I could figure out which one to keep.

Leggings-5 -1 +1= 5 (still)
I do have plans to make a pair of leggings to replace a pair that I wore a hole through in the thigh(nobody knows it's there 'sept me and Jesus...and now you.) and one more pair in addition. Most of these I wasn't sure whether to put them in the thermals bottoms section or here. I wear them pretty much the same. I only have 1 pair of thermals that are only over pants because they have odd seams on the sides. I bought a new pair of dark red leggings from pact as well. I'm hoping to receive them in the mail anyday now. When they come I will toss the ripped pair. Maybe I should just do that now?

Pants-14 +1=15
Yay pants!
You can see that I don't think leggings are pants. I do not wear them alone. For me, it's a modesty and comfort issue. A pair ripped on vacation, I am going to try to patch them. Why do my things always get holes in the thighs? And I bought a pair of carharts on sale to work in.

Skirts-13
Not sure why I have so many of these as I don't really wear them that often. Most of them were packed away and are, like the dresses, light gauzy material that is waiting for warmer days.

Dresses-20 Making Dahalia and Rue (22)
I LOVE dresses when it's warm and I am still learning how to wear dresses in the cooler weather. A lot of these are sheer-like or silk and are strictly summer-wear. As my needs change I will release them to my closet or out of the house.

Special Occassion Dresses-5+2=7
These only get worn occasionally, but they are classic and do get some wear a few times a year. My Mom gave me 2 more dresses while we were down, but I don't know if I want to keep them or not. I'm still thinking about it. So, in the mean time I will add them to my number. (sigh, I feel like I'm not doing too well with this stuff.)

Shorts-5
I am acclimating more and more to the weather here. Right now this is a good number for me. I may require more later, but I will sew some when I need them.

Vests-1
I actually forgot all about this. Its a wool roving vest that I used to wear to the office. Its a bit fancy for anything I would wear now. I may have to let it go or start wearing it again.

Scarves-8
I have 2 blanket scarves and I love those. You can wear them in so many ways. I never got that whole infinity scarf thing, but I'm not a huge scarf person. I keep trying to make it happen because I see fashion bloggers talking about how it can "draw your outfit together." I only remember to grab one when it's cold outside and it stays with my coat most of the time-unless it's chilly indoors too.
Which makes me think why do I have so many of these?

Belts-8
I seem to wear one in particular over and over and over and...well you get the picture. Yet, I have 7 more? One only goes with one dress. And I can't remember the last time I wore that dress. Maybe I should get it out and spin. I made it to go swing dancing with my husband (then BF) and it's fun, but we have no where to go dancing up here.

PJs/nighties-8
I feel like a broken record-SC=hot and MN=not hot. My clothes haven't caught up quite yet. I'm closer though. Oh so close. Some of these are from when we got married. *Newlyweds!*

Shoes-16  no change. 

Jackets-5
Strangely enough I could probably get rid of a few of these, but I won't/don't want to do that.

Hats-6 no change
Seems like they hide from me when I'm looking for them, but really I wear the same one all the time. It is starting to get a bit thin. I doesn't help that my #declutterdog ate the little ball of one of my hats last year.  Most All except one of these are winter hats/caps.

Purses-4 no change yet, I plan to make one for 2017 though.

Painting Outfit-1 No change 





How do I figure out what I want to sew for the next year? (OR what is Seamwork?) I am a subscriber to seamwork by Colette.
If you would like to become a member and get half off your first month use this link. Some of the patterns I don't see myself ever wearing, but some of them look great. And all of them take less than 3 hours to make (according to them.)

For 2017 I plan (ha ha) on more time sewing and less time planning and dreaming. Even though I'm great at planning and dreaming! My stretch goal is to have an entirely me made wardrobe. I started with the basic pieces like tanks and I'm investigating undies. I'm not sure if I'm ready to tackle bras yet, but maybe by the time I wear out the ones I have I will be ready! They even have one on the seamwork patterns selection! Even though I'm not crazy about the back I think it would be a great exercise in starting to make my own bras.

Clothing Count Challenge #2

I counted up my clothing (after washing it all) and this is what I have. All of these things are in rotation in my closet or were in storage and have been handled and gone through this year. I know I could do another sweep, but I'm trying to get more intentional about it.

I did not count costume pieces, in progress pieces, planned or anything from the mending pile. One of my goals for 2017 is to get all of those things out of the sewing room and either to my closet or out of the house.
I also didn't include my workout gear. Since I did a capsule specifically for those things. They all fit in one drawer and as long as it stays that way(and it should) I will not need to address it again.

Here are the totals of each item and a bit about them or why I have that number. 

Underwear- 21
I feel like this number is OK. I always have more than I use in a week, but if I don't get to the laundry one week (rarely happens) then I'm still going to have underwear. There are a few lacy ones that I don't really like to wear because they are polyester lace and itchy. I need to get them out of there.

Bras-5 in use 8 waiting. Total 13
I loved the fit of a specific bra I bought and when I found out it wasn't being made anymore I ordered 10 of them. I still have 8 in packaging for when I need them. I hate to even think of the day when I will have to go look for a new favorite bra. :(

Socks-46
A lot of these socks are from when I lived in SC so I have so many pairs of thin summer socks, which I don't really even wear that often up here. Maybe I should just let them go so that drawer isn't so packed.

Slips/Camisoles-3
I use these occasionally and I feel it's a good number. I have one full slip, one skirt only and one camisole.

Tights-2
Both of these are going to wear out this year probably and will find their way to the trash. So, nothing to worry about here.

Pantyhose-13
These all fit nicely in a shoe box that I have in my sock drawer, but I don't wear them often as I have better things to keep me warm and in the summer I'm in the garden most of the time. Again...maybe I should be more ruthless with these.

Thermal tops- 5
Thermal bottoms-3
I have been flirting with the idea of releasing the cotton long johns that don't actually keep me warm in the tundra that I live in. They were great for occasional wet cold rainy days in SC. That would get rid of 2 tops and 1 bottom.

Swimsuits-4
one of these is wearing out and in need of replacement. I would like to loose a bit more weight around my middle, but wishful thinking won't do it.

Tees-16
These are Tees I wear on their own around the farm/gardening and working. I don't worry if they get messed up.

Blouses/tops-52
I have to admit that I was really surprised by this one. I thought I had done well with the tops.

Tanks-4
These are always worn under a shirt for modesty or warmth.

Pull over Sweaters-14
I LOVE wool things and cashmere so I have invested in a few (too many?) sweaters. I might be willing to let a few go though that don't match the direction my closet is going or are too thin to bother with up here.

Cardigan Sweaters-6
These are great for layering. I think I have a bit of crossover in the pink section of my closet and I could figure out which one to keep.

Leggings-5
I do have plans to make a pair of leggings to replace a pair that I wore a hole through in the thigh(nobody knows it's there 'sept me and Jesus...and now you.) and one more pair in addition. Most of these I wasn't sure whether to put them in the thermals bottoms section or here. I wear them pretty much the same. I only have 1 pair of thermals that are only over pants because they have odd seams on the sides.

Pants-14
Yay pants!
You can see that I don't think leggings are pants. I do not wear them alone. For me, it's a modesty and comfort issue.

Skirts-13
Not sure why I have so many of these as I don't really wear them that often. Most of them were packed away and are, like the dresses, light gauzy material that is waiting for warmer days.

Dresses-20
I LOVE dresses when it's warm and I am still learning how to wear dresses in the cooler weather. A lot of these are sheer-like or silk and are strictly summer-wear. As my needs change I will release them to my closet or out of the house.

Special Occassion Dresses-5
These only get worn occasionally, but they are classic and do get some wear a few times a year.

Shorts-5
I am acclimating more and more to the weather here. Right now this is a good number for me. I may require more later, but I will sew some when I need them.

Vests-1
I actually forgot all about this. Its a wool roving vest that I used to wear to the office. Its a bit fancy for anything I would wear now. I may have to let it go or start wearing it again.

Scarves-8
I have 2 blanket scarves and I love those. You can wear them in so many ways. I never got that whole infinity scarf thing, but I'm not a huge scarf person. I keep trying to make it happen because I see fashion bloggers talking about how it can "draw your outfit together." I only remember to grab one when it's cold outside and it stays with my coat most of the time-unless it's chilly indoors too.

Belts-8
I seem to wear one in particular over and over and over and...well you get the picture. Yet, I have 7 more? One only goes with one dress. And I can't remember the last time I wore that dress. Maybe I should get it out and spin. I made it to go swing dancing with my husband (then BF) and it's fun, but we have no where to go dancing up here.

PJs/nighties-8
I feel like a broken record-SC=hot MN=not hot. My clothes haven't caught up quite yet. I'm closer though. Oh so close. Some of these are from when we got married. *Newlyweds!*

Jewelry- ??
I meant to count these but then I just didn't. I don't wear a lot of jewelry and I don't have a lot. Earlier this year I went thorough my big jewelry box and donated all the things I wasn't wearing because it was all old costume stuff I'd been holding onto since HS or someone had given it to me long ago and blah, blah. None of it was worth anything anyways. Mostly a box of junk I've been carrying around  in each move. I'm sure I have more stuff around here that would qualify for the same treatment, but I haven't reached that layer of it yet. I feel OK with where I am with the jewelry. What I decided to keep is classic pieces that aren't gaudy and I actually will wear from time to time.

Shoes-16
I can still remember when I had an old dishwasher box FULL of shoes when I moved after I left college. I think all my shoes could fit in a copy box now. I sold a lot of my designer shoes. I think I have maybe 2 pairs. I've had the one pair repaired so many times I'm not sure that it even looks the same anymore and definitely is not worth anything to anyone but me now. I could stand a little more running here too.

Jackets-5
Strangely enough I could probably get rid of a few of these, but I won't/don't want to do that.

Hats-6
Seems like they hide from me when I'm looking for them, but really I wear the same one all the time. IT is starting to get a bit thin. I doesn't help that my #declutterdog ate the little ball of one of my hats last year.  Most of these are winter hats/caps

Purses-4
I might make one more. Maybe...

Painting Outfit-1
You have no idea how often I'm painting something around here. These aren't going anywhere unless it suddenly develops a huge hole in the butt.


So what do I need? Probably nothing. All of my clothes are different colors and I've been trying to get a cohesive wardrobe going on here. I wore a lot of purple, but it's not striking me now.  And as I get a bit older my style has changed a little bit.

I'm trying to figure out the holes in my wardrobe, but that will be the next installment after I decide what I don't need anymore.

Sorbetto shirts.

I feel like I'm always late to the sewing party. I'm making some Sorbetto tops. The pattern is free from Colette, one of my favorite pattern companies. I love their classic style and lady like patterns. They actually help you learn so that you can sew more! What an awesome service to people who want to sew. If you get frustrated with it you might quit.

I'm making a regular Sorbetto in a pink flower print, but I'm adding sleeves to it.

I'm also working on a black linen version. I'm thinking of inverting the pleat or removing it all together so I can have a clean black tank as a layering piece. I might make one in white too without the pleat as I always need a nice comfy tank to wear. What better than a custom fitted one that you made yourself? It's not a show piece, but everything can't always be amazing. Also, I've found that people are just amazed if you wear anything that you didn't go to the store and make. When did that happen to our society? I Digress.

This is my first muslin. I didn't like the large opening that it gave for the armholes in the size I used. I ended up sizing down and doing a larger FBA than normal to get the sleeve opening comfortable. Every blog I read about the tops said that they thought they were too short so I added length to them (quite a lot actually!) There is a hack for making this into a dress as well, but I don't think it would look too great on my body shape.  More updates and pictures to come as I straighten out the fit and whip a few of these up.

 Download 'Sorbetto' here and make your own. I'd love to see your creations. There are so many people on the Sorbetto kick. Some have made changes to this basic pattern and made some amazingly beautiful things. Even if you make it as written it's a fun and easy pattern to make.

There is also a link to show you how to make your own bias tape!!

colettepatterns.com/go/continuous-bias-tape
A zero waste sewing win!!

Happy Sewing!!

Some winter outfits

Winter 2015 

I tried the leggings with a sweater overtop. I didn't feel comfortable in this. I guess I'm not a leggings as pants type of girl. I'm all about wearing them with a skirt or a dress like they are tights or under pants. (So, I won't be wearing this look anymore.)  Second photo is just me in a wool sweater, jeans and my winter coat. I got this big scarf in 2015 and I LOVE it. I can use it like a scarf or wrap it over my head when I go outside. It's a versatile  piece. Then I have my favorite hat, because it matches everything and covers my ears, and a bright red cashmere sweater. I love cashmere. DH bought me this for my birthday a few years back. I get a lot of use out of it now that we are in MN. 

 

New boots.

Its almost spring here in Minnesota!!

That means its time for me to get my spring capsule wardrobe out. 

In the fall I talked about buying some grey boots. I ordered them (all the way from England.) and they were too tight. I was irritated, to say the least. I sent them back trying to get an exchange but I had to pay to send them to them and then they wanted me to pay to ship the next size to me. Umm... No. By this time I'm in for too much money. They refunded my money(except for the money I spent sending them back.) 

So, I had been looking for another pair of boots. I decided if I bought grey I would be the grey woman. Too much! 

I went to take my black malibrans to the fluevog store so they could take them to the specialty cobbler. And to have my purse cleaned. When I went to pick them up I looked at what they had available. I kinda wanted some mint shoes but they didnt have any. I saw these brown boots and tried them on. They were a bit snug, but the guy at the store said that they loose up a lot after a few wears. (He was right.) 

Since I was looking for a pair of boots that were above my ankles, did not have zippers up the sides and were leather. Do you know how hard that is to find?? Really hard...

I got 3 different colors of laces when I bought them. The aqua/mint matches my purse. Its in my spring capsule as well. Im not sure how often I am going to remember to switch the laces though. I wore them with the mint laces first and I just changed them to the light brown ones for the rest of spring. 

Well what do you think of my addittions to my capsule? Do you do a capsule? Leave a comment to your blog if you do, Id love to see it!

*Update*-I bought these in March 2016. When I polished them they got a little bit darker, but I still really love them. I have put them away fro the season because I'm barefoot most of the time in the summer. 

How to wear a dress multiple ways.

Continuing with the capsule wardrobe ideas. I thought back to when I looked at capsule wardrobes and thought, "How can someone only wear one dress?"  It really boggled my mind because I love dresses. But then I started looking at the capsule dress(es) that other people picked and realized all of my dresses were statement pieces. (Ive never covered this but the idea of basics, mid range pieces(read:colors)and statement pieces in a wardrobe should be a good mix.) To get a better idea of what I mean here, read this article.

I was wearing no basics, in my wardrobe. All my clothing was mid range or colorful pieces and statement pieces all the time.

No wonder nothing matched and I never had anything to wear! 

Its taken a long time, but I finally get how someone could have only one dress in their capsule. 

I have more than one dress in my capsule, but if I only had one this would be the one.

This is my favorite dress! The one I get more complements on when I wear it and its a heavy hitter in my closet. It looks plain, except for the bright pink color. But, the cut of it is perfect on me. Your perfect dress may look different than mine. And that is OK. Your body and style are probably different than mine. (Differences are great, if we were all the same the world would be SO boring! Celebrate your uniqueness!!) 

Here is why I think that this is the perfect dress for me. 

1. You can wear it in the summer just as it is, or with a scarf to jazz it up. 

2. You can use it like a skirt and layer over it. 

3. You can layer under it with longer sleeves, short sleeves and/or tights. 

Just by looking at my hair in these photos you can tell that this dress has been with me for awhile. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to replace this dress. I might just use it as a template to make another one in another fun color.
You can see how I used basics with each different way I wore it. Those black Malibrans are also heavy hitters in my closet. I wear them with jeans, skirts and this dress  a lot. The brown boots are gone now. They wore out. I bought a pair to replace them that are leather and I hope to have them for some time. I say this since the other boots were a plastic that just tore up quickly.
The chambray shirt and the turtleneck are classic pieces that match almost everything. The tights are great for colder days that you still want to dress up for some reason.

For clothing to be allowed to be in my wardrobe (and ultimately to stay) they have to match at least 3 (5 is better) things I already own. You can see that this dress easily meets my criterion there.

I hope that this helps you see just another reason you don't need to have a closet full of clothes to have something to wear.

Happy capsuling!!

Gym/Workout Capsule Wardrobe

I love my capsule wardrobe and I've begun to notice that I'm wearing stretched out sweatpants and stained tee shirts when I go to the gym. YUCK!
I didn't want to be that girl in stretch pants. You know the one. So, some of my gym clothes had gotten tight and I hadn't been wearing them.

I bought a few new things last year when we really started going to the gym more. I love wearing those things. And I got rid of those old stretched out things and stained things.

My husband has been telling me that he could really tell that I was tightening up in some areas. So, I tried on a shirt that I thought was too tight and he thought it looked great. So, I have to include that in this as well, even though the color is different. It's Navy, so it still works.  There is one more shirt to add to this.

Gym Capsule Wardrobe

3 Sports bras
2 pairs of capris
1 pair of volleyball shorts
1 pair of regular shorts
2 pairs of sweatpants
3 shirts
1 sweatshirt
1 pair of shoes

Except for the shoes, this all fits in one dresser drawer. I hope this helps you see how you can capsule anything that you use. Get out there and be active in your life!

Buying Clothing that lasts

I know I just posted about replacing some clothing, but I want to talk a moment about quality.
I hope by now you have all purged yourself of unnecessary clothing and shoes. But what do you do when your things wear out on you? Do you have a favorite brand that you go to when you need something or do you find yourself wandering aimlessly around a crowded mall looking for that perfect thing? I don't know about you, but I hardly ever find what I'm looking for at a mall. I end up stressed out, hungry, irritated by battling all the people inside and looking for a parking place is a nightmare. Oh, and my personal favorite? Traffic! UGH, it makes me just want to stay home. Well, since we are reading this on a computer, I'm going to assume we all have access to the internet.

I shared that I recently purchased my new clothing from L.L. Bean. They have a guarantee program for all their products. The jeans that I bought fit me almost perfectly. I find it harder to find clothing that fits me since I'm high waisted and my waist to hip difference is about 9".  I think most companies make clothing for ladies with larger hips and thighs.  I have a slightly larger waist and smaller hips and thighs, it makes buying pants harder. These are SO close that I actually feel comfortable.

I digress, there IS a brand out there that is going to fit you better or make you feel better about yourself. You just have to take the time to find it. I read a lot of online reviews about clothing and looked at some other people's blogs about how clothing fit them. Then I looked at their pictures and tried to decide if they had a similar body shape to mine. That is how I decided to go with L.L Bean. Yes, it took a bit of time, but short of making your own clothing (Which I do as well sometimes.) You aren't going to find a great fit on the first try unless you get really lucky.

Even if you find something that is close to fitting, it might not fit you comfortably or the way it was designed to fit. With certain clothing items you can take them to a tailor and get them fitted for your body. You will feel better in those items and you will really notice a difference. I bought a pink dress from modcloth.com and I had to tailor the shoulders so that it stayed on me and didn't expose too much of me. But, now it fits a lot better and I love wearing it. (It's the long pink dress in my spring/summer capsule. You can see it in this photo, but I was wearing a cardi since it was a chilly valentine's day.

About shoes- Most shoes are disposable products. I took my black malibrans to the shoe repair store (cobbler) only to be told that they are not repairable. I'm looking for shoes now that I can buy once and repair over and over. These particular shoes I have had for 5 years and I wore them a lot when I worked in the office. The soles are cracked and crumbling rubber. It's turned hard and the cobbler said that he could replace the soles but it would just come right off because of the way they were made. This makes me so sad. I have a few more pairs of shoes with the exact type of soles and I know that their days are numbered as well. I paid a lot for these shoes, but I don't think I will be buying another pair. (*UPDATE* I went to the Fluevog store and they have a special cobbler they use. They are taking my shoes to be repaired and I have high hopes for them.) I did have them repaired when I ripped the leather on the side. My cobbler in SC fixed them and I went right on wearing them.

Most people don't know that they can get their shoes repaired. It seems like mostly men's styles are repairable. I do have a few pair of shoes that I know I can take to get repaired if something happens to them. But, these *might*(hopefully not though) headed to a trash heap. I'm just happy that I bought them used and still got 5 (almost 6) years out of them.

Now I am searching for a pair of repairable shoes. I'm thinking about some I found on etsy.com or a par of doc martens. I'm not sure which one I would get the most wear out of though. I need something dressier for date nights, vacations, and church. But, comfort is HUGE to me. Plus, if you think about it you want to make sure that you can get the best shoes that you can afford. Your entire body depends on your feet.

I hope that you will think about upgrading your shoes and clothes as the time comes. Quality over quantity.

To me part of being a minimalist is having good quality things that I can depend on for a lot longer than cheap disposable things. I eschew plastic anything, I buy repairable if at all possible, I try to keep as much out of the landfills as possible,  and I look for companies that treat their employees right, overseas and here in the USA, when I need to replace something.
These are my reasons for doing a capsule wardrobe and trying to have quality pieces. Yours may look different. Maybe you have lots of children so plastic is easier to clean or to keep from breaking, or maybe you can only afford to buy a piece at a time. Whatever it is make it fit your life and make sure that you know why you are doing what you do.

Replacing clothing items

So, my DH and I have been going to the gym, inconsistently but we're going. I have lost a bit of weight and toned up a lot so some of my clothes we not fitting anymore. I did buy some new jeans last year before the fall capsule wardrobe started. But they are low rise and I don't like how they fit me, so I found some high rise jeans. (I know, you probably think I'm an old lady. But, I like that look and since I'm high waisted they fit my curves really well.

But, I went to church last week and I wore my khakis over my woolies (wool long johns) and I had to keep pulling my pants up. It's very irritating having to constantly pull up your pants for fear of them falling off-especially in church!!  I made the decision that I can't wait to get a new pair of pants. (I mean these pants are 2 sizes bigger than the other ones I'm currently wearing.)

I also noticed that my thrifted grey v-neck tee has worn pretty thin and has developed some holes. I'm still wearing it, but it's not going to work for much longer.

I wanted to add a bit more red into my wardrobe as well, so I added a red tee to my order.

From another company I ordered 3 swim suits. I have one now that I wear, but I wanted one that I would feel more confident in while on the beach. We go to Charleston a lot and to my in-laws lake house so I know I'll get a good bit of use out of these. And with going to the beach and crusin' I need at least 2 swim suits, this gives me 4 assuming that they all fit and flatter me. (One reason that I ordered 3 of them.)

All in all I ordered:

1. Grey tee (replaces grey tee)
2. Two pairs of High waisted jeans (replaces low rise jeans)
3. Red 3/4 sleeve tee
4. Three swim suits

I believe it's important to have things that fit your body and your lifestyle. And things wear out eventually. Being a minimalist or doing a capsule wardrobe doesn't mean you can never buy anything, it just means that you are conscientious about what you do buy.
I'm going to have to figure out what to take out of my capsule to add in the red tee. But, I really wanted a red shirt to go with some of my other things.

Since I ordered it all from LL Bean online, I hope it all fits me. When they get here I'll have to try it all on and make sure. We'll see, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Ta-ta for now.

Winter 2015 Project 333/37

Winter capsule wardrobes can be hard to do. Especially if you live somewhere cold (like I do.) I'm in Minnesota and by January and February, it will be in the negative degrees here. Sometimes I feel like I'm wearing all my clothing at once. But, then when I go inside a building people have the heat jacked all the way up like it's a summer day in the Bahamas. So, then I better have enough on underneath that I can take it off layer by layer.
When I lived in South Carolina I didn't really do layers. It was hot or it wasn't quite hot. The most I would need was a cardigan or a light jacket. The change has been hard for me. This is going to be my second winter here and I'm still not sure what to expect. Everyone said that last winter was mild, and I thought I was going to freeze somedays. This year I want to be prepared for it to be colder than it was last year. Since it's an "El Nino" year, it is quite possible that it will be another mild year. But, it doesn't hurt to be prepared anyways.

I don't like to add my accessories to my number because they are needed here.
I give myself those 3 extra things because I still struggle with keeping my wardrobe down to the 33-37 items and including jewelry and accessories. In the winter it gets pretty cold in Minnesota and I need a hat, scarf and mittens or gloves. Those are needs, not accessories. So I don't count them.

I talked about my color palette before, but I took out the extra grey and added white. I don't wear a lot of white, but I have a few things that I wanted to add into my capsule. I think I should have put white in the accents and switched my pinks, so that light pink was an accent and the cottage pink was a main color. Oh, well. I hope you get the idea still by seeing my little color picture.

The asterisk on the description means that those items are new this season. I just ordered the grey boots this week and they will take awhile to arrive. So, I'm without those for the time being. I've been thinking about getting them for several months and I looked for some like them around town, but with no luck. So, I splurged on them and I'm excited to see how they work out for my capsule. 

Winter 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

Blue Dress

Long sleeve Chambray 

Cottage pink plaid button-up

Navy henley

White linen w/ Navy accents

White linen button up

Cottage Pink wool skirt

light blue linen blouse

Navy stripe tee

Taupe linen tunic*

Zombie Love baseball tee

Navy polka dot  button-up

Mint tee

Grey tee

White tee

soft pink skinnies

Cottage Pink Skinnies

Dark Navy Jeans

Grey Pants

Taupe Pants

Multi colored sweater

Cottage Pink cardigan

Mint Sweater

Red Cashmere Sweater 

Taupe Wool Sweater

Long Sleeve Pink tee

Grey and Cottage pink cardigan

Black Ballet Flats*

Snow Boots

Navy Jeans

Grey pencil skirt-back view

Grey boots*

Custom Leather Boots

Wool Mittens

Grey Leather Purse*

Ear muffs

Winter Coat

Navy Blanket Scarf*

Blue and Green Knit Hat

Pastel Hat 

Assorted Scarves (I'm trying to let some go)

Thinking about adding

Cottage Pink Wool Fair Isle Pullover

Are you doing a winter capsule this year?