October 15, 2007 12:16 PM
Just A Few Closet Necessities
Now that my soul-cleansing closet cleanout is complete, I felt the urge to go shopping. Now, I know what you're thinking. "How could she go on and on about purging herself of that stuff, then go get more stuff?" Well, it's like this: I decided it was time to shop smart. I decided that unless I start doing this, I'll have to stage those closet cleanouts often in the future, and I'll never really get to the point where I have good, classic, necessary pieces in my wardrobe. I like clothes, and, my goal was not just a less-cluttered closet. My goal is to make a habit of making good purchases, build a truly usable wardrobe, and avoid the unnecessary crap that fills my closet and fills my life when I'm not paying attention and just snatching up whatever catches my eye.
To that end, I thought about what I really need, and managed to find a pair of ribbed knit pants and a hoodie at Ann Taylor Loft. In the mornings, I often drive my son to school, instead of letting him take the bus, because he's in a before-school sports program. I rarely shower beforehand, and I usually just throw on sweats. But let me tell you, I usually look like one hot mess when I pull up to the middle school.
For the days when I work at the home decor store, I was looking for casual but polished-looking separates. I found this Elbow Sleeve Point Collar Wrap, also at Ann Taylor Loft, and I have already paired it with a clean, tailored denim pencil skirt from the Gap. And when my comfy black sandals literally split in half last month, I scooted over to zappos.com to pick up these wedge sandals that I can stand in comfortably for my eight-hour shifts.
With the holiday season coming up, I thought I'd better find one dressy, festive top to wear with a black skirt or skinny pants for all those parties I am sure I will be invited to. I found this Sakura Kimono at White House Black Market, and it was on sale!
Last but not least, I knew I really needed a new handbag. I have several cute, small handbags, but it's becoming clear that I really need something large enough to fit my leather organizer, since my entire life is contained on those pages. I wanted something very classic, very sturdy, and I have alway lusted over Dooney & Bourke bags. They just weren't in the budget, though. So I scanned eBay and managed to find a large tote that was available for a great price and got it. I'm now the proud owner of new-with-tags tote, and I saved about $100 off the retail price.
That's my fashion update for now. Stay tuned.
