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I’ve never had any care in the world for fashion, beauty, and the like. Case in point:
- I didn’t start wearing makeup regularly until my senior year of college, and I didn’t start wearing eyeliner or mascara until last year. The foundation I wear is something my mom bought me 5 years ago from Rite-Aid, for $3, and I’ve never taken the time to find anything different or potentially better for my skin type/tone. The eye makeup I wear is Mary Kay, but only because my mom sold it to me at her 50% discount. I don’t wear any form of blush, or lipwear, except the very occasional Neutrogena tinted lipgloss that I won in a giveaway from Susan, and don’t even get me started on the awful condition of my nails.
- The only way I knew how to style my long hair was in a ponytail or scrunched, and now that it’s short I can only straighten or tossel it.
- As far as clothes go, let me put it this way. My favorite pair of black dress pants are from an outfit I wore to my 10th grade homecoming dance. Yes, you read that correctly, I wore pants to homecoming. Most of the clothes in my closet are either from high school, or were purchased from Ross’ in 2009 when I started a new job, and could no longer wear jeans everyday. I’ve added only a few items since then, and otherwise, I haven’t updated my wardrobe probably ever.
None of this has ever bothered me. I’ve always been more inclined to spend my money on new electronics, than worry about my appearance. It just didn’t matter to me. And Justin still thinks I’m cute, so who cares how I actually look, right? Except, suddenly, that’s not the case anymore. Sometime in the past couple of months, it occured to me that I’m not happy with how my presentation makes me feel everyday, and I need a change.
The jumping point for all of this, is that I finally got a haircut I love! And, I have an amazing husband who is willing to dye it for me, so I don’t have to spend a fortune at the salon! Now that I’m good on that end, it’s time to start fixing the rest.
So, I made an awesome deal with Justin, and I’ve setup a plan for myself, to overcome this obvious “first-world problem” of hating my closet.
Step One – Lose 10 pounds. I realize that a huge contributor to this is the fact that I’ve gained back all of the pre-wedding weight I worked so hard to lose, so nothing fits. I made the mistake of getting rid of all the clothes that were too big when I lost the weight, and now I only have the stuff that fits me 10 pounds ago. And before anyone tries to say “but you’re tiny”, please don’t go there. It’s not a number game for me, it’s about how I feel. For one, I have to keep a serious eye on my cholestoral, and it’s starting to rise again with my increased snacking, and decreased exercise. Also, I can’t even explain to you how much less energy I have, and how many more stomach problems I have when I let myself eat whatever I want. It’s not about weight. It’s about being and feeling healthy.
That deal with Justin? It’s that if I can hit my goal-weight by December, my Christmas present from him will be a new wardrobe! (On my last weigh-in day, I was already down 2.4 pounds!)
Step Two – Find my style. I’ve never once in my life shopped with the intention of finding what works for my body, and this time that’s going to change! I’ve been spending time everyday scouring the internet. I’m checking out any and every fashion blog I can find and taking a million “What’s your style?” quizzes. I also just finished reading Lauren Conrad’s book, “Style”, and of course, I’m spending far too much time on Pinterest. The bad part is, this is making it really hard to wait until Christmas to shop! But the good part is, I think I’m finally getting an idea of what looks I’m actually drawn too. Now the tricky part will be finding out if what I think looks good in photos, will actually look good on me.
Step Three – Try it on/Toss it out. This step relies heavily on step one, as I don’t want to do this at my current weight. My plan is to literally put on every single article of clothing I own. I know of at least a few things stuffed into the back of my closet that I haven’t actually had on my body in over a year. I’m going to seriously consider every piece, and decide if it stays or goes. It’s time to get rid of the things I hate, even if they fit me, and to get rid of the things I love, if they don’t. This seems self-explanatory, but I’ve honestly never evaluated my clothes in this manner, and I’m pretty anxious to get it done.
Step Four – Determine my essentials. Everything I’ve read gives advice on select items that every closet needs. For the most part, I agree, but because I spend two of my work days at home, and work in a business casual office, it doesn’t really make sense for me to need a few of the items they suggest. Once I pair down my closet in Step Three, I’m going to create a list of items I absolutely need to add. I know this will include at least one pair of fantastic-fitting jeans and maybe a blazer that I can dress up or wear casually.
Step Five – Shop! After spending the next two months going through these tasks, I hope to know exactly what I like, what I need, and what works for me. Then it’ll be time to actually go out there and get it! My biggest challenge here, will be finding items that I can mix and match. I’ve never been any good at that. Once I find that this shirt goes with those pants, I never switch it up! I’m not going to have an unlimited budget if I earn myself that Christmas present, so it will be super important that I find a minimal number of items that I can turn into many different looks. What I want most out of this, is a closet of pieces I adore and feel great in.
So that’s where I’m at. Currently in the middle of Steps 1 and 2, and ready to move ahead with full force. I’m excited to venture into this unknown land of caring about how I look! And of course, these steps are only for my closet! I plan to revamp my makeup and accessories as well, and I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop on that!
So now I need your advice! What steps am I missing? What should I be reading? Anything you can tell me, will be more than I currently know!
Also, anyone want to go shopping with me?!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Dude. I feel you. My closet is HURTING and has been for years. I’ve always felt really blah about my appearance and I rarely put effort into anything. I’ve been watching a lot of “What Not To Wear” and while I’m not nearly as bad as the people on there, I would LOVE to go on that show. Throw out my old clothes and give me money to spend, show me what fits and what works, and I’d be a happy girl. I DEFINITELY need to put more effort into things but it’s so much easier to just shower, throw my hair in a ponytail and go.
I’ll go shopping with you! Can I borrow that Lauren Conrad book? I LOVE her style. As far as makeup goes, I use MAC foundation and it’s really light and doesn’t make me break out. And you know how bad my skin is. Plus, if you go to the kiosk in Macy’s, they help you find your color and you can test out all their different kinds of foundation.
Seriously. Let’s go shopping. I did so good with you that day we found dresses!
Have you started reading the book yet? You’ll have to let me know what you think. And thanks for the makeup tips, I’ll have to make a trip to Macy’s one of these days!
I think that is a great list of things to do! It has taken me a long time to discover my personal style, but at the age of 31, I have finally figured out how to dress for my body type (long, lean, no curves, boy-type body). I have learnd to invest money in quality pieces, and buy trendier stuff at places like Target. And I have accepted that I will never enjoy shopping, but I try to make it fun by going with my best friend (who has awesome taste) once a quarter!
That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out! I have no idea how to dress for my body type (basically the same as you, only short!) I’m excited to put some actual thought into it, and finally feel good! I’m also on the hunt for a friend who can stand shopping with me long enough to figure it out!