So Style Workshop was the best kind of jump start/reset to the way I think about my clothes and my stuff, and if I'd gotten nothing else out of the exercise other than the words "sustainable, authentic, put-together, and "&" it would have been enough. But there was more to it, and the ways in which more persists are life-giving and lovely and I am grateful for them. Sometimes the biggest take-away is that when we're searching for more, what we actually need and want and desire is truly LESS, and more space, and the other word that comes to mind in that is "effortless" which I don't love, but I can see where the natural appeal of the thing that you have worked toward becomes so much a part of you as to be more instinct than effort.
And I definitely can see wanting that. So, with some amount of effort at digging through, I give you some things that have been a delight to behold:
-My newly lightened up closet/wardrobe. Before Easter I started the process of putting away 2 bins of fall/winter stuff, and I also bagged up 4 (FOUR!!)13gal trash bags of things to donate as I put away fall/winter. I have 2 trips coming up, so as I build suitcases for spring travel I expect that number to keep going up. I want to make room for more ‘YES’ energy and that means letting go where I’ve hesitated.
-My WIP bags and the mending/alterations pile. A dreamy rayon Zadie is just waiting on hems and maybe a little decorative stitching. There’s a black linen Laurel dress(hacked to have French darts- I just wanted to try!) that I want to sew up. A couple pairs of thrifted RTW linen pants/shorts-all with good pockets- that need to be taken in. A skirt I will love a lot more if I give it pockets. A dress I will love a lot more if I give it better straps. A dress I need to send along to a new person, but not before I figure out how to hack it and add pockets.
-Functional details, good fit and strong coordination. Strong coordination comes from me listening to back episode of the podcast… and Haley’s rule of 3 is a win!
But also. I don’t want to fuss with my clothes. Bottoms need to fit and stay on, even with things in the pockets! And there should definitely be pockets, or provisions for when there are not.
-Accessories are fun! So I will be making sure these outfits work with sandals! And FUNCTIONAL! Another thing I will be noodling with is a very small purse- like, cell phone, keys, and chapstick- and whether this is a thing I make, or a thing I source as a buy-once item in good leather, or a thing I thrift in a fun bright color... I might even have to switch wallets but it also might be really worth it.
And finally… my old Trello boards/reminder lists/digital queue. These are showing me ways in which my core style has been around for a long time, and it’s empowering me to start with what I have as distill that as I build a more cohesive wardrobe.
So, that's where I am in the process- noticing what details matter and figuring out where that meets up with the time and the wardrobe I have.
