The day is here! Closet Challenge reveal day. I am teaming up with my good friend, Erika over at Rouge and Whimsy, and our goal is to inspire you to revamp, rework, or clean out your closet! I happen to be a closet cleaning maven and Erika is a wardrobe remixing master.... and we want to help you get the most out of the clothes you already own.
This challenge isn't really about your closet, although who doesn't love a really organized wardrobe, right? It's more about stewardship. Are there perfectly good clothes you are neglecting at the back of your closet? Research shows that 25% of women wear only 10% of the clothes they own on a regular basis. Are you shopping for new clothes when you already have new pieces hanging in your closet? Research says 91% of women ages 18-30 have at least one item in their closet with the store tags still attached.
Now is the time to change our ways ladies. Let's get rid of the clothing in our closets that doesn't fit right or is too worn out. Let's wear the clothes we are blessed to own. Let's dress well for work, for church, for school. Let's look attractive for our husbands and show our children it is possible to dress well and modestly at the same time. Let's curb our spending habits and reign in our consumerism by really taking a look at our own closets to see what's in there.
I have challenged myself to wear EVERY single item in my closet. I realized a few months ago that even though I’m good at cleaning out my closet regularly, I still don’t actually wear everything I own. So I decided to challenge myself to wear every single article of clothing in my closet. At first, my challenge was rather slow-going, but now that I've made it through a good portion of my clothes, I’m getting more and more motivated to wear clothes I haven’t worn in ages. I turn my hangers backwards when I've worn an item, and now that so many hangers are flipped, I can see my progress and I get excited. For example, I've worn almost all my skirts. I only have about four to go before every single skirt hanger is flipped and I’m so excited to reach that milestone. I might just wear a skirt every day this week…
The other thing is that I've become more and more selective about what I keep. The deal is if I don’t want to wear an item or if I put it on and find that it is unflattering or looks too worn, it goes in the reject heap to be sold or donated. Now that the weather is finally getting cooler, I've had a chance to wear some jeans that I haven’t worn in a year or more. I am realizing that many pairs of my jeans are outdated, looking shabby, or simply don’t fit right. I don’t need those types of clothes in my closet. I probably have fifteen pairs of jeans in my closet, but since I teach {and because I live in the desert where it's always dress season}, I hardly ever have a reason to wear jeans. So if five pairs of jeans don’t fit me right, why not sell them and wear my other ten pairs more often?
The REJECT pile! You might get to shop my closet soon! :)
And here I am rocking all my skirts and tanks before "winter" visits the desert. And by winter, I mean days that do not get above 70 degrees...
Upper left - Green skirt: Banana Republic // Scarf: Ross // Riding boots: Banana Republic
Upper right - Navy tank: Ann Taylor Outlet // Purple skirt: J.Crew Outlet // Boots: Aldo // Necklace: Seek First
Lower right - Top: Ann Taylor Outlet // Brocade skirt: Target // Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Lower left - Tank: F21 // Maxi: GAP Outlet // Heart necklace: Nordstrom
Erika is doing her challenge a bit differently. She has recently been inspired to edit her shopping habits and is intentionally trying to wear neglected items in her wardrobe.
So now it’s your turn! What are you doing to reshape your closet? Are you shopping less? Shopping not at all? Are you remixing clothes in different ways? Did you do a major closet purge? Are you selling your clothes for cash? Or are you doing the whole shebang like me and trying to wear IT ALL? And even if you haven't started your challenge yet, write out your plan or goal and we will keep you accountable. Link up below and tell us all about it. I can’t wait to read your posts!
{Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Dear Abby Leigh, and Women Living Well}
Love your skirts!!!
ReplyDeleteI donate to charity clothes I haven't worn about twice a year. It's a good exercise!!!
Thanks for hosting! This is so much fun... and such a great idea! I'm challenging myself to wear items in my closet I've never worn!
ReplyDeleteTHis is a great link-up idea--you inspired my to write a new post at 7 in the morning, so that shows how good it is! :P
ReplyDeleteAnd I really like the patterned skirt you were wearing, I think it's the one from Target.
cute purple skirt! annalizbeth
ReplyDeletei love this project! we moved across the country recently and i did a huge giveaway to friends of things i hadn't worn in the last year. very cathartic. time to do it again i bet! thanks for the inspiration. #dressfortheday
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I'm excited about this! I should have taken a photo of all I purged recently. I wish I could wear skirts more often, they're just not conducive to my job :-(
ReplyDeleteI love this, girl!! I'm on a STRICT budget lately..so this is right up my alley..maybe I'll link up tomorrow!! LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteThe flipping of hangers is such a great idea! I recently went through my shoes but I still need to go through my clothes and everything else that is stuffed in my closet!
ReplyDeleteCute outfits! :)
Cute skirts! I purge my closet once or twice a year and have a clothing exchange with friends. We "shop" each others' closets and donate whatever is left over to Goodwill.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an inspirational post, I feel like I don't wear a lot of the clothes in my wardrobe and really need to utilise them more. I had quite a big clear out a while ago when switching out my summer clothes for autumn/winter clothes. But definitely going to have a think about what else I can do to reshape my wardrobe and head over to Erika's blog to read her post!
ReplyDeleteSita xx
http://www.buttonsapart.blogspot.co.uk
I really need a good closet clean. I am so, so bad about it. You are inspiring me! One thing I do is if I find a piece I haven't worn in awhile I pull it to the front of the closet so it's smack dab in my face. That way it actually gets worn!
ReplyDeleteThis idea is so brilliant - I love it and must try. I like all your skirt pictures - especially the 2nd outfit. You're so lovely! :) Found you via the Pleated Poppy link up!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Nikki at www.bedazzlesafterdark.com
what a great challenge!! I agree with things that don't get a lot of use no need to have 10 pairs of them. :o) Thanks for linking up to Wardrobe Weds
ReplyDeleteI love your outfit with the purple skirt! So cute!
ReplyDelete=)
Brooke
After getting a wee bit hysterical upon realizing just how many unworn things are hiding in the depths of my wardrobe *shakes head in disbelief* I decided it will have to be baby steps for me.
ReplyDeleteMy plan is to wear at least TWO pieces each week which I have not yet worn. If I come across something that doesn't fit anymore? It will have to go (which means, for now I will steer clear of garments that look a wee bit tight, hahaha).
This week I wore a (brandnew, who'd have guessed) white cable knit sweater and forest green corduroy pants (which I only bought two months ago and apparently won't share the same fate so many other trousers in my wardrobe do).
P.S.: It certainly shows you're living in a warm climate! :-D
What a GREAT idea! I think I might need to try this out soon!
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