Fashion Friday Bonus: Cleanin' Out My Closet

It's your lucky day!  TWO posts!

That's what you get when I'm off work for spring break.

Anyway, one of my goals for the week was to clean out my closet.  I got rid of A LOT last summer when I moved, so I really haven't had much left that I felt I wanted to part with.  I found a handful of good items, but that just weren't getting the love that they deserve.

When I clean out my closet, I try on most of the items I pull just to give them one last chance at life.  I had 2 items survive this process...  A brown skirt that I've had since college got to stay because it fits well and is a work-appropriate length.  I used to wear it all the time, but just haven't show it much love lately.  I also kept a gray polka dot Gap dress that I bought on super sale, but have never worn.  It fits pretty well, but I think what it is missing is the right undergarments.  It's very cute, perfect for a wedding, and is worth keeping around.   

Here's what didn't make the cut:

I did some major weeding through of my tee collection.  Most of these are still nice tees, but very thin or v-necks that require layering and I'm just not into that much anymore. 

These are all nice, dressy tops (several of which unworn), but are just not working for my wardrobe.  The silky purple one is a prime example of why you don't buy things that don't fit.  It's a gorgeous shirt, but too big!

The striped sweater was worn once, I believe, but actually still has the tags.  It's almost made the cut, but isn't quite right on me.  The polka dot cardigan is adorable, but a little too big and looks awkward on me.  I've worn it a few times, but I just don't like how it fits me.

This is actually a cute Banana Republic dress, but it's not very flattering on me and the deep v-neck doesn't work for wearing it to school.  I think it was worn once or twice.  I'm sad to part with it, but I have much better dresses!

This is a skirt and 3 pairs of pants.  Bottoms, particularly dress pants, can be hard for me to find.  I've settled on fit in the past and have learned that it's not worth it to do that.  I'm also not into wide-legged styles much anymore and 2 of those pairs fall into that category.

The Verdict

4 of these items are from Limited...  That's almost everything I own from there.  I've just stopped going into that store most of the time because as cute as their stuff is, most of it just isn't a good fit on my body. I'm between sizes in tops and most of their pants aren't a good fit on me.

In shopping, I need to focus on fit.  I'm actually a lot better on this than I used to be.  As they say on "What Not To Wear," you need to shop for the body you have, not the body you want.  I've been guilty of buying things both a little too big and a little too small.  Not everything will be perfect, but it needs to be close enough that I will actually want to wear the item.

Buying an item for a special event isn't always the best idea.  The green dress?  Purchased the morning before I went to a friend's wedding.  The black and white tunic?  Bought that one for a bridal shower the day of.  A special event doesn't mean an excuse to go shopping if it means you'll end up buying something that you don't love.  When I have a special event now, I try to go with something a bit more versatile and basic OR treat myself to a new accessory or cardigan to spice up a dress I already have.

Cleaning out my closet seasonally helps me become a more discerning shopper.  When I go through items and see what I do and don't wear, it helps me make better decisions on what I want to spend my money on. A few years ago I was really bad about buying cheap items that didn't fit that well.  I now focus on fit AND a bargain, but will pass on something if the fit isn't right or I don't see it being practical for my lifestyle.  

Have you done any spring cleaning recently?

How do you choose what to eliminate from your closet?