My Wardrobe, Myself

Earlier this year, I revealed my 2023 “wardrobe bucket list,” a collection of 20 tasks that I hope to complete sometime during this year (see HERE and HERE). I was inspired to create this list by an episode of “The Everyday Style School” podcast, in which the host shared that instead of setting goals and resolutions, she came up with a list of simple tasks and activities to help move her style forward this year. I loved this concept and decided to take it on myself.

Now that it’s been a few months and we’re nearing the end of spring, I thought it would be a good time to review my wardrobe bucket list and see how things are progressing. This will be a two-part series, in line with my efforts to post more often and publish shorter posts (which I admittedly do better with sometimes than others). In today’s post, I’ll recap items 1-10 on my list and share what progress I’ve made, if any. Part Two will cover items 11-20, which were originally shared in this February essay.

Doing this type of review will help remind me of my wardrobe bucket list items and will hopefully enable me to get back on track with any that may have slipped my mind. I also hope that reading this will spark your thoughts about the projects, changes, or goals you have for your wardrobe and style in 2023 (and I invite you to share about them!). I plan to do at least one more review later this year, and I also plan to do individual posts about some of the tasks and activities I’ve opted to take on related to my wardrobe and style.

While I hope to complete all 20 tasks on my list during 2023, I’m open to carrying forward whatever doesn’t get done into 2024. There’s little urgency to most of my bucket list items, but there’s lots of potential benefits to doing them. I’d like to get these tasks done because I feel they’ll make a positive difference with both my wardrobe and my personal style. Now, on to the review…

1 – “25 Good Outfit” Lists (PARTIALLY COMPLETED)

This item is in line with a concept that I wrote about back in September 2021. I’ve come to realize that I don’t need an unlimited number of outfit combinations in order to look and feel well-dressed. I’ve determined that having twenty-five good outfits would offer sufficient variety and wouldn’t require a large number of pieces. I decided to create at-home and out-and-about outfit lists for both the warm and cool weather seasons, so that’s four lists in total (for 100 total outfits, which may be overkill).

This task is partially complete in that I have made rough drafts of my cool weather lists. I need to update those lists and start working on my warm weather lists soon, which I believe will be more challenging. I often struggle to dress well and look pulled together when the temperatures are high, as I tend to rely too heavily on using “third pieces” in my outfits. I also have issues with emotional comfort when I’m not able to cover up as much. However, I’m sure that I can come up with at least ten to fifteen great summer ensembles to wear out and about, if not a full twenty-five looks. I plan to do this sometime within the month of June, as the hot weather typically begins in July in my neck of the woods. Yes, that’s a late start, but our “summers” often extend into November, so I’ll have a lot of time to wear my “good outfits” in the coming months.

2 – Update My Shopping Priorities List (DONE)

I’ve found that when I take the time to identify which wardrobe pieces I truly need, I shop smarter and make fewer impulse purchases. I decided to keep my shopping priorities list fairly short, as I already have a fairly large wardrobe and don’t want or need to buy too many new pieces. I drafted my list in late March, and I’ve already purchased several pieces on it, including black printed pants, a long cobalt cardigan, and a few warm weather tops that are “better than basic” (more on that later in this post).

I still need to upload my shopping priorities list to my phone, so I always have it on hand when I’m shopping in a brick-and-mortar store (which I do less often than shopping online, but I like to be able to try things on in person when I can). My priorities for the coming months include the following:

• Casual flat sandals to pair with joggers
• A new mid-sized handbag in either black or metallic
• 2-3 additional “better than basic” tees or tanks
• Black midi skirt (knit, mid-weight, not pleated and not too flared)
• Black “fashion sneakers” (less “clompy” than my walking shoes)

3 – Wear Scarves More Often (IN PROCESS)

I don’t wear my scarves very often because I got out of the habit and they’ve been stored in a place that’s “out of sight and out of mind.” This bucket list item involved going through my scarf collection, relocating the ones I opted to keep to a more visible location, and incorporating scarves into my outfits on a more regular basis.

I would call this item “in process” because I think I need to pare down further and find yet another location for my scarves. I moved some of them to a more visible location (a shelf in my closet instead of a dresser drawer), but I still only wore scarves three or four times since I wrote my bucket list posts. I’ve just gotten out of the habit of wearing them and have opted for necklaces instead more times than not. At this point, the cooler season when it’s more feasible for me to wear scarves is drawing to a close, but I think I can still wear them sometimes in the summer if the temperatures aren’t too warm. I’m going to designate a few of the lighter-weight options to set aside for this purpose.

4 – Wear More of My Jewelry (ONGOING)

I’ve been making a concerted effort to wear more of my jewelry and, as such, have discovered some “diamonds in the rough” that I’m once again excited to wear. I haven’t been setting aside specific pieces to wear just yet, but I have challenged myself to reach for something other than my “mainstays” more often when I’m getting dressed.

I still have some jewelry pieces in my old stacker storage system, but I want to do away with that and have everything contained within the two dresser drawers that I’ve allocated for my jewelry collection. I need to work on paring down what I own, particularly my earrings, as I definitely own more than I need and there’s some duplication in multiple categories. I will likely use a process similar to what I detailed back in 2014, when I did a major pare-down of my jewelry inventory. This will probably be a standalone post within the next month or two.

5 – Buy Some “Better than Basic” Tops for Summer (PARTIALLY COMPLETED)

Wardrobe stylist and podcaster Jennifer Mackey-Mary defined “better than basic” tops are those that are a step above a standard t-shirt. Such tops include special details like embellishment, ruching, or interesting patterns, and they enable the wearer to look pulled together without the need for a “third piece.” I own a lot of basic tees that I use for layering or wearing at home or for exercise, but they’re kind of boring and uninspiring on their own, so I see the need to enhance my top collection with more special options.

I managed to purchase several “better than basic” tops since I created my bucket list in February:

The tops above all include special details like twists, ruching, or tiers. I also decided to add more printed pieces to my wardrobe since a lot of my summer tops are in solid colors. I’ve been embracing pinks and reds more often since my gray hair transition, and the shade of green of the top at the left is new to me and nice for summer. I used to wear mostly black and blue tops, but I like having other colors to draw upon now.

6 – List All of My Items Designated for Resale (PENDING)

I have a large stack of items (clothes, shoes, bags, etc.) designated to be sold online, likely on eBay. However, I haven’t made it very far along with this project because I’ve been focused on other things. I have photos and measurements for everything I plan to sell, but I still need to write and post the actual listings. I’m nearing the completion of another big project, so I plan to get going with this project within the next few days. I’m excited to get these pieces out of my home, earn some money from selling them, and purchase a new handbag (which is my incentive for doing this project!).

7 – Pare Down My Underwear Collection (IN PROCESS)

I added this task to my bucket list because too many of my underwear are stretched out and ride up as I wear them. This is extremely frustrating and can ruin an otherwise great outfit. I have been consistently wearing and evaluating all the underwear that I own, and have thrown away quite a few pairs that were stretched out. Previously, I had mostly just been wearing the newer pairs and overlooking everything else.

I still have a fairly sizable collection of underwear, but this area of my wardrobe has become a lot more manageable since I started pushing myself to wear and evaluate everything instead of just sticking to the “tried and true.” I see this project as ongoing, as all underwear will eventually become worn out or stretched out, but I’ll likely get to the point soon where I’m mostly happy with the underwear that I own. I’m still going to search for alternate options, however, as the style that I’ve been wearing for years doesn’t tend to last very long overall, even though it fits me well.

8 – Buy Some Flat Shoes for My Athleisure Outfits (PENDING)

As mentioned in the section about my shopping priorities list, I would like to buy a pair of “fashion sneakers,” as well as a casual pair of black sandals to wear with my joggers. I currently pair my black walking shoes with my athleisure ensembles, but those shoes are kind of heavy and “clompy,” which can make the looks skew more “utilitarian.” If I’m not going to be wearing an outfit for a long walk, I’d prefer to wear shoes that are more stylish, so I’m hoping to find ones that fit the bill soon.

9 – Pare Down My At-Home Tee Collection (IN PROCESS)

This bucket list item wasn’t just about purging unworn or unloved at-home tees. It also included determining which at-home tops work best with my various at-home pants, which are mostly joggers of some kind. I took the time to review and note down the pairings that I liked the most, and then I organized my closet such that I now have three sections of at-home tops:

• Fitted and shorter tees, to pair with my wider-leg knit pants (for better proportions – tight over loose).
• Less fitted and longer tees, to pair with my joggers.
• Looser tees that I only wear at home (the other tops are worn at home, on walks, and for casual errands).

The third section is relatively small, as I’ve gravitated more toward the other two sections, with section two being the largest. I purged multiple tees from section three, mostly because they had become worn out or stretched out. Here’s a look at the tees that I recently purged:

Five of the eight tees above were purged due to having lost their shape or becoming overly pilled. However, the three Amazon tees were purged for alternative reasons. I let go of the animal print tee because the coloring was all wrong for my complexion. Amazon sells many of their tees in packs of two, and I really wanted the blue-and-white-striped tee that was packaged with the animal print one (you can see it in the thumbnail at the top left). The pricing was low for the sets of two tees, but it’s too bad that I only liked one of them.

The dark red and pink tees (which also came in a set together) were purged due to poor fit. They used to fit fairly well, but became overly baggy and ill-fitting following my weight loss. I didn’t want to pay to have them taken in and I also didn’t want to wear them “as is,” so I donated both, along with all the other tees shown above.

I still own quite a few at-home tees, and it’s possible the I may opt to purge more, which is why I left this task as “in process.” My preferences have shifted, and I no longer like the lower-cut styles of tees like some of the ones pictured. My favorite style now is a crewneck, but I also like some V-neck and scoop-neck tees, provided they aren’t cut too low. I’m happy with my at-home tee collection for the most part, although I would be open to adding a few more printed options if I can find some good ones.

10 – Pare Down My Makeup Skin Care, and Hair Care Collections (IN PROCESS)

I’ve been working on going through my skin and hair products, and I’ve already designated a large-ish bag to donate to a local women’s shelter that accepts opened items. I was happy to learn of this option because I always felt bad throwing away barely-used products. It’s hard to know at the outset what will or won’t work for us, and not all stores accept returns of used items. I have felt so much better donating my products to people who might be able to use and appreciate them. Of course, I’ve still thrown some things away if they were expired or dried out, but I’ve been able to donate far more of the products that I’ve purged.

I still need to complete this project, and I plan to do so within the next few weeks. It can sometimes be difficult to determine what we will or won’t use, but if I have any doubt, I’ll opt to donate anything that someone else might be able to use. I especially have a lot of hair care products and lipsticks, as I tend to be very picky about both types of items (I have very “temperamental” hair and I’m always searching for the perfect shade of pink lip color that I don’t need to layer). I know that I’ll feel good when I take a few bags of products to the shelter in the near future.

Your Thoughts?

So, that does it for part one of my spring 2023 wardrobe and style “bucket list” review. As you can see, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some items having a lot of progress and others not getting off the ground just yet. But there’s still more than half of the year to go, so I hope to be able to complete all or most of my bucket list tasks before the end of December.

Writing this update has moved these activities back to the top of my mind and has also reinvigorated my desire to work on them. Hopefully, you have found this review interesting and inspiring, too, even if you can’t relate to everything that I’m working on. But perhaps you’ve found a tidbit or two in here that might help you with your closet and shopping this year.

Now I’d love to hear from you! I understand that you might not have a wardrobe bucket list or even defined goals for your wardrobe and style in 2023. But perhaps you’d like to share some positive changes you’ve made or plans you have related to your clothes, closet, shopping, and style. I invite you to share whatever thoughts you have with me and your fellow readers. Feel free to share any insights or questions about what I’ve written, too. I’ll be back soon with part two, so stay tuned…