So it happened. Well, it's still happening. The start of the overhaul was shockingly easy and quick. The above stack of clothes were in the toss/donate/sell pile within about 5 minutes because none of them passed the "Do you absolutely love it?" test. That pile was about double in size by the end of the morning and all of those items marched off to a local consignment store yesterday.
Last night I went through my chest-of-drawers and weeded out ancient t-shirts, PJ/lounge pants, and other items that are in decent condition to be donated to the Goodwill. A few things just went straight into the trashcan. My project for tonight is to start the Herculean task of trying on all of my spring clothes that I got out of storage last weekend and giving them some tough lovin'. And then my shoes...that's the part I'm dreading the most.
Still, it felt GREAT to drop off those big bags of stuff at the consignment store and I feel like I still have more brutal honesty in me to narrow down the ranks even more.
Then comes the fun part! Filling my closet with the clothes that I actually need/will wear/will be flattering on me {I'm using the term 'need' loosely here}. The downside to all of that brutal honesty is that my closet looks like I've been robbed. I am pared down to the basics and the items that I love and wear over and over again. At least that's made it easy to identify what I need to purchase. Right now, here's what that list looks like:
pencil skirts {especially in basic colors like khaki, black, and navy}
ankle-length/cropped pants {in all colors and a few fun prints}
long cardigans {in all colors}
button-front shirts {in all colors and patterns}
sleeveless shift dresses {in all colors and patterns}
work-appropriate jackets/blazers
work-appropriate jackets/blazers
several pairs pantyhose in a color very close to my skin tone
jeans {2-3 pairs}
fun blouses {work-to-weekend}
skinny belts
black pumps
black flats
nude pumps
play clothes {a.k.a. weekend wear}
Any one out there have favorite brands/styles of these items? Petite readers: have you found any jeans that work for you? Jeans are my enemy. You can't have them hemmed more than a 1/2 inch because they don't taper or flare properly. It seems like every pair of designer jeans I try on is made for tall ladiezz. Suggestions? I used to love shopping, but now I kind of get exhausted thinking about it. Any help in narrowing down the selection would be tres helpful!
play clothes {a.k.a. weekend wear}
Any one out there have favorite brands/styles of these items? Petite readers: have you found any jeans that work for you? Jeans are my enemy. You can't have them hemmed more than a 1/2 inch because they don't taper or flare properly. It seems like every pair of designer jeans I try on is made for tall ladiezz. Suggestions? I used to love shopping, but now I kind of get exhausted thinking about it. Any help in narrowing down the selection would be tres helpful!
12 comments:
I have surprisingly found the most success with jeans for petites at H&M.
I wear my work clothes ragged if I'm not careful, so I constantly go back and forth between getting cheap stuff that I can part with in 6 months, or investing in nicer things and needing to be extra careful with it to make it last longer. (Although I recognize the higher quality stuff can take the abuse a little better.)
I usually go to Payless for heels - they have some very nice black and nude heels that are more durable than they look. I've only had to get a pair re-heeled once.
I always hit the Banana Republic outlets when I'm on the road and always find blouses/skirts for work. They're cheaper and stand the test of time.
As for jeans, I'm a 7 for all mankind kinda girl - I swear by them!
Hope this helps :)
I'm usually Miss "High End Shoes are Worth the Money Due to Quality and Comfort, Yadda Yadda" but the Mossimo Pearce Pumps in Nude are the most worn heels in my closet. Super chic, super cheap, and so damn comfortable. You can order them from Target's website.
I buy the "short" jeans at Old Navy. I have short legs also and they are fantastic.
Do you have a Joe Fresh near you? There is one a few blocks from my office and they have TONS of those "staples" you're talking about, as well as fun basics. Check them online if you don't have it near you, it's really adorable stuff.
My favorite jeans are the JCrew Matchstick Petite length. They are still a tad long for flats straight from the store, but a small hem or cuff does the trick for me. I do recommend them straight from the store and not the outlet, I found the fit to be entirely different.
The Loft typically has great deals on jackets and blazers, and the other day Target had an entire wall of skinny belts that looked exactly like some I saw in JCrew.
Do you have your pencil skirts hemmed? I tend to shy away from them and opt for dresses because the length hits me oddly.
Happy Shopping!
I hate shopping too and have basically given up and shop only at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack where I don't get hassled by sales people, have to dig through racks of clothes, and the items are good quality without being super super expensive (not to say I don't splurge on an item or two here and there). I'm trying to back away from buying less expensive shoes too (though I may have to check out the pearce pumps mentioned above). I tend to buy a new pair of shoes and then wear them to the exclusion of ALL other shoes in my closet, so I've come to the conclusion it's worth it to spend money on them. :)
One exception to my Nordy's rule, my last couple pairs of jeans came from Banana Republic. I think they have petite sizes. I esp. like the "urban straight leg" -- sort of a forgiving skinny jean.
Just this past winter, I gave The Gap jeans another go, and their petities fit me fantastically! I've also had luck at The Loft.
J.crew's toothpick jeans are great for petites!
Love when I purge...and everything has a place. Best feeling ever....cannot help you too much with jeans, really don't buy them very often but last few times I bought them I made sure they had some stretch in them!! Good luck with your jeans search.
Wow, good for you on the purge. This might be the inspiration I need!! One possible for the jeans might be Joe Fresh, someone may have mentioned that. Another is Target online, at times they offer petite sizes, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason though.
Sending you a smile,
tp
My absolute favorite work shoes are the Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps. They are truly perfect. However, totally agree with the comment about the Target Pearce pumps - they rock and are certainly a bargain! Would love to know if you find the perfect petite jeans...I'm still on the hunt after many, many years.
I have been thinking about going through my closet and doing the same thing for the past few days, so when I saw this it just reaffirmed that I need to do it! It makes me excited reading about you purging and donating things and I want to do it myself!!
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