topic Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet... in Fashion

The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 00:47:58 GMT

I wanted a place to record my Project and all things related. It will be easier for me to have one place to post pictures and be as long-winded as I want lol, hence this thread.

The Project actually started in Jan 2017 when I went on a rampage throwing out drape and fly front cardis. I saw a pic of myself in one and could not get over how ridiculous I looked. For me, YMMV, the extra bulk/material in the front highlighted my problem area...a protruding Botticelli belly lol.

The drape/fly front cardi purge turned into a major Project...one I'm determined to see through. Initially, I figured I'd just go thru my "stuff" and throw a few things out (donate) and add a few things (few? Cheah, riiight!). IOW, a mini purge like I'd done a hundred times before and which was obviously not working.

I asked Handsome (my husband and photographer) to take pictures of my outfits and that really changed things up...while I could look in the mirror and think something looked good, I'd look at the pictures and see every darned thing wrong LOL.

The mini purge became "I'm going to try on every single thing in my closet and be brutally honest about how it looks." That turned into "why did I buy this...what was I thinking?" How was it possible to look in my over-stuffed closet and say, "I don't have anything to wear!?" IOW, a lot of questions started coming up, which led to a deeper thinking of my shopping habits. I wanted to be smarter about my purchases.

I wanted to love every single thing in my closet, too, but I didn't! You've heard the saying "we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time." Once I started examining each piece (under a microscope with a fine tooth comb LOL), I realized how true that saying was for me. I wanted to change that...I wanted to wear 80% of my clothes 80% of the time.

It surprises me how difficult this really is...I had to identify and be honest about my body shape (apple, with literally all my fat in my tummy...I was an hour glass back in the day). I only had a vague idea of what my style was, and I had a ton of accessories that I didn't use. I had to embrace my age and my (changed) lifestyle...I want to be fashionable and a little edgy, but not ridiculous.

Bottom line, I just looked in my closet one day and said, "something has to be done!"

And, thus, The Project began...

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

QueenDanceALot — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 00:59:02 GMT

I love your Project! I can so relate to doing the "mini-purge" thing and feeling like I'd done good and still seeing that I wear %20 of my clothes 80% of the time. And my closet is stuffed. It's small, yes, but it's still full of things I never wear,

I am preparing myself to be inspired by your work!

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

QueenDanceALot — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:01:27 GMT

Certainly, part of my own Project is to not buy ANYTHING that I don't absolutely LOVE.

O.K. is not good enough!

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

QueenDanceALot — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:03:48 GMT

I think I may be afraid that if I get rid of those things I never wear that my closet is going to be almost empty.

That's a little scary to me.

O.K., I'll shut up now.

hahaha

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:04:31 GMT

I'm jumping in here at the beginning of the fall/transitional season, which I started a few weeks ago. I'm looking at everything that falls into that category.

The first thing I noticed was how much black I have...I have more black than I had white for summer (which was ridiculous). I love black, but how much do I need for Pete's sake?

In the last few days...and this is just the beginning...I have accumulated 4 bags of fall/transitional items for Goodwill (one bag is full of books, a purse, some jewelry, and a pair of tennies)...

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

itsmagic — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:10:10 GMT

Great post! I’ve often thought many of the same things especially “why did I buy this-what was I thinking!” You’ve given me inspiration to tackle my own closet.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:11:56 GMT

@QueenDanceALot

You're right! I'm not buying anything I don't love! I don't want any more "good enough," "it'll do," "it's okay until I find something else," blahblahblah. I'm not keeping anything I don't love either.

Trust me, my closet is getting sparse (summer section is practically bare) and it is scary! I gutted out the summer LOL!

I hope this is an inspiration for others to take a good, long, hard look at what the heck is in their closets.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

drizzellla — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:13:31 GMT

After donating a bunch of clothing that still had the tags on them. I hope to buy clothing that I will at least like.

There are even packages that I never opened. I retired in July but I was still buying work clothes. Going through some of the packages after I retired I could not believe the stuff I ordered. Definitely not my style and would never wear.

Thank you for talking about your project AND keep us updated.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:15:39 GMT

Some things are going out...some things are coming in!

I don't usually buy multiples, but I needed to update my jeans and wanted comfort, a little bit edgy, and affordable. I justified the cost (approx $250 for 5 pair) by calling this an investment...I practically live in jeans.

@SouthFlorida321 recommended these (in her Good Jeans thread) G jeggings from Giuliana Rancic, HSN, and I couldn't be happier with them.

I've already worn all of them multiple times. I have enough jeans lol, and don't need any more. Keeping with some of my new rulez, I'm not looking at or trying on any more jeans for a long time (I wouldn't mind a wine color or a dark camo, but, trust me, I can live without those lol).

From left to right, light wash (I bought 2), vintage (the slightest distressing...the distressing you can see is the biggest patch), deep blue (a very pretty blue which is not showing up well in pic), and black...

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

NorthernLights — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:16:40 GMT

Great project! I have a horrible habit of leaving everything I'll never wear and looks amazing hung up...color coordinated on huggable hangers in my closet because it makes me happy. Then the clothes I really wear are in my dressers. I've started whittling away at 'the closet', even though it kills me.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

alicedee — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:18:11 GMT

@MacDUFF. First let me say thank you for the giggle you provided in your description of your "Botticelli belly"....which, by the way you DON'T have, I've seen pics you've posted! But it made me laugh!!

Second, I love your project idea. I've done a version of it the past year, and it's a constantly evolving project. Every couple months I go through and pull things I'm just not wearing anymore, and into the donate bag they go.

I want to be in the same group of folks who only buy...and keep...what they love, and what looks good when worn.

Thanks for posting and for the incentive to keep going, myself!!

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:21:00 GMT

This is a recent purchase...everydurnedthing has come under the microscope lol. Natori from Nordstrom...softest cotton...wash/dry...no shrinkage.

Forgive the wrinkles...I try to impress upon Handsome the necessity for taking the clothes out of the dryer and folding them as soon as the buzzer goes off...he doesn't see the need when it's just jammies and socks.

Me: If you fold things as soon as they're dry, you minimize wrinkles.

Handsome: But it's just pj's...who cares if they're wrinkled? It's not like anyone sees you in your pj's.

Me: [Sounding suspiciously like my Mom] You never know who's going to see you in your jammies!

I rest my case...

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

QueenDanceALot — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:21:45 GMT

@MacDUFF

I think that buying several pair of jeans that you LOVE and that you LIVE IN really IS a great investment!

It's a good principle, to buy something that you wear a lot in multiples. I find that to make a lot of sense.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

TY — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:33:30 GMT

@MacDUFF

I can relate to your closet and even though I photograph every single clothing item that I buy and the photos into a digital photo album, the photos are of the individual clothes and not me wearing them. When I did the transition of summer clothes into fall I went through all of my sweaters and got rid of most of them. I am not a sweater wearing person and don't like cardigans (I feel like Mr Rogers in one.) I got rid of several waterfall cardigans that had way too long sleeves and were too big in the upper arm and kept only 1 that I actually wore on vacations. I've kept one button sweater as it has a removable real curly lamb shawl collar but that sweater may still get the toss while I keep the real fur collar.

Earlier this year I got rid of most of my dresses as I seldom wear any. I did not wear one single dress this year so far. And when I tried them on some did not fit well due to a meno-gut.

I also tried on every single fall and winter top and got rid of any tops that emphasized my mid section.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

sidsmom — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:34:26 GMT

@QueenDanceALot wrote:
I think I may be afraid that if I get rid of those things I never wear that my closet is going to be almost empty.

That's a little scary to me.

O.K., I'll shut up now.

hahaha

Think about being able to 🌪 T-W-I-R-L 💃 in your closet!

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

sidsmom — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:47:36 GMT

@MacDUFF wrote:

In the last few days...and this is just the beginning...I have accumulated 4 bags of fall/transitional items for Goodwill (one bag is full of books, a purse, some jewelry, and a pair of tennies)...

@MacDUFF

I see this meme on FB all the time & have to laugh.

So true.

Sometimes the drive to the donation site is the hardest part.

🙃😀🌼

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:48:52 GMT

@itsmagic

@drizzellla

Repeat after me: "I will not buy things I at least like, I will buy things I love." Teasing you! New rule: If I don't wear (and love) something new (ie, if I don't take the tags off lol) within a few weeks of purchase, it's going back. You also hit on something I've been struggling with...I'm semi-retired, so why am I even looking at "work related clothes?" I don't even get that!

@NorthernLights

We'll whittle together (altho mine is probably more like bulldozing lol)...and it's killin' me, too!

@alicedee

I think a constantly evolving wardrobe is a good thing (within reason), and I hope to get to that point after I get a handle on what I already have!

@TY

You're way ahead of me...proud of you! Cardis are tricky for me...I don't like the Mr. Rogers look either lol...but I can wear the straight front cardis.

@sidsmom

LOL! More room in my closet and drawers is a goal.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

MacDUFF — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:51:13 GMT

@sidsmom

If I don't go immediately to the Goodwill, I'm afraid I'll start taking things out of the bag and putting them back in my closet lol.

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

AmericanBulldogMom — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 01:58:38 GMT

I did a huge closet/clothes purge earlier this summer. I donated 6, yes 6, large black 33 gal size trash bags. Yikes! It’s been a few months and I feel like I should go through things again and what I kept that I “thought” I should keep, yet haven’t touched, should be cleared out now too. It feels like the never-ending project right now. LOL!

Re: The Project: Curating MacDuff's Closet...

GCR18 — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 02:01:51 GMT

Inspirational!! I did something similar two years ago and am back where I started. Sales are bad. Don't buy because of price. Buy because of fit, style and it actually goes with something you already own.