Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Confession: I am a Fashion Hoarder, and I'm moving to NYC
I have a problem, it's been a problem ever since I got my first job at Burlington Coat Factory 10 years ago...
I. LOVE. SHOPPING.
Not just shopping for anything, I love discounted clothes and shoes. I love a great bargain! So, when I see great clothes at low prices, I have to have it. Working for years in retail (clothes) hasn't helped, and the ease and variety in online shopping has totally been my downfall in the past years.
By the time I moved out on my own it was my dream to have a two bedroom apartment so that one bedroom could be my walk in closet.
I have lived tolerably like this for about 6 years now. But alas, I am finally fully convinced that I must leave the "most liveable city" of Pittsburgh, PA, with its conveniently low cost of living (which means I can have lots of space to myself); and move to the most expensive city in the U.S., New York City (#4 in the world). So I need to come to terms with this decision, stop trying to think of creative ways to cram my stuff into a smaller amount of space, and get rid of things. And I mean A LOT OF THINGS!
Now I admit that I do shop quite a lot (a lot less recently), but much of my huge collection of stuff is more due to the fact that I have kept things from long ago and accumulated more things. Remember that job at bcf I had 10 years ago? Well I still have clothes and shoes that I bought from that time (and even before then)! If it's still wearable then why not keep it? Is how I think of it. I am not one to follow fashion rules and stop liking things just because the trend is no longer in style. And with so many clothes and shoes in rotation, I don't get a chance to wear anything out (which in that case I would throw things out). So I have just accumulated so much clothes and shoes for every occasion imaginable! But again, not only am I moving (which in it of itself is a pain) but I'm moving to New York, where I'm unlikely to have very much space for my fashion hoarding ways. I am unfortunately not able to afford that luxery. So, the time has come for me to purge :'(
I've been researching how other people decluttered and see that the Marie Kondo method is popular at the moment, "does it bring you joy?". YES! MY CLOTHES, AND OH GOD HOW MY SHOES BRING ME JOY!! So, this method alone cannot help me make a drastic dent in the amount of clothes that I have. I need to do some seriously mental de-attaching to my fashion love in order to downsize. So I thought of something. I am a fashion risk taker. I dress nice for the most part but am not afraid of wearing unique or alarmingly bright colors and patterns. But being that my clothes are 10 plus years old, some dating back to my high school years even, it's safe to say that I am too old for certain pieces in my wardrobe. Even worse, I can't fit into some of it anymore (bye bye speedy metabolism). So I will keep age (and fit) appropriateness in mind when I get rid of things. Additionally I have to think about why I'm moving to New York. For more desirable career opportunities! I can use this too, think of how I'd look in the profession that I aspire to attain, wearing the clothes that I have. I have come to the conclusion that in order to maintain my fashion quirkiness while dressing more for my career and age, I will stick to a style that is "Vibrant Artsy 70s Chic" decided based on the following articles:
http://www.herinterest.com/types-of-fashion-styles/
http://www.enkivillage.com/types-of-fashion-styles.html
So for the majority of my clothing, besides certain special pieces (workout gear...) I will aim to stick t this one style instead of having outfits for every style depending on my mood and willingness to find the right outfit.
As of now, I have a month until moving day and I want to declutter/pack within that time to avoid trying to bring everything. So to recap, I will get rid of my Fashion hoarding ways with the following steps in mind:
Marie Kondo "does it bring me joy?"
Is it age appropriate
Does it fit flatteringly
Will it go with my NYC "vibrant artsy 70s chic" style
tbc...
I. LOVE. SHOPPING.
Not just shopping for anything, I love discounted clothes and shoes. I love a great bargain! So, when I see great clothes at low prices, I have to have it. Working for years in retail (clothes) hasn't helped, and the ease and variety in online shopping has totally been my downfall in the past years.
By the time I moved out on my own it was my dream to have a two bedroom apartment so that one bedroom could be my walk in closet.
I have lived tolerably like this for about 6 years now. But alas, I am finally fully convinced that I must leave the "most liveable city" of Pittsburgh, PA, with its conveniently low cost of living (which means I can have lots of space to myself); and move to the most expensive city in the U.S., New York City (#4 in the world). So I need to come to terms with this decision, stop trying to think of creative ways to cram my stuff into a smaller amount of space, and get rid of things. And I mean A LOT OF THINGS!
Now I admit that I do shop quite a lot (a lot less recently), but much of my huge collection of stuff is more due to the fact that I have kept things from long ago and accumulated more things. Remember that job at bcf I had 10 years ago? Well I still have clothes and shoes that I bought from that time (and even before then)! If it's still wearable then why not keep it? Is how I think of it. I am not one to follow fashion rules and stop liking things just because the trend is no longer in style. And with so many clothes and shoes in rotation, I don't get a chance to wear anything out (which in that case I would throw things out). So I have just accumulated so much clothes and shoes for every occasion imaginable! But again, not only am I moving (which in it of itself is a pain) but I'm moving to New York, where I'm unlikely to have very much space for my fashion hoarding ways. I am unfortunately not able to afford that luxery. So, the time has come for me to purge :'(
I've been researching how other people decluttered and see that the Marie Kondo method is popular at the moment, "does it bring you joy?". YES! MY CLOTHES, AND OH GOD HOW MY SHOES BRING ME JOY!! So, this method alone cannot help me make a drastic dent in the amount of clothes that I have. I need to do some seriously mental de-attaching to my fashion love in order to downsize. So I thought of something. I am a fashion risk taker. I dress nice for the most part but am not afraid of wearing unique or alarmingly bright colors and patterns. But being that my clothes are 10 plus years old, some dating back to my high school years even, it's safe to say that I am too old for certain pieces in my wardrobe. Even worse, I can't fit into some of it anymore (bye bye speedy metabolism). So I will keep age (and fit) appropriateness in mind when I get rid of things. Additionally I have to think about why I'm moving to New York. For more desirable career opportunities! I can use this too, think of how I'd look in the profession that I aspire to attain, wearing the clothes that I have. I have come to the conclusion that in order to maintain my fashion quirkiness while dressing more for my career and age, I will stick to a style that is "Vibrant Artsy 70s Chic" decided based on the following articles:
http://www.herinterest.com/types-of-fashion-styles/
http://www.enkivillage.com/types-of-fashion-styles.html
So for the majority of my clothing, besides certain special pieces (workout gear...) I will aim to stick t this one style instead of having outfits for every style depending on my mood and willingness to find the right outfit.
As of now, I have a month until moving day and I want to declutter/pack within that time to avoid trying to bring everything. So to recap, I will get rid of my Fashion hoarding ways with the following steps in mind:
Marie Kondo "does it bring me joy?"
Is it age appropriate
Does it fit flatteringly
Will it go with my NYC "vibrant artsy 70s chic" style
tbc...
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Monday, June 30, 2014
How to Travel Light and Get Many Different Outfit Looks
Double duty (or even triple duty) items are the key to packing light when traveling. You don't have the luxury of bringing your entire closet on the trip with you, so you should plan you're looks so that you can get the most variety of use out of each piece you bring. Stick to a complimentary color palette. I'm not saying to simply go neutral because that's just boring, but make sure all of the pieces are in the same color palette so that when mixed and worn together they won't clash. Mixing and matching different pieces is the key to packing less but looking unique everyday of your trip (even if it's a long trip).
Leggings:
Dress:
Tank/Tees:
Sarong (large sheer wrap):
Honorable mentions:
*Accessories are your friend. They're small additions to luggage but make big impacts on outfits!
As for shoes, I'd stick to one of each type (flat, sandal, flipflop, dress, gym). If you want to bring more than one, the best space saver is a flat (open or closed toe) since they are...flat, thus take up less space. Also, master the art of packing around shoes. Stuff things inside the shoe as well as around heels. Theres a helpful post about picking necessary shoes on Suitcase Secrets where I found this nice pic.
Leggings:
- wear under shorts, skirts, or a dress
- wear as bottoms
- wear as work out gear
- wear as pjs or on lazy days
Dress:
- an easy 1 piece outfit
- wear a top over it and the bottom can show as a skirt
- tuck it into a bottom and it can show as a top
- wear a top or leggings under it for a different look
Tank/Tees:
- wear as a top
- as a layer of an outfit (under or over another piece)
- wear as workout gear
- wear as pjs
Sarong (large sheer wrap):
- wear over swim suit
- wear as a skirt
- wear as a top
- wear as a vest
- wear as a dress
- also can be a scarf, to liven up a plain top
Honorable mentions:
- Skirts can be worn at least 2 ways; as a skirt, or as a top. If the skirt is mid length it will be a cute tunic to wear with leggings. If the skirt is a maxi it can turn into a dress which will give you some of the additional dress options above. Don't be afraid to belt the waist if you need to add shape to a skirt that you're wearing as a top. Great example is in the picture below from the Tanvii blog.
- Oversized Tees can be made into a variety of looks for a top. Wear it long and untucked as a tunic, or tucked into bottoms. Tie a knot in the front, back, or side to change the look and make the oversized tee more fitted. Roll up the sleeves for a muscle tank type of look. Maybe near the end of the trip you may want to change the tee completely and take scissors to it. Do a quick (and permanent) restyle using one of the tutorials found all over the internet and youtube. My suggestion (because it's the easiest) is to simply change the neckline. Check out the pics below from Violet Street blog and Teen to 30 Stuck in Between, as well as their links for even more ways to style an oversized tee.
*Accessories are your friend. They're small additions to luggage but make big impacts on outfits!
As for shoes, I'd stick to one of each type (flat, sandal, flipflop, dress, gym). If you want to bring more than one, the best space saver is a flat (open or closed toe) since they are...flat, thus take up less space. Also, master the art of packing around shoes. Stuff things inside the shoe as well as around heels. Theres a helpful post about picking necessary shoes on Suitcase Secrets where I found this nice pic.
Any ideas I didn't cover? Happy travels!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Men's Cardigan and Leopard Sneaker Wedge from Forever 21, and Ailee #ootd #sotd
For this outfit of the day the main pieces are from forever 21 winter clearance (oh yes, end of season clearances)! The burgundy fair isle cardigan sweater is from the men's section. They actually had a lot of cute, thick, cardigans for me to choose from. I love them because they are warm and cozy. And girls can wear it just as good as a guy *snaps* if not better. I was lucky that forever 21 still had these cute unique sneaker wedges in my size. Underneath the cardi I'm wearing an old summer sleeveless collared shirt, and twill leggings which thanks to these photos I can see aren't very legging like at all. The leggings will have to be retired and used for parts since they are clearly baggy on me. But besides that, I think this outfit was cute, and very snuggly.
My hair was pulled back by a leopard scarf that I bought super cheap off eBay.
Now for an up close at the shoes. These sneaker wedges are the coolest find ever! Burgundy leopard (or cheetah) print realness!
What do you think? Anyone else love men's cardigans as much as I do?
This outfit is making me crave some Ailee (I'm actually listening to her now). She is a Korean American kpop singer who some call the Korean Beyonce, I personally think she's more like the Korean Christina Aguilara though. Her song U & I is fun and sassy and goes well with this outfit, and I just noticed that her hair even matches it (it's burgundy). Give it a listen.
Any Ailee lovers?
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
10 Cute Everyday Earring Picks Under $20
So, I'm often rushing to get ready in the mornings and don't always have time to think much about accessorizing. Particularly when it comes to earrings, because I have 6 holes per ear. Finding 2 matching earrings is hard enough, but try coordinating 12 earrings! So, usually if I'm in a rush, 10 piercings get neglected and I just look for 1 pair to wear.
Me being a lover of all things different, I have tons of earrings, but most of them are so unique that they don't match everything. Therefore they require planning, and so are NOT quick "go to" earrings. So I wanted to find some cute unique types of earrings that can be "go to" earrings. Something other than your simple diamond stud, gold ball, or basic hoop earring. For days when you want to accessorize, but don't have time to think about if they match your outfit or the other earrings in your ear.
Cute floral type hoops, La Preciosa Stainless Steel, from Overstock, $11.89.
Blue swirl glass drop earring from Kohls, $8. This color should go with everything because it's a neutral kind of tone, like blue jeans.
Or wear all of the colors together like with this glass cluster drop earring, $10 from Kohls. One of the colors is bound to match whatever you are wearing that day.
Polka Dot Gold and Black button Half A Nice Day earrings from ModCloth, $12.99
Disney Princess sterling silver studs, $18 from Walmart.
Super cute Rose gold over stainless steel bow post earrings from Overstock, $16.99.
Awesome front and back pave crystal ball earrings, $7.50 from Claires.
Awesome front and back pave crystal ball earrings, $7.50 from Claires.
18k gold plated pink heart earrings, $19.99 from The Sterling Star.
Cool Locket and Key Stud Earrings from Modcloth, $9.99.
Is this bouquet not just the cutest? I might have to buy these myself. They are brass earrings from the seller Just Earrings on Etsy, and are $14 with free shipping! The good thing about buying from DIYers is that you can often email them and have them make you an item in a specific color or style of your choice (hurray for non mass production).
I think that all of these earrings will look good no matter if you are dressing up or down, wearing bright colors or neutrals. They are all cuter than your basic earring, yet aren't "loud" or huge to the point that they'd look out of place if you were just wearing jeans and a Tee.
What earrings do you think are uniquely cute and can be worn with any outfit? If you already have some tweet me a picture
@doriscclay
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Spring 2014 Fashion Trends under $30
Spring is here and as usual, there are some new trends for this 2014 season. I have a few favorite trends that I am excited to see more of this spring, but I'm on a budget. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite on trend pieces that I've found for under $30.
Tea Length and Midi Skirts
Black Faux Leather Pleated Midi Skirt $29.90 from Windsor
Shift Tops
Paloma Boxy Top in Checked Dogtooth at Missguided Us for $26.98
Blouson, $20 at Mango
Wide Leg and Palazzo Pants
Life in Progress Wide Leg Jeans from Forever 21, $24.80
Metallics
The 90s
My golden childhood years' fashion is back in trend...
Cooperative Heeled Jelly Sandal for $20 at Urban Outfitters
I totally remember wearing jellys in the '90s.
Mudd Studded High Waist Denim Shortie Shorts from Kohls, on sale for $19.99
Or as we used to call them, daisy dukes. "Come on baby, get those daisys! Look at those girls with the daisy dukes on, I want ya too..."
Who remembers this song? What an amazing hot mess!
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