Wardrobe Round-up: June 2019

Wear Counts

I've decided that it's nice to have a collage for posterity, but it isn't really helpful to me anymore to navel gaze around this topic so I'm just going to leave it at the photos. I do periodically check on wear counts when thinking about what things are good candidates for purging, but I haven't really found having all the stats around super helpful and I've noticed I've never looked at old logs to help me make any clothing-related decisions.As usual, click on the images to view them in full res in a new tab.Wore 62 pieces of clothing and shoes, not counting loungewear and activewear.Apparently there's a July 30x30 challenge happening (at least via /r/femalefasionadvice subbreddit, though I've seen some people using the hashtag on Instagram as well). I think I'm probably going to sit this one out. I don't find the 30x30 to be that helpful, and it isn't so constrained as to be fun like making a 10x10 capsule. I'm already extremely aware of every item in my wardrobe. At this point I get more enjoyment out of just putting together nice outfits from all of the items rather than teaching myself that a 30 item capsule is doable for my lifestyle (because yes, of course it is.).I wore 33 accessories (I count shoes with clothes because they're something you have to wear every day).I totally forgot about Tau Day and was devastated that I didn't wear my pair of pi earrings on the one day of the year where wearing two pi earrings is correct but I did at least manage to split two cookies from the local bakery with my boyfriend so I guess that was some thematically geometric activity for June 28.But other than that seeing this collage makes me really happy, since I'm definitely getting storybook vibes from it.

Purchased

I was aiming to just buy at most one thing this month, and I got two. Not too bad I guess, and both were secondhand.

Clothes

Uniqlo x Ines de la Fressange red cotton gather skirt via ebay, US size 8, $25.12 – After the heat wave I decided I wanted a lightweight midi skirt so I got this one which I believe was released earlier this year.I find the fit of this at the waist is the same as the corduroy versions of this skirt, but since the material is not as structured, it has less of a dramatic A-line silhouette from the front (somehow the fabric drapes so the flare shows up more from a side view). It's also a few inches longer.Anthropologie "Wesley" square neck top via Poshmark, US size S, $20.89 – I quite like the mustard yellow one I have, but the color is hard to pair. I thought getting the black colorway would be good because it would be an easy top to wear with many things and I could also give my black scoop neck tee a break. But all the ones I saw listed secondhand were yellow.I ordered this without asking for measurements because it was the same one I had already, but it seems that either Anthropologie's quality control is awful or the seller shrank theirs in the washer/dryer because it's about an inch smaller across when laid flat. It's a pretty stretchy fabric so it's still wearable, and hopefully that means it won't shrink in the hot dye bath, but still pretty annoying. I've heard other people online complain that they've gotten "like new! great condition!" items from Poshmark that were clearly shrunken. I haven't had a great record with buying Poshmark so far. The last order I did from here (the Free People boots) was so poorly packaged that by the time it arrived the box was smushed and dangling completely open. Thankfully the shoes were there and didn't seem worse for it.

Clothes-adjacent

Rit Dye All-Purpose Dye Powder Black, $3.56 – for dying the square-neck top mentioned above. I wanted to get the liquid dye for convenience, but it seemed that Amazon couldn't ship it to me because it's a chemical hazard or something. The shipping on the Rit website was really high with the few products I was purchasing so I just got the powder.Rit Dye Fixative, $6.40 – It seems you could probably get a pretty good fix if you follow all the directions on the dye very closely + add vinegar when it's soaking, but I figured might as well use this one and not worry for about $6.Elmer's Wood Filler $4.76 – I'm still having issues where the glue on my MIA "Madeline" clogs keeps getting reactivated whenever I wear them and the foot pad slides around. I pulled off the pads and scraped the glue off, but there's a slightly splintery hole from what I assume is the nail holding the sole to the footbed piece, so I want to fill it in. I also need to buy some sandpaper. I'll make a follow-up to the First Impressions Review and Comparison: MIA “Madeline” and “Bety” Clog Sandals post when I'm done with that small proejct.ferns botanical illustration pouch (product site) $13.99 – I got another one of these pouches from the local nursery when I went to pick up some houseplant stuff. I used it to hold toiletries for a weekend trip and I was SO HAPPY 💚 every time I saw it vs the random generic pouches I've used before. I suspect I'm probably going to get one of these every time I go to the nursery because I've found that having cute things to put other things in is one of my true joys in life.

Purged

Some of these musings I'm just copy-pasting from last month's "purge limbo" section.Forever 21 linen-lyocell blend green wide-leg pants – These are really comfy, but I find that the effect overall tends to be very loungewear unless I pair it with a fancy top and shoes. It also only works with heels because otherwise them hem drags. Also not too flexible because the belt is sewn on and there are no belt loops. Haven't worn these much.grey strappy pointed toe flats – I just don't wear these. I'm not much of a flats person generally, but the black pair of these is just so awesomely witchy (and easy to wear because of the straps and high cut – no blisters!). I don't wear the black pair that often, but these are doing even worse. I do really like the design overall, but I don't think the color fits well with most of my clothes.ASOS petites floral midi dress – this is pretty fun but I think the waistband hitting in the weird indeterminate space between empire and natural waist bothers me too much. This is the second time I wore it ever. The first time was for attending a wedding :/Gap black linen cami jumpsuit – This was 100% purchased a result of a linen jumpsuit craze over on reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice last summer. I think it's alright, pretty well made, but kinda blah. I also think this would look better hemmed slightly as right now I think it looks a lot better in heeled sandals than anything else. I haven't worn it much.The rest of these are pretty basic pieces that I didn't feel would be a good use of my time to dig up photographs of.black merino cardigan – this was such a nice quality cardigan. It was definitely a purely utilitarian piece for me though, and I always disliked any outfits with it because the style is so blah basic.gray hoodie with startup logo – I have 3 gray hoodies with tech logos besides this and I'm not really that much of a fan of this place that I worked at.grey puffy vest – I got this over 5 years ago and only wore it for a short period of time. I have a puffer jacket that I would always wear now instead of this if I wanted a puffy outerwear piece for an outfit.brown 3/4 sleeve mini cable-knit top – I decided I don't like 3/4 sleeves generally enough to get rid of this. I always feel like I'm wearing shrunken clothes when I wear these with anything but full length pants.burgundy mock neck top – This used to be one of my most-worn tops, but I have hardly worn it in the past year. It feels a bit stodgy with the trousers and long skirts I mostly wear now vs the black skinny jeans I used to wear it with. The color is also a very cool toned burgundy, which I haven't really liked with the rest of my wardrobe palette.black lace-up side t-shirt – This was a perfectly fine top, but I just never wore it in the past year. (Again, this is one of those looks-great-with-black-jeggings pieces.) It couldn't even really work as a basic tucked-in tee because of the side lacing. I have another black t-shirt that I wear when I want a basic look anyway.tan cable-knit snowboarding beanie – I literally never wore this :/ I think it was an impulse purchase when sports basement was having a winter gear sale, but I've since got two more beanies that I'd always rather wear over this.fitted gray t-shirt with Dropbox logo – too tight to be really comfy (I got this was back in early undergrad when I was still insistent that all t-shirts had to be as fitted as possible), and I have another dropbox shirt anyway.fitted t-shirt with startup logo – from one of the old places I worked. Fitted womens t-shirt style that was really too tight and I have another unisex cut that is more comfortable.green linen paperbag shorts – I had a black pair of this style that I'd donated a while back, and I found even now when it's hot I don't really care for these. It always felt a bit like a diaper silhouette. If I get anymore non-denim shorts I think I'll probably go for the tailored 1940s sort of style rather than a loose one.

Escaped Purging

Field jacket – Old most-worn item that I hadn't worn at all in the past year. I decided that this actually looks fine with looser pants and midi skirts. It does still feel a bit tired and like it was meant to be more structured but is the cheap Old Navy jacket that it is. I would probably not bring this in the next move but I'm still happy to wear it for now.

Purge Limbo

I haven't put any time into considering what else to pare down on this month.

Tailoring

I forgot to ask for an item breakdown, but this was $52 collectively at the local dry cleaners. I usually like to go to the proper tailor for more complex things but their hours are really inconvenient for me. I figured since these were all hem jobs it should be fine.brown canvas wide-leg pants (Forever 21) – This was definitely because I'm slowly assimilating into the hivemind of Instagram which is full of those Madewell Emmett crops, Jesse Kamm sailor pants, and Everlane crop pants. I think these were actually more flattering full length in that I look more statuesque, and I think that style is more classic. However I was finding that I didn't wear these much anyway except with pointed-toe boots, and I thought the shorter length would make them feel more playful and airy with sneakers and sandals than when they were full length and those pairings always felt a bit stodgy. I do wish it was an inch longer, but I think the new length is still an improvement. I feel that the extra cropped length tends to look better on pants with a flowier fabric.I do think this is definitely a style that we will all be laughing at in a couple of years, but it's fun to feel on trend.brown culottes (Uniqlo) – Same deal as above, though I think cropped culottes are more on the lines of an item that goes in an out of style rather than something that feels very distinct to the past year or two. These were actually hemmed already from floor-length, but I wanted it shorter. I haven't actually worn these yet since I got them back, largely because of that #aweekwithnopants challenge at the end of the month. These pants are super pilled now despite two sessions scraping off the little fuzz balls with a sweater shaver.pleather mini skirt (New Look petites via ASOS) – I find that most things ASOS carries in petite sizing is still really suited for people around 5'4".  This was more of an "above the knee" skirt than a proper mini skirt. And if I'm wearing a pleather mini skirt, it's probably part of a going-out look where I'd rather look hot than modest. I got it hemmed to line up with my fingertips when my hands are at my sides, but in retrospect I think keeping it about an inch or two longer would have been better. These are definitely not wearable without bike shorts underneath now. Whenever I wear skirts this short I'm always like, "so everyone who wears actual miniskirts just has their underwear touching the bus seats directly and can never bend over or bend down, got it."

Wish List

The usual stuff that I've been on the lookout for:

• raincoat – a longer cut and brighter color than the grey hip length one I have now
• romantic style mini dress – I have three pairs of docs now and I really like the cutesy dress with combat boots look, so I figure getting one that goes with all of them will be a nice option for easy-outfit days.
• camel coat – not really actively looking for this right now, but it'd be nice to have a warm toned outerwear option when it gets cold again. I think this may have been on every wardrobe round up post I've made since I started this blog.
• Blundstones – walkable boots. Still stewing on this as I have a load of boots already. But none that have a reasonable heel true walking boots and are slip on.
• replacement pleather leggings – I did wear the pair I had before regularly. I miss them.
• A Nice Blouse – this one is pretty vague, but I feel that tops are one of the weaker categories in my wardrobe and I'd like some more interesting blouses like the eyelet blouse that I can also wear to work.

Musings on things that I'm not going to actually search for, but I've been drawn to, featuring some outfits from two outfit diary accounts I'm a fan of on Instagram – @nitrochique and @whatbeckywore:This was the first spring/summer that I think I've really gotten into warm weather fashion, and I've found that after seeing a lot of gingham recently I've been thinking it would be really cute to get a blouse or dress in the pattern. I don't think a top would really be versatile enough in my wardrobe to justify getting, but the Wizard of Oz vibes are just so cute (I strongly associate gingham with the classic Dorothy costume).Edit: This article from Vox about Gingham has recently come to my attention and is a nice read about the history and current status of gingham.https://www.instagram.com/p/BylIUTQlX-z/Chunky black flatform sandals – I think these would be a great way to add some visual weight to shoes in a summer-friendly way. I have a lot of shoes already though, including platform clogs and black birkenstocks, so I don't think I could really justify getting another pair of fashion sandals.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx4YJKgHhJW/

Conclusion

Midi skirt love is still going strong, but I'm realizing that except for black culottes I don't think I've really been feeling wide-leg pants even after giving them a try in a few different forms. Like, they're fine, but they're harder to pair than tapered trousers and it's annoying to use the bathroom while clutching them if you don't want them to soak up everything from the floor.I'm pretty pleased with the variety of pieces I wore this month (to be discussed the upcoming June Outfits post) and I'm looking forward to finishing making the clogs wearable and the little dyeing experiment with the square-neck top.Keeping to the low (for me) buy next month with max three pieces, and I think I'm going to focus on finding a replacement for the pleather leggings that I murdered in the dryer a few months ago. It's weird not being on a continual shopping spree, but it's a good feeling to be free of that drive. I went through the same process for the first few years after I got into makeup where I bought lots of products while I was figuring out what I liked. I'm now at the "admire many looks, but stick to the collection I've figured out works for me" stage with cosmetics and I do have confidence that I'll get there soon with clothes.