The Roundup: 3 Months

Having completed the first three months of this personal style challenge I am in a mood to reflect on what has transpired so far. I feel that I have been (and will continue to be) successful in my initial goals of not repeating outfits but, also showing myself and others that you can make great things with what you already have not just "make-do." In the past three months I have worn 57 different outfits to work; 49 different tops, 6 dresses, 14 skirts, 14 pairs of pant like things (slacks, bermudas, capris, gauchos, etc) and 3 pairs of jeans. Although I'm not really counting them in the outfit as a whole I have used 26 pairs of shoes, 10 necklaces, 19 pairs of earrings, 1 bracelet, and 11 handbags to spice up my outfits. If you do the math you might ascertain that here are some individual pieces that I have worn more than once and that is ok! In fact, that is kind of the point...


I've answered a few reader questions. Please feel free to ask more! I have also shared a few choice weekend looks with you! Is that something that you would like to see more of moving forward?

260 Days, No Repeats has helped me see the potential in my wardrobe and being part of this "blog-o-sphere" has inspired me tremendously. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to check out what I wear, read what I write, and leave me comments! I'm like a kid a Christmas when my BB beeps with an email and I see it's something from one of you! I am also inspired by the challenges that people undertake themselves, as well as, pose to this blogging community. In the first three months I participated in 3 style challenges and even tried for one of my own. Many thanks to Frances Joy of Mad Dress Game for joining me!

This challenge has also helped me curb my spending! I was not a crazy shopaholic but, I had my moments... I found it most difficult to turn down a great deal only to get home and realize that I had something exactly like what I had purchased in my closet or that even though it was a great deal I didn't really love it and therefore didn't use it. That was all money (which is tight for everyone these days) down the drain. In the past three months I have spent $46.00 on clothes and accessories and each one of those things is something I really wanted, still really like, and have used.

One thing that I feel I haven't done a great job of demonstrating as I had wanted to is the use value of my clothing. I would have loved to keep track like some other bloggers do but, to be honest some of my clothes are so old I don't remember when I bought them or how much they were. I will say though you can see that some items (especially the accessories) are used very frequently and naturally have higher use value.

Overall, I am so happy with how things are going to far and really hope that I can keep it up heading twoards the 6 month mark! If there is anything new you would like see please let me know. Again thanks so much for supporting and motivating me, you're the best!!

May 14, 2010

Today is the last day of academichic's Dress Your Best Week and I'm a little saddened by it. It's been amazing reading about how everyone is celebrating their bodies. S. summed it up best when she noted how great it is that we can all celebrate our uniqueness and not be caught up in aiming to celebrate the same body parts for their uniformity and similarity, but rather for what makes them unique on each one of us.

I really appreciate everyone's positive comments and I hope that you all keep reading 260 Days, No Repeats! While Dress Your Best Week is over for now it has definitely left an impression on me. Moving forward I will undoubtedly keep in mind celebrating the parts of myself that I love instead of covering/minimizing the ones that I don't every morning when I get dressed. Hopefully that reflects as I navigate through my closet and try to wear everything I have in fun new ways without any repeats! (of course)

I am celebrating the largest organ in my body today, my skin! I love my skin; it still heals pretty quickly, it's soft and smooth, it does everything it's supposed to do (with minor issues, adult acne anyone) while looking fab! Today is unfortunately wet and rainy outside so, I can't really flaunt my skin (within the business casual/casual friday parameters I am bound to) like I was originally planning but, I am going to protect it from the grossness outside!

• Top: gray short sleeve sweater with orange tank top (for the modesty), both from New York and Company; brown jacket, Ann Taylor Loft
• Bottom: trouser jeans, GAP outlet
• Shoes & Accessories: brown suede PUMA sneakers (best ever), Mandee; striped headband, via CVS; rainbow beaded earrings, via now defunct Moxie Bee; purple Coach bag

May 13, 2010

Dress Your Best Week is in the home stretch and I am still going! Today it's all about the comprehensive me and my hourglass shape. While I won't break down my exact measurements for you (it isn't about the numbers) I will say that my hips and bust are more or less equal and my waist is 9-10 inches smaller than that. These measurements are in essence what defines the hourglass body shape.

Many women dress their body to achieve this overall look and I am so happy (and apparently lucky) to have it appear naturally. I never realized how statistically uncommon a true hourglass shape is but, I digress... I'm talking shoulder pads to make narrow torsos appear more substantiated or boot cut jeans to give straight and narrow girls a more curvy shape. The list could go on but, you get my drift. I feel like the most universally flattering way to dress (or fake) an hourglass shape is with a wrap or faux wrap dress so that's what I'm doing today!

• Top: brown quintessential Diane VonFurstenberg wrap dress, via the outlet with a red tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: Spanx
• Shoes & Accessories: silver Issac Mizrahi gladiator sandals, Target; gold and mixed metal earrings, gift from Natalia/ModCloth; purple Coach bag

May 12, 2010

Day three of Dress Your Best Week is cold and bleak. I thought it was springtime for sure! But, since I wasn't woken by the sun peering through my window I am now running late... Please come back warm weather!

Today I am featuring my cheekbones which I think is translating more into my face shape. It's the one thing that has stayed pretty constant no matter how my weight has fluctuated and other part of me have changed which I love! I couldn't think of anyway to dress my face up (I don't wear makeup on a daily basis) besides dressing to draw the eye towards it. That has translated into a mute palette with a pop of color. How do you think I did?

• Top: black Thompson Street Caftan, New York and Company/gift from Mom (it's so strange to be wearing something current that I can actually link to) with a purple tank top underneath, for the modesty
• Bottom: gray pants, also New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: black Steve Madden pumps (FYI: they are having a sale right now), black Fendi spy bag, gold and mixed metal earrings, gift from my co-worker Natalia/free gift with her purchase from ModCloth

May 11, 2010

It's day two of Dress Your Best Week and the second thing on my list of things that I like about myself is my boobs which I think I will now refer to going forward as my girls... I'm really not sure what I was thinking when I typed that.

I have a pretty ample bosom which makes sense because I am a grown woman. The thing is, as a teenager I had a pretty ample bosom as well. At one point I would have even called it a defining characteristic, which is sad on so many levels. But, being a 13 years old who could (and did) pass for a college student and getting (good or bad) attention based on that from lots of people I met had an impact for sure.

This potentially misguided attention was only a small part of our love/hate relationship. When all my friends were in the size 0/2 range it was hard for me to reconcile that being curvy did not make me fat. Or strapless gowns (we had so many formal events) being difficult to wear was not because I was fat, per say, just that I had girls who needed more support.

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Now I am very aware of keeping my girls supported, modest, and appropriate which sometimes means covered up but, despite our ups and downs they have become one of my favorite parts of me. I think an easy way to accent them without being crude is with a nice v-neck top that has embellishment around the neck area and making sure I have a good bra! It's all about foundations.

• Top: gray ruffled v-neck tank top, New York and Company
• Bottom: black pencil skirt, Old Navy
• Shoes & Accessories: nude snake print sandals, Bandalino via Unique Thrift which I think are in keeping with yesterday's theme of legs since nude shoes make legs look endless but, I digress; gray shell earrings, gift from BF's mom; purple Coach bag, via outlet

Items from this outfit are previously seen here:

May 10, 2010

Happy Monday! This week is officially Dress Your Best Week at academichic and I have decided to participate because so often, our focus when getting dressed in the morning is how to minimize or downplay aspects of our bodies that we’re just not crazy about. Does this skirt smooth my hips? Does this top hide my tummy? Do these pants make my thighs look slimmer? They wondered, as did I, what would happen if you inverted that thought process? What if, instead of dressing to mitigate your so-so, you dressed to highlight the parts of your body that you love most? What if, for a whole week, you committed to self-consciously dressing your best bits? See who else is dressing their best...

I am so excited to participate but, I have to confess coming up with five things that I like about myself was difficult. We live in a society where airbrushed and digitally altered people are the mainstream of beauty. For everyone I know (myself included), there are always parts of one's self that can be improved upon. The five part of myself that I picked (the last one was a suggestion by BF) were:

1. my legs/calves
2. my boobs
3. my cheekbones (although I don’t know how one dresses to accentuate that)
4. my hourglass shape
5. my soft skin

Today, I am dressing for my legs which doesn't necessarily mean short skirts or cut off shorts! I think one of the way to make them look their best is a modest (but sexy) pencil skirt which comes to the knee and some killer heels. Your legs look miles long! The pencil skirt is easy but, picking shoes is a little more difficult to choose because I still need to be comfortable at work. Hopefully, I am achieving the best look for my legs, what do you think?

• Top: black and white sweater shirt combo, August Silk via Mom's closet purge
• Bottom: gray pencil skirt, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Candies via Kohl's; onxy and hematite necklace, via local jewelry store; onxy earrings, V'ta; purple Coach bag, via outlet

Items from this post can been previously seen here: