I PUT THE WAR IN WARDROBE

The battle line is clearly drawn between the current Kim and the Kim I want to be. This division, and the one thing keeping me from being a stylish babe? The clearance rack. There, I said it. I’m addicted to anything and everything 80% off. It’s as though I subconsciously put on rose colored glasses when I’m lured toward the back of stores. (and let’s face it – I probably got those rose colored glasses from the clearance rack to begin with. Did I somehow manage to forget that I’m not Elton John? I blame JCPenny for their incessant playing of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” for that momentary lapse in judgment.) But I suppose after 24 years it’s time I finally come out of the closet. Wait - literally come out of my clearance filled closet…I like boys…well, boy…one boy…I like John. Anyway, I’m rambling, and you’re probably wondering about the severity of my situation. Let’s just say that I could probably count on one hand the number of items I own that cost over $15. And if they did cost more than that, chances are I didn’t by them for myself.

Cue my inner conflict: Part of me cheers at the fact that I stuck it to the man (the man being Macy’s) and refused to pay their inflated and insane retail prices. Hoorah! But then part of me turns, looks back at my closet, and remembers that I have to try to make sense of the random clothes I’ve compiled over the years. I can’t help but swing open the door to my closet and pose the same question my mom pleaded with us Dalton kids so many years ago: “Can’t we all just get along?” (Here’s hoping my clothes don’t roll their eyes like I used to…) So let the wardrobe war begin! And please let the best dressed Kimmer win…

Let’s take a closer look at what I’ve got to work (or deal) with…ie: the closet that fell victim to frugality.

• A couple of high school pieces still fighting to fit in the closet AND on my hips.

• The “fat” jeans I hope l’ll never wear again, but keep because I heart cupcakes.

• The “skinny” items I swear I’ll fit into, and hold onto cause I KNOW I’ll lose those few extra lbs.

• Obnoxiously printed knee length shorts from Old Navy in hot coral, bright green and electric blue. Obviously the “reject colors” no one else wanted to buy, but somehow they magically made it home with me. Could it have anything to do with the fact that they were only $3.50? BINGO! But in my defense, even the worst colors morph from ridiculous to ravishing when the price tag has that little red sticker.

• Two items that have never been worn. (sigh) Most likely for good reason, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of them because I haven’t even worn them once. And so they sit – collecting dust and disdain as I ponder why I bought them to begin with. (Yes, that means YOU mint green blazer!)

• Close to 20 items that came from one of the following: A friend’s donation bag that I intercepted in route to Goodwill, wardrobe discards from family members, a few Good Will finds of my own, and yes, even clothes from when it was my job to clean out the lost-and-found at Dixon Middle School in Provo, UT. Could I be any more classy?

• More unshapely mishaps than I’d like to admit. These are the clothes that lost their battle with the washing machine and with preoccupied Kim who forgot to hang them dry instead of toss them in the dryer. (Confession: I might have also tried to pretend that “dry clean only” was more of a suggestion than a direction…bad idea)

• Sentimental pieces like the super soft snuggly red sweater I bought pre-first base with John because I wanted to tempt him to the point that he couldn’t help but cuddle with me. (Totally worked by the way) But it sheds little red fuzzies on everything it touches (John says it molts – haha). Sadly, it now falls in the unshapely mishaps category too.

• And finally, the few staples that I actually wear. A couple of which I like, most of which I tolerate, and the rest of which I wear solely because I can’t wear the same thing every day.

Anyone else have similar closet confessions? If so, come along with me – because it’s high time we address the issue of how we dress. If you’ve grown tired of your attire and tired of sorting through all the junk to find something to wear in the mornings – this post is for you! I’m vowing to make sense of the outfits I’ve so frugally found in order to compose a more cohesive wardrobe. And maybe this post will encourage my fellow cheap chicas to do the same.

Step 1: Chuck the Junk
I’ve done most of this step already. Last week I went through my closet and was impressively decisive. It did wonders for the space issue I’ve had. If something didn’t fit right or look good, it was gone. The worst of the worst choices are gone. Woo hoo! You’re welcome Goodwill. Or should I say I’m sorry? Now if I could just manage to get the Santa Claus size sacks out of my living room and into goodwill we’d be in good shape. Baby steps.

Step 2: Develop a “style” that ties my wardrobe together.
“A country divided against itself cannot stand.” True Mr. Lincoln – and I’ll also add that a closet divided against itself is something I simply cannot stand. So today, I seek to sew a common thread throughout my closet. I want a wardrobe of unity, beauty, and simplicity. I will no longer be a slave to fashion faux pas. Too many clothes have worn out their welcome – and it’s high time I find a fashion that actually fits. All that said, what I’m striving to do is discover my own personal style. I want my clothes to not only fit my body, but to also fit my personality! What do my clothes say about me right now? Well, when I look in my closet here is what I see: clothes meant for friends, and Dixon middle schoolers, and high school Kim, fat kim, skinny kim, addicted to clearance Kim – but what about the real me and Kim right now?! That is exactly what I’m working on now…figuring out what clothes really showcase who I am. I’ve been doing this by looking at my life and what I want my wardrobe to project to the world. For me, I want it to be modest, classic and colorful, with a have a hint of flirty fun. Now I’ve got my theme – I just need to find outfits to follow suit.

Step 3: Determine my seasonal color palette.
I know it might sound like I’m stuck in the 80’s – but I swear it makes a difference! I found this really cool website that helped me analyze my coloring to determine my season. This is by far the most user friendly site I’ve found on the subject. (www.thechicfashionista.com) I am a self declared “light spring”. Which means that I look best in light, but vibrant warm colors. Black is a big no-no for me (too harsh) but if you look in my closet – you’d think I’m the leader of the Goths! Ok – it’s not that bad. But black is definitely my default color. Time for a change! I look good in colors – so it’s time I start wearing them. Knowing my season has made me understand why some outfits (while cute on the hanger) look horrible on me.

Step 4: Only buy items that I LOVE and that coordinate with my style.
Here comes the tough part…actually making new purchases. Last Friday was my first try at overcoming my clearance cravings. And you know what? I went shopping for hours on Friday night…and came home empty handed. Usually I would be bummed…but I felt so empowered! I made wise choices and didn’t love anything I saw, so I simply didn’t buy. I looked at items that we NOT on clearance (shocker!) but were reasonably priced. And I vowed to only buy something if I absolutely loved it. I’m really understanding what it means to be a wiser shopper. 10 points me!

In conclusion,

Will I ever stop looking through the clearance rack? Of course not! Will I still feel like the clearance rack is the only place I can wisely shop? Heck no!! It all comes down to one basic goal: I want to LOVE every piece in my closet. That way, no matter what I put on – I’m bound to feel fabulous. Congratulations me :) I’ve broken myself of the “red tag trance”! The goal is no longer to race to get my paws on as many fashion faux pas as possible just because they're on sale. The goal now is to find quality over quantity. No longer will I submit to the white t-shirt of surrender or dawn my default black t-shirt in defeat. This girl’s got a new look on life, and a new look to go with it. I’m pretty sure that makes me a fashionista! And with that, I’ll close my closet and this post for today. I’m ready to sit down and watch a few episodes of What Not to Wear…