So I’ve mentioned before that I’ve had to rethink “stuff” while living in Italy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like we are 6 people living in Manhattan, who have to rent out external storage just to be able to have a change of underwear.
It’s not that bad.
But it IS this bad.
If you follow me on Instagram you know I spent last night doing tis……
Il Cambio dell’Armadio
Meaning “The changing of the Wardrobe”, almost as exciting as the changing of the guard but with WAY more polyester and tears.
Our wall-unit wardrobe, which isn’t small, just doesn’t fit both my winter and summer clothes. Twice a year I have to empty the whole thing out, take down the 10 boxes I keep above it and change my clothes from winter to summer and vice versa.
Every year those boxes seem to be getting a little too full with the new additions that get added. And every year there is more to iron when I take the clothes out of their 6 month hibernation.
Maybe I did something like this in North America, but it was nowhere near this tedious. I’m pretty sure I just pulled out the 3 pairs of shorts that I owned and wore my cute dresses without two pairs of tights and a shirt underneath. The Canadian summer is like the Italian Spring and everywhere you go (especially if you work in an office building) will have air conditioning.
I’ll find a Place for That!
We have a pretty decent sized apartment , but somehow it still feels a little small. I actually like the challenge of not having space! It has become my specialty to see how well I can organize our things so that everything has its own place and can be put away. I think of it as a challenge to find a home for each new item I buy and bring home!
But lately life has been so busy that I’ve been ignoring my corner of the bedroom. My socks are overflowing from their drawer, my belts need a home that isn’t on top of the dresser, my bags have a mind of their own and have teamed up with my scarves to conquer every last inch of space on the chair I put in the bedroom.
At some point I was inspired by Rachel the Hat, who is a VERY stylish mom blogger living in the UK. She did a 100 day shopping ban that I found totally inspirational. It came a few months after I started the blog and I was feeling a little pressured to buy new things so that I would be “stylish” for my photos.
I wrote this post, about how in Italy there are no credit cards and how I wanted to talk about fashion and dressing but WITHOUT putting myself in debt to do so.
I guess I won’t be the most inspirational blog on the block if you want to see the latest looks…..or maybe I will be!!
Kimonos are in this season – I have one (Forever21, 2012) !
Cropped wide leg flowy pants are in – check! (Thrift find, c.2009)
Floral is in – check and check (T-shirts, skirts like this one, blouses and tops!)
I guess what I’m trying to say is I HAVE STUFF! Stuff that can be recycled and reused in any season so why buy more?
I decided to clean out and SOME of my belts, bags and accessories .This is just a part of the collection I’ve accumulated. The rest of my “summer” bags have yet to make their debut this season.
THE CHALLENGE – #nothingbought
I don’t think I should buy anything new until I’ve at least worn 50% of the things I have. Katherine Norris, one of my Facebook followers and readers suggested I purge my wardrobe. She just moved to Holland from the U.S. with her family and had to go through an overhaul of her “stuff”. My problem is that I fear throwing stuff away, because now that I make less money I think “As soon as I give it away I’ll want to wear it!”…..but will I really?
If I haven’t touched it in 2 or 3 or 20 (yes, I still have things that fit from when I was 14 years old!!) years maybe I will NEVER wear it! So the challenge this season with my Spring and Summer wardrobe is to try to wear what I own.
This means:
- planning my outfits in advance
- actually wearing them!
- IRONING WHAT I HAVE!!
Sometimes I think I avoid 80% of my closet because it is wrinkled and needs ironing. Ironing in the Italian summer, when you don’t have air conditioning and you have a toddler in the house is like ASKING to faint!
But if I iron now, in May, before it gets too hot, then I’ll have 80% more clean and ironed things to choose from at a zero cost!
After almost 130 days of not buying any clothes for myself I realize that I actually don’t need anything! A new H&M just opened in Modena, which is like a VERY BIG DEAL. I haven’t even stepped inside. And now Zara just opened up beside them, and I think I’m going to avoid both until the June sales start. Ugh…..maybe I should avoid them during June as well.
If everyone were like me the economy would be in a bad situation! But with all the money I’m saving I’ve planned THREE trips for this summer!
Don’t get me wrong …. I STILL LOVE SHOPPING. But I think I will be honest with myself about the things that I buy because they are cheap, fund and “stylish”, and the things I buy because I really love them, they go with everything and enable me to wear more of what I already own…..like the over the knee handmade Italian artisan boots I bought online this winter (you can see them here)…they were a GREAT buy/investment.
MY CHALLENGE TO MYSELF is to buy nothing, create outfits and still feel CONFIDENT, fashionable and satisfied with how I look. Aside from my regular Style posts where I share what I wore and where I went (usually only taken on the weekend when my husband is with me), I will post almost daily instagram photos (even if I’m looking rough!) with the hashtag #nothingbought .
Please feel free to join in and let me know. I will follow you and your outfits!!!
I’m moving forward with a whole new perspective on style and stuff. I am going to challenge myself to shop my own closet and give new life to the things I’ve already invested in. Once upon a time in a store I thought I NEEDED this thing, I thought I would wear it and love it so why is it just collecting dust in an over-crowded closet.
The Spring – New Life and Regeneration….even for my closet. I’m going through my own personal fashion renaissance WITHOUT BUYING ANYTHING!
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Fashion link-ups!
Every week I try to link-up my style posts with these fashionable ladies. Visit their sites for some inspiration & to discover new bloggers!
Style Elixir’s Style Sessions, and her Fab Favorites, The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday, My Girlish Whims’ Your Whims Wednesday, Because Shana Said So’s Random Wednesday, Get Your Pretty On’s I Feel Pretty, Perfectly Coutured’s Three-fer Thursday, Her & Nicole’s Lovely Thursdays, The Life of The Party’s Fashion Informant, The Penniless Socialite’s Look What I Got, Rachel The Hat’s Passion 4 Fashion, Mummy’s Got Style’s Fashion Friday and Vodka Infused Lemonade’s Tres Chic Thursday.