Cherry Picking

Navy blouse (Apt. 9, Kohl's); White skirt, Shoes, Bag (Steinmart); Belt (Target); Bracelet (Nordstrom)

If you're like me, you probably have some tried and true favorites in your wardrobe that you reach for over and over again - you "cherry pick" the best from your closet while other items rarely see the light of day.  Some items may even still have the tags on them.  Why?  There are any number of reasons for wardrobe waste:  maybe you didn't like a piece as much when you got it home as you did in the store; maybe you didn't have anything to go with it; or you are saving it for a special event; maybe it's due to poor closet organization.  Regardless of the reason, if you're not wearing what's in your closet, you're not maximizing your wardrobe, and you're not maximizing space in your closet for items you WILL love and wear.

In a prior post (One Skirt, Two Ways), I talked about shopping in your own closet to find fresh looks by mixing and matching or styling items in a different way.  This takes a bit of effort and some quality time spent organizing and trying on all those lonely, less loved, and forgotten pieces, but the pay-off is worth it in several respects:  1) you'll have "new" outfits that didn't cost any money; 2) you'll create more opportunities to wear your "go to" favorite pieces because you'll have more ways to style them; 3) you'll identify staples that may be missing from your wardrobe to complete outfits; 4) you'll be better equipped when you do shop to recognize what purchases will best work with items you already own, and 5) you can clean out and donate pieces that just don't work for you, thereby creating more space for new things that do!

I've been working on cleaning out my own closet recently, and rediscovering pieces that haven't been in rotation for a while or, in some cases, ever.  I decided to challenge myself to make no new purchases as long as there were items hanging in my closet that had never been worn.  The caveat was that it would be acceptable to purchase items specifically to match something I already owned if the only thing keeping me from wearing a piece was lack of anything to go with it.  This personal challenge was also an opportunity to get rid of items (yes- even some that still had tags on them) that didn't make me feel my best.  I love to shop, so the process was not always easy, and I haven't been perfect in completing it.  On occasion, a gorgeous new item at a great price has been too great a temptation (especially when it comes to shoes!), and there are a few items I haven't been able to part with even though I still have no idea how I'll style them. Even so, I feel like I've made lots of progress in maximizing my wardrobe while minimizing my shopping budget, and I've discovered some new favorites that I didn't appreciate even though they were in my closet all along.

How often do you overhaul your closet?  Have you "rediscovered" new ways to wear old pieces?

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

Preppy, Party of Three

Pink and GreenTourmaline Rings (Taxco Sterling Co.); leather "bit" bracelet (Churchill Downs gift shop); Watch (Skagen, with custom argyle ribbon band); Bag (Brahmin); Shoes (Lindsay Phillips SwitchFlops); Jacket (The Limited); Capris (Counterparts, Steinmart); Pearl and rough-cut Emerald necklace (Ross-Simons)

Pink, green, and navy - the preppy trifecta.  Does this combination ever go out of style?  Was it ever in style?  Throw some pearls, embroidered palm tree flop flops, and a touch of argyle in the mix and I'm "prep"ared for anything, except maybe fall and colder weather.  I can't believe it's August already - I'm definitely not ready for the summer to end.  Hmmm, this outfit would be perfect for Florida or other warmer climes in January or February when it's freezing here in the heartland....For now, though, I'm going to savor every last dog day that comes our way!  Hope you're enjoying the summer, too!

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

"GO Ahead and Play" with Your Clothes!

I couldn't think of a better place to wear this piano print skirt than the Preview Party for GO Ahead and Play!  Skirt (ModCloth.com); Lace Cardigan (INC, Macy's); Bag (Kate Spade); Shoes (Moda Spana, Steinmart)

Disclaimer:  I have no musical talent whatsoever.  When I was a child, my grandmother (who played no less than nine instruments with great skill) tried in vain to teach me to play the piano.  I learned only part of a single song (The Entertainer), which I can still punch out today, albeit poorly and with only one hand.  Likewise, I cannot carry a tune.  Family members have told me I should lip sync in church.  I was cut from the 5th grade school choir, which was my first real taste of rejection.  Convinced it was all a big mistake, the experience did not stop me from singing an a capella version of Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" for my grandparents' Good Sam Camping Club a few months later.  They were all very impressed.  In retrospect, I suspect these kind souls were just humoring me, and perhaps, turned down their hearing aids for my heartfelt fireside solo.... 

Despite my lack of talent, I am passionate about music.  I am also passionate about art, and I am passionate about the Women's Fund of Central Indiana, an organization that creates transformational opportunities for women and girls through the effective distribution of grants to women and girl serving organizations and through the philanthropic engagement and education of current and potential donors.  For the past several months, music, art and the Women's Fund have come together in a delightful symphony resulting in a unique, interactive public art installation that will be on display at several locations throughout Indianapolis and Carmel now through August 18.  Titled "GO Ahead and Play," the project was driven by the 6th through 12th graders engaged in the Women's Fund GO program.  These highly engaged students worked tirelessly to develop and bring this project to fruition.  The result is 20 beautifully transformed pianos that will bring a smile to your face and put a song in your heart!  

I was fortunate to attend a Preview Party for the project last weekend.  My favorite part of the evening (other than having the perfect opportunity to wear my piano skirt!) was a piano "flash mob," during which 15 pianists took to the ivories and played Heart and Soul by Indiana's own Hoagy Carmichael. Guests also had the opportunity to play any and all of the fantastic pianos on display.  You can view and play these pianos, too, and I hope you will!  Learn more about the program, and find the locations of all 20 pianos here!  You can also read more about the program in Betsy Reason's article in today's Indianapolis Star.  

I'm looking forward to viewing the pianos again, and since Mayor Ballard has declared August 1, 2013 as "Women's Fund GO Ahead and Play Day," I may just walk down to Monument Circle in my piano skirt at lunch and bang out my one-handed version of the Entertainer on one of the pianos installed there!

Photos don't do justice to these interactive works of art, but here is a teaser of what's in store when you GO Ahead and Play the pianos on display now through August 18!

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

Giving It the Cold Shoulder

Top (Boston Proper); Capris (Focus 2000); Bag (Magid); Watch (Fossil); Blue Topaz ring (Ross Simons); Smoky Quartz and Diamond ring (David Yurman, G. Thrapp Jewelers); Leather and Turquoise Cuff (Steinmart); Sandals (Lindsay Phillips SwitchFlops)

This embroidered and beaded lightweight cotton top is one of my "go to" weekend picks this summer.  It's airy, a bit bohemian, and reminds me of a Mexican vacation.  The pairing of turquoise with chocolate brown is a favorite; I already had SwitchFlop straps to match (possibly the most versatile casual summer shoes on the planet); and I really like the "cold-shoulder" style, which was new to me.  

The pewter and turquoise pendant is actually an earring I picked up at a little boutique in South Carolina a few years ago while visiting my brother at his military base. I loved the design but, as earrings, they were just too big.  With a small pair of needle nose pliers and a chocolate silk cord, however, it was easy to convert one of them into the perfect necklace for this outfit.  I'm not sure yet what I'll do with its mate...I guess I'll have a spare if I ever lose the pendant!

Sadly, I don't have a back-up of the top hiding in my closet - I dripped strawberry juice all over the gauzy white fabric at a cook-out over the weekend.  As I've mentioned in a prior post, I don't have the best luck with white clothing....Any tips or go-to products for getting stains out of your favorite clothes?

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

IN Fashion Friday: Bus Stop Shopping?!

Last weekend, my aunt Gloria and I had a girls' afternoon, enjoying lunch on the canal at Creation Cafe and taking in the play, "Love, Loss and What I Wore" at the Phoenix Theater (see my prior post about the play here).  To our delight, we also got an unexpected opportunity to do a bit of shopping when we happened upon Retro 101 parked outside the theater.  Billed as "Indy's First Mobile Boutique," Retro 101 is a converted 1978 Chevy bus that will roll to special events, shows and other functions.  It's like a food truck, but with clothes and accessories.  How Fun!

Retro101 features new clothes, fun accessories and items made by local artisans (maple bacon jam, anyone?)  I really liked some of the accessories, especially the turquoise daisy statement necklace featured above, and the lace shorts Gloria is modeling are adorable.

Owner Heather Pirowski and I had an immediate connection - she's a fellow ginger who, like me, was challenged to accept her red hair as a child (for years I said my hair was strawberry blonde or auburn, depending on the season, though my high school Spanish teacher and many friends insisted on calling me by the nickname "roja," which is Spanish for "Red").  Heather recently shared her story, and the entrepreneurial spirit that led to Retro 101, here.  It's a great read!

Want to know where the bus is headed next, or want it to roll into your next event?  Get all the details here.  It's worth checking out!

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

Love, Loss & What I Wore to the Play

Dress (INC, Macy's); Shoes (Massini); Bag (Nine West)

Last weekend I had the good fortune to see the Nora and Delia Ephron play, "Love, Loss and What I Wore" during its opening weekend at the Phoenix Theater.  The play is based on a 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman.  Through a series of monologues, the characters share personal stories triggered by memories of clothing and accessories connected to key moments in their lives.  Both hilarious and poignant, the tales will have you laughing, crying, and fondly (or not so fondly) recalling your own historical wardrobe. 

I have long associated memories of events with what I was wearing.  It's not just about my favorite outfits or even those that were definitely Glamour "don'ts" - I just always seem to remember what I was wearing, whether the occasion was significant or inconsequential.  I still remember what I wore to my first "boy-girl" party in Kelly Tacket's garage.  In particular, I can painfully recall the grey rubber jelly shoes that dug in to my feet so badly my mother threw them away after the first and only time I wore them.  They were a size too small when I got them, but they were the last pair in the store and I was so desperate for them I'd told her they fit fine.  

I remember what I wore to Debbie Etter's birthday party at The Pipe Dream (a long-defunct pizza, piano, and arcade venue) in downtown Kokomo, Indiana:  blue and white pintripe pants, red polo shirt with a popped collar, and a blue and white striped railroad engineer hat that I thought made me look so cool, even though no one else was wearing hats at the time.  I also recall what I wore to a differnt birthday party at Debbie's house - a sweatshirt that featured a white mouse and a black mouse dressed in pastel suits and the caption "Miami Mice."  It was horrible.  I loved it at the time.  And I will never forget the yellow flannel Garfield nightgown that I once took to a sleepover at Brandi Hulet's house.  I probably would not remember this particular garment, but it left a trail through the blue gel icing on her birthday cake when I carried it through the kitchen on my way to change.  I was mortified.

For the first day of school in the 7th grade, I wore a white Liz Claiborne mini skirt and a white Hang Ten camp shirt with multi-colored palm trees, both purchased with lawn mowing money I'd saved over the summer.  To my high school graduation, I wore the first of many spectator pumps I've owned over the years - these were navy and white and the perfect match for a polka dot dress in the same colors.  

When I met my husband for the first time, I was wearing navy sweatpants and a nylon Reebok windbreaker with navy, green and burgundy colorblocking given to me for my 20th birthday by my best friend and college roommate Melanie (it was a softball game, otherwise, I wouldn't have been caught dead in sweatpants).  Twenty years later, I still have that windbreaker.  I uncovered it during a big closet clean-out last fall and it's actually hanging on the back of our laundry room closet door at this very moment.  I tried to give it new life and wear it again, but when I did (also for a softball game), it immediately became the butt of several jokes by my teammates.  It did look sort of ridiculous, so it's now been permanently retired, though I haven't quite decided whether I'll actually get rid of it.

As I drove to the theater, I also couldn't help but recall the last time I wore the bright, bold print maxi dress I chose for the play.  It was a miserable 14 hour plane ride home from Mumbai throughout which I was violently ill with food poisoning.  India was definitely not an "Eat, Pray, Love" kind of experience for me.  It will be nice to now be able to associate an exponentially better experience with the dress!

Love, Loss and What I Wore is playing at the Phoenix through August 11.  You can purchase tickets here.  It's a perfect play to see for a girls' night out!

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

Vanilla Caramel Sunday

Editor Pants (Express); Silk Peasant Blouse (Boston Proper); Shoes (Poetic License); Bag (Dooney & Bourke); Faux Tortoise Cuff and Pendant(Tagged Designs); Leather Belt (Nordstrom)

        Bright white pants are a dangerous choice for me, given my proclivity for clumsiness.  (Did you read my prior post, Calamity Jane's Left Shoe?)  In high school, my tennis coach banned me from drinking anything other than clear liquids prior to my matches because my crisp white uniform was a magnet for spilled drinks.  While working as a waitress in college, I once spilled an entire gallon of Thousand Island dressing on my white button down at the beginning of a 12 hour shift (I smelled like a Big Mac all day long).  On our second date, I proudly proclaimed to my future husband that I didn't need his help carrying our Chinese take-out to the car because I used to be a waitress, and then promptly dropped his dinner in the parking lot.  In the first week of a new job as a corporate lawyer, I spilled an entire plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn in my lap during a lunch meeting with key company executives (at least my suit was black that day).  You get the point...bright white pants are a dangerous choice for me.  
         And yet, I can't resist pairing them with this caramel-hued silk blouse because it's such a great combination with the vanilla caramel striped spectators from my favorite brand, Poetic License!  I love these shoes with their subtle seersucker-like stripe, rich caramel leather, and quirky tassel ties.  I also have a yellow and blue version of the same shoe (see them in prior posts here, and here).  These are the kind of shoes you build outfits around just so you can wear them more often, and they're super comfortable, too!  So, I boldly take the risk that accompanies the bright white pants!  I do, however, choose my food and beverage wisely while wearing them.  Red wine and vanilla caramel sundaes are out, clear liquids and non-greasy foods without sauce are in.  Hmmmm, maybe white pants are a tool for healthy choices!
         How do you wear white pants?  Any tips for keeping them spotless?

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!