goldenpig

I decided to post this outfit a little early so I can get feedback on how to style it tomorrow. I've decided to keep the H&M floral pants--at $15, I can afford to participate in a new trend and not worry about buying expensive floral jeans that become passe in a year or two.

I wore a WHBM black and white striped top following Una's suggestion. Should I use the turquoise belt or not? Unbelted version in #6. It's too tight to belt at the hip so I have to belt at the waist. And which jacket do you prefer--black Tahari leather jacket (6), indigo Gap denim jacket (8), cropped faded AE denim jacket (9) or white cropped AE denim jacket (10)? (Also threw in a pic of the white jacket over cantaloupe T). I also have the grey croc Kate Spade tote and the WHBM hammered stretch bracelet. I chose bronze flats even though it doesn't match, because it just seems to *go* with the outfit. The whole outfit has kind of an 80's flavor.

This combo feels a little outside my usual comfort zone, hence the "fashion blogger" poses--I feel like it makes the crazy ALGO outfit look more intentional! LOL!

Today I wore the dress from J Crew--you guys liked it so much I went back and got it! I realized it's so hard to find something that fits and flatters in just the right way, so when I find something that works, I should just grab it!

The dress is a reddish orange--the color is called "poppy". I paired it with my turquoise Kate Spade bag and turquoise earrings. I also wore my Fossil cognac buckle pumps. I wasn't sure about the feathered H&M bangle so I took it off. The dress was definitely an attention- (and compliment-)getter! All my coworkers were raving about it and strangers were stopping me in the street to compliment me. Really made my day! So fun and I felt like a lady all day!

I had a lot of fun wearing dresses every day this week! They are so feminine and it makes it much easier/faster to get dressed in the morning. This week I learned a lot about dresses for apples, for example thicker structured fabrics (Mon & Fri) look better on me and if the fabric is jersey, that draping is a must. Oh and I also learned that I still have a lot to learn about fashion and that there are lots of surprises in store...like the "frumpy" dress was the one that got a killer rating from Angie! I was totally not expecting that!

Here is a recap of all the dresses I wore this week--which one is your favorite?

Recently I posted a keep or return thread with a dress from TJ Maxx and showed some other dresses that I didn't get there. You all said you loved those other two as well, so I went back to TJ and amazingly they were both still there! I wore the black one earlier this week, and here is the red one.

It's an Adrianna Pappell and was only $40. Initially I didn't get it because I thought the draping was making me look pregnant and that it looked like a maternity dress. But now I realize that draping and ruching is actually an apple's best friend! Take a look at the difference between 1-3 and 4 and 5--they're all similar jersey fabrics but the first one looks so much better. #4 (Maggy London) is an "almost"--I love the shape, but ugh, the belly. The next size up was not available. #5 (Tahari) is even worse--I'm just posting this for educational purposes. Both are going back to Nordstrom right away!

Now I realize that cuts that don't have any ruching or draping actually make you look more pregnant, and that the draping, rather than adding volume, is actually very slimming! A great lesson for me!

This is a WIW but also a keep or consign thread. I had ordered a bunch of stuff from ASOS but didn't return it in time so this dress has been hanging in my closet unworn. I think I posted it once and the reviews were mixed. It's time to make a final decision about keep or consign so here it is. It's a purplish brown midi dress by Vero Moda with a floral print. Wearing it with a Forever 21 double buckle wide belt, Forever 21 bronze cuff, Mia Nanette brown ankle boots, Anthro olive parka and Fossil chevron stripe bag. Is this fab or frumptastic? I know this may not be your cup of tea...does it look dated (even though it's new) and too Little House on the Prairie, or is it on-trend with the midi length? In #5 I'm going for the full-on hobo chic effect (LOL) with the parka and pattern mixing bag. For reference, #6 is the look I'm after (Joseph Altuzarra Fall 2011).

ETA: More styling options:
7-brown parka brown boots
8-white parka brown boots
9-black belt black boots bangles
10-white parka black boots
11-brown parka black boots
12-cognac leather jacket
13-black leather jacket
14-15. hammered silver bracelet
16-black bangles

I recently posted a WIW with an old mint green skirt with daisies on it that I've had for decades.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....yay-or-nay
I was unanimously told to get rid of it, that it's horribly dated and the colors are all wrong for me. Yet I'm still really sentimentally attached to it and I'm not sure I can get rid of it! Rita was saying, "Maybe it can stay in the secret sad corner of your closet" for the pieces that really shouldn't be there but somehow are exempt from purging. I thought that was really a really funny concept (but so true!) and thought it would be worthy of its own thread! Hopefully this will be useful/therapeutic!

What pieces in your closet really should be purged and you know it, but somehow you can't bring yourself to get rid of them? I'm calling it closet "purge-atory" because they manage to reside there in limbo, safe from purging because they're sentimental favorites, but not getting worn either. Why are you holding on to these pieces--what do they mean to you?

And I'm not talking about the pieces you're planning to purge when you get around to it. For that stuff, I challenge you to start posting some keep or purge threads (I plan to do this soon myself with some of those pieces). I mean the really stubborn stuff that seems to be purge-proof! I think talking about it will either help us decide why we need to keep these things, or else spur us to finally let go!

Here's some of my purgatory pieces (and no I didn't try these all on, they're from old threads):
1. The aforementioned daisy skirt. I have had this so long I don't remember buying it and it has survived many purges. I feel very feminine when I wear it and I've always liked it. Now I can see that it's dated with the small print and the shape. I know it should go but I'm not ready yet.
2. My 80's acrylic neon handprint sweater. I would never wear this out unless it was an 80's costume party, but it's the only piece of clothing I managed to save from when I was a teenager. So it's more memorabilia than anything else. It's residing with my other mementoes, not in my closet.
3-5. More floaty printed skirts from my 90's Ann Taylor era. I have so many of these still! I still like the skirt and top in #3 even though now I know that beige is not my color. Plus it's my only maxi skirt. The top in gets no love here either but I'm keeping it to go with the skirt. I got rid of the tops in 4-5 but the skirts are still hanging around. I think I may be ready to let go of these two now though, thanks to this thread!
6. Pink floral printed blouse from H&M. It's the only pink top I own. I used to wear it all the time with jeans and red pumps (because the flowers are printed in red. But it's rather low cut. I'm on the fence about this one, I think I may be ready to get rid of it (actually it was in the donate pile, but DD rescued it and said "This is pretty!"). This is DD at her first birthday party, BTW!
7-8. Two Anthro tops that I bought several years ago, pre-YLF. I used to get tons of compliments on these two (several patients were like, "I have that brown top too!"). Now they don't feel so fab in comparison with my new stuff. The neck on #7 is annoyingly wide so I have to wear a strapless bra with it and brown isn't really my color, but I'm keeping it for now because I like to wear it under my orange poncho and this is the only long sleeve brown shirt I have. #8 is my color (rust orange) but it's a little too frou-frou and ruffly-puffly. I feel like it makes me look a little pregnant. And it's also a bit low cut. I'm on the fence about this one, it might be able to go to the donate pile now. I still have the skirt in #8 too but I like it a lot too!
9-10. My plaid miniskirt! From my college days. I posted this before and the consensus was that my post-baby tummy is straining the buttons. I last wore it for a 60's themed holiday party in Dec 2010 (DH and I went as a NASA scientist and mod girl, bucking the hippie groovy theme that everyone else went for). I'm keeping this forever because DH thinks I look hot in it, LOL. I think I may have to let out the buttons a bit though to give my apple tummy some more room!

Also, I have a whole collection of Paul Frank T shirts and purses that need to go, but that's another story (need to figure out eBay first).

Well, that was useful! I think at least 4 of these are inching their way closer to the donate pile! What do you think? Any encouragement on which ones to let go? Just don't say all of them! :) By the way, I finally made it to the consignment store today to sell some things for the first time, and they took 11 pieces! And I donated the rest. Yay!

Can't wait to hear your "purge-atory" stories! And LOL, I can't believe I am posting an album of un-fabness. That has got to be a new one for YLF!

I've been totally hands off with my daughter's outfit choices recently because I love seeing what colorful pattern mixing combos she comes up with (http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....tern-mixer and http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....ion-critic for example). Today she picked this cute Easter dress (a gift from Grandma) and even picked out a green necklace to match. She's got a shirt and shorts underneath so she can take it off for gymnastics class after school. Isn't she adorable? Especially with DS (who always wakes up with a mohawk). I love seeing them together (#5 is when they stole my shoes last night and were having fun clomping up and down the hall--DD again has a cute self-chosen outfit), they are best buddies!

But this morning, the nanny was helping her get dressed and told me that after DD put the dress on, DD looked at herself in the mirror and said, "I look fat in this dress." OMG! She is 4! I asked her why she said that and she said, "Because this dress is really puffy." DH is trying to lose weight, and does talk about having to exercise and wanting to lose weight to be healthier. She has commented that "Daddy looks thinner now", and a few weeks ago she patted my belly and said that "Your belly is fat because Baby and me stretched out your tummy, but that's OK." So she clearly is thinking about how people look.

She rarely watches TV and when she does it is just educational programs like Signing Time or kid's cartoons like Ni Hao Kai Lan. She's never seen a movie. I don't usually watch TV either. I don't know where she is getting this stuff. Maybe from other kids at school? (She's just in preschool, for heaven's sake!) She does know how to read, so maybe I should hide my fashion magazines (although I've never seen her reading them)?

I remember growing up that my mom was always "on a diet" and taking Dexatrim and not eating until she felt faint, so I resolved never to do that to my kids. I've tried to do all I can to reinforce healthy body image, and it isn't even an issue for me (I'm a normal BMI and pretty happy with my body) so I don't know what else to do. I've always tried to be positive about body image, both hers and mine. I always tell her that it doesn't matter what you look like or what you wear, that you are always smart and beautiful. I never ever say anything about my body in front of her, or say that I look fat. I don't even consider myself fat, so it wouldn't even come up!

It's sad that this body image consciousness is so pervasive and starts so young. I really hope it was just an innocent comment and that I'm not reading too much into it, but I can't help but worry!

I guess I'm on a 60's kick this week! Another shift dress today. Yesterday I went back to TJ Maxx to see if those two other dresses I left behind the other day that you liked on my K/R thread (http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ring-dress) were still there--and they were, so naturally they came home with me! I already have a simple black shift dress from Banana Republic that is over 15 years old and still fits, but is so plain and BORING I never wear it. I like the diagonal tiered panels on this one--it's kind of like the Bailey 44 dress. I need unique details/twists to keep me interested in my clothes. This is from AGB Dress (never heard of the brand) and is only $25! I have also have a B44 that's long black lace tiers, but that one I still feel is too formal for work. Does this outfit still look too fancy/evening for work with the necklace/LBD combo, or is it sufficiently dressed down for daytime?

And I also found this handbag at TJMaxx--I was looking for an orange bag and came across this unusual Guess handbag. I love the structure and retro vibe of the purse, but the bright colors and color blocking make it feel modern. The textured purple sides are so fun. And I love the surprise pattern on the inside. I don't have anything like this colorful bag and hope I'll get a lot of use out of it!

I've been wanting to use this white Kate Spade Fiorella bib necklace ever since Zap mentioned recently that she had one too (she saw it on my Pinterest board). I bought it on eBay and haven't worn it yet because it felt like an "evening" necklace to me. Well, she encouraged me to wear it for daytime use so here it is! I feel very "Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's" in this outfit. I know this is pairing of LBD/statement necklace is pretty traditional but at least it's a start! I will try to keep experimenting with more creative uses for this necklace (thanks Zap for the inspiration photos! http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....rdrobe-mix). Is it too much to wear a statement necklace and colorful statement handbag together, or does this work? I tried to keep the rest of the outfit pretty minimal.

Finally, the shoes. I had a hard time picking shoes for this outfit. These are suede black kitten heels with cutout sides from Banana Republic. They are extremely pointy and I always get comments from people about my "witch" shoes when I wear them. They're ancient and the tips are worn, but they're really comfy (they're essentially dressy flats). I needed comfortable shoes for work today so I went with these.

(ETA: Thanks Sunita for the suggestion! I changed my shoes...do these work suede black pumps look better? They're Indigo by Clark, also really old. Toes are black croc pattern. They are really comfy too so they'll be fine for work. Ahhh, now I'm completely happy with the outfit! Thanks again for helping me tweak it!)

This whole outfit epitomizes my approach to fashion. I love using modern pieces with a retro flavor. I don't like to look completely modern, but I also haven't started shopping vintage yet and don't want to look like I'm wearing a period costume. I feel like an updated 60's mod girl today and it's lots of fun! Thanks for looking and comments/suggestions appreciated!

It's been warm and sunny here and feels like spring, so I thought I would take the opportunity to debut my yellow rose sheath dress. I bought it at Nordstrom Rack online several months ago. You've seen it as a K/R but this is the first time it's been warm enough to wear it. I love the Mad Men style--definitely feels very 60's to me. I got lots of compliments from coworkers, patients and random strangers...everybody said it was a great spring dress! Like Shannon, I was in a rush to get to work today so it was quick to just pull on a dress and run. I did put on some sheer Clinique Black Honey lipstick though! I paired it with a grey handbag and taupe pumps as it has greyish brown leaves on the dress. I couldn't figure out what jacket to wear with it so I skipped a topper.

Eliza J yellow rose sheath dress with matching fabric belt and pleated collar from Rack
Diamond acorn earrings from Rack (waving at lyn!)--copy of an earring that Kate Middleton wore
H&M grey snakeskin bangle
Kate Spade grey croc tote
Chie Mihara taupe Written in Stars Heels from Anthro (Chie Miharas are really comfy for their heel height!)

Now that I have plugged most of my major wardrobe holes and done my major wardrobe purge, I have a couple tasks that I've been procrastinating on for months that I want to finally get done.

I've been wearing mostly skirts and dresses because I was so afraid of getting it wrong with PPL and hem lengths and heel heights that I just didn't want to deal with it. Well, I forced myself to just do it and overcome my PPL anxiety. Today I took eight pairs of pants to get hemmed at Nordstrom--four pairs of trousers and four pairs of bootcut jeans that I picked up over the last several months. I picked one pair of heels for each pair of pants and brought them with me. Well, let's hope I picked the right shoes and that the hems will be close to PPL. I have a Nordstrom card so it was free to do the alterations. So you may see me wearing more pants soon!

I also have a bag of purged clothes that I am going to take to the local consignment store and see if they want anything. That's going to be another first for me but Krish motivated me with her thread. I don't think they'll take most of it (it's not designer) so whatever they don't want I'll donate to the local thrift shop (they take donated clothes and resell them and proceeds go to the American Cancer Society--I think that feels a little nicer than just dumping everything at Goodwill). Wish me luck!

Long term goal is to start selling off some of my Paul Frank purse and T shirt collection on eBay. I can't get the time to deal with that right now but someday...

So, what's on your to-do list and what are you planning to do about it? :)

I have too many...
I need more...
I can never get enough...

I have too many coats and jeans.
I need more well-fitting trousers and nicer loungewear.
I can never get enough skirts and dresses.

Your turn!