![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ewtSo, I, um, might have done some shopping this afternoon. And bought this dress and this shirt. I was very good and did not purchase the amazing bright red silk dress that I cannot find on the website. Impulse spending? moi? To be fair, none of my current smart-casual quite shirts fit me properly, I'm starting to get sick of living in t-shirts all the time (especially for teaching), and I've been pining after the dress since I saw it - and not just when I walk past the shop, either.
I bought two items of clothing that are Not Black. Hmm.
One of these to start with would be a good filing cabinet for me. They're stackable, so when my filing gets too big I can buy more.
I really need to go through all my clothes and get rid of about 90% of them. There's so much that I never wear, or only wear when I'm out of the clothes that I prefer to wear. Also, I've noticed that I do feel better about myself when I am wearing clothes that I think fit and that I think are flattering - and a lot of my clothing is more along the lines of "oh, I guess it'll do..." and really, it won't do. It won't do to go around looking and feeling scruffy most of the time. Okay, I have a certain natural scruffiness, but I do not need to make it worse than it already is. I don't need more than one pair of "grubby" jeans and a couple of t-shirts and a manky old sweater to get me through gardening days. I don't need lots of dresses I used to wear to shul, don't really like enough any more to wear teaching, and hardly touch; one or two will do nicely. I don't need the duct tape corset and skirt I made in 2003 and will probably never wear again.
I really hate doing this, though. Too many decisions, and I get tired and discouraged. Recently I've been getting around that by putting clothes I no longer wear in big bags to use as fabric for projects... which is a lovely idea, but I have way more projects in my head (and my bags) than I'll ever complete. I'll keep the silk, but a lot of the rest of it can go.
I'd like to have:
2 pairs of reasonably presentable jeans (I have these)
1 pair (not-black) smart-casual trousers (I have these, and a matching casual jacket)
1 pair (black) smart trousers (I have these but need to HEM them! yay!)
several skirts, black and otherwise, for both concerts and casual wear (I have these, need to throw some out!); if they co-ordinate with existing stuff so much the better (for example, I have a blue linen jacket that happens to go with a long wrap-around skirt, great for teaching), I need to get rid of the ones I never ever wear though, and the poorly-made ones that aren't worth repairing.
2 pairs of comfortable casual shorts for summer (I have one pair; will probably try to get a second pair the same, or copy the pattern to make something)
1 smart dress that can be worn alone or with a black jacket(the black one with the pink flowers is good, but the hem is crooked. Le sigh.)
1 smart black jacket
1 casual black jacket
1 smart black short-sleeved shirt (woven, not knitwear)
1 smart black long-sleeved shirt (woven, not knitwear)
3 short-sleeved black fitted cotton t-shirts (the ones I have are viscose and way too warm for me, even in winter; might keep ONE)
3 long-sleeved fitted t-shirts in cotton, bamboo or hemp; one black, one purple, one another colour (pink?)
3 big baggy men's silk shirts to wear as all-purpose jackets etc (I have these already)
1 warm jumper (I have a cashmere one but it doesn't quite fit properly)
1 thin black wool (or cashmere?) cardigan
1 black sleeveless jumper (mohair - I can make this in an afternoon if I find my yarn and my big crochet hook)
6 knitted vests/tank tops, 3 black and 3 other colours, that actually look okay on their own with jeans or etc and don't ride up or let my boobs fall out or any of the other things most of mine do - this probably means going to Long Tall Sally, because one of the problems is that ordinary vests are rarely long enough
1 or 2 smart woven vests/shell tops
4 smart long-sleeved shirts, co-ordinating with my blue smart trousers and/or purple things and/or black stuff as needed. At least one solid colour, at least one pattern. Button sleeves, not cufflinks, because I really can't be arsed messing with cufflinks.
2 smart short-sleeved shirts, co-ordinating with existing stuff.
1 knee-length pinafore dress (bought today), which essentially counts as a skirt. It's just long enough to wear teaching, which is good.
1 long pinafore dress that can double as a sundress
1 jersey short black dress (already have this)
2 or 3 sarongs for summer (I have these but wish to replace them with ones that aren't falling apart; may end up making them myself)
1 short black skirt for clubbing (I have a few; none are ideal but I can pick a favourite and chuck the rest)
1 formal party dress (I have one, and have had occasion to wear it - in fact ended up getting it for the occasion because I had nothing else appropriate!)
1 incredibly formal ball gown (I have one, and may well have occasion to wear it again)
1 pair grubby jeans and two t-shirts and a big old jumper for gardening
sufficient sport clothing that I only have to wash it once a week. I'm thinking undervests for Aikido (2 per week), and running stuff (probably 3 times per week). I'm probably not actually going to wash the sport clothing separately every week, rather I'll stick it in with the stuff I already have. I have some of this already as well but really need to go through and figure out what fits and what doesn't and only keep the stuff that does, and then make sure I have enough to get on with. Not running because my kit isn't clean is just silly.
I think perhaps the PLN should be to get rid of all the clothing I have that isn't on this list, and then acquire the things I need to reply to the list. I know it seems like a long list, but I do actually do everything from gardening to busking (which gets me filthy!) to being a student to teaching to performing to going to posh parties to Ki-Aikido to clubbing. I have a full life and jeans and t-shirts a) make me look dumpy and b) will only take me so far.
Have I missed anything major off the list? Take socks and underwear and accessories as a given.
I'm getting the urge to get the boot situation sorted out again. I have classic ankle-height 8-hole DMs that I don't really wear because the toes let water in if I walk through puddles or lots of wet grass. I need to either waterproof those, or get rid of them.
I should probably also get rid of the knee-height 30-hole steel toecap boots that are a UK 43 (a bit too big for me) and that I never wear because they do not have zips. I simply do not have the patience to lace them. One of my "someday" projects is to put rivets either side of a zip that can go straight down the middle, and lace the zip to the boots so I don't have to always re-lace, but so far I have not had time to do this.
I have some smart suede just-taller-than-mid-calf (on me) boots, but teh heel and lack of support means I can't walk any appreciable distance in them without massive back ache, so they have got to go, too; maybe someone not as tall as I am, or who doens't play horn, or who simply doesn't walk as much as I do, will find a use for them.
I'm thinking of replacing all of those pairs of boots with these, only in purple. Or maybe black, but the black ones are another £14 for some reason.
See, the thing is, I have my smart black lace-up shoes for concerts and some teaching, and they're really not going to keep my ankles warm in the winter. And I have some cheap crap floppy shoes that I can't walk very far in without pain. And I have my Crocs, which are wonderfully comfortable but not for winter. And all my other shoes look like shite with skirts and smart-casual stuff. Hiking boots + long linen trousers = bad. Trainers + skirts = bad. New Rocks + anything non-goff and quite a bit of the goff stuff if I'm not in a club = bad. Mid-calf boots would fit under jeans with no problems, and go with most of my skirts, which would prolong the life of the smart shoes by quite a lot (and this is important, because while it doesn't matter if non-concert stuff starts to look a little scruffy, I need my concert shoes to look good).
Yes. Getting rid of three pairs of boots and replacing them with one pair is probably the way to go here. I guess I'll sell the tall boots, and maybe the 8-hole ones for that matter. No buying new boots until old ones are gone. Foo.
Temptation to get some properly smart knee-high winter boots also very strong, but I think mid-calf will actually suffice for about everything I need to do.
My elbow is still a bit swollen and sore, and I daren't lean on it but other than that pretty close to fully functional now. And the pain I get when I do use it is very much a "ooh, that's bruised" pain rather than "OW DAMAGE ALERT STOP NOW," so I'm glad of that. Bruises still barely visible, and I'm still miffed about it - something that hurts this much should be OBVIOUS, damnit, but the visible bruises are in places I can't show people without breaking public decency laws and getting a cold arse.
I bought two items of clothing that are Not Black. Hmm.
One of these to start with would be a good filing cabinet for me. They're stackable, so when my filing gets too big I can buy more.
I really need to go through all my clothes and get rid of about 90% of them. There's so much that I never wear, or only wear when I'm out of the clothes that I prefer to wear. Also, I've noticed that I do feel better about myself when I am wearing clothes that I think fit and that I think are flattering - and a lot of my clothing is more along the lines of "oh, I guess it'll do..." and really, it won't do. It won't do to go around looking and feeling scruffy most of the time. Okay, I have a certain natural scruffiness, but I do not need to make it worse than it already is. I don't need more than one pair of "grubby" jeans and a couple of t-shirts and a manky old sweater to get me through gardening days. I don't need lots of dresses I used to wear to shul, don't really like enough any more to wear teaching, and hardly touch; one or two will do nicely. I don't need the duct tape corset and skirt I made in 2003 and will probably never wear again.
I really hate doing this, though. Too many decisions, and I get tired and discouraged. Recently I've been getting around that by putting clothes I no longer wear in big bags to use as fabric for projects... which is a lovely idea, but I have way more projects in my head (and my bags) than I'll ever complete. I'll keep the silk, but a lot of the rest of it can go.
I'd like to have:
2 pairs of reasonably presentable jeans (I have these)
1 pair (not-black) smart-casual trousers (I have these, and a matching casual jacket)
1 pair (black) smart trousers (I have these but need to HEM them! yay!)
several skirts, black and otherwise, for both concerts and casual wear (I have these, need to throw some out!); if they co-ordinate with existing stuff so much the better (for example, I have a blue linen jacket that happens to go with a long wrap-around skirt, great for teaching), I need to get rid of the ones I never ever wear though, and the poorly-made ones that aren't worth repairing.
2 pairs of comfortable casual shorts for summer (I have one pair; will probably try to get a second pair the same, or copy the pattern to make something)
1 smart dress that can be worn alone or with a black jacket(the black one with the pink flowers is good, but the hem is crooked. Le sigh.)
1 smart black jacket
1 casual black jacket
1 smart black short-sleeved shirt (woven, not knitwear)
1 smart black long-sleeved shirt (woven, not knitwear)
3 short-sleeved black fitted cotton t-shirts (the ones I have are viscose and way too warm for me, even in winter; might keep ONE)
3 long-sleeved fitted t-shirts in cotton, bamboo or hemp; one black, one purple, one another colour (pink?)
3 big baggy men's silk shirts to wear as all-purpose jackets etc (I have these already)
1 warm jumper (I have a cashmere one but it doesn't quite fit properly)
1 thin black wool (or cashmere?) cardigan
1 black sleeveless jumper (mohair - I can make this in an afternoon if I find my yarn and my big crochet hook)
6 knitted vests/tank tops, 3 black and 3 other colours, that actually look okay on their own with jeans or etc and don't ride up or let my boobs fall out or any of the other things most of mine do - this probably means going to Long Tall Sally, because one of the problems is that ordinary vests are rarely long enough
1 or 2 smart woven vests/shell tops
4 smart long-sleeved shirts, co-ordinating with my blue smart trousers and/or purple things and/or black stuff as needed. At least one solid colour, at least one pattern. Button sleeves, not cufflinks, because I really can't be arsed messing with cufflinks.
2 smart short-sleeved shirts, co-ordinating with existing stuff.
1 knee-length pinafore dress (bought today), which essentially counts as a skirt. It's just long enough to wear teaching, which is good.
1 long pinafore dress that can double as a sundress
1 jersey short black dress (already have this)
2 or 3 sarongs for summer (I have these but wish to replace them with ones that aren't falling apart; may end up making them myself)
1 short black skirt for clubbing (I have a few; none are ideal but I can pick a favourite and chuck the rest)
1 formal party dress (I have one, and have had occasion to wear it - in fact ended up getting it for the occasion because I had nothing else appropriate!)
1 incredibly formal ball gown (I have one, and may well have occasion to wear it again)
1 pair grubby jeans and two t-shirts and a big old jumper for gardening
sufficient sport clothing that I only have to wash it once a week. I'm thinking undervests for Aikido (2 per week), and running stuff (probably 3 times per week). I'm probably not actually going to wash the sport clothing separately every week, rather I'll stick it in with the stuff I already have. I have some of this already as well but really need to go through and figure out what fits and what doesn't and only keep the stuff that does, and then make sure I have enough to get on with. Not running because my kit isn't clean is just silly.
I think perhaps the PLN should be to get rid of all the clothing I have that isn't on this list, and then acquire the things I need to reply to the list. I know it seems like a long list, but I do actually do everything from gardening to busking (which gets me filthy!) to being a student to teaching to performing to going to posh parties to Ki-Aikido to clubbing. I have a full life and jeans and t-shirts a) make me look dumpy and b) will only take me so far.
Have I missed anything major off the list? Take socks and underwear and accessories as a given.
I'm getting the urge to get the boot situation sorted out again. I have classic ankle-height 8-hole DMs that I don't really wear because the toes let water in if I walk through puddles or lots of wet grass. I need to either waterproof those, or get rid of them.
I should probably also get rid of the knee-height 30-hole steel toecap boots that are a UK 43 (a bit too big for me) and that I never wear because they do not have zips. I simply do not have the patience to lace them. One of my "someday" projects is to put rivets either side of a zip that can go straight down the middle, and lace the zip to the boots so I don't have to always re-lace, but so far I have not had time to do this.
I have some smart suede just-taller-than-mid-calf (on me) boots, but teh heel and lack of support means I can't walk any appreciable distance in them without massive back ache, so they have got to go, too; maybe someone not as tall as I am, or who doens't play horn, or who simply doesn't walk as much as I do, will find a use for them.
I'm thinking of replacing all of those pairs of boots with these, only in purple. Or maybe black, but the black ones are another £14 for some reason.
See, the thing is, I have my smart black lace-up shoes for concerts and some teaching, and they're really not going to keep my ankles warm in the winter. And I have some cheap crap floppy shoes that I can't walk very far in without pain. And I have my Crocs, which are wonderfully comfortable but not for winter. And all my other shoes look like shite with skirts and smart-casual stuff. Hiking boots + long linen trousers = bad. Trainers + skirts = bad. New Rocks + anything non-goff and quite a bit of the goff stuff if I'm not in a club = bad. Mid-calf boots would fit under jeans with no problems, and go with most of my skirts, which would prolong the life of the smart shoes by quite a lot (and this is important, because while it doesn't matter if non-concert stuff starts to look a little scruffy, I need my concert shoes to look good).
Yes. Getting rid of three pairs of boots and replacing them with one pair is probably the way to go here. I guess I'll sell the tall boots, and maybe the 8-hole ones for that matter. No buying new boots until old ones are gone. Foo.
Temptation to get some properly smart knee-high winter boots also very strong, but I think mid-calf will actually suffice for about everything I need to do.
My elbow is still a bit swollen and sore, and I daren't lean on it but other than that pretty close to fully functional now. And the pain I get when I do use it is very much a "ooh, that's bruised" pain rather than "OW DAMAGE ALERT STOP NOW," so I'm glad of that. Bruises still barely visible, and I'm still miffed about it - something that hurts this much should be OBVIOUS, damnit, but the visible bruises are in places I can't show people without breaking public decency laws and getting a cold arse.
