Celebrate the New Year with the Wear Everything Challenge
by Susan WagnerNew Year's is coming, and I'm feeling all resolution-y. I'm also feeling a little leery about the economy, but who isn't these days? On top of all that, I'm currently buried in laundry because my family and I have just returned from five days of vacation.
Taken together, it seems like a good time to give up shopping!
I've done shopping fasts in the past; I've stopped shopping for some window of time (30 days, 60 days) in order to make a point about how less can be more and how having a carefully edited wardrobe is better than having a closet full of stuff that doesn't go together. The shopping fast is a good thing because it compels me to make what I have work; there is no option to run out and buy a new [fill in the blank]. But at some point in the fast, I find myself focusing more on the calendar -- Ten days until I can shop again! -- than on my clothes.
This year, I'm doing things differently.
Over the next few days, I'm going to clean out my closet. And then, starting January 1, I'm swearing off shopping until I have worn every single thing I currently own.
Want to join me?
The rules are simple: there's NO shopping until you have worn EVERY seasonally appropriate piece you own. Move your summer clothes to the back, or to the guest room; put any black tie attire in storage (unless you're planning to go to a black tie function in the forseeable future). Make sure everything that is left -- work clothes and weekend clothes and after-five clothes -- fits you properly and is in good condition. Give yourself a week to take care of anything that needs to be mended or cleaned; if you can't manage to get it to the cleaners or the tailor in that window, really think about how functional that piece is.
When you're done going through your closet, put everything away. To help you keep track of what you've worn, turn all the hangers around, so that the open part of the hook is facing out; fold sweaters and put them on the shelf with the neck facing out. After you wear something, turn it around and put it back the normal way.
Alternatively, work your way from the front of your closet to the back; as you wear things, move them to the back of the closet and go on to the next piece. Or, if you prefer, keep a list. The system doesn't matter, as long as you're wearing EVERYTHING.
I'll be taking pictures every day, of course, because that's what I do; I will also be using the backward hangar trick. Finally, to keep from losing my mind, I'm putting a ninety day cap on this experiment, because with as few clothes as I have, I should CERTAINLY be able to wear them all in the next three months.
At least I hope so.
The idea here is simple: in a weak economy, when every dime counts, buying more stuff isn't the solution, particularly if you have something in the closet that will work just as well, if not better. Compelling yourself to wear everything before you shop will help you find the weak spots in your wardrobe -- the pieces that don't go with anything, or that don't have anything to go with them. As you find these pieces, group them together and think about what you want to do with them -- do you want to shop for a blouse to go with that skirt, or do you want to give the skirt away? The goal is to make your wardrobe work for you, and to curtail shopping until you know what precisely you need to shop for.
So who's in? Come on, it'll be fun! And free! How many things can you say that about these days?
Bloomalicious wants to hear about your fashion resolutions for 2009. And they have a fun quiz that you can take!
Amber at Code for Something is resolving to wear her Chuck Taylors less often -- specifically, not to the office. Thank god.
Kat at The Vine is going to stop buying disposable clothes. Good for you, Kat!
Susan Wagner writes about style at ParentDish and everything else at Friday Playdate. She will be posting photos daily at Flickr for the duration of the Wear Everything Challenge.
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Comments
no more shopping
Great idea! 90 days brings us to April 1st or so, which is just about the time I want to burn all my turtlenecks and find something new to wear anyway. I'm in!
Wow
I've been needing to clean out my closet and wondering how to get started. This sort of terrifies me, but it also makes complete sense. I have nowhere near the discipline, but I do think I can get that "never wear it" stuff out of the closet.
Most of it.
Some of it. Yeah, some of it.
Nerd's Eye View
You can do it, Pam!
This isn't a one-day closet purge; this is a long term experiement in finding out what you do and do NOT wear. So there's no pressure to decide RIGHT NOW -- you can always leave things in the closet and try again on another day.
But at some point, we all have to face the fact that we have a whole bunch of stuff we just never wear. And that stuff really should go.
I promise, this will be fun.
Friday Playdate
I'm in!
Great idea! I desperately need to clean my closet. I recently went from full time working to stay at home Mom - at least for the time being. What do you suggest I do with all my great work clothes that don't easily translate to stay at home mom wear?
Donate them, Gina!
Dress for Success helps outfit women looking for work -- they can always use help. You can also look for similar organizations in your own community.
I wouldn't get rid of EVERYTHING, though, and I would suggest that you wait until you've really settled in to your new life before you start tossing off the work wardrobe. It's entirely possible that some portion of your work clothes really CAN be incorporated into your SAHM wardrobe.
Friday Playdate
I love this
You're a GD genius, Susan Wagner. I love this idea. I'm actually - dare I say - EXCITED!
Heather B.
Personal Blog: No Pasa Nada
BlogHer CE: Business, Career & Personal Finance
I'm In
For me, this may not be as much about purging as it will be exploring what I need to add and what I bought in haste. You see, our home was damaged by fire in June and I had to make some rushed fashion decisions to get through until our clothing was cleaned and returned. Then, I lost some weight. And now, I'm changing jobs. My wardrobe is in some serious need of evaluation. I can't swear off shopping, because after the fire my wardrobe was somewhat depleted and I'm still changing sizes, but I will be seriously considering what I need, what I wear, and what needs to go.
Super Closet Idea!
What a great plan! I don't know if I have the organizational discipline to stick it out for three months, but I do agree that we all have things in our closet that need to be worn or given to somebody who will or just plain thrown out. I'm always tickled beyond belief when I come across a gem I'd forgotten about -- it truly is like hidden treasure. And getting inspiration from books, magazines and Web sites about new ways to wear old things gets double and triple value out of your wardrobe. This is a fun challenge, and I'm sort of halfway in!
Cathy
cathylwood.wordpress.com
I'm in - and I have already been doing this,
sort of!
I'm cleaning out my closet and I have been "shopping" what I have already. I notice I own a lot of T-shirts from when I stayed at home with my sons, and I need to purge many of them and just keep my favorites. About how many do you think that would be?
Now if only JCrew would stop tempting me with their SALE emails, I might make it through this.
Wish me luck!
Shash
Diary of a Crazed Mommy
http://crazedmommy.com
Still on the border... wanting to say I'm in!
But gah! Do you know what a chore organizing that closet will be? The t-shirts! The stuff I've avoided wearing! The cheap t's bought in haste because the color was great or kept because there was some nostaligic thing about them.
This is going to make me want to turn my closet into a selection of JCrew/Gap wear. I just know it.
I'm in
The timing on this is just perfect for me. We're moving across country and I'll be sorting through my clothes as I unpack anyway. Plus, I'll have nothing better to do than photo every day's outfit as I scope out the fasion scene up there. I'm moving from KY to NH. Glad to leave behind the whole Southern Matron scene. (I swear the Dillards buyers have never seen a pattern they didn't like.) But I'm NOT going to be wearing a vest!!!! No way, no how! I think half the women up there were wearing some sort of vest when we visited last fall. I think they issue them at the border. But vests are verboten in my neverending quest to not look as big as my chest. And can I squeze in one more rant here: I've got money to shop. I really need clothes. Stuff is on sale even, and I have no time to shop. Plus, I have no place to put or ship my shoppings! GAH!!!!! Thanks. I feel better now.
So by participating I can make this whole shopping drought look like it's on purpose. Yeah, that's it. I planned it this way.
Back to packing. Happy New Year y'all!
Count me in!!!
I am regaining control of my life, one sweater at a time. Thanks for this challenge. I needed a little push to get me going today.
Good luck and happy "wearing"!
Ali
http://trying2getsomegroove.blogspot.com/
Great idea Susan! I'd be a
Great idea Susan! I'd be a bit scared to embark on that challenge with my wardrobe - there are things in there that should never be worn again! And as for the chucks...I work at a design agency so it's pretty casual. You never know when you might have to go to a photoshoot on a dairy farm so I might just keep them under my desk ;)
www.codeforsomething.com
I love this idea!
This is a great idea! Just sitting here I can think of at least five pieces that hang limply in my closet and haven't seen the light of day in months (if not years). Now I have to figure out what's season appropriate and what isn't. I tend to layer a lot of short-sleeved tops in basic colors under cardigans, so I'll have to find a way to ease everything else into rotation.
Thanks for the link Shash!
I am definitely in. I was just commenting at http://www.crazedmommy.com on how I am such a clotheshorse that my love of my current wardrobe has been an obstacle in getting motivated to lose weight . A while ago I set a rule that I couldn't bring anything in without getting rid of something, but that didn't last long. If I can get through the initial 90 days I think I will use that rule for maintenance, lol.
<a href="http://www.cheekysweetie.com">Cheeky Sweetie-just the mom-next-door</a>
What a great idea!
I, too, have gone on shopping fasts and just as you mentioned, it came down to me counting down the days until I could shop again.
I really like your idea and I'm going to try to ease myself into it. Let's see how it goes!
Good luck!
Daily Melange
Oh I'm in.
As I think I said on your Flickr pool, I don't own very many clothes in the first place and most of those items do not fit. So wearing everything I own is ridiculously simple! Yay! And I'm glad you're posting daily photos because even if we've seen the outifts before, they're always inspiring and you're always beautiful!
http://mamafasha.blogspot.com my fabulous must-read blog ;)
http://MKSkinCare.myarbonne.com vegan certified, botanically based skin care, now with a contest! go!
Oh, I Don't Think I Can Do This
I'm having a hard time with my 30 day challenge and I'm still on week one! But, I will root you on and hope you will be an inspiration to me. I did share your challenge with my readers so you might find some takers among them. Good luck!
http://thebestjoyce.blogspot.com/
can it really be done?
I am a little nervous about this, as I already got rid of a LOT of clothes last summer. However, there is always rooom for improvement. I'm in!