Confessions of a Closet Clothing Lover; Conscious Clothing Week

I admit it. I love clothing. I do. And I know that sometimes sounds shallow in today's society, almost playing to gender stereotypes, as though this means I am obsessed with fashion and trends above all else, that I care only for what is on the surface. Which is quite far from the truth, because I hate shopping for the most part, hate trends and cyclical fashion and the throw-away bent that many stores and designers have taken in recent years.

What I do like about clothing is that it's fun. It's liberating. I sometimes say it's a way to express your personality and mood - which it is, whether that is classic or funky or playful or feminine or dainty or quirky or bold, kickback casual, retro, vintage, hipster, Goth, you name it. There are so many different sides of my personality it's hard to capture with just one look, and that's the fun of it, I can mix and match to my desire. As someone very wise in the blogosphere once observed [and I wish I remember who so I could properly credit them, but I can't, so we'll have to put up with my butchered rendition of a lovely sentiment] it's OK if you select clothing/furniture/fabric/artwork that doesn't fall neatly into one category - what pulls everything together is the underlying thread of your taste, your aesthetic, your sensibility. And quirky/eclectic person that I am, that speaks to me just so.

But I have noticed that these past couple years, it never fails that once Fall rolls around I find myself getting very want-y. Sweaters, skirts, tights, socks, hats, scarves, wrist warmers, cute little jackets or long, elegant coats ... you name it, I've probably got something in mind. I'm not quite sure why because it never really happens any other time of year. My only guess is that I'm generally not terribly excited with my winter wardrobe [heck, I didn't even start wearing sweaters until the very end of college, before that winter was known as sweatshirt schlepping season], and so I start desiring all sorts of things to make it more interesting.

Ahem. And as a student, this is NOT where my money should be going. I mean, I wouldn't mind subsisting on bean soup all winter long ... for the first month, that is. Although I'm lucky to have the option of a more varied diet, and for that I truly am grateful.

So where am I going with this? I just thought I'd challenge myself this week to dress a little more eco-consciously. In other words, challenge myself to wear something thrifted or something handmade everyday. Not terribly exciting for people who are steeped in the tradition of thrifting and handmade, but for me, I don't think I've ever actually done that for an entire week. And it'll be a good exercise to 1) get creative in mixing clothes in new ways, and 2) encourage myself to keep exploring those new-to-me options.

Day 1 [Monday]


Sweater: eBay
Eyelet button-down shirt: thrifted
Jeans: China
Shoes: Shoes of Awesomeness!!! and because the pants aren't very long, when I sit down you can see the Shoes of Awesomeness in their entirety of awesomeness. We likes.

Day 2.


Headband/kerchief: gifted from Rita!!! <3<3.
Sweater: thrifted
Skirt: made by me [hm ... I'm thinking of moving that pocket, now that i see this picture]
Tights: HUE
Shoes: CK via DSW

And because this is Boston, featured here with thrifted jean jacket and Chinatown scarf:

More to come ...