Tag Archives: clothes

Project 333 – Christmas Shopping

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While the rest of Melbourne was creating shopping mayhem in the CBD (or so it seemed), I sauntered down to my favourite shop in Bridge Road, Richmond.  I had planned to fit in some clothes shopping during this trip and here is what I found.

Camisoles
3 camisoles in my base colours of red, white and black.

Blouse
Black spotted blouse with pintucked front in a fine 100% cotton fabric.  I am looking forward to wearing this with a black skirt.

Sleeveless top
Black/white 100% cotton top.  I also bought the same style in navy/white.  These will be perfect with skirts and shorts.

Dress and jacket
Finally, a dress and jacket.  The black dress is sleeveless and fitted.  The cropped jacket has 3/4 sleeves and is lined.

As always, the pieces were bought to mix and match with my existing wardrobe.  I can already see many possibilities for these new additions.  I will be looking at culling a couple of my older fitted t-shirt tops and generally reviewing my wardrobe to make sure that I am getting the best use from the clothes that I love.

Buoyed by the success of my clothes shopping expedition, I then headed into the city ad braved the crowds to buy a new handbag but more about that another day.

Tomorrow it will be back to earth when I need to buy the food to make a simple Christmas lunch for 4 people.  I have a rough idea but will be heading to the markets to see what is in season and catches my eye so that will be my guide.  I will share more about my Christmas menu with you tomorrow.

Project 333 – Refining My Style

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The countdown is on to another  3 month season of Project 333.  I originally participated in this project back in April 2012.  You can read my first post about dipping my toe in the water.  Since the initial 3 month period, I have not stuck rigidly to the ‘rules’ but simply set myself a goal of streamlining my wardrobe to a small selection of clothes that I love and wear.

Wednesday outfit

One of the things that has really helped is learning to know and understand my style.  It is unique to me and cannot be dictated by an outsider.  Style is about you and it is much easier to define and refine as you peel away the layers of clothes that you consistently overlook when choosing an outfit.

Striped shirt 3
If I had to choose one word to describe my style it would be ‘simple’.  That is really apt as it fits in neatly with my philosphy of simple on so many levels.  It is partly because of the climate I live in but I am definitely not a fan of layering such as top, tunic and trousers then a drapey cardigan over the top.  It is simply not me.

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I am lucky to have found a range of clothes in one boutique that mostly meets my needs.  In fact I could almost go so far as to say that the clothes I have bought from Rivette & Blair make up the majority of my wardrobe.  I have 2 dresses, 4 jackets, 6 shirts, 8 tops, 4 skirts and 2 pairs of trousers that I have purchased over the last 4 or 5 years.  There have been others that have worn out out or been moved on after several years of wear.  Regardless of the shop, I have made a couple of bad choices and bought items that have not stood the test of time.  However, understanding my style helps me to shop smarter and hopefully  the bad choices will be minimised, if not completely eliminated.

The 3 photos I have used in this post feature 9 different items.  They are all from Rivette & Blair with the exception of the pink cardigan in the first photo and the skirt in the last one.  They are generally basic pieces which can be mixed and matched with other items from the range or other sources.

I am currently reviewing (yet again) the contents of my wardrobe with a view to checking out my favourite shop when I go to Melbourne soon.  Even though I can order from the website I am much happier going to the shop and actually trying the clothes on.  I am not a convert to shopping onlne for my clothes yet.  What about you?

 

Project 333 – Packing

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For those of you who may be new to reading this blog, it is probably timely to explain about Project 333.  It is a concept developed by Courtney Carver in which you commit to wearing a maximum of 33 items for 3 months.  You can read all about it at her blog, Be More With Less.

I first discovered Project 333 in April 2012 and followed the guidelines carefully for the next 3 months.  Since then, I have continued to streamline the contents of my wardrobe.  I am constantly striving to create a small but effective selection of pieces which work for me.  For ease of searching, I have used “Project 333” in the title of all of my clothes-related posts.  If you have not read them all you can search all posts under this topic to gain a broad understanding of what I am doing.

I have been in Sydney for the past 2 days for work.  I needed to be appropriately dressed on Tuesday when I arrived as well as yesterday and today.  I was meeting friends for dinner on Tuesday evening and attending a work-related dinner last night.  The constraints were that I planned to only take carry-on luggage as well as staying in a hotel and no opportunity to wash clothes.

Here is what I packed.

Trousers
Green jeans, denim jeans and white 3/4 trousers.

Tops
Floral cardigan, teal top, red/white striped tee and black pullover.  These all have 3/4 sleeves.  I find these very practical for a range of weather and they can be worn in a variety of ways.

Extras
I also packed a black camisole, black/white checked short sleeved shirt and leopard print scarf.

Shoes
2 pairs of flat shoes completed the selection.  I try not to wear the same shoes every day.

I chose the items with a specific plan in mind but sufficient versatility to change the choices if my mood or the weather dictated it.  The plan (which I adhered to) was:

Denim jeans, red/white tee and red flats on Tuesday flight.
Green jeans, black pullover and scarf with pewter flats for dinner on Tuesday.
Green jeans, black camisole, floral cardigan and red flats – work on Wednesday
Denim jeans, black camisole, teal top and pewter flats – dinner on Wednesday.
White trousers, checked shirt with black pullover (if needed) and flats – work on Thursday and flight home.

I really only wore each item once , however, the combinations are almost endless.  The only ‘no go zones’ as far as I can see were the green jeans with the teal top, the red flats with the teal top or the the striped top and floral cardigan together!  My maths is not good enough to be able to calculate all of the possible permutations but I know there were plenty of choices.  All of this confirms what I have often said, “You need almost as many clothes for a couple of days as for a few weeks”.

How do you decide what to pack? Have you ever travelled for an extended period of time with only one bag?

Project 333 – Making it Work 3

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As promised, here are the next 3 outfits based on the black camisole.  This is the one from yesterday where I teamed the camisole with an overshirt and white 3/4 trousers.

Striped shirt 3
Outfit 2 – a completely different look by teaming the black camisole with a black/white check skirt, lacy gold bolero and metallic sandals.

Black camisole 2

Outfit 3 – a simple, summery combination with the addition of a lightweight Hawaiin-print skirt and black slides.

Black camisole 3
I made the Hawaiin-print skirt from fabric that was given to me.  I love the skirt but it is very different to most items in my wardrobe so I have really set myself up for a challenge by choosing it as my base item for tomorrow.

Will I meet my goal of 3 different ways to wear it?

Project 333 – Making it Work 2

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Now for the next instalment, using the striped shirt as the base for 3 outfits.

Here is the one from yesterday which I will call Outfit 1.

Green jeans2
Outfit 2 – black trousers, teal/black/white striped collared shirt with 3/4 sleeve and zip front, turquoise cardigan and black mary janes.

Striped shirt 2
Outfit 3 – white 3/4 pants, black camisole, teal/black/white striped collared shirt with 3/4 sleeve and black leather slides.

Striped shirt 3

Because we live in a temperate climate I have the luxury of being able to wear some of the more versatile items in all seasons.  This shirt is a perfect example.

Tomorrow I will show you 2 more ways I wear the black camisole.  There are many options for this piece but I will use the opportunity to introduce a couple of the more challenging items.

Project 333 – Making it Work

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As promised the other day, here is the first of a series about my small selection of clothes and how I make them work.

I read recently that someone expected that every item of clothing needed to be able to be incorporated into 3 different outfits to justify having the item in her cupboard.  I decided to test this theory and here are some of the results.

The first item I chose was my green jeans.

Green jeans1
Outfit 1 – green jeans, red/white striped 3/4 sleeve tee and red flats.

Green jeans2
Outfit 2 – green jeans, teal/black/white striped collared shirt with 3/4 sleeve and zip front plus pewter flats.

Green jeans3
Outfit 3 – green jeans, white camisole, charcoal denim jacket and black mary janes.

The great thing about this exercise is that it actually makes you think outside the box.  I have actually worn outfits 1 and 2 but outfit 3 was created purely as a result of this exercise.  I like the look of it and will definitely try it out.

Some items will easily give you 3 or more options while others will be a bit more of a challenge.  I am not just going to showcase the easy choices.  Each day I will select one of the pieces I used as my next base.  Tomorrow will be 2 more ways of wearing the striped shirt which you saw in Outfit 2 today.

I look forward to hearing your comments on my choices and if you have any strategies for making sure that your wardrobe items earn their keep.

Finally, I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my sister-in-law.  Her condition remains very serious and we continue to pray for her.

Project 333 – Wardrobe Orphans

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While I have been busily writing about some of the strategies you can use to reduce your stuff, I have been reviewing the contents of my wardrobe.

Wardrobe

As I have said before, I do not have a bulging closet.  Nevertheless, there are still items that get overlooked when I am planning an outfit to wear.  Why?  They fit and there is no good reason but they just tend to get overlooked.  They are the wardrobe orphans.

Blouse

This sleeveless shirt is an identical style to others that I wear regularly but although I like it the top it does not really work with other pieces.  My skirts are all patterned and therefore I wear plain tops with them.  My shorts are white, black, red and khaki.  I don’t get excited about any of those combinations.  I think it needs denim or navy shorts or skirt.  I don’t have either nor am I planning on adding them to my wardrobe.  The final straw is that it obviously requires a white or nude bra and the 2 white bras that I have are too big and really past their use-by date.  So, the shirt has to go.

Shirt

Another white shirt.  This time it is a 3/4 sleeve one with light blue metallic pinstripes.  Unlike the other one I have never really loved it.  I bought this when I needed another ‘business’ shirt but it generally gets cast aside in favour of others that I prefer.  It is just not right for me.

I am going to move both of the shirts out of my wardrobe and was planning on putting them in the op shop bag.  However, my first option is to offer them to any of my readers who are interested.  You may have one or both if you wish.  I am giving them away on the understanding that you will pay for any postage costs.  I am willing to post overseas if required.  They are best described as an Australian size 10 – 12.  The sleeveless shirt was made by me and is cotton.  The 3/4 sleeve one is Jacqui E cotton/nylon/elastane.

If you are interested please email me.  gandy79atgmaildotcom

Are there any orphans lurking in your wardrobe?

Project 333 – Holiday Shopping

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We have been on holidays for a week so I have actually had time to browse in a couple of shops.  I found a couple of tops that will add a bit of interest to my wardrobe for the upcoming summer.

Shirt
I bought this one  at Penola in the south-east of South Australia.  It is a lightweight cotton and will be perfect for our hot summer.  It is a small black and white check with a touch of red stitching on the collar and the frilled front.  I will be able to wear it with both shorts and 3/4 pants in black and white.  A plain red skirt is on my wishlist which would match perfectly.

Top
Today I bought another top – this time I was at Victor Harbor.  The colour is badly distorted – it is actually mauve, not blue.  Once again, I will be able to wear it with both the black and white 3/4 pants and shorts.

When I get home, I will take a closer look at my existing tops with a view to moving some along.

Do you refresh your wardrobe on a seasonal basis?

Project 333 – Red Replaced by Pink

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Remember my post from Sunday where I showed that I could wear my red cardigan all week with different outfits?  Well that plan came to a shuddering halt yesterday because I was wearing it when I had my hair cut.  Now, I know that I had the towel around my neck and a plastic cape on but nevertheless, those tiny bits of hair just end up everywhere.  So, the cardigan was consigned to the washing basket – and I had not even worn it on Monday at all as my 3/4 sleeve shirt was warm enough!

All is not lost as I have kept my basic outfits the same and swapped to a pink cardigan for the rest of the week.

Wednesday outfit

Luckily, my choices for today and Friday are fairly neutral and tomorrow’s outfit combines red and pink in the one dress.

It would not have been the end of the world if I did have to re-think what I was planning to wear but I still maintain that it is better to have a plan than not.

Planning – Dinner and Dressing

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As you may have guessed from my lack of posts recently, I have been rather busy both physically and mentally.  There is a lot going on at the moment and I had dropped the ball as far as menu planning went.  We have still been eating meals – almost all cooked at home but I have been throwing them together without a lot of thought.

Today I decided that I needed to refocus and get organised.  Here is the plan for the week

Sunday – Beef stroganoff with mashed sweet potato and green beans

Monday – Stuffed mushroom slice with coleslaw

Tuesday – Sausages and salad

Wednesday – Chicken and green bean stir-fry

Thursday – Nachos with refried beans and guacamole

Friday – Cheese omelette with bacon and avocado

Saturday – Rissoles and salad

We have green beans and avocadoes from the garden and the remaining fruit and vegetables that I need were bought this afternoon.  By having a plan I make sure that I use the food on hand, wastage is reduced (hopefully to zero) and I can do some preparation the night before.

The other thing that I like to plan in advance is the clothes that I am going to wear.  Here in south-east Queensland we are into some seriously warm weather with the maximum temperatures forecast for this week ranging from 26C up to 32C so my footwear each day will be my very comfortable strappy sandals with a small heel.  Here are my planned clothes for the week.

Monday – white cotton drill 3/4 pants and blue/white striped collared shirt

Tuesday – sleeveless cotton dress – black with white spots

Wednesday – skirt – cream with black spots and black sleeveless t-shirt

Thursday – Pink/red/white floral, sleeveless dress

Friday – skirt – navy with white spots and white sleeveless t-shirt

It can still be cool in the mornings and also the office is air-conditioned so I will wear a red 3/4 sleeve cardigan with all of these outfits as required.

I will try to take and post a photo of my outfit each day.

What do you plan in advance?