How to Create 21 Outfits From 10 Items in Your Closet!

Hands down my favorite spot to pick up work apparel is New York and Company. I love their selection and quality; best of all, the items are affordable priced.

So let's get right to it, I took the following 9 NY&C items to piece together 21 different styles:

1. Dark tights (black)
2. Neutral colored jacket (beige)
3. Dark colored pants (black)
4. Dark colored skirt (black)
5. Sleeveless multi-colored blouse (black and gold)
6. Solid colored cardigan (plum)
7. Neutral colored blouse (cream)
8. Dark colored button down (green)
9. Colored belt (hunter green patent leather)
10. Dark colored heels (black patent leather)
      NOTE: My patent leather heels are by Coach; it's the only item on the list not from NY&C

All the looks work great for winter. Test them out out and share new combinations ideas.

Xoxo,
CJ

Living in Excess

If you're like me then you love shoes, clothes, bags…basically fashion. As a budding fashionista, I never ever wanted to be asked the dreaded question; "how often do you wear XYZ." Well, that's exactly what happened after I went on a recent shoe shopping spree. Now in my defense, DSW was having an incredible sale but did I really need to purchase 22 pairs of shoes over one weekend?

Side note: Stay tuned, I'll share pics in a separate blog post soon on this ridiculous shoe shopping trip.

So I exaggerated the truth and told my guy "about 80%." I wasn't really sure but I doubt it was that high. The true is that it's easy to get caught up in donating, outgrowing (gaining/losing weight), and buying new apparel.

I decided to take an inventory of my closet and was utterly shocked that I had amassed the following:
145 shirts
128 shoes
102 dresses
56 skirts
48 pants/jeans
47 sweaters
32 outwear jackets
22 suits

Really? I knew how it got to this point but it was still hard to believe. My years of bargain shopping and indulging in high end pieces had lead me to leaving in excess.

Sure, I'd transformed from a size 4/6 to a 8/10 when I gained 40 pounds but I had long since donated and replaced those smaller sizes. As I gained the weight, I kept telling myself that I needed appropriate sized clothing to wear. I pacified my overindulgence by donating to trusted charities and close friends throughout the years. But I could no longer run from the fact that I tend to wear the same pieces over and over again. With my extra chub, I'd lost some confidence and was letting my closet go to waste.

THE PLAN:
For the next 365 days, I solemnly promise not to purchase any new shoes, clothes, or bags (unless needed)!  Ok, I know what you're thinking but I might have a ball or formal event that comes up. However, outside of those exceptions, I'm promising myself that I'll make it work with whatever I currently have. And so, The Closet Project 365 was born!

At the end of 1 year, I'll do a bulk donation of any clothes/shoes that I have not worn. Along the way, I'm going to PAY-IT-FORWARD by giving away items through my Facebook page (The Closet Project 365) and Instagram (@TheClosetProject365) account.

Join me on this journey, I'd love to receive outfit feedback, style tips, and share in your experiences.

Xoxo,
CJ

P.S. I'll try to make future post not so long winded.