I went “shopping” last weekend in Port Townsend and now I am in Vancouver on Robson Street (The Listel Hotel) and I even stopped in Fairhaven on the way to Vancouver and popped into a vintage store……I didn’t buy a single thing!!!   Over the last two weeks I looked at vintage dresses, shoes, tops, everything.

What I did get however is a “present” that my BF bought for me from a vintage store on Commercial Drive (Vancouver).  Wait!  It’s not clothing!   It is a rosette type pin to wear with that vintage dress I admitted to buying a few weeks back.  It has a hair clip on it as well as a pin for clothing.  I like the idea of wearing it two ways.  I immediately put it on my hat.

So at the end of February, two months into the diet I only fell off the wagon just once.  I still allow my self to go “shopping”.  But I haven’t even come close to buying anything else.  I know, I know, why do I even tempt myself.   It’s because I like “the finding” part of shopping.  I even tried on two bras (still looking to replace the beige one from December) but didn’t buy them.  I forgot…underwear is an exception to this diet right?

We are leaving Vancouver in one hour to head home to Seattle.  When I am off this diet (and when it’s warmer-  4 inches of snow yesterday!) I will return to this town and others like it.  I vow to be more selective with purchases, have an intention before shopping, and buy quality pieces I love and can wear often.   I can’t wait!  But first I am taking this time to learn about myself and my clothing needs.

I am hoping to meet with a wardrobe consultant later to find out what key pieces I should have in my closet for a 42 year old Seattlelite.   Any ideas?

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Alright, I bought something.  I was doing so well for 1.5 months.  I didn’t do too badly though since I  just bought one item after trying on two.  After breakfast and friend asked if I wanted to check out the consignment store in her neighborhood.  I said “no” at first and she knew I was on the GAAD.  She responded “Oh you won’t buy anything, it’s expensive”.  I felt reassured.  I haven’t been to a consignment store or thrift store in over two months.  I thought what’s the harm in just going for a look.  It was a store I’ve never been to.  I tried on a vintage  black dress.  It was size 40!   What the heck is 40?!?  I’m an 8 or 10 normally.  I was sure that it wasn’t going to fit.  I have several black vintage dresses in my closet…but this one…..ah, this one fit like a glove (if I wear a padded bra, ha!), it had good bones.  Like a well built house, good structure, classic, timeless, the right length, a-line (for my hips!)….perfect.  I checked the price to make sure it was too expensive so I wouldn’t buy it but lo and behold, it had a yellow tag.  All yellow tags were 30% off!…Drats!   A dress for under $30…I was sold on that dress and I’m going to wear it to dinner tomorrow night.

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Although I have completed my year of the diet, it has still continued to influence my purchasing. In the last year I have purchased only 3 new items, all after I completed my diet. I have since purchased a pair of running shorts and a top for my upcoming Komen Maryland Race for the Cure. I had been running in cotton shorts and a tshirt, and in the muggy Baltimore, MD it left me soaked and uncomfortable. The only other purchase that I made was a comfortable pair of foldover waistband lounge pants. They were half price and fit like a glove; I couldn’t resist.

Some of the permanent life changes as a result of the “The Diet” are that I continue to read “look books” and fashion articles to discover the trend items and then use what I have in my closet to restyle what I already have. Over the last year I have purchased a a few accessories including this gorgeous belt and a brand new purse. A few pieces of jewelry like this leather cuff, tattoo necklace, and some very chic recycled mixed media pendants. The final and most important purchases were these great brooches that I use to accent my staple pieces like cardigans and jackets. It allows me to wear the same items each week, but feel like I’m wearing something new. I never had enough in the budget to buy clothing and accessories, even back when I purchased cheap clothing on clearance. I have two more planned purchases this year, a black cardigan and one in brown, to replace the ones that I wore so often and for so long that I wore out the elbows and then through the patches. 

What I will continue to do is to always buy vintage, refashioned or recycled clothing first and whenever possible. Etsy, Ebay and local thrift stores are great ways to shop for eco-friendly, inexpensive clothing. If that isn’t possible then I’ll buy handmade to support artisans and crafters who still value quality and creativity. I do love a good one of a kind piece that I know I can wear for many, many years to come.  

The most important lesson that I learned though, is that you can be really stylish without constantly updating your wardrobe with throw-away fashion. Don’t be a fashion victim caught in the cycle of constantly having to buy the newest, trendiest clothes. Buy a few well-made, perfectly fitted items and keep them. Maintaining a healthy diet and  exercise can help you fit into those pieces longer and you’ll be happier and healthier in the end. I spend so little time shopping now that I’m free to pursue all of the interests that I always wanted, but couldn’t find the time, money or energy to devote before. I’ve taken up cooking, running, knitting, crocheting, sewing, downhill mountain bike racing and spending much more time with my family and friends and I couldn’t be happier.

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I’ve always been a bit of a minimalist. I never really took the time to coordinate accessories and I would rarely wear jewelry. The one thing that this diet has really taught me is the power of a good accessory. I have one cream colored cardigan to wear and ordinarily I would have run out and purchased several new cardigans to fill the void so that I wouldn’t be forced to wear the same vanilla sweater over and over again this Spring. That, however, would be a diet no-no. So…I purchased some really adorable accessories. I purchased several cute pins hand-made by Etsy Artisans to freshen up my wardrobe. A few even pull double duty as sweater pin or hair accessory depending on how I choose to wear it. I picked up a fun, casual pin, some bold and bright flowers, and a few more low-key, natural pins to give my sweater a little flair. I’ve also taken to wearing more of my jewelry that had been lazing about in my drawer, unloved and unappreciated. I’ve started wearing my hair in different ways so that I don’t feel as if I look like the same boring old me each day. In short, I haven’t added to my wardrobe by purchasing new clothes, but I have certainly introduced some new, fun and funky looks by working with a variety of accessories in different sizes, colors and textures…and it’s been fun.

Here are links to a few of the cute new pins that I’ve purchased and made myself that I’ve added to my collection of vintage, heirloom and gifted jewelry. I’ve included a few new headbands that I’ve purchsed as well because they really help me feel new and fresh.

Recycled Headband/Necklace

Recycled Necklace/Scarf

Petal Pin for Sweater/Hair

Owl Brooch

Lightweight Natural Pin

Colorful Hairbands

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I have never liked the hat-veil piece ensemble.

Call me a skeptic, but any fashionable accessory that was worn by youth culture before the vive la suffragette movement is a symbol of vanity, not independence. Based on quite a few books I’ve read, these lengthy ‘hairnet’s caused eye damage via constant spot tunnel vision, not to mention being an overall handicap on a windy day.
Continue reading »

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WHAT do these cats have against this most-awesome silk vintage coat? I admit: I neglected this coat and left it hanging on a rack in the basement for about three years. But since TGAAD, I thought it was time to get it cleaned and give it another chance for spring. No dice: DeeDee ravaged it with her claws and (not evident from the pic) Joey peed on the sleeve! What did I expect naming my cats after two dead Ramones? But before sounding “Taps” for this beauty, I’m salvaging the three bitchin’ buttons to sew on something else.

Green silk vintage coat, torn and peed on. Tsk.

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I own an Etsy shop where I sell items made from recycled clothes and fabrics and often peruse the site to share with other sellers, check out what’s new and get inspiration. I was delighted that one of the guest speakers in the virtual chat one evening were the ladies from The Uniform Project. I hadn’t previously heard of the project, but I listened into the chat and was delighted to learn that it involved wearing the same plain black dress for 365 days a year. The idea was to use accesories to change the outfit; what a great inspiration!  Here is some information about the project from their website:

The Idea

Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade’s boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.

So, if you are feeling a little bored and feel there is nothing to wear in your closet, take some cues from The Uniform Project, get inspired and mix it up!

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I love, love, love clothing swap’s! Fortunately for me, my friends who own the bar in my neighborhood biannually agree to open up for the ladies to conduct a “squaw swap” and what a great one we had this past Sunday. While the turnout wasn’t large, the group of ladies (about 10) had enough clothes, shoes, accesories, and housewares to really make it fun. We swapped stories of our favorite items while enjoying a glass of wine or a Guiness and poked through each other’s cast-offs.  We made goofy costumes, we were amused at another ladies delight over our silly hand-me-downs and we had a blast. Guilt-free shopping is always fun. I am in between sizes so I swapped out for a few new items in both smaller and larger sizes so I’ll be sure to have space to move up and down over the next few months. I got clothes that fit perfect, some that I can refashion or alter and some that I plan to simply cut apart for the fabric and figure it out later. My favorite find was a brown cashmere knit poncho, like an all-business snuggie; I love it. I also found a beautiful Banana Republic blazer, sweaters galore and an awesome cowgirl shirt.  It was fun, it was refreshing and I can’t wait to do it again!  If you live in the Baltimore City area and are intersted in future clothing swaps, you can follow my personal blog or twitter feed for updates, or sign up for the Parkside’s newsletter where they’ll send you emails of their upcoming events, including clothing swaps. The more ladies we get, the more choices we’ll have so bring your used clothes and get ready to have have a liberating, guilt-free, swapping party!

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“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new” - Henry David Thoreau

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I’ve been catching up with some old pals since starting the GAAD. As I was flipping through the hangers in my closet recently, I looked at my old clothes with new eyes – and well, hello there! I found a vintage pleather shirt that I thought I’d given to Goodwill several years ago. Sure, it still fit me fine and if you’re familiar with that ‘60s pleather stuff, well it’s virtually indestructible.

I’ve realized the root of my pack-rattiness is that I get a little too sentimental about clothes. I bought the pleather shirt in 1997 in Prescott, Arizona; the same day I bought the green suede fringed coat with the label “Geronimo” inside. When I sold the “Geronimo” at a yard sale, I hugged it goodbye, much to the bewilderment of the guy who bought it. Why do I still have that pair of black suede shoes with the huge silver buckle on the toe (Pilgrim-style!) after 17 years? Because they were the first pair of shoes I bought in Switzerland. That fringed skirt that looks hideous on me? It’s from a little shop around the corner from Buckingham Palace. Um, yes, and it is 20 years old.

Some of these items must go. However when I’m looking at old clothes with new eyes, I’m keeping in mind a few things:

-       If a skirt made me look as wide as a Buick in 1989, that’s not going to change. Kiss it goodbye.

-       If it’s a basic color, say black, and a classic cut, keep it. Even if it’s made out of pleather.

-       If it was bought when going through a brief stage (Bananarama wannabe, sulky bohemian, ‘70s pseudo rock-star), get rid of it.

-       If I bought it because I thought it would Change My Life, totally stomp on it and then get rid of it.

-       If it’s vintage, yet completely worn to shreds, salvage the cool mother-of-pearl buttons and sew them on something else. As we sang in Girl Scouts, “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.”

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