As you may remember, I recently pledged to stop being such a moron with my money. I also recently started noticing how many things have crowded my closet(s).

Multiple pairs of nearly-identical boots. Boxes and boxes of costume jewelry. Dresses that still have tags on them. A pile of leggings with holes in unfortunate places. Nothing is excessively expensive, it’s just all... excessive.

And yet, with every 30% off final sale e-mail I receive from J.Crew I’m tempted to gather more excess in the form of very fine cardigans and pencil skirts and riding boots that when it comes down to it, I just don’t need.

But I want them. And damn it, I get what I want. So I made a compromise with myself - not easy because I am typically a very demanding and unyielding person, and I make it a point not to let people tell me what to do... especially when that person is myself.

So, back to the compromise: I can buy whatever my little heart desires as soon as I wear everything I have hiding in my closet and my drawers or decide to let it go.

Right off the bat, I freed myself of four bags of ill-fitting jeans and pit-stained t-shirts commemorating high school sports championships long forgotten.

And then I found these:


(left) Trashy Treasure: LEOPARD PRINT LEGGINGS that I've never had the guts to wear out of the house.

(right) Treasure: long-lost cardigan


(left) Treasure: No fewer than 3 bad-ass LBDs that have never seen the light of... night.  Tags still on *sheesh*

(right) Treasure: A pink and gray zebra-print skirt I hadn’t worn in a year and a half.  Wow - obviously I really liked animal prints at the time.


Treasure: My boyfriend’s shirt + a forgotten necklace = the perfect combination of preppy, boyish and sparkly.


Trash: This gray dress is cutting off circulation to my armpits.  Turns out I need my armpits, so today is its last hurrah in my wardrobe: I'm giving it to a coworker who complimented it.

And-- a cape! A vintage cape! Just imagine the possibilities!

I also rediscovered my childhood love for laying my clothes out in the shape of a person the night before, a practice I recommend if you don’t have a life-size mannequin of yourself and want to save about 5-10 seconds on your getting dressed time every morning.

I’m 2 weeks into my self-imposed challenge and have no shortage of never-before-seen outfits. They’re not all winners, but that’s the point: when I wear what I have, I can keep what I actually like and let the rest go. I don’t need a closet that’s bursting at the seams, I need a closet that is moderately full of things that I love to wear.

Are you shopping your closets this fall? Any good finds?