My capsule wardrobe / Project 333 / outfit 2

I chose the black dress to include in my capsule wardrobe because it is long and has a slimming effect. It's simple and classic and a great basic canvas. However, it is body conscious so I need an overlayer, like this light, flowing dress(?). This way I have all the right places covered!!!

You will be seeing this dress and over layer a lot but each time I will accessorise a bit differently (Jewllery, bag, shoes). What I do with this project 333 is that I have limited my choices so much that it becomes truly easy to create stylish outfits, also because I have given a lot of thought in advance and everything is  well co ordinated. A great lesson to learn.

           What are your thoughts about this strategy? Would you consider doing something similar?

My capsule wardrobe - Project 333

I'm finally taking the plunge. What you see above ( plus a black and a white tank top) is what I will be wearing for the next 3 months. 

Much more than many people around the world have and much less than I used to have.

You might be wondering why I do this. It's easy for me to answer. 

It's because I want to simplify my life.

 I still want to be well dressed and stylish but I want fewer  and better coordinated options.

 Plus I want less and better organised stuff in my closet.

What do I hope to achieve? The time I would normally spend around considering what to wear/shop I plan to invest in.....what? 

That's my goal. 

To be able to have a better idea of how I want to invest my free time by limiting the distruction from my clothes and the craving.

Let's take a look at my pieces

Black long sleevless dress Pink Woman    Stripped long sleevless dress Stradivarius 

Black A line dress Ioanna Kourbela

Upon looking, I should  have skipped buying the long black one!

Black lace waistcoat thrifted    Black loose cardigan/white strip    Short lace dress   both Pink Woman 

 My long dresses are very body conscious and I need sometimes a cover. Some other times I need to add an interesting layer.

I also have a black tank top which is not listed here and that's all. It can get so warm in Crete during summer so sleeveless tops are a must.
 All basic colors to act as a canvas for my accessories ( I will dedicate my next post to those).

I chose carefully my two bottom pieces. 

The black culotte is one of those pieces that I don't mind wearing everyday. 

It moves with me and makes me feel special. You will have the chance to see it when I will take outfit photos.

The long skirt is a vintage piece sewn from my godmother back in the 70s.

 

I'm getting pretty organised here and believe me I scare myself. Wishes for a great weekend!

My capsule wardrobe and my new project. A preview

I streamlined my wardrobe, I've kept only what I love and I made a capsule wardrobe to dress myself for the next 3 months. I will use 36 items accessories and shoes are included. And for those of you who immediately thought about Project 333 you were absolutely right.

I'm taking the Project 333 for the next 3 months. I officially start 1st of July but what you get here is a preview.

I've worked hard to photograph all items included in my capsule wardrobe. I then used Picmonkey to edit and I made an original collage including only my stuff. I'm very proud  and I hope you will enjoy.

My plan is to be able to document my outfits with real life photos and original content collage.

                                   What do you think? Would you be interested?

Style Aura

Do  you  watch how other women dress and/or carry themselves around? 

I personally don't have a driving licence so I do a lot of walking which allows me for deep thinking and constant observing.

I don't so much observe for trends or style mistakes anymore but rather for the aura every woman gives out. 

There is a certain kind of women that seem very self sufficient, confident and very put together and they always grab my attention. 

For the few brief moments our paths cross I try to comprehend what makes them so appealling.

Self education project, you can call it, and these are the observations so far.

These women carry themselves in a proud way but not like snobs.

They walk like they have direction and things to accomplish, like they are part of a bigger plan so their walk is lively and enthousiastic but not stressed or like they hurry because they are late.

They are well groomed even if no make up is applied. Hair style, brows, nails ,skin all is well taken care of.

Notice that only now will I talk about clothes.

They don't always wear trendy clothes or are young and thin. They can be any size or shape and any style, age or economic status.

But their clothes fit and seem to be of good quality , good design and clean. What is commonly said is also true, they seem to wear their clothes and not the clothes wear them.

Their clothes have one or more little details that the wondering eye can focus on and be pleasantly surprised.

And one more thing, they know what colors work well together and with the color of their skin/hair.

They seem to have all these things sorted and their look is effortless.

The percentage of these women is not a high one. They are few but then not so few so that I rarely see them.

I call them authentic because it takes a great deal of self knowledge and self acceptance to carry yourself around like that.

It also takes time to organise everything in your life and manage your time to be able to be presentable every day!

Recently, I keep on wondering about one thing and I need your perspective.

Is authenticity in looks a sign of  being authentic in character, too?

       Some days sporty and some ladylike in style but I always try to stay true to my mood of the day!

PS: Look at the comments form. There are some interesting questions and opinions that you can get involved.

How I got my life sorted and dressed accordingly. My closet my life style guru. Part Two

                                                                                                           

                                                      

Have you ever noticed that life goes in circles and patterns repeat themselves?

The younger I was the less aware I was of that.

In my mid life years, noticing patterns has been a great tool for understanding the way my life unfolds.

On my 46th birthday, I  stood once more ( you can read all about first time, here)in front of my closet with a strong suspicion that the clothes hanging there didn't dress the person I was becoming.

This time, I paid close attention to my suspicions, thus, made time to sit down, pen, paper and a glass of wine ( I had made myself), to get to know who I was becoming.

 
                             

For the last 10 years I had been raising my 3 beautiful children ( with the help of my husband Dimitris), primary school, after school activities and all, housework ( thank you Flylady).

I also worked in a public primary school as a full time English language teacher. And the last 4 years I also worked in our family RentalCar business.

On top of that , in the middle of those 10 years,crisis hit Greece hard and it's not easy to watch your country being abused and the society around you collapse. My family was also hugely affected by this crisis.

For 10 years, I had been working hard, had good time and I felt totally blessed. But I was getting tired and felt empty more often than not.

 Fortunately , like I said already, I could spot my deep disatisfaction early on this time. And it was by looking at my closet that it hit me big again.

I had to slow down and simplify my life this time. I had to set my priorities right , move on and build me  a new stage in life and a new wardrobe to go with it.

                                      

I knew I had to search the web again to find information /inspiration.

It seems I asked all the right questions because I got all the right answers in the form of KonMarie method of tidying and the Desire Map concept by Danielle Laporte  .

                                                             

Yes, you guessed right. I got rid of lots of stuff (you can read all about it here).

 The time for extreme experiments with my style was over. I spent quite a lot of time and energy and money to create everyday outfits. I had outgrown the process.

My urge now was to write more about what's going on in my life and take up all kinds of challenges . 

I'm currently working on a dress project I will reveal when it's ready, planning to take Project 333 for the next 3 months and document and lots more. Ideas keep flowing.

Danielle Laport and the desire map taught me a valuable lesson that I was so ready for.

I don't need permission from anyone to do the things that make me feel good. Actually how I want to feel everyday is the map to how I will plan my life.

I came to the conclusion that I want to feel simple, light and clear about things.

I want to feel creative, inspired, passionate and accountable.

And finally, I want to feel fit, healthy, balanced and beautiful. 

Now that I sort of know my direction I plan to have the next 10 years full of all kinds of activities I trully want and  I will commit to make them happen.

                                
                                                          

The thrifting, colorful ever changing and expanding closet is not for me anymore. 

I'm transitioning to less color (going back to black pieces), simple lines and less pieces carefully selected.

I exercise a lot more doing yoga, pilates and zumba. In autumn I will visit a nutritionist to help me with a healthy diet and to lose the few extra kilos.

I'm taking the right steps for quiting my teaching career but it will take me  a couple of years ( insurance, pension plan).

I'm still helping on the family business but in a more focused, less stressful way.

I 'm there for my children ,all in their teens now, but not constantly interfering with their lives.

And last but not least I work more seriously on my blog ( like  I said ideas keep flowing) and I love how my creative outlet is evolving.

Although I don't dare to present myself as someone who has the right to give advice, I very well know the process I went through and I can only give a few tips that worked for me in the hopes I will inspire you.

Look at the contents of your closet carefully. If you feel really dissatisfied with what you own chances are you are soo ready for a change.

Take a break for a couple of hours and sit down to write how you want to feel everyday . Write it all down silly,little stuff whatever comes to your head. Then try to make a few categories or pick a few that stand out to you.

You have a very rough but great starting point to start mapping your future.

Do what it takes to keep on feeling the way you want, everyday. ( Purge, simplify,create, exercise, communicate with loved ones usually works)

I know I did and it worked .Don't just want in the back of your head. Work to create the things you want.

As Danielle puts it "You need to go after what

you want in a way that feels good!!!                    

Please share with me how you want to feel everyday?

Does your closet represent this?   

How I usually style my hair and one resolution

Having a fashion blog and documenting my outfits by taking photos more often than most of the people is a great source of information.

 I have gathered today some photos concerning my hairstyle and even some of the experiments I have made.

 I have to tell you though that I have a hate relation with my hair.

They are thick, unruly,difficult to style and never managed to make them long.

 However, the last few months I regularly visit a hairdresser to have it cut, dyed and straightened.

So slowly slowly I 'm getting them longer and I start embracing its beauty.

 A bit of short explaining now. 

In my first collage I present how I usually wear my hair down and on top right the one time I tried to make a pony tail at the side.

 Here, you can see how  most of the times I wear my hair up. I do this because it's easy and I hate spending time on my hair.

What I realised though after diving in my photos archives is that I enjoy wearing hats, scarves and flowers and I plan to do this a lot more in the future, as part of the new me!

                   Right after been at the hairdresser's, see the smile on my face? I think I'll be going more often.

Now, your turn! What is your relationship to your hair? do you take special care or just let them dry?

Do you visit a hair salon regularely? How do you feel afterwards?

I'm linking with:

Mette's interesting blog with a link up about hair styles and Visible Monday a great get together place for us 40+ bloggers.

How I got my life sorted and dressed accordingly. My closet my life style guru. Part One

Do you want to know the powerful lessons your closet can teach you? What does your closet and self improvement  have in common?

 Did you know that you applied some basic principals to live a happier and more fulfilling life  in your closet all along? 

In these series , I will show you how your closet can inspire you to a more meaningful life. 

 Part One:

 

 To be able to make your dream life true you must know where you are now. You think the strangest place to get your answers is your closet?
Read on!

In this part I will discuss with you how I used my closet as a starting point to figure out what kind of life I dressed for, which wasn't necessarily the kind of life I actually lived or aspiring to live.(the blant truth). 

It's vital to figure this out before any life style change can be designed.

 I will show you how I personally turned my closet to be my "life style guru". ( No spending money involved but please do use it as an inspiration kickstart)!

One and a half years after the birth of my 3rd child and soon after I started working full time again as a teacher and I was still in a complete loss concerning my self image, my clothes and my life  in general. 

Frustration, dissatisfaction and finally mild depression  setlled.

My two main problem areas were that I didn't feel good about my looks and that I was hopeless in organising my time, and space and establishing routines.

 It is clear to me now that I was having a lifestyle change. From a stay at home mum to a working outside the house mum.The thing is that it wasn't that easy to figure that much out, back then.

What I'm trying to communicate here is how a mindfull, soul searching approach of my closet triggered a huge shift in my mentality and helped transform my self into a better person.

The cruel facts I managed to see clearly

• I hated the few outfits I could manage to put together out of my stay at home clothes

•  I had no idea where to start to built me a functional wardrobe

•  I didn't even knew that notions like a basic wardrobe existed

•  I also didn't know that orginising my everyday life by establishing routines could transform my life.

During this period of frustration I could have never imagined that the help for me would come out of the most unexpected place, my closet .

 One morning as I was standing in front of my messy pit of a closet, trying to figure out how to make a decent outfit out of a pair of jeans, a t shirt and the top half of a track suit and be presentable for work ( what was I thinking?), it hit me big. 

 I was trying to  live my new life as a working mum wearing the clothes of a stay at home mum plus those I had saved from when I was in my 20s partying around the world!!! 

I was trying to do the un doable!!! And I was causing stress and pressure for not been able to do it.

All I had to do all along was to take a hard look at what my wardrobe was saying about me and my lifestyle. I had to move on and I had to build me a  new wardrobe and a new stage in life. 
                     

 I sat down on the computer that very moment and searched on the internet using some key words like new clothes, what to buy, basics, new life style etc, next life stage, routines, home organising and soon enough I had a handful of sites with information to study closely later that night, after everyone was in bed.

What I discovered that night almost threw me out of my chair. I didn't have a clear sense of what kind of life I was leading and what kind of life I was dreaming for myself the next couple of years. Now, everyone knows this is not a great way to live your life and raise 3 balanced kids.

 But at least now I knew where to start. I would start with figuring out the life style I was actually living and I would shape a better one in the next few months. 

                   

Deciding about my wardrobe was more about gaining clarity about my life than deciding what clothes to buy. Track suits and all of my clothes before pregnancy had to go. I had to part with so many beautiful shortdresses from my single years, it physically hurt.  I had to say goodbye to the years of carelessness and freedom and accept they would never come back.

But I also had to get rid of all my pregnancy and post pregnancy stay at home mum clothes. I made clear to myself and husband that I was not planning to have more than 3 children. I also made it clear to myself and committed that I would find the time each day to take care of my appearance and style. 

Track suits, ugly, loose clothes and pass me downs had to disappear from my closet and my life.

About that time I started following style blogs and a bit later I started my own. 

        

After a huge purge I was left with nothing. Both liberating and frightening. It was high time for the second part of the lesson. Decipher my life style.

I was a mum of 3 under the age of six, I worked as a primary school teacher, I was the main person doing the housework and shared the super market trips with my husband.

I lived a quiet life, no nights out clubbing and not a fancy social life except for the occassional wedding, baptism or funeral.

I didn't exercise back then nor did I have a special hobby that required special equipment. I lived in a warm Meditteranean country and I had 3 months holidays in the summer so no much fuss over my summer clothes.

It was at that point that I realised I was not going to live a glamorous life full of excitement or travels and that I wasn't going to make a big career. I also realised I was more of an introvert person and socialising was not my strong point so no need for formal or fancy stuff.

It became a realisation that for the next few years I would be absolutely absorbed with raising my kids and having quiet nights with my husband and occassionally with a few loved friends or family members.

There would be no travels for me but no problem, the nature is great in Crete and the beaches always near.

Additionally, when I accepted that I would be the main household 'slave' I had to find me solutions via the internet on how to organise my day and establish routines and on how to simplify things and declutter my house.
    

  After this amount of soul searching I was finally able to start my days happy and nicely organised.

 And to built me a very basic wardrobe, practical enough to get me through my busy days. Nothing fancy or terribly stylish but a big improvement . So, from my experience here is some tips to help you

• Find some quiet time and take paper and pencil with you. 

• Open your closet and look at every piece of cloth you have. What does it say about you and your lifestyle? Try to be objective and write it down. Not explicit stuff, just first impressions.
• Now that you have all information, try to make a summury of what you have found.
• Is the person your clothes describe the person you are or you  want to be? If yes, fine! Congratulations! If not, you now have on paper a great starting point to figure out how you want things different and in which departments of your life
• From here, you can pick one thing to change and look for all information to educate yourself about it. 

 Do you think that our closets can be a starting point to evaluate our present stage in life ?

Are you willing to spend sometime in sorting out your closet and if you do what your personal approach would be?

I would love you to use my tips(as a kind of homework! I'm a teacher after all!) and come back here in the comments form to tell us all about it. 
Also those of you who have different opinions please do share in the comments form so that we have an open/honest discussion!I will gladly answer back to all your comments.

In my next post I will tell you how I used my own tips to figure out what stage in life I'm now!

We can even compare notes! 

There was no way to finish this post without presenting you with some of my latest outfits!

Since then I have purged some that don't fit my life anymore. I have used a collage form not to overwhelmyou after this long post. I hope you like it!