Outfit Yourself: An Antique Adventure

Outfit 1: Ruffle shirt, High-rise Slim Boyjeans, Low Top Sneaker, Crossbody Bag // Outfit 2: Turtleneck, Jean Skirt, Canvas Tote, Ankle Boots

As I continue to put my head down and reorganize this house of ours from top to bottom, one thing I’m actually excited to rework is my closet. I feel like I loved anything and everything when I was a kid and teenager growing up, and (much to my mother’s chagrin, I’m sure) I would often ask for something only to wear it once or twice before losing interest. My love for change and fresh new things carried on into adulthood, and is really hard on my budget. So, I’m trying to be intentional about loving—really loving—the things I own, most especially in my closet.

To make this all happen I’ve done a couple of things. First, I’ve gotten rid of a LOT. I’ve donated things to charity, but I’ve also taken the extra time to cart things down to our local consignment shop, too. If you’ve never consigned before, I highly recommend that you give it a try. I’ve made almost $200 on pieces that I could have easily taken down to Goodwill for zero profit. My process goes like this: I keep a plastic box in my closet and, as I discover pieces that I could live without, I toss them right into the box for my next appointment at the consignment shop. I actually set up quarterly appointments with the store every time I drop off a load, so that way I don’t even have to think about it.

It’s great to be making money, but my honest hope is that I can eventually get to the point when I don’t have any more clothes to consign. I’m working really, really hard to curate a wardrobe of select pieces that I love that can mix and match together. These two outfits I’ve put together here today keep that criteria in mind, and are perfect for a day spent walking an antique mall (think: easy to move around in, comfy shoes, a hands-free bag option, an alternate bag to tote vintage treasures around in, etc.).

Speaking of clothing, have you given a capsule wardrobe a try? While I’m not sure I could edit my clothing down quite that much, I love the idea of having a well-designed collection of pieces. Let me know if you’d like inspiration on how to create one, because it could just be the motivation I need to put one together myself.

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