Healthy Style: Building a New Closet

I got up this morning, got The Beans started on breakfast, then went to my closet.

I haven't shaved my legs recently, so despite the humid heat, I wanted to wear pants.

I tried on 3 pair: a 6+ year old (but favorite) grey chalkstripe Banana Republic suit pant, a post-Bean initial weight loss pair of brown plaid KORS trousers, and a never-worn-because-I-actually-need-to-have-them-hemmed grey wide(r) legged pair of Ports 1961 trousers I picked up at a District Sample Sale after The Bean.

This is my #wearing tweet from this morning. Clearly, the trousers didn't work.

The issue? The pants were all hanging off my proverbial fram, loose in a way that's not just cool slouchy. They looked bad.

Yes, the hashtag for this should be #fashiongirlproblems.

That being said, and with even my standby dress collection (I'm a huge fan of the "one-and-done" dress option to narrow down early morning sartorial choices) dwindling, it's time to overhaul my closet.

I can't do a complete overhaul. It would simply cost too much. I need to do that dreaded closet assessment all of the stylists recommend, I need to have some things altered, and I need to plan my purchases. All quite organized, isn't it? So here's what I'm going to do.

I hope.

Step 1. Continue to try things on and put them in piles of "Worth Trying to Alter" and "Donate." I may add a "Consign" pile, but that's a heck of a lot of effort for me. The "Worth Trying to Alter" will be around how much I love a piece, how much it's literally still worth, and whether or not I think the type or scale of alterations are even possible.

Step 2. Attempt to hold off on buying anything new until my plan is in place.

Step 3. Get things altered, and see where I stand. Getting this done is a huge step for me. I'm notoriously bad [insert H cackling here] at getting around to doing stuff like this. But it's necessary in this case.

Step 4. Collect ideas and formulate a "Buy List." Thank goodness for Pinterest, now. It does make it easy. That being said, I also have to be realistic about inspiration, what will work on me, and what will work in my closet. I've started a "Creating a New Closet" board, and am also pulling from some other boards, like "Just Plain Pretty," "Ladylike," and "Rocker Chic(k)." I'm also open to ideas: if you see something you think might work for or inspire me, just cc: me in your pin! Or if there are enough nosy busybodies out there, maybe I'll open "Creating a New Closet" up to folks who want to help. Thoughts welcome!

What I already know about myself - or perhaps assume is a better word - is that I'm drawn to anything that remotely looks like Katherine Hepburn would wear it (read: higher-waisted wide leg trousers), simply ladylike dresses, and now that I feel like my frame can handle it, neckwear. I'm definitely pulling from a time gone by (see also: "The Way It Was"). Perhaps I should revisit those assumptions. Ok. So that's Step 4a: Find My Personal Style.

I'll tweet ideas periodically, too, and continue to blog about things. Look for the #NewCloset hashtag on, you know, every form of social media available.

Step 5. Go get a Style for Hire consult at Westfield. It's there. It's free. Why the heck not? Someone who doesn't know me as well as other folks may have some useful perspective on what will work for me. (Thanks, Allie, for the review of the service!)

Step 6. Buy. This will probably not happen until September or so, so my inspiration is happening on a distinctly cooler trajectory than appropriate to July.

So what other steps have you used to build or rebuild your wardrobe?

Style Dilemma: Bachelorette Cute - But Not "Too"

BabySis called me yesterday evening in a panic. So much so that when I didn't return her call right away, I found out she called Mom. Clearly, she was desperate (we love you Mom, but...).

She's attending a bridal shower and bachelorette party for a good friend (actually, one of the 'Maids from her wedding) this weekend, and needed some help.

First question was what to do about the bachelorette attire. The girls are going in a "uniform," with some of them buying a blinged out pink tank for the heck of it. But BabySis is, well, curvy, and bling on a ribbed tank looks, well, let's just say she's opting for an old skool white tank and either a denim mini or jeans (they're headed out in Annapolis, Maryland). So if she goes with the mini, she wonders, what to do about shoes? What won't look hoochy (in a bad way - because some hooch is good sometimes)?

Second question is what shoes to wear with a navy blousy top and pale silver suit shorts (not metallic). Her instinct was brown pumps, but in that frantic call to mom, mom said "not brown." She was all turned around, color-wise.

So what to do?

Funny, when someone calls with a question about what to wear, I tend to get pictures in my head from what they're describing. And when she told me about her denim mini, I pictured cream colored ankle-tie espadrilles (like the DKNY sandal version, top left). A little beachy, pretty, and girly, all at the same time. Colored ones would work, too. But she doesn't want to spend any money and buy new shoes. "I want to work with what I have," she says.

Then flats. Metallic flats, something like MIA's woven ballet Gabriella (2nd, at left). She has those, I know. But apparently, they're not in such good shape.

Her first thought was black patent pumps. "Nope," I say. "Hoochy. In a bad way." In fact, any pumps with a mini is pushing it - unless you have a big, blousy top - which she doesn't, for this event. So those are out.

"What about wedges?" I ask. Height (as if she needs any - she beats 5'9"), but not hoochy, and the wedge makes for easy walking on the cobblestoned streets of Annapolis. Score. She has those - in fact, the Amanda (Isaac Mizrahi for Target) pair I happened to recommend to BlueSuitGirl for Cairo. That should work. She sent confirmation this morning that she's packed those, along with some fun earrings and necklaces from which to choose on Saturday night. Perfect. I'm always a fan of a simple, neutral outfit with a big splash of color jewelry.

Next, on to the shower. A blousy (banded short sleeves and waist) scoop neck top in navy (H&M*) and pale silver suit shorts. My first response: brown pumps. Might sound a little odd with the silver, but like I've said before, brown can either be treated as a color or as a neutral. In this case, it's a strong neutral. A nude shoe would be to pale, and black too blah. So brown pumps or even pick a color - almost any color, other than gold (and even that could be done, if careful). Yellow, green, or red (classic, but stately), especially. And seeing as the only red shoes she has are her wedding shoes (yeah, BabySis wore red d'orsay pumps under her gown - a brilliant touch, in my book), she's opting for brown. My pick, if she didn't already have some? KORS by Michael Kors - grounding to the blousy top, and flirty enough to not look staid with the suit shorts.

BabySis, if you get a chance, forward a pic or two from the weekend and let us know how the style choices ended up. We'd love to see!

*Dear H&M: Please put pictures of your inventory on your website. I would love to look at the pretty things before I go buy them.

**Thanks to zappos.com for all of the pics! My favorite online shoe site, by far.