so yesterday, i took an hour out from what has become a completely crazy work schedule to begin purging my wardrobe. i did this to 1.) be more organized & neat – for my husband and 2.) to build a good foundation for some fashion revamping.
sadly, my style hasn’t changed much since college. i like to be comfortable and tend towards plain colors and few accessories. i’m always a bit self conscious when i go to a show to see some of you fabulous people – you’re so cute and funky with your style… i’d like to wave a wand, get a touch of that eye for fashion, and a dollop of that confidence! so if you have that kind of wand or know i spell – definitely keep me in mind.
but since my magic skills are lacking, i’m just going to have buy some new pieces from fabulous shop like minx shop. minkie, the designer, says, “I’ve been inspired by exploration, adventure, and my life here in Pennsylvania where vintage stores and antique malls abound.” these pieces are all so put together but mostly made from jersey – my favorite fabric in the whole wide world.
these (especially that tunic at the top!) are definitely on my list. what other shops should i check out for this wardrobe redo?
Tara Gentile is a business coach and blogger serving passion-driven entrepreneurs with fresh ideas about 
oooh, I could really see you in the outfit in the last picture!
I don’t have any suggestions, but I just wanted to tell you that you’re not alone! After two children, and a few years as at SAHM, I kind of let my fashion fall to the wayside. I’m 24, but I feel frumpy all the time, especially now that I’m going back to school. No bueno. So I really need to work on this as well. I’m looking forward to see what you find and what others suggest!
You are totally not alone SOnya I’m 23 with 3 under 4 – style is not my jammies on the school run lol
hi ally! 3 under 4?? oh man…. sometimes i wonder how i got through the day with my 19 mo. i love being a mom, but i think i need to take things one at a time
good luck!!!
hey sonya – and you’re in an arty program to boot! that’s even harder! my main goal is going to be to strip my wardrobe down to it’s gap t-shirts & jean basics. and then purchase comfortable but style handmade & vintage clothing. maybe 8 great pieces to start? and i’m going to try to remember that spending $$$ on something fabulous that will last is much better than picking of the same amount of $$$ in crappy t-shirts from target. saving of course, for the liberty of london collection which will be perusing when the store opens on march 14th… sorry… that was rambly
Love all three looks, would love to see you in a fabulous, unexpected color; burnt orange or tomato red perhaps? I have no doubt you shall be divine!
color, color, color… you sound just like my husband
but you’re exactly right! i need some more color in my life. spring will help!
I have two giant bags of clothes that I took from my closet a couple of weeks ago…it feels so good!
Minx’s shop is fantastic!!
I love Ruche…they are similar to Anthro, but less expensive…for basics, I’m a jcrew girl.
i love jcrew too – i got married in a cream hoodie & skirt from jcrew! thanks for letting me know about ruche, stacy!
I lean towards neutral colors, comfortable and plain as well. I rarely accessorize (sadly) yet I love high heels! I use one handbag at a time and it usually lasts for six months or so. In fact, I’m soon in need of a new one.
I did make a daring move, I bought a handmade Von Trappe skirt that’s high-waisted off of Etsy that’s totally not my usual style, but I hope to pull it off in the spring (YIKES!).
diane, i seriously haven’t worn high heels since high school. and i can’t now cause my husband is a shorty! which, of course, is different from a shawty. i’m the same way with handbags – although now i do relish leaving the house without the diaper bag when i can, so i’m mixing it up a bit more!
can’t wait to see this skirt!!
That tunic top is to die for. It’s a shame that, one, I can’t afford something like that currently, and, two, it’s in a size small! Great shop, though.
I checked Ruche just now. It’s great, but sadly doesn’t cater to anyone who is bigger than a large. (I’m an in between girl. I fit an XL- some consider that plus size, others don’t.)
For those of you who ARE a bit more curvy Forever 21 has a new online store called Faith 21- http://www.forever21.com/category.asp?catalog_name=FOREVER21&category_name=faith_main&Page=1&gclid=CIfN7e-zkKACFREYawoduxttdw The selection is much smaller, of course.
You may always want to look into Modcloth.com. Very cute dresses. Though they are like Ruche with their smaller sizings.
hi kirsten! i understand you about sizing. my issue isn’t so much with my size as my shape. so much cute clothing is built for girls who look more like boys. aside from my lack of bum, i’m about as curvy as it gets! my solution is going to be investing in some great vintage pieces. i just got a dress (came today!) with a really full bustline and a tiny waist. it fits perfectly!
thanks for the rec about modcloth!
Cool!…Kind of reminds me of my clothing designs so I love them!lol
The tunic in pic1 is very nice
I still have to learn how to ‘purge’ my wardrobe
Some of the stuff in there is ages old and hasn’t been worn in about as long, but I have a hard time letting go 
Did make some progress with colors so in the last 15 years. Nowadays I wear more then just black, grey, olive green and blue.
hi rabamata! unfortunately, my colors have regressed a ton in the last 5 years. i used to wear bright pink & blue all the time. now a day without gray is like a day without sunshine… oh wait, it really is. lol.
Minx shop is one of my favs on etsy! I love her cute take on basics, like the top in the middle and the bottom.
I too am curvy for miles and i LOVE this other seller too: replicca on etsy. I have five of her pieces right now. She’s got a lot of gray up at the moment, so I am patiently awaiting her spring line.
Gasp! Beautiful pieces!
I did the exact same thing this month – I got rid of soooo much it actually made me a little sick. I thrift shop alot, so things tend to get out of control. I probably purged 5 or 6 garbage bags of clothes that were old/worn out or didn’t fit after Zenin was born (which was the bulk of it!) – crazy!
Ooooo, Faith21 – now! There! Right up my alley! Thanks Kirsten! I too am an XL after one babe & another one due in the Spring – hope to get back down into Mediums one day but until then – I will keep this place in mind after this babe! Xo!
Aw, you are great Tara, thanks for the feature.
I actually regressed a ton color-wise about five – six years ago too. This was back when I was selling on Ebay, and Shrinkle and a bunch of us were in our heyday. My problem was that when that dolly pink trend (think ruffles, pinks, and ribbons) hit all the stores, I kind of ODed on it, and regressed to black. Just black, all the time.
Now I’ve gotten much better, but it was SUCH an effort. I finally saw a picture of myself in a black turtleneck, and realized it was horribly unflattering, and changed my ways.
I still have trouble with pinks though!
Oh, and side note: I do offer different sizes, and can do custom orders for anything that I don’t have in the shop. I tried to make a majority of my clothes curve-happy. I may not have kids, but I eat enough cupcakes to appreciate a loose fit. =)
Also, I love modcloth. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard of them. Their headquarters are in Pittsburgh!
Going to check out some of the stores and shops mentioned. =D
Oh no….what are you doing to me?! I must immediately go and purchase half of her shop and bankrupt myself! What wonderful, soft, feminine clothes! And grey has always been one of my favorite colors….glad to see so much of it in her shop.
I love jersey too! Great selection, I love all of those. I have a vintage etsy store if you would like to check it out (: samwish3.etsy.com Just a thought, I’m in the middle of a wardrobe makeover myself! Good luck!
I was just blog-hopping earlier looking for party ideas for my daughter’s first birthday and came across Scarfu.com! We’re doing an Alice & Wonderland theme for her party, so I wanted to find something different, kind of statement-y, but comfortable. They only have a few items, but they’re all adorable and the prices aren’t too bad!
1) Minxshop on etsy is amazing, both with the product AND the designer. I love her style, and Minkie has been very helpful to me as a Designer peer on etsy. Good for her that you did this feature.
2) I found this fabulous blog for seeing some talented “over 50″ women at “Advanced Style” http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/ that will inspire you…some real MAGIC endowed women there. (real life women on the street!)
3) Not being so youngish myself anymore, I tend to lean towards plainer clothes, like you…simple lines, neutral colors, fine quality though, and change the looks with accessories….
That’s why I create accessories….it’s much easier to “play” around with them to get a stylish look without feeling clumsy and unsure….
I would love for you to do a feature on my accessories!
Love your blog!
Envive!