Style Dispatch

The first Style Dispatch of 2010 is a bit rushed, so I hope you will excuse this cross-post from Haute Macabre, A Spartan Resolution:

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I have decided that, having as much clothing as I do should preclude me from adding anything to my obese closets until next winter. That’s right, a whole year without shopping.

It might sound insane at first, especially if you consider that, until now, I shopped almost monthly. However, in recent days my longing for order and a sort of zen sensibility has amplified. My soul screams each time I gaze into the wardrobe abyss before dressing. The epithets may change, but the meaning remains the same: I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF.

And it’s true. I don’t know what I own anymore and it’s nearly impossible to locate whatever I feel like wearing in the chasm. I have been battling with ways to organize, to catalog, to make sense of it all, but until a massive culling occurs, the problem shall remain. So, can a rabid fashionista abstain from acquisition and evade the lure of the shiny and the new?  This is my experiment.

I have no idea as to how this will play out. Perhaps my fashion blogging will get desperately enthusiastic, strung high on longing. Maybe, in an effort to shop vicariously, I’ll beg you to buy new things and post photos of yourselves in them here. I might start a folder on my desktop dedicated to a very few select things I simply can’t live without and will buy once my fashion fast is over. Because I haven’t had much need for innovation, I’m especially looking forward to getting into the wardrobe remix spirit and finding new ways to wear things.

The last few clothing items I purchased were from H&M’s first round of [admittedly awesome] fall fashion and I stopped there, pledging to spend no more, not counting undergarments. My goal is to actually get rid of stuff throughout the year, hopefully resulting in a streamlined, organized collection of nothing but créme de la créme. Quality over quantity, at last.

Sometimes I even wonder if I’m slowly developing a Cayce Pollard-style fashion allergy, at the apex of which I will reduce my wardrobe to pure basics, removing anything that even hints at trends and embellishments. Then I look at my small collection of Fluevogs and know in my heart I am safe.

Un-official mini-update! It’s been one month and I have purchased nothing. There have only been two items that tempted me – a new leather jacket and a pair of intensely ornate lace tights, but nothing overly painful. Sadly, I haven’t had time to get rid of anything either, but I hope this changes in February.

Allow me to preface the rest of the post by saying that I was in a hurry to leave, it was night time, and my landlady has locked up the roof, so these photos were super-mega-quick and dirty. This is a slight augmentation of the everyday uniform, generally consisting of tights, layered tops, leather jacket and boots. The chief difference here being the addition of a pattern and accessories.

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There was once a time when I was filthy with pins, clips, rings. bracelets, etc, but no more. these days I prefer one or two strong pieces. Not a big fan of Valentine’s Day, which is fast-approaching, judging by too-rosy window displays and overabundance of candy at the grocery store, so huge black heart jewelry makes me extra-happy. Those aren’t stones, but silky stained wood, soundly wrapped in silver.

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The Components

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