So it turns out that that rule about not buying a piece that requires you to buy other pieces works pretty well. Each of these were separate purchases over a decent span of time, and none of them were bought with this outfit in mind. But I think together it results in an obviously historically inspired but contemporary outfit, that brings me a lot of joy.

I'm not going to lie - one of the reasons I don't do buying guides or wishlists is that I rarely have a very specific piece in mind when clothes shopping, and even when I do, it's rare that what I'm eyeing fits the way I like. I am a person who buys a lot and keeps very little - it's a gift and a curse, because I'll try on almost anything and sometimes that works in my favor even when I don't want it to. I think that's the hardest thing to explain to people about my wardrobe. I try on, and even temporarily buy, a LOT because the percentage of what I actually like and keep is negligible. Ok, well may not negligible, but it's certainly not HIGH. I like clothing and admire how other people look in them, which influences what I decide to try, but it doesn't change what I decide to keep because if it doesn't look good it doesn't look good.

Which is all well and good as a philosophy until I find myself in the dressing room at a Christy Dawn pop-up and all of the seemingly large and oversized "one size fits all" pieces look like sh*t. Like all things in life it's a work in progress.

In case you're as obsessive about my wardrobe as I am (doubtful), you may have noticed a distinct lack of skirts on the blog over the last year or two. Slowly but surely I got rid of almost every one I owned, with the most simple of reasons - I just didn't want to wear them anymore. It took a lot of online mental convincing to even get me to the point of trying any on this season, but Reformation got me over the finish line.

I got exclamations of shock from some of the associates when I said this in store, but I do actually find Reformation to fit true to size. It might not fit well, and it might not look great, but it does fit, and so I wasn't totally shocked that the size 12 did here. What did shock me was how well it flowed over the parts of myself I'm most self-conscious about, and how fun the bright green was. I considered the investment in one skirt I truly loved worth it, though after wearing it a couple times in real life I've also decided that for my own comfort I'm going to be sewing down the slit an inch or two hahaha.

And in an effort to be totally transparent, this lovely cross-body bag did a number on the weave of the skirt, causing some picks over my hip that did destroy my life a little. BUT. I am buying clothes to wear and you know what happens? Picks, runs, stains, LIFE. I refuse to invest in a skirt that makes me happy and never wear it because I'm scared of messing it up. I'm woosahing about the whole thing, because if you don't wear your favorite pieces, what's the point?

The 90 degree days are officially upon us in DC, which means I'll be trying to get away with the easiest and lightest of outfits I can.

I picked up this dress over the Winter when it went deeply discounted, and while usually I'd say ordering Final Sale online is a deal breaker, funnily enough I'd tried this specific dress on last July, so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I know that fit is very personal, but while there are a few outliers, I tend to think the dresses from Reformation fit true to size. In fact, due to the stretch back, I probably could have gotten away with a size down. I will always (always always) advocate trying things on before you commit, but it's nice to know about where I land on the size chart before I get started.

I think the general consensus among my friends right now is that I need more green items in my closet. It's not a color I'm typically drawn to, but ooh, that is a-changing.

I decided to combine these two posts because 1) I'm buying less and less so I'm concerned the recap posts aren't very interesting on their own 2) this outfit is a great springboard to discuss how I regularly purge my wardrobe.

I bought this denim/chambray top 1-2 years ago, to replace a very worn Lucky Brand shirt. I decided to replace it with something of a better quality because if you've managed to wear a piece out it *has* to be considered a wardrobe staple, right? Yeah, not so much.

Do you know how many times I've worn this button down? Maybe a handful if I'm being generous. And I could take that as a failure. I could take that as a yet another example of how I don't have a firm grasp on my style. Instead I'm going to accept it as a step that I took in what I thought was the best direction, even if it didn't turn out that way. I'll take it out of my closet, put it away in storage, and see if I miss it. That's really my preferred way of purging my closet anyway. Instead of a firm timeline or switching hangers, I just take it out, put it away, and see if I remember that I even owned it. If it turns out that a particular wardrobe piece doesn't actually deserve the place that it has, I give it away or sell it, to make sure that it still goes to a happy home.

I think so many of us are consumed by the idea of Marie Kondo-ing our lives right now, and the right way, that we lose sight of the fact that whatever way we can do it is probably already the best way. I don't want to purge certain sections (cocktail and other specialty event wear are the most prominent examples) because even if I don't wear them often, those pieces do get worn, and that's not a failure. It's a recognition of how I like my closet to function, in a way that works for me.

This top is actually a combination of two firsts: a wrap that doesn't leave all my goodies hanging out, and a for-real crop top. Which I'm not going to say I'm completely comfortable wearing yet, but I'm trying to push some self-imposed style boundaries while the weather is transitioning, and this piece from Free People is doing a great deal of the heavy lifting in that department. 

It runs to true to size (I ordered the medium too and while it technically went around my waist, the front no longer covered as much) and the linen mix is great for when it's warm but not that warm. Plus the ties at the wrist are unique to the rest of my closet, not to mention the color, so I'm happy to add it to my Fall rotation!