The First Thing I Did

I told you I was going on a lifestyle purge a couple of posts ago and that's just what I did. I shouldn't make it sound like it's done, though; it's an on-going state of affairs.

A great article in Forbes came across my Zite newsfeed this morning that was perhaps more telling than I wanted it to be, but revealed some truths that I was ready to have a chat with. The article features expertise by Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner and the table that Forbes featured (on page 2 of the article, screen-grabbed below) had my number right off the bat.

I took the Golden Ratio to heart this past week, bringing five bags to Goodwill (it's all I could fit in my sweet little Audi) and getting another one ready for a delivery this week. I also have a bag of things put aside that my mom might like, but they'll be bounding down the GW Parkway if she doesn't take the bait. While some items went into the bags without a second thought, it was a little--okay a lot--sad to get rid of some of the others. The symbolism associated with certain pieces of clothing is pretty startling once you begin to make "Keep" and "Go" piles. There were clothes from days gone by, waistlines gone by, eras of both my deep and recent pasts that show the passage of time... It was a walk down Memory Lane, through a living museum of the past 10 or so years of my life. A lot has happened in that decade and still I needed to show it the door.

The clothes that were too small initially felt disappointing to me, like I had failed or zigged when I should have zagged. Over time, I have accepted my shape and that is a bit of what got me into this predicament opportunity for renewal. My body is a super healthy and strong place and I absolutely enjoy inhabiting it. In fact, I don't have far to go to get back to "fighting weight," which is a blessing in and of itself. What I do need to remember is that I owe this body the confidence that time has chipped away and that's what I'm after getting back.

It started at Old Navy, which is adjacent (by Vermont standards) to the Goodwill that happily accepted the clothes and shoes that I sent to someone who could use them more than I can. If I'm sticking to Dr. Baumgartner's theories, since I had gotten rid of four bags, I could take one home, right?

Pardon the handwashing PSA
in the top right corner. I was in my
classroom doing some work when
the inspiration for this post hit.

Oh. My. Science. Did I take a bag home! Pulling a bit of inspiration from not one, but two Corals & Cognacs posts, I pulled together what I am calling a baby step down the Yellow Brick Road toward a more stylistically fabulous place. It will likely look like nothing much to you, but I am stoked to be wearing pants--skinny jeans, no less--with a zipper and playing around once again with print and pattern. I am also loving the look of not wearing boots with skinny jeans/leggings, which is another rabbit hole I had fallen down.

Fun print socks are too cute to hide
under riding boots, dontcha think?

Old Navy happened to be having its giant, post-holiday sale, so I scored big. The "Free Your Mind" tank was a couple of bucks and it reminded me that, when you do it right, you can pull things from workout (or, in my case, slouch) wear and mix them with more structured pieces. To that end, I have a new rule: at least one zip up, denim, button down, or other such garment needs to be at play in every outfit I wear. My pre-teaching life was ruled by suits and somehow everything always fit. A button is more than just a way to keep you from spilling out, it's also a barometer of what your hips and thighs are up to. And Shakira said it, not me: Hips don't lie. The mystery of waking up in a world where nothing fits was clearly caused by a one-size-fits-all phase that lasted, like, way too long. No more! Purge the thought! Free your mind!

The closet space that the old clothes purge freed up is nothing to sneeze at and I also unwittingly rolled back the stones of a few tombs, finding some long-buried items that I resurrected for a second life. Closet shopping--especially with clear eyes and a fresh mission--is almost better than store shopping. Almost. I will take and share pictures of some other concoctions as they play out. I am excited to start playing with clothing again and being confident to try new and different looks.

Phew! That's the first thing I did. It was much more fun than the second thing...