This is my last week of maternity leave. I don’t plan on having any more kids, so heading back to work on Monday marks the end of the newborn season of my life. I had anticipated having children for a long time, and after I had my son, I’d looked forward to experiencing a second pregnancy and birth, and to welcoming a daughter. I have my ideal family now, but it’s a little bittersweet to think that I won’t be doing it all again.
As hard as it will be to leave my baby on Monday, I’m eager for something of a return to normalcy. I’m not sure what normalcy even means in 2020, but maternity leave can feel like a pause in life, and I think I’m ready to hit play again.
Yesterday was the last day of my initial #Project333 attempt, and I’m happy to report that I stuck with the challenge for the full three months! I did cheat in two small ways: I borrowed a pair of gloves when I was visiting my mom because it was really cold, and I borrowed a hoodie from a friend when we spontaneously decided to spend sometime outside after brunch and I hadn’t prepared for the chilly weather. Otherwise, I limited myself to the initial list I posted three months ago. I replaced my black pantsuit mid-challenge, which is something I had contemplated doing before I started this because the old one was getting pretty worn (I had bought it in 2011 and worn it heavily). Since I just replaced one black pantsuit with another that looked pretty similar, I didn’t consider that to be going outside my 33 items.
So how did it go? Well, dressing for essentially three seasons with 33 items was tough. When I started the challenge, it was hot here, and I wished I had included a pair of shorts. When I finished, it was cold and snowy, and there were days when my fleece-lined trench coat wasn’t quite warm enough for the winter weather. I managed okay, but it would have been nice to have some gloves and a heavier coat. The temperatures during the past three months have ranged from the 20s to the 80s, which is a big spread. I could probably control for some of that variation by timing the three-month seasons differently, but I live in a place with a variable, unpredictable climate, so big swings in the weather are probably unavoidable here. It may have been smarter for me to swap out some unnecessary accessories (a second pair of earrings, a thin scarf) for some more seasonally-practical items.
Me in my new Sumissura suit, post-alterations (apologies for the poor-quality cell phone photos)
Alexigraph is not a fashion blog, and I rarely post product reviews here, so this post is a little out of the ordinary for me. It is not a sponsored post, just an honest review of a service that I thought might be of interest to some of you.
A few years ago, I made the decision only to purchase clothes that are made by people working in safe conditions or that are second-hand (you can read more about my reasons here). For the most part, it’s been a fun challenge to seek out brands and retailers that meet my standards, and the change has significantly cut down on impulse shopping.
Over the past few months (years?), a thought has occurred to me with increasing frequency: I spend a LOT of time, mental energy, and money on what I wear. From reading fashion blogs, to planning the next day’s outfit, to trying to find the perfect companion for that unique item I bought, to online shopping, to trying on and returning purchases, clothes and accessories have claimed too much of my life. So I’m ready to say enough. It’s time to refocus all that energy and money on more important things.
If you use Pinterest or read women’s magazines or websites, you may have come across this concept: Turn around all the hangers in your closet. After you wear something, hang it up with the hanger facing the other direction. You will easily be able to see which clothes you’ve worn and which you haven’t. After six months or a year, donate or sell any items you haven’t worn.
It’s not a bad idea, but because I fully Marie Kondo-ed my closet last year (more about that later) and am generally pretty good about regularly purging clothes that are in poor condition or don’t fit well, this concept didn’t seem all that useful to me. But it sparked a slightly different idea.
