I grew up in a home where clothes were the last thing we thought about. The order of importance in our family was school, chocolate, sarcasm...then clothes. Basically, we all just wore t-shirt and jeans. We had all the clothes we needed, but going out of our way to buy fashionable things just never happened.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that I have never been able to enjoy buying clothes. It has always seemed self-indulgent. I know rationally that is not true and I love helping others buy things to their hearts' content (so long as it is within their means). Seriously, if you want someone to encourage you to buy those cute new shoes, I'm your girl. I just won't be buying any myself.
As I've been growing up (which is still an on going process in mymid-ish? twenties), I've realized that I want to put a little more effort into my look. Maybe if I look put together, I will start to feel put together, right? But I still haven't been able to kick that little voice inside my head. I've tried. Those kickboxing classes have helped, but I still can't reach that tiny little man.
As a result, I have a small closet. With a small closet, the only choice is to wear the same combinations over and over again or to mix and match. For a long time, I chose the former. Now, I am trying to do the latter. Joining the 30 for 30 pushes me to try new things and be creative with my clothes, while holding me accountable to not just fall back to my repeating ways. Remixing has also helped me learn what works for me and what doesn't. I've learned that with a small closet, I need to be sure that the items I do have are things that I love and things that I can use in many different outfits and in many different ways.
So, why do I remix? I remix because I'm not comfortable spending lots of time or money on clothes. I remix because, like a large portion of the population, I work within the confines of my closet. I seek to learn more about my style and to push myself to try new things. What better way to do that than to by joining the 30 for 30?
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Follow Linda and her blog at The Auspicious Life or remix outfits with bloggers with her Every Body, Every Wear.