Linda on Why I Remix

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. 

Tabitha on Why I Remix

My husband is a Financial Advisor and being married to me is no walk in the park. He was aware of my financial ignorance and knew that I had a shopping habit from the very beginning of our relationship, but never knew how much I spent or how often I shopped. When we got married and merged our finances, he became more aware than ever - evaluating every single dime I spent, where I spent it and why. After being grilled so many times for my expensive hobby, I realized that I needed to re-adjust my thinking. In order to save money for those rainy days, I changed how I shop and had to reinvent ways to use every piece of article in my closet.

Why I Remix?

I have a fear of being seen wearing the same outfit twice. Hi, my name is Tabitha and I’m a repeater phobic. Not really true, but sort of. I’ll be honest, I'm not proud of this reason, but it's partially the truth. I used to be, and to a certain extent still am, someone who buys a new outfit for every occasion. Friend's wedding? New dress. Reuniting with old friends? New outfit. Friday night out? New shoes and accessories. You get where I'm going.

The worst part was when I would log on to Facebook, upload photos and realize that I was rotating the same 3 or 4 same outfits when I went out with friends. It made me more self-conscious about wearing the same outfit twice.

I started remixing because I don't have the budget to buy a new outfit every single time I go out. That's an un-realistic fantasy to be able to swing that. I realized that instead of wearing the same outfits, I could remix items to create new outfits. I now love the endless possibilities that one item brings and am not so quick to go shopping when I feel like I have nothing to wear.

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Follow Tabitha (and wish her a Happy Birthday tomorrow!) at her blog, Fashion Therapist. 

Erin on Why I Remix

I buy my clothes at largely the same places that everyone else does. But that doesn’t mean I have to wear them in the same way that everyone else wears them. You can have a wardrobe that’s 90% “big box store” items, but no one would ever suspect as long as you wear those items your own way!

Why Do I remix?

I think that clothes and accessories offer such a wonderful outlet for us to express ourselves, for us to present to the world our personality and even our mood. And since my mood changes all the time, the way I wear my clothes changes too! My style changes in little ways every day. I’m constantly influenced by not just my mood, but fashion blogs, TV shows and people on the street. Remixing is a great way to keep evolving your style. I don’t need new clothes, just new pairings.

I thought myself a proficient remixer before I participated in the 30x30 challenge, but I’ve gained new insight into how I approach clothes and what categories I put things in. I’ve worn things in ways I never would have imagined had they not been on the rack together, and it’s been wonderful. I’ve felt like I have tons of new clothes, without actually buying any!

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Keep up with Erin and her remix at Work With What You've Got.

Clare on Why I Remix

{Meet Clare.}

I was a thrift store baby. No, my parents didn't buy me at the local Savers, between the used vases and platform shoes, but I did grow up wearing primarily second-hand clothing. My favorite moment at the beginning of each school year was our back-to-school shopping at the ARC. So I grew up knowing how to take one item, which had been designed, worn, and styled by someone else, at a different moment in time, and make it my own. This is not to say I was stylish as a child - you should see some of the pictures from middle school. I grew into being stylish, but I think it had a lot to do with wearing clothes from so many different styles and eras.

Why do I remix?

I remix because I think that's what clothes are for. I think that when a dress is designed, and when some version of that style eventually lands on the racks at Target and the Gap, the designer didn't intend that that style be worn in only one way, by one type of person, one time (of course, there are plenty of custom-made pieces that make my argument completely null and void, so let's just ignore those, okay? Plus, I'd just take that as a challenge anyway). I think that, for the most part, clothing is designed to be worn. Short of that slutty sailor Halloween costume where the top, bottom, and everything in-between are sewn together to eliminate the confusion of how to wear it, clothes are meant to be taken out of their element. Items are meant to be worn in different styles, with different colors and patterns, and in different periods of time.

I think that's why I love thrifting so much. I can find pieces that were meant for women (and men!) so different from me, who undoubtedly wore that item in a way that I never would have thought to, and I can buy it and style it in my own way, and then in many other new and creative ways before I finally send it back to the Goodwill to let it find a new home. And that's what I get to do with my closet this month. I'm getting to go back to the roots of what my clothes were meant to do, and wear each piece in new and exciting ways.

I remix because each item in my wardrobe is positively begging me to do so. It's what they were made for. I'm just fulfilling their dreams.

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Follow Clare at Between Laundry Days as she fulfills her dreams and takes over the world one thrifted piece at at time.

Linley on Why I Remix

I have more clothes than I need and never all the clothes that I want - do you have this problem? Time after time I walk into my closet (and it's just a couple steps in, people - nothing to run laps around), see nothing I like, and decide I need more clothes. So I'll purchase a couple new pieces for the season, wear them repeatedly - sometimes two days in a row - and this becomes a vicious cycle every couple of months. Not good. I needed an eyeopener to my current closet.

I remix...

to open my eyes to undiscovered outfits already in my closet.
to prove that style isn't always about trends.
to bring life to older pieces.
to learn more about myself, my style, and my closet.
to rationally realize what I need vs. want.
and... because it's fun!

I thoroughly enjoy creativity and originality. Being different, but in a great and inspiring way. I've always had a love for style and making it my own. Remixing is a window into your own style - it's a way to challenge yourself to further your creativity. And while creativity cannot be forced, it can be pushed - and that's when things become great!

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Follow Linley as she remixes her way through her closet at Dwelling and Telling. 

Linda on Why I Remix

I love shopping! Who doesn't? Well, besides my sister which still makes me wonder if she's adopted or something. I love shopping so much that 6 years ago I would get paid and then spend 150% of it on clothes (thank you Visa!). Then, I met Bob. He had decided to get out of debt and when we got married, he whipped me into shape. It wasn't easy. I cried countless times because I had "nothing to wear." My size changed AND I was wanting to change my style, so most days I would just stand in front of my closet hoping something new was going to just magically appear! At that point I was remixing (long before I knew Kendi) because I OWNED fewer than 30 wearable items. It was painful. But I learned some valuable lessons:

1. Having a roof over my head is more important than having the latest and greatest.
2. I'm still the same person without new clothes as I am with them.
3. Creativity is born within limitations.

Why I Remix

• I remix because I'm part of a family (and a world) that doesn't revolve around me.
• I remix because I've learned that discipline helps me get what I want.
• I remix because when I don't buy everything I see I can pay off debt and have a better future.
• I remix because it forces me to be creative.
• I remix so I can be grateful for what I have and forget about all the things I want, but don't need.
• I remix to prove that clothes don't define who I am.

"Happy thou art not; For what thou hast not, still thou strivest to get, And what thou hast, forget'st." -William Shakespeare from Measure for Measure

Find Linda at Rose a la Mode and follow her stylish ways. 

Kyla on Why I Remix

"I live in a small town and have a small clothing budget to match. Just because I don't have the means or monies to build a huge designer wardrobe doesn't mean I can't have style. Where inspiration lacks, creativity prevails.

Why I Remix?

Because I can. In the not so distant past, I used to have a handful of favorite outfits that I would wear and re-wear, exactly the same way every time. That was dull and unsustainable. Eventually, it left me feeling really bored and unsatisfied with my wardrobe. Which, of course, led to more frustration as my budget didn't allow for constant spending. Now, I'm loving the variety and simplicity that remixing offers. Yes, I can have endless possibilities with finite pieces. Yes, I can have style without breaking the bank. And yes, I can get dressed in less than 15 minutes, because there's only so much to choose from. The latter has been the most resonating perk of the 30 for 30 challenge. At first, I was afraid of limiting myself, but now I find it freeing. Knowing exactly what's there and how it fits makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier. So, yes. I remix because I can."

If you don't already, follow Kyla and her unmatchable remixing skills over at Blue Collar Catwalk. 

Jen on Why I Remix

"I am naturally a person that loves to be creative. It is what drives me each day, but sometimes life can get you down and it can suck that drive from you. I started jenloveskev as a way to challenge myself to stay creative everyday with my outfits, in cooking, with my art and just life in general. I wanted to share with people that you didn't have to spend lots of money on clothes to have a versatile wardrobe. That each morning you can wake up and put together a super awesome outfit from items that you have already worn a bunch of times. It's all in the way you think about it! 

Why do I remix?

It keeps my budget in control and it keeps me feeling creative. There is something so rewarding about hearing someone say 'I never see you wearing the same thing twice, you must spend a fortune.' Haha I love knowing that I haven't broken the bank on all the latest trends, but that people think I have.  Remixing keeps things fresh and with a few key pieces and a handful of accessories it creates endless possibilities. Life is short and when it comes down to it, I'd much rather spend extra money on adventures with Kev than on clothes. "

If you don't already, follow Jen on her stylish adventures at jenloveskev. 

Keira on Why I Remix

"I have a chronic bank-account-degenerating condition characterized by a nagging, insatiable need for new stuff. Even with a closet full of brand new clothes, I often find myself standing in my closet with that all too familiar feeling of having nothing to wear. I think to myself, “if I just had [insert item of the moment] my closet would finally be complete and I’d never need to shop again.” But shortly after splurging on that missing piece, I discover another “must-have” and the inner-monologue-and-subsequent-retail-binge cycle starts all over again. Why do I remix? To prove to myself -- and others with similar too-much-is-never-enough infirmities -- that having great style doesn’t require a wardrobe stocked to the gills with brand new items... To learn to put down my credit card and reprogram my out-of-control shopping habits... To stop identifying my style by the number of times I repeat an outfit... And most important (this is where remixing gets deep): to take time out to appreciate the abundance in my life… both in my closet and beyond its doors."

If you haven't already, find Keira at A Pretty Penny and follow along in her style adventures.

Tania on Why I Remix

"As a grad student, my work revolves around rereading and rewriting. I have found that reading a novel for the second time is always more fruitful than the first, and a carefully revised paper is considerably better than an early draft. Naturally, my interest in revision applies to my closet, as well. Just as scholars thrive on finding new meanings in oft-read texts, remixers thrive on finding new combinations for well-worn pieces.
Some of my favorite outfits are built on a dress or cardigan I’ve had in my closet forever, that I’ve found a new way to wear. Figuring out new ways to wear old pieces—layered under or over things, with scarves or tights or bangles, in an entirely new color combination—is the best way to make a limited closet feel fresh and exciting. I’ve worn my favorite dress a hundred and two times but I think I can find about a hundred and two more ways to remix it.
So why do I remix? For the challenge of creatively styling and re-styling my closet, to see old clothes with new eyes, and to practice in new ways the lesson I teach my students every semester: revision, revision, revision."
If you haven't already, find Tania at What Would a Nerd Wear and follow along in her style adventures.