Friday, August 11, 2017

A Dress That Keeps Going, And Going, And Going....

I'll be honest, I go through a lot of clothes.  I'm sure I've contributed a lot to the carbon footprint with my disposal wardrobe.  But before all the environmentalists start lecturing me,  I also think I am far more environmentally conscientious than the average person.  I recycle and reuse everything...and I mean EVERYTHING, nothing goes to waste in my household.  I even wash and reuse sandwich bags or I never throw away a tea bag until I'm pretty sure I can't get one more cup of tea out of it.  I have created an almost two acre flower garden which feeds the birds and the bees and all other creatures who visit my yard.  I could go on and on with examples, well,  you get the idea.  But when it comes to clothes, I get bored easily and I like to buy new clothes as often as I can.  I do donate my clothes and not just to local charities.  My last haul I gave to my daughter to go through and after she picked out a few items, she ended up passing them off to a young new mom who was absolutely thrilled to receive them.  This new mom still hadn't lost all her pregnancy weight and didn't have the money to just go and buy all new clothes.  It made me feel good to know that my clothes made someone else so happy.

But no matter how often I "recycle" through clothes, there are always a few items in my closet that never go away...they keep going, and going, and going, year after year, just like the Energizer Bunny. And this striped jersey Joe Fresh dress that I purchased from JCPenney three years ago is one of them.


I can't even begin to tell you how much I LOVE this dress.  It's a soft jersey knit so it is so comfortable (hmm, I wonder if that's the reason it outlasted everything else in my closet?).  It's a tank racer back dress so I can wear it in very hot weather or I can layer it for cooler weather.  I've worn it with a t-shirt underneath and red sneakers HERE,  a camisole, white sandals, and white denim jacket HERE,  an olive green utility jacket, black sandals and hat HERE, and with a white shrug and yellow sandals HERE. 


On this day it was actually very hot and muggy so I wore the dress without a camisole or tee and nude sandals.   I wore this outfit as I was driving the six hours home from Illinois to Wisconsin.   It was so comfortable to wear in the car because of the loose fit and fabric.

I stopped multiple times on the way home for potty breaks, food, gas, and to pick up some groceries.  That is when I wore the cardigan.  The air conditioned buildings were too cold for me to go sleeveless.


I always use a cross body bag when traveling.  I received this mint green one from my daughter.    For jewelry, I wore a black and silver bracelet and a stone necklace.


My sandals and shoes are both new this season.  I chose these sandals because I was driving a long distance.  I didn't want anything with a heel or anything that would slip off my foot too easily and become dangerous to wear while driving.


They are a very supportive sandal and they have a Velcro closure.  I got them for an amazing deal at Younkers.  They were originally priced for $70.00, but were marked down to $24.99 for a  summer "Black Friday Sale".  I also had a $10.00 coupon so I scored them for only $14.99!


My necklace I picked up while on vacation at Cocoa Beach almost two years ago.


My cardigan is by Worthington and is still available HERE.  I love it so much I bought it in two colors:  white and rose smoke (the rose color is sold out).  It's the perfect summer cardigan:  thin, lightweight, three-quarter sleeve.  It provides just that extra touch of warmth you might need from air conditioned buildings or cooler nights.


Twice a year I go through my closet and remove clothes I don't want anymore.  I ask myself these questions in determining what stays and what goes.

Does It Still Fit?  Not, "It will fit if I gain/lose 5 pounds."  Does it fit right now?

Is It Comfortable?  Unless it's for a wedding, funeral, or other special event if it isn't comfortable I know I won't wear it.  So out it goes.

Is It Still In Style?  This can be difficult as things go in and out of style so quickly nowadays.  I can't tell you how many times I've discarded something thinking it was out-of-style only to see it return back in-style a few seasons later.

Do I Like It?  That's a good one.  So often I buy clothes because they are trendy, but I really don't like them (Think cold shoulder tops.  After purchasing two of those this season, I've determined they are not for me).  I try to keep clothes that I really like, not what other people like, because I'm the one who will be wearing them.

Do I Feel Good About Myself When I Am Wearing It?  Oh, that's a hard one!  It kind of goes with Do I Like It, but it's more than that.  An item that makes me feel good about myself is one where I feel confident, pretty, and most like "me".

Is It Damaged?  We all have the favorite tee or sweatshirt that has a stain on it or a little hole somewhere but we can't part with it because we love it so much.  But, we never wear it outside the house because it is damaged.  So it ends up being worn to do house work or gardening.  But eventually the number of stained/damaged clothes starts to exceed the number of perfect clothes, so something has to give.  That's when I have to determine which pieces have just a little more wear left to them and which ones go into the garbage.  Do not donate damaged clothing.

Do I Need It?  There are some items I keep in my closet for special occasions that I haven't worn in years.  Some examples would be :  A black suit for funerals (gosh I hope I don't need to wear that for a long time) or a beach suit cover-up ( I can't remember the last time I spent all day hanging pool side where I would need a cover-up, but do I really need to toss it only to have to buy another one when the occasion would arise?).  But there are many items in our closets that we frankly really don't need and someone else might really be able to get a lot of use out of.  I use to have a lot of semi-formal clothing from when I use to sing on a worship team.  I haven't sung for a couple of years now and I was not using that clothing.  Now I only wear casual clothes to church.  But my daughter, who goes to a very formal church and sings in their choir could make good use of that clothing so I gave all those items to her.  Why keep items taking up space in your closet if someone else really needs them?



These are the questions I ask myself when deciding if a clothing item gets donated, or it keeps going, and going, and going year after year in my wardrobe...just like the Energizer Bunny.  The dress I'm wearing in today's post meets all my criteria:  It fits, it's comfortable, the stripes are still in style, I like it, I feel good about myself when I wear it, it's not damaged, and I definitely need it!

What about you?  What questions do you ask yourself when deciding if an item stays or goes?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

14 comments:

  1. Girl. I feel ya on the carbon footprint. LOL!!! And I do not wash out my sandwich baggies, just sayin'. I often wonder what the mailman must think when he drops off 5 boxes at my doorstep, lol. Isn't it great when you find a wardrobe piece that you don't get tired of? That dress is adorable and versatile too, I'm sure.

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    1. Ha-ha! Well, I hear Al Gore has a lot to feel guilty about too with his big house!

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    2. Great post. I love the mint with this dress. I have a similar dress that I haven't worn this season. Will break it out and try mine with my mint cardi. Can't go wrong with green!!!

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  2. The perfect little summer dress! Thanks so much for linking up with Fun Fashion Friday!

    OXOX
    Dawn Lucy
    http://fashionshouldbefun.com

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  3. You can't go wrong with a striped dress!!! They will probably be in-style forever! Such a classic look!

    Sarah
    Trendy & Tidy

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  4. What a really fabulous striped dress. I gotta start thinking more about my carbon footprint when it comes to my clothes.

    www.ohtobeamuse.com

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  5. Thanks for joining the Top of the World Style linkup party with your post. I can see why this dress keeps going and going. It's a classic and you look awesome in it. Thus, why would/should you toss it when it is not yet falling apart?

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    1. Thanks Nicole! As long as it's still in style and not falling apart, I will keep wearing it!

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  6. What a pretty dress! I bought a dress I havent worn yet on the blog that is striped and looks very versatile. It is a classic look and looks great with your sandals. How nice for you to give your clothes to a new mom... I end up giving to Goodwill each season for things that I just dont wear.
    Thanks for linking!
    jess xx
    www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

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    1. Thanks so much Jessica. I can't wait to see your striped dress!

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