Since being pregnant and then needing breastfeeding friendly clothes, there are a lot of clothes that I haven’t worn for over 2 years. Now that I can wear everything again, I thought it was time for a closet clean out. So I’m back with another style challenge. The challenge? Find 5 pieces of clothing that I haven’t worn and style them into outfits that I like this week.
So to figure out which pieces of clothing I’m going to be using this week I’ve looked into the style stats in my Stylebook app. I wanted to find a mixture of clothes that haven’t been worn in the longest time and also have the least amount of wears. This should be a good mixture of clothes I never wear. Not only will I have to style the pieces I never wear and wear them that day but I’ll also be deciding whether I’m keeping the item in my wardrobe or whether it’s had it’s day.
I’m really excited for this challenge. I’m intrigued to see whether I can come up with new and interesting ways to style pieces that feel old and boring. Let’s get into the first day and the first piece of clothing.
Day 1
The first piece of clothing I’ll be styling this week is this horizontal, striped, kind of body con, singlet dress. I got it at H&M when I was specifically on the hunt for a striped dress that was a little bit longer, to replace the one I had, which was too short on me. It was on sale for $7 and I didn’t try it on in store, a sure-fire way to buy something that isn’t quite right. While it does sit at a decent length, it rides up whenever you walk around in it. There’s also something about the fit that I’m not too keen on. I haven’t worn this in 430 days!
For today, I decided to pair the dress with this J’adore slogan tee over the top knotted, with my white sneakers and a statement blingy necklace. That in itself is a really cute outfit which I’m digging but I also chucked my new oversized distressed denim jacket over the top.
My day consisted of lots of playing with Naomi, washing and stuffing Naomi’s nappies, a trip to the pop-up library to return our books and pick up some new ones and cooking some hidden vegetable meatballs in bulk for Naomi’s lunches.
I feel like the shirt over the top helps to disguise the normal lumps every woman has makes me a little uncomfortable in this dress. The outfit is totally my style and I would 100% wear this again but after wearing the dress all day long, I think my verdict is I will be giving this one away. The issue of it riding up is still an issue, surprise, surprise and I think if the only way I like to wear it is hiding underneath a top, that says to me I don’t like the piece very much.
Day 2
These floral shorts are the next piece of clothing I never wear. I haven’t worn them in 597 days. The biggest reason I stopped wearing them was because I got pregnant. These shorts are high waisted and not stretchy so as soon as my bump started showing they just weren’t going to happen. Once I had Naomi, I tried to wear them again but they were just a little bit too small on me that first summer after giving birth. Since then I’ve managed to get back to my pre-baby weight and summer has rolled around again so let’s see how we go this time.
I paired these floral shorts with this ruffle chambray singlet. These shorts are a statement on their own so I’ve kept the rest of the outfit simple. I paired it with some tan gladiator sandals and some red tear-drop earrings.
This was a really nice and comfy cool outfit for my busy casual day. In the morning I washed the bedding. Then I took Naomi to a shopping centre photographer before doing some Christmas shopping. We came home for Naomi’s lunch and nap before heading to a friend’s place for a dip in their pool.
The verdict for these shorts after wearing them all day is that perhaps they’ve had their day. While they are comfy and they fit me size wise well now, I don’t think they fit my current style. I’ve been slowing going off bright colours and these shorts are certainly bright. They also feel a little young for me now. I’m not really sad to let them go.
Day 3
Today’s the first day of my working week and the piece I’m wearing today is this blue and faux leather mini skirt. This skirt hasn’t been worn in 729 days. I’m not really sure why I don’t reach for this piece more often. I really like the way it looks on and I have quite a few outfits put together with it. Perhaps I’m just going off tight mini skirts now that I spend most of my days crawling round on the ground. Thus why I decided to keep this piece for a work day.
I’m dressing it up to be more work appropriate with a white button up shirt and navy blue blazer. Instead of wearing heels, I’m de-emphasizing the shortness of the skirt with some mature and sensible tan oxford flats.
So after wearing this just for an hour, I’ve discovered the major issue with this piece. The striped dress rode up a lot but it was nothing compared to this skirt. I can’t walk 3 steps without having to pull this down. I have to hold it down as I walk around. Before today, I was pretty sure I’d be keeping this skirt because it’s such a unique piece. I love the outfits I’ve put together with it. I love the way it looks but it is so annoying! In the coming month, I plan to do a Wearing Pretty Little Liars outfits video and this skirt is in one of those outfits. So I may keep it just for that but it’s days are numbered!
Day 4
We have another mini skirt for today’s piece I never wear. This hasn’t been worn in a whopping 1102 days. It’s only had 3 wears the entire time I’ve owned it as well. I remember I bought it with the sole purpose of recreating an outfit I had pinned on Pinterest. I obviously struggled to pair it in other ways. It also has the same issues as yesterday’s mini skirt of not being very practical with a toddler.
Putting it on today it turns out that it’s a bit see-through. I had to change into nude underwear and now the whole day I’ve been staring at my butt thinking I can see through it still. Then deciding I’m looking at it too hard.
I’m still not completely sure if it’s see-through or not. It does stay in place a lot better than yesterday’s skirt though. So it’s winning in that area. The see-through thing though really worries me. I’m not sure I’ll wear it again. I think it’s a donate for this piece as well!
Day 5
The last piece of clothing I never wear is this chiffon patterned button up shirt. I thrifted this piece on a whim but haven’t worn it in 820 days. Part of the reason is because I haven’t been to work the entire time I was on maternity leave. That’s still a long time to not have worn it. I don’t have an issue with the way it fits or looks. So I must have just had a hard time putting it in outfits.
Today I’m doing some fun pattern mixing by pairing it with my tweed blazer. Sticking to a pink colour palette, I’m finishing the outfit off with my pink button front corduroy skirt and some beige and pink heels.
The only thing I could fault with this piece is that the sleeves don’t stay rolled up. This is because the material is too slippery. The final verdict for this patterned shirt is that it stays. I love the way this looks. Now that I’m back at work I can see me wearing it more often.
This week has been really fun! It’s interesting to see that I am in fact giving away most of the clothes. Completing this challenge helped me to discover the major issues with each piece of clothing that I didn’t know was an issue before wearing them. I dare you to do this challenge too. It’s really good for de-cluttering your wardrobe. Even on pieces that you don’t think you want to give away. Let me know how you go with the challenge in the comments below!
Check out the full video below!
