styling class: week 7, post 1

Warning: picture-heavy post ahead!


This week in class, we covered one of my favorite topics - closet organization and shopping.  Very few people, aside from my family and my best friend Jen (who I used to call and list my "closet statistics" back in the day, rofl) know exactly how OCD I am about closet organization.  Besides the pictures you're about to see, I admittedly (sort of ashamedly) have a working closet inventory in an Excel spreadsheet with each item and its purchasing origin, brand, and price listed.

With how I treat some of my clothes at Rice, I know this entire blog post might be shocking.  That's because at Rice, I've found it difficult to be as creative with my wardrobe as I am with it at home.

1. The tiny wardrobe cabinets do no justice to showing off my clothing.
2. There's no room for my shoes.  And the grove and pebbled sidewalks have ruined the tips of every single pair of heels I've worn at Rice.  I gave up wearing new shoes at school after mid-sophomore year.
3. I don't have an hour every night to think of an outfit.  And outfit-planning for me - at least a creative, inventive, never before worn one - takes an hour, sadly.
4. It's annoying and kind of offensive when people ask if I'm dressed up to impress guy(s).  No, you idiot, I'm dressed up for myself and myself only.  If I was dressing to impress a guy, I would be walking around in lingerie and stripper heels.  Interestingly enough, I don't get this question outside of campus walls.

Enough griping though.  Here's a peek into what my wardrobe at home, and later in my apartment in Austin, looks like.  I've tried many different closet organization techniques: by type of clothing, by color, by season, by fabric.  Due to the way my stand-in closet is structured, I've found it easiest to pick outfits from the way I have it now - even though it might appear like a giant mish-mosh to someone else.  Every season, I go through a closet-cleaning process and get rid of a shit load of crap (and money). :(  This past year, I've gotten rid of  empire-waisted dresses/shirts, sweatshirts, brightly-colored plastic belts, and some horrid jewelry from Claire's back in the day.  Now I'm left with a much more pleasant muted color palette, more quality fabrics and materials, and less patterns you'd find in dELiA*s.

I realize from the way I took these pictures it's a bit hard to tell what the items are/see the detailing of the items.  Most items are organized by contrasting or similar colors/patterns, depending on how easy it is to see them in my very crowded closet.

A few pairs of shorts, culottes, and skirts.

More skirts.

My few pairs of pants - working on getting some more trousers, but not of the "work pant" variety.

Several of my casual dresses - formal dresses are tucked behind these.

Tunic-length layering shirts, blouses, cardigans, sweaters, and jackets.

Regular-length layering shirts, blouses, sweaters, and jackets.

I'm not much of a bag person, but here are the practical three I own.  I put shoeboxes in the bag to help keep their original shape.

I keep my belts in a cabinet drawer.  They're either neatly rolled or folded for convenience.

I keep my scarves in another drawer.  On the left are mostly winter scarves, and the right, spring/summer scarves.

In another cabinet drawer are hoisery.  My collection of tights and thigh-high socks above.

And my smaller collection of ankle-length and knee-high socks.

I keep my jewelry separated in my bathroom drawers.  This is the drawer of jewelry that I don't wear as often.

And this is the drawer with the jewelry I tend to wear more often.  I keep rings and earrings aside.

I keep dangling earrings on this asian gazebo earring holder (that my best guy friend Jim got me back in high school - he apparently spent an hour in Claire's by himself picking this and three pairs of rather hideous earrings out - gotta love this guy) and studs in a jewelry box.

My small collection of sunglasses and a pair of fake readers.  I wanted to look like a K-pop star...

My assortment of rings.  I actually have my suitemate Eva to thank for getting me into rings.  They have become my most-hated jewelry to my favorite.  I think it's when I said "Fuck my chubby fingers, I'm going to wear these anyway!" that I officially became obsessed with them.

I'm not much of a makeup person, but I love nail polish.  Ever since Chanel came out with its Nouvelle Vague, I've been trying to collect all the trendy colors since.  That might explain why I have a disproportionate amount of green in my rather limited nail polish collection.

You know you're a slave for fashion when you have an entire wall dedicated to shoes.  And a collage in a shape of a high-heeled shoe.

And you've got sandals perched on top of your dresser cabinet.

And flats behind your closet door

And boots lined up along the wall.

And worst of all, you've turned your bookshelf into a high-heeled shoe shelf.  My dad literally yelled at me for this: "Phebe-yah, people think you crazy.  You supposed study study study, people think you work red-light district!"

So that's essentially the tour of my current, but ever-expanding wardrobe.  I think I'm in a good place with assessing my closet and additions for now.  I would like to do some DIY/modifications to some of my old clothes though.  And to conclude this post, some detailed pictures of my favorite items!

[vivienne westwood knockoffs | ebay | $26.00]
I'm not one for blatant knockoffs - but I've been wanting the originals forever and now they're pretty much sold out in the color I wanted.  I found this lovely pair on ebay, and I had to have them.

[miu miu knockoffs | forever 21 | $25.80]
And my favorite pair of shoes are Miu Miu knockoffs as well.  I swear I don't many knockoffs!  I'd love these shoes regardless though, they are so adorable.  If only I could walk properly in them!  Still working on it.

[Black Floral Dress | Urban Outfitters | $10.00] [Blue Floral Dress | Urban Outfitters | $10.00]
Two of my favorite dresses.  I love the back of the second one - it's unexpectedly edgy.  There's a wide zipper in a huge black frill on the back of the dress that's a complete contrast to this sweet front.

[Metallic Floral Skirt | Charlotte Russe | $8.50] [Purple Lace Skirt | Charlotte Russe | $5.00]
Two of my favorite skirts I have yet to wear.  I tend to usually swear simpler, less frilly skirts - but these would be fun to pull of with some basics.

[Tiger Print Blouse | Charlotte Russe | $5.00] [Navy Embellished Tank | Ann Taylor LOFT | $6.50]

I love chiffon and silk pieces for the summer.  They look like quality pieces without breaking the bank.

I'm really enjoying all the free time I have during this Spring Break.  I've been able to indulge in reading and rereading my favorite blogs, take bubble baths while going through the latest magazines and catalogues, etc.  Next up - a recap of some of my favorite fashion shows!