Minimalist Wardrobe

I’ve almost abandoned this blog because reasons that will be detailed later in this entry, but I still want to write a recap for my few readers.

I don’t know if this blog is about my career failures or about clothes, but yes, I have been fired yet again. I’m not going to get into detail why but I believe it was completely unjustified. I was even given a contract for the 2016-2017 school year and was constantly praised by my head teacher for being a great assistant. But on the last day of school my principal said that I would not be returning next school year. 

I was completely devastated. Still am. I’ve never had any job other than working with kids but I’ve decided to never work with kids or at a school again. I felt like I just wasn’t the right fit for that career and that I should look elsewhere.

After that I could barely even look at my professional/teacher clothes anymore. I went out and bought new t-shirts at Target and wore t-shirts, jeans, shorts, hoodies, and sneakers every day. I called it my “unemployed wardrobe.” 

Luckily I have the support of my family and my boyfriend and I’m extremely grateful for them. I had to leave my apartment in Oakland. To be honest, I felt like I had too many houses - my apartment, my BF’s place, and my parent’s house. So that’s one thing that I minimized successfully.

Despite all the bad things that happened this year, good things happened too. Even though I got fired from my job, I still gained skills and experience that I can use to apply for new jobs. I traveled a lot - to Seattle and Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego, and New York City. I also organized a zine fest, which was one of my goals when I first moved to the East Bay. 

Rainy day. Finally getting use out of my new BOC Sharlene boots. Please excuse the silly oversize beanie. 

Small boots for skinny calves alert!

B.O.C. Sharlene

These boots are not easy to find online but I bought them at DB Shoes. DB Shoes is like a cheaper version of DSW. And I mean really cheap. These boots were $60, and one of the more expensive pairs in the store. They mostly sell off-brands and last season shoes. If you have one in your area I highly suggest checking it out.

I’ve wasted a lot of money on boots in my life. I have a pair of skinny black knee highs, but I never wear them because 1) they are black and 2) they are quilted and make my calves look fat. People think they are rainboots when actually they are leather. Since I’ve purchased them I have only worn them in rainy weather. I also never wear my Madewell ankle boots because I just cannot wear heels. 

Before I cared so much about fit and color I used to wear a pair of knee high black boots almost every day! I wore them with black leggings or blue jeans. I tossed them when I bought the aforementioned better fitting pair of black boots. 

I feel bad today and I thought that dressing nicely would help, but it didn’t work.

Blazer: Forever 21 Sweater: J. Crew Skirt: Forever 21 Shoes: Forever 21

Banana Republic trench coat Forever 21 dress Forever 21 loafers

Trench coats hide poorly fitting dresses and they really look classy.

My buys this month:

Forever 21 navy and white pinstriped dress The dress looks a tent on me, but I like it enough to get it tailored. Fabric feels substantial. I love navy dresses.

Winter is here in full force. I often get comments from teachers and parents, saying that I never get cold. That is because I often wear skirts/dresses with flat shoes and bare legs. My co-workers wear leggings and boots when they want to wear a dress in the winter. 

I have a pair of knee high boots, but they are black and don’t really match my style anymore. It’s been hard since spring shoes are in stores now, skinny calf boots are scarce, and over-the-knee boots are all the rage.

I have almost no clothes at my apartment so I loathe school spirit days. Instead of a nice navy blazer, I was wearing this abomination for “Dress Like An Animal Day.” I borrowed it from a co-worker. People kept complimenting my outfit and telling me that I looked cute but I wanted to die.

First purchase of 2016: Red and white striped t shirt from Uniqlo

I’ve never understood the issues people have with Forever 21′s clothing. I’ve gotten rid of some of their stuff because of quality before (the seams on the side of a t-shirt where not sewn straight) but for the most part every thing has been good. I don’t care if it’s wrinkly (100% of my clothing is wrinkly), buttons fall off (a dry cleaner can fix that for cheap), or pills (I shave it off).

A friend once described a dryer as a microwave for clothes so that might be the reason why my clothes last. I have never used a dryer for clothes in my entire life. My parents have always hung their laundry out to dry in the backyard. We do not own a dryer. 

Total: 32 items. I did worse then last year.

Tops J. Crew blue silk blouse J. Crew burgundy cardigan J. Crew striped sweatshirt Gap sweatshirt Soft blue gingham shirt Forever 21 chambray shirt Forever 21 burgundy shirt H&M green shirt J. Crew teal silk shirt Banana Republic lace top

Dresses Forever 21 blue dress Banana Republic blue dress  Charlotte Russe dress

Jackets   Forever 21 camel blazer H&M navy blazer  Barbour jacket Gap short mac

Bags Herschel backpack Nicole Miller tote bag Urban Oxide blue laptop bag

Shoes Converse jack purcell Sperry boat shoes Forever 21 silver loafers Calvin Klein loafers Charles David heels

Pants Gap khakis J. Crew jeans J. Crew shoes Banana Republic joggers  Banana Republic jeans

The good news is, I can only think of two times (out of 32) this year that I completely wasted my money.

1. Urban Oxide laptop bag I only used it a few times and then started using a backpack to carry my laptop around.

I finally got around to tallying up my purchases in 2015, and it is quite embarrassing, especially considering the fact that I did not work for three months in 2015. 

Top 5 Purchases:

1. Charles David heels I’m pretty sure they got me my job

Scroll down to my other entries to see a picture.

2. Forever 21 camel blazer I wear it all the time

3. Herschel Ware backpack It’s so convenient and I wear it instead of a purse on the weekend

 4. Calvin Klein taupe loafers It’s hard for me to not wear these shoes every day because they are so comfortable and professional looking.

Every weekend, I try to break in my Madewell boots. I can’t wear them at work since I have to stand all day. My main gripe is having to take them off (right foot at least) when I drive because I can’t drive in heels and the ankle will stretch out too much.

I’ve had an interesting year. At the end of 2014 I was fired from my job after only a few months and no where near accomplishing my life goals. In 2015 I got a full time job and moved to another city.

As for my goals within minimalism, I did a good job in some areas and a poor job in others. One of my long term goals was to do a total bedroom makeover, which I accomplished over the summer. It cost a lot of money and took a lot of cleaning.

I bought a lot of clothes this year, but in my defense, I had a bigger paycheck and a new lifestyle to account for. As a private school teacher, I can’t wear jeans every day (only Fridays). I suddenly had to leave the house in nice clothing every day. I bought loafers for school (because I wasn’t going to be comfortable wearing ballet flats all day) and by the end of the semester they looked trashed. I ran in them, got my feet stepped on, and stood all day inside and out on the yard. My clothes didn’t just get worn a lot, they also got run down.

Excuse the messy room but I think my Christmas outfit is really cute.

Sweater: J. Crew Shirt: Love Tree Leggings: Hot Kiss (purchased at Ross) Shoes: J. Crew Jacket: Barbour (not pictured)