I really meant to write this round-up, what, two weeks ago? But then I got super-busy, and then I got sick, so I’m doing it now instead.
I made a little collage, and it’s really funny to see my wardrobe through a month all at once – especially when it so clearly shows that I have been dressing in grey, white, and mustardy-yellow. I think I’ve forgotten a lot of thoughts I had during and right after the challenge, but one thing has stayed with me: I have competing dressing desires.
When I’m going to work, I want to look sharp and polished and put together, with pencil skirts and structured tops, or fitted dresses. When I’m not at work, I gravitate towards flowey, casual, faded, slightly off kilter things. Which is totally fine, except for the days I dressed really casually and picnicy going to work and felt awkward and uncomfortable. I think I just have to accept that work-me wants to dress differently than leisure-me! Last time I did this challenge, I was a college-student with a school-lab part-time job, and the dress-code for the two sort of blended and was one and the same, so this is the first time I’ve even felt this gap.
And now, for some awards!
Most worn:
Tiny pocket tank! I wore this five times, and I didn’t even make it until half-way through the challenge! This one is a winner.
Most worn, runner-up:
The skirt I made from some old trousers has been such a work-horse – I plan to make more in this style.
Honorable mentions:
My honorable mention goes to the two most worn not me-made things; the yellow cardigan and the striped jersey dress. I deduct of course, that I need more cardigans and more easy-to-wear dresses in my wardrobe.
Most festive:
Celebrating Norway’s Independence day with flags and friends! I didn’t have my national costume available to me, so I wore the second best thing: A coat inspired by and based on my national costume!
Most meh:
As I was saying, some clothes belong in the off-time part of my life. This is such an outfit (in reality, I did wear this to work, and I did not feel comfortable – I felt like a bum). Another lesson learned from this challenge: there is a time to get rid of faded, stretched out, pilling beyond repair pieces of clothing. That time is now, and those clothes are it.
Most favorite garments:
Coincidentally made in the same fabric, and coincidentally with the same pencil-skirt shape. They just work.
One thing that really stood out to me while doing this fairly self-focused, self-examining challenge, was how clothes made me feel. In particular, I noticed how not-quite fitting clothes made me quite self-conscious. As a result I now have a laundry-list of friday-fixes for my self-made garments; a too-long hem here, a shoulder needing narrowing there… If the fit is off, I just don’t feel as put-together.
I’m really glad I loosened up the demands on myself this time – it meant that I didn’t lose the enjoyment of the project. Taking pictures was not very fun (why won’t if focus on my face?!), but this time I did like that I took pictures outside the kitchen some days too, say, if I was meeting up with John to go out to dinner, celebrate national days, biking home together, or simply used the stairs outside our apartment as the backdrop instead. And in conclusion: yes, I’d do this again.
The breakdown of what garments I wore, and how much. Love pie-charts!
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me-made-may: week 1
me-made-may: week 2
me-made-may: week 3
me-made-may: week 4
me-made-may: week 5
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~ Zoe’s original sign-up post | facebook page | flickr group ~
