Category: wardrobe

A Fresh Start to Living with Intention!

Published 08/01/2015

Hey everyone! Long time no chat. I’ve been a bit MIA these days because, well, basically life just sort of took over, but I am back and I want to give this thing the love and attention it needs. I’ve also been fighting a fear between just being myself vs trying to be objective and informational, if that makes sense. But a good friend helped me realize that, what is the worst that could happen if people I knew in real life knew me as personally as I shared myself on this blog? So I’m going to be more real, as I definitely enjoy reading those blogs more than pure informational ones (i.e. 10 Ways to Get Over a Cold!) Be warned, this is a long post, but it’s an intro to a new start, so if you have the patience to read it, then cool!

A lot of things have changed and I must admit that I got distracted from the Minimalism thing because I had moved into a new house with my SO and had a promotion a few months back so I was very busy and overwhelmed. The result was a house full of things (combining my things with his things) and being too mentally exhausted to focus on anything else with all the work stuff going on.

After having gone through some intense personal development workshops and seeing the person I want to be wasn’t exactly who I was currently, I am committing to live a more intentional life starting today, August 1st, 2015! I plan on checking in weekly to see how I am doing, and I am happy for you to point out of I miss any updates (eek!). One thing I need to work on is committing to tasks that are somewhat ‘repetitive’. I seem to have a difficult time with this. But my coach said something brilliant.

Building Character means doing the things that uphold your values and who you want to be, despite you not feeling like it or wanting to do it.

Amen to that. But first.

I kicked off my “Fresh Start” by reading this book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. It’s absolutely incredible! Talk about a unique, quirky perspective on minimalism. Basically, Marie talks about the Japanese KonMari method of decluttering, where you hold every item in your hand, and only keep it if it “sparks joy”. She anthropomorphises objects, teaching you to show them love and appreciation, and thank them for their purpose. For example, if there are gifts or cards you don’t want to keep but feel guilty about getting rid of, know that the purpose of a gift/card is to convey someone’s emotions about you. Once that purpose has been served, you have no other obligation to keep the item.

I finished this book in a few hours and was well on my way to decluttering what I had accumulated since my last purge. I got rid of 4 giant garbage bags of clothes/linens, a bunch of books, dishes, and random knickknacks that had no meaning. I also went through useless documents that I thought I had to keep for record keeping sake. Granted, I don’t have a ton of things because I did do a huge purge last year, and I am not the biggest shopper. But I did well! I am so lucky to have a partner who was super supportive of it all.

“Go ahead! I like my office but the rest of the house is yours!”

Yay!

Anyway, pick up this book. It’s very cute, but extremely practical and claims to make you a tidy person for once and for all.

Let’s take a moment to talk about Minimalism for a second. I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately on minimalism,

Here are a couple I absolutely love:

but most of the Minimalists I am running into, whether on YouTube or on the Blogosphere, focus on extreme minimalism. Like, literally living with only, probably, one item of everything you need. Their decor is very neutral, simple, and clean. Which is really cool, and I wish I could do it, but I can’t ignore who I really am.

You know what brings me joy? Anything antique/vintage/retro and bohemian looking. Think eccentric grandma! Ornate designs carved into wood, colourful eccentric patterns against a neutral background, and textures. I do like to keep the bedroom fairly neutral and relaxing though as a space to clear my mind. Also, my wardrobe is pretty minimalist and neutral. My home just has to be eye candy. Here are some photos below.

So while my tastes don’t match what the norm seems to be out there in the Minimalism world, I adore every piece I own and they all spark joy. This is what it means to me. It means many things to different people. For instance, the world traveler minimalist who lives from their backpack, or a van converted into a home. I think it’s important not to confuse minimalism as one way of being because the purpose is ultimately the same – to get rid of the things we don’t need, to make room for the things we want.

And now, I must move onto to my Intentional Living! I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit nervous to start this. But the blog, Blonde on a Budget (another one you need to check out) really inspired me. Not only is she living more intentionally, but she has been on a Year Long Shopping Ban and onto her second! Amazing work Cait!

Below is a list of things that I intend to focus on so that I can live more intentionally, simply, and meaningfully. I’ve already been doing these things, but the goal is to STICK to them and remember the higher purpose.

Health and Fitness:

Daily Pilates: Currently I’m doing Blogilates daily. (Guys it’s so much fun!)
Bike to work at least 3x/week.
Intuitive eating which is creating a good relationship with food, mind and body. Learning not to eat for emotional reasons, just eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full.
Vegan/Vegetarian diet. I love animals way too much to eat them. Also not eating processed foods, too much sugar/alcohol/caffeine/crap. Currently I’m open to eating seafood, but most of my diet is primarily vegetarian. Let’s see if I can get to vegan. Any advice?
Cook more! Less eating out. Save money. I’ve been doing pretty well here.

Spiritual/Emotional:

Everytime I have the impulse to eat something bad because of emotional reasons (boredom/sadness etc), sit in the feeling, recognize it’s a misguided opportunity to connect with ourselves. Being ok with just feeling the emotions.
Be more present.
Astrology!: I must admit, whether it’s true or not, I find it so fascinating because the things I read seem to be extremely accurate. Been reading a bit of this book everyday. The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need.
Be more aware and ethical in my lifestyle choices, whether it’s cleaning products, food, clothing etc.
Practice my daily Bliss feeling and no suffering so I can learn to push through uncomfortable feelings when I don’t want to do something.
The minimalist lifestyle, living simply, enjoying the little things and open up space for what is important.

Finance:

Currently live on half of my paycheque, and save the other half. Only buy things I need such as food and toiletries. Spending a minimal amount on ‘going out’ and other miscellaneous things.

Giving Back:

This Blog: Writing consistently, and personally, to hopefully inspire others. And I will be honest when I fail on any of these things in my weekly updates.
Animals: Donating money or supplies to Katie’s Place, a local animal shelter in my hometown, Maple Ridge.

Relationships: I think I can sum all of these into really honouring the time I spend with those that I care about. Being truly present with them, instead of being distracted by the next thing I need to do.

Friends: Make an effort to see how people are doing, being more supportive of people’s dreams and aspirations.
Family: Being present with my family, recognizing they won’t be around forever, spending more time with them.
Partner: Also being more present, giving my full attention, appreciating how much I love this man and how amazing he is.

Career/Personal:

Grow my Virtual Assistant business here at Less of the Excess, the ultimate goal for me is to become location independent and self sufficient. Through living a minimalist lifestyle and not buying into consumerism, we need much less money to survive on!
Less time surfing the internet, more time on goals…this one is difficult. Less distractions!

Phew! That was a long one…

I’d love to hear some of things you guys are all doing in order to live more intentionally.

The Real Price of Fast Fashion

Published 05/16/2015

Something that’s been on my mind lately, is the fast fashion industry. Shops like H&M, Zara, and Forever21 pump out new garments weekly, tricking the consumer that the item they’ve purchased last week is already old news. We get that temporary high of finding a good bargain, but we get what we pay for. Secondhand stores cannot keep up with the amount of clothes they are receiving, and it’s also doing harm to the environment when endless clothes are being made, and then being tossed away just as quickly. Not to mention, the ethics behind the actual labour and how cheap clothes are being made.

Recently I purchased a few tops from H&M that I was hoping would last me a while. They fit well and they looked really nice. And then I threw them in the wash – one, two, or three times – and already one of the shirt’s arms have unraveled at the sleeve, another shirt has lost a button, and another has ripped open in the back from the seam.

They were built to fall apart. On purpose. Just so I would go out to H&M again and buy some more tops, and the company would make money on my stupidity. How can we be conscious of our spending and living on less, when what we buy falls apart just so we have to go and buy more? I do think however, that the fast fashion industry is becoming less appealing to consumers because of the low quality clothing, and high quality is going to be the next big thing.

We should be focusing on buying quality clothing that will last. Shopping will be less impulsive and more thought out because you will be focusing on something that is meaningful.

How do we find quality clothing?

1. Know what you want and plan your wardrobe so shopping is purposeful.

2. Take your time and don’t rush into a purchase if it isn’t quite right.

3. Know where to shop. If paying the high prices at name brand stores isn’t in your budget, thrift stores are a great place to start. There are shops that sell high quality brand named items, or if you love vintage, we all know that the clothes from the era’s past were made to last.

4. Know how to look for quality by looking at the cloth, seams, buttons and other details and make sure they’re secure and made well.

For some online shops that focus on higher quality at an affordable price, check out more info here:

What have your experiences been with shopping? Do you buy fast fashion, or stick to high quality? I’d love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!

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My Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Published 09/05/2014

I did it guys! After my Decluttering Your Closet post, I got serious about my clothes and did another purge. I thought about the style I wanted to have, the colours I liked the most, and the lifestyle I lived.

I was inspired by Unfancy’s capsule wardrobe strategies and followed her How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe principles linked here.

It was really fun being deliberate about my wardrobe and planning all of the bits and pieces. It’s also freeing to know that I wasn’t impulsively buying things just for the sake of shopping. I already owned pretty much everything, and only had to purchase a few things. I tried to stick with neutral tones and classic styles. I do have some leftover bits and bobs that I kept because I’m not ready to part with them, so they might show up from time to time in my real life, but below is my core Fall Capsule Wardrobe!

The 34 items that make up my Fall Capsule Wardrobe!
You can see everything on my Pinterest Board here.

TOPS & JACKETS – 17

3 Sweaters
Taupe slouchy sweater / Navy blue slouchy sweater / Black slouchy sweater

4 T-shirts
Grey jersey long sleeved shirt (new) / Black t-shirt / Navy and white stripy shirt / Plain white t-shirt

3 Button-ups
Black button-up #1 / Black button-up #2 (sheer) / White button-up

3 Tanks
Grey tank (new) / Black dressy tank / White casual tank

4 Jackets
Leather jacket / Fall coat (need to purchase) / Casual army green jacket / Black blazer

BOTTOMS & DRESSES – 10

3 Pairs of Jeans
Black skinny jeans / Dark blue jeans / Light blue jeans

3 Trousers/Leggings
Black loose trousers / Mustard yellow loose trousers / Black leggings

4 Skirts/Dresses
Black cotton long skirt (new) / Black pencil skirt / Grey jersey dress / Black jersey dress

SHOES – 7

Black chelsea boots (new) / Black ankle booties / Camel ankle booties / Black loafer flats
Brown flats / Black Converse sneakers / Black Nike Freerun running shoes

I’d love to hear if you are working on a fall capsule wardrobe yourself, let me know in the comments below!

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Personal Style and Minimalism

Published 08/23/2014

Sorry boys, this may not be very interesting to you, (or it may be for some of you)! But ever since I wrote my Decluttering Your Closet post, I’ve been thinking about minimalist wardrobes, and how curating the items to reflect our personal style can be quite fun (if you’re into fashion). I do not like consumerism, so I don’t want to give the impression that this is where I’m going. It’s more about refining and being purposeful with what we own. Loving (and using) every piece in our wardrobes.

Again, the way I define minimalism is it is about finding out what is essential and getting rid of everything else. And this can be applied to our closets. I personally gravitate towards items that are practical, comfortable, serve multiple purposes and that match several things, hence why I like to stick to a neutral colour pallet.

Anyway, I’ve found an amazing blog created by Anuschka Rees, a young 25 year old woman from Berlin, Germany, called Into Mind that focuses on personal style AND minimalism. Anuschka’s website has nothing to do with the 10 Items All Women Should Have, it’s about refining and curating our wardrobes to reflect our own signature look. And if you’re into or interested in capsule wardrobes, there are tons of posts on that, for example here and here.

Below is a snapshot of her thought process or linked here:

Excuse me while I get lost in this website for a little while :).

Good night world!

*Edit* Uh oh, found another style and minimalism blog (Unfancy) here. Into Mind is very theoretical. Unfancy is more practical. If you have a preference.

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Decluttering Your Closet!

Published 08/21/2014

“A shopping cart flipped upside down forms a cage that I use to protect myself from consumerism.” – Jarod Kintz

I’ve focused a lot of energy on in my closet decluttering process, but I STILL seem to have an endless amount of clothes despite the fact that I’ve given away several garbage bags full. That’s kind of embarrassing haha! I used to have a bit of a shopping problem. Whenever I’d get a paycheque, I’d have to make sure that I bought the latest things on my “want” list. And it was a never-ending list. I’d constantly see an image, or person wearing something that I had to have, and since I had the money to spend, I’d just go buy it.

I definitely think living in the city had a little to do with it. Working or living downtown, seeing everyone wearing the latest and greatest fashion trends. There was some sort of internal pressure to try and keep up, while it never crossed my mind when I was growing up in the countryside.

Anyway, those days are over. Ever since I embraced minimalism, I don’t care anymore. BUT, I was left with a ridiculous collection of things I probably only ever wore once or twice. I’m sure some of you can relate. Shoes for every occasion, bags to match every outfit, 30 pairs of jeans, random shirts of all colours and prints. Yikes.

(Side note: If fashion is your passion, then I completely get that. It’s a great way to express yourself and inspire others to do the same. For me personally, it was partly that, but partly an inner desire for something that was unhealthy. It took up a lot of my precious mental space and time and I was trying to fill some sort of void).

But to the point of this post, below are the steps I used to pare down my crazy collection. Mind you, there is some sort of method to my madness haha.

How To Declutter Your Closet

1. Make it fun! Put on your favourite music, have a glass of wine, and designate some special “me time” out of your day to focus on decluttering your closet.

2. Take a little moment, sit somewhere comfortable, and think about the style you want to have. What type of style represents you the most? Are you preppy? Sporty? Classic? Girly? Hippie? Chic? What I always found was helpful was Googling or Pinteresting the fashion style of some of the celebrities that I found represented the style I wanted, and using those as a guide. For instance, I’m naturally drawn toward minimalist street style. So neutral pallets (grey, black, white, navy) mixing casual and smart with mainly plain patterns. My style inspirations seem to gravitate towards Rachel Bilson and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I also love stores like Noul or Oak & Fort.

**One thing I’d like to add is to think about the lifestyle you live and the clothes you need for this. If you’re outdoorsy or active, you’ll probably have more of those clothes. If you like to go to fancy events, you’ll probably have dressier items. What is the most useful for you?

3. Once you’ve collected images of your favourite style inspirations, take everything (I mean everything!) out of your closet and toss it onto your bed. The floor works too.

4. Take the first item of clothing, hold it in your hands, and ask yourself these 8 questions. For anything you don’t want to keep toss it in the “don’t keep pile”. For anything you want to keep, put it back on the hanger and back into your closet.

Have I worn this in the last year? If you haven’t worn it in the past year, put it in the “don’t keep pile”.

Do I LIKE this? If you don’t even like the item, toss it.

Do I feel good/confident/hot/sexy when I wear this? If you feel unattractive in it, off it goes.

Does it fit? Don’t keep it if you think it will fit you ONE DAY. If it doesn’t fit, put it aside.

Is it in good condition? If there are any holes or snags, you can either choose to mend them, or toss the item.

Is it comfortable? If you can’t stand wearing it, why keep it? If you’re constantly pulling up at your pants revealing your beautiful hot pink thong, or you feel restricted and can’t put your arms up in that sweater, it’s time for it to go.

Does it serve a purpose? You may have to have different clothes for work, or you may need special clothing for specific activities/events. If it serves no purpose, get rid of it.

Does it line up with the kind of look or lifestyle I am going for? Going back to the style inspirations you gathered, if it doesn’t match, put it aside. A good example is if you’ve collected several printed items, but you actually don’t like prints anymore then get rid of it.

Do this with the rest of your clothes, until you get through them all.

By now you’ve gone through all of your clothes. The ones you want to keep are hanging up nicely in your closet, and the ones you want to get rid of are probably in a big gigantic pile on the floor. I know I could have done the next step as I was tossing things, but I like to work from the top down haha.

5. Sit with your giant pile of clothes and separate the items into 3 piles: Trash/Recycle, Donate or Sell. Obviously the items that are worn out or are in terrible shape can be trashed or recycled to a place that recycles textiles. Everything else can be donated or sold. You can donate items to a thrift store, charity, friend or family member. Some people like to get their friends together and do a Clothing Swap. Or if you have the time and patience, you can sell things on Craigslist or Ebay etc. No matter what you choose, all the clothes need to leave your home!

6. Finally you’ve gotten rid of the clothes you don’t want anymore. Now it’s time to ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET! I love this part. Everyone has a technique, but I like to organize my clothes first by sleeve length (Skinny sleeve tanks, then thick sleeve tanks, then t-shirts, then 3/4 sleeve shirts, then long sleeved shirts, then sweaters, then blazers, then jackets, and lastly dresses.) Then I like to colour code them because I’m weird like that.

That’s it! You should be all sorted! For now anyway 😉 You can obviously use the same method for your drawers or shelves.

Remember, it’s a journey. You’ll likely make quite a dent the first time around. But as you get more comfortable with getting rid of things, you may go through this process a few more times.

What you will notice is a much lighter feeling within you. You’ve created more space and a clearer mind, which can be addictive!

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Next time you go shopping, carefully examine the piece you’re thinking about purchasing. Look at it, sitting there in your hands. And think long and hard if you’re buying it out of impulse, or if you really need it.

Random question of the day: I’m curious to hear, do you live in the city, suburbs or country, and how has this affected your need to shop for new clothes?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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