Bonjour it's Jinah!

Wednesday, June 30

Field Trip and the Hoarder Project



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My sister in her natural state--texting. Me in my natural state--goofing off.

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I look Cullen-pale next to her!

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A quick bite to eat--It's Atlanta tradition.

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This was the part where a car was coming our way. Watch out!


Outfit details:
J. Crew Frances Stripe Ruffled  Tuxedo shirt
Forever 21 dots skirt (similar here and here)
Gap tomato red leather ballet flats
Amanda Gary handmade leather bag
The Look for Less: (shirt), (skirt), (flats).

Since my sisters are concerned for my well being and both love to help me out so much, I invited them downtown to help me go apartment hunting. Since all of the appointments I made for viewings were spread out across the entire city, we made a whole day of it!

Ultimately, it felt like a big field trip kind of day (especially with the IKEA excursion), so of course we had lunch at the Varsity. While not tailored for the most gourmandise of tastes, it is an Atlanta institution. And well, I love the onion rings.

And recognize my shirt? Well, you probably don't as I've never worn it. I found it stashed in a consignment store earlier in the spring and was absolutely thrilled. It was brand new and from the current J. Crew offerings and all of a sudden within my financial reach at $20. And then it sat in my closet for several weeks until this recent rediscovery of its existence.

Which leads me into my next endeavor. As I've mentioned, I'm moving soon. If you follow my Twitter or have ever seen the full extent of my closet, you know how expansive it is and how close I am to becoming a Gold Star Member of the Hoarding Society.

That's where this rack comes into place. Closet space is limited in my current home, and it's impossible to tell what I've really got shoved in there without some kind of order. This extra garment rack serves as my limbo rack--the items undergoing the "audition process" as Jacquelyn would say. New items go directly onto this rack and older items I haven't worn in a while make their way back to this rack so I can decide if they should stay or if they should go.

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Having a whole rack of clothing like this makes me feel itchy and anxious that so many items are in flux! My goal and project for the month of July is to clear off this rack, Clean Sweep style. Things unworn will either go back to the store(s), be sold, or get donated at the end of this month.

This is working up to my ultimate goal of having a closet full of things I L-O-V-E love instead of having an overflowing rack of maybes and that one skirt I wear every other day. Please chime in with your "yeas" and "nays" during this process, since shopping in my closet can end in mixed results!

Here are some new things I desperately need to summerize during this process since I love them so:

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I found a few Lift Off Jackets left at my local store during inventory.
I immediately grabbed the last one in my size and added it to my discount pile.

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Lost Time skirt. Similar story with this skirt. It immediately struck me as classic Anthro and I ran to the fitting room with it thinking mineminemine. It's been a challenge to style so far, though and is getting lonely.

And even worse are the things I am literally hoarding. These oldies but goodies still have tags on them! I'm in that mentality that I don't want to use them because I don't want to spoil/ruin them. Which, if I learned anything from the Hoarder documentary series, is a red flag. I would like to use and enjoy all of my good stuff.

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Jacqueline dress, version two with grosgrain ribbon. I wear the yellow, but despite my penchant for navy dresses, never have pulled out this version.

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And the infamous Bold Boutonniere dress. I spotted this the day Anthropologie added it to their website. I was on vacation out of the country at the time, and thought it would be silly to order it right away since I was still working for the brand. The day it came in I took it home and have enjoyed pulling it out, looking at it, and putting it back. It's decision time for this dress.

I've got my work cut out for me. How does everyone else audition and sort their belongings? I find myself wishing I had a really bossy and opinionated friend around to be strict with me and this rack...

23 comments:

  1. Firstly, you and your sister are tooooo cute together. She is so pretty :) And ack I love your outfit, it is offbeat but still preppy and polished.
    Secondly, can we form a hoarders society together? Seriously you don't ever want to see my closet, it is positively shameful. I have too many things that I have NEVER WORN and it makes me uncomfortable every time I open the door. I have developed denial-eyes and avoid looking at them, which drives them into even further neglect ;)

    That said, I love that you are awesome enough to have an audition rack, I am nowhere near that organized. Is that the Monochromatic Corset Dress I see precariously close to getting the boot? And the Lithe Seafarer Skirt?!

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  2. I am such a hoarder too, but I blame it on the fact that I am so indecisive. I will buy 2 different sizes of the same skirt and keep them both for months in my closet because I can't decide which size I want, which means neither gets worn. I'll also buy things on sale that I don't necessarily need because I'm afraid they will sell out and I might want them later and then months later they are still sitting in my closet, tags on. It's a horrible habit that I need to work on!

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  3. Here is your solution: Pass your items on to ME. See how easy that was? I just solved all of oyur problems. Oh, don't forget that Bold Boutonniere dress- I've been wanting it since I first saw it on a blogger 6-8 months ago...

    As for hoarding new things- I only have ONE item that I have done that with right now. It's the partly cloudy top- I need to figure out a way to wear it I guess!

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  4. I love your outfit! So cute! My best advice would be just to try on and pretend you haven't bought it yet...ask yourself if you really love it or if you could take it or leave it. Keep only what you love, sell what is just so-so, and purchase some new things with that money that you adore! Good luck!

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  5. I love your outfit, and your sister is too cute! I've always wanted to go to the Varsity, but...I've never been to Atlanta...and I despise hot dogs!

    I have no clue how you have clothes with tags still on them! I usually wear something the day after I buy it, I have no self-control at all!

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  6. Ahh, I totally identify with the hoarding tendency to avoid wearing what I love as I'm so paranoid about ruining the item. It's mainly because of this reason that I have yet to touch too much of what I've bought at Anthro...When I was younger I would always try to borrow clothes from my older sister but she would refuse claiming that I would lose/ruin them, which unfortunately proved true a few times I ultimately 'borrowed' the item w/o her knowing. This is probably why I'm so paranoid about my clothes ten years later...
    I need to avoid buying things that are inherently delicate like the Florid Facade Top which I really should return. I'm moving as well at the end of the month to a location that's hours away from the nearest Anthro so I'm going through a purge as well. It's so easy to fall into that collecting mindset with how unique and lovely Anthro pieces are, but I'm finding that there are some items in my closet that I no longer really love and do not meet my versatility needs. I'm learning that if I'm considering an item, it's probably a sign just to let it go and save that money towards something that I know I'll love and use. This probably borders on obsession but I like to find all the negatives about the item I'm considering and write down what's wrong with the it, why I returned it and why I don't need it, so I have something to reassure myself when I look back and wonder why I returned the item (usually I just forget about it though!). I figure it's better for me to err on the side of having the money and not the item, there'll always be something else to love(and so begins the new cycle!).
    I'll start you off w/ an easy one: Nay on the Jacqueline since you already have the yellow ver. & the blue vappu dress!

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  7. you two KINDA coordinate, and I'm ALLLLL about coordination with a BF or BFF :))) lovely lovely

    jess s//

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  8. that blouse is spectacular! Thanks for the peak at your hoarding annon. closet! Makes me feel better about mine... still things with tags on them... so terrible, I need to rotate stuff in better.

    XO

    Haveacuteday.blogspot.com

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  9. OMG, lady, if you ever decide to have a blog sale, can I already call "it" on all your pieces?!

    I think it is a great idea for the auditions rack - usually my new purchases get hung up immediately with everything else (i.e., lost in the abyss).

    Since you're soon-to-be on-the-move, now is a good time to spend an afternoon trying things on to see what works for you and with the other items in your closet? I like the idea of trying a piece on and asking yourself if you'd "purchase" this item and seeing if your mind has changed a since you originally got the item (especially if you haven't worn it yet!)

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  10. holy moly! i own nothing with the tags still attached! i buy it and wear it the next day :) but then again, i don't every buy things i'm slightly iffy about. poor girl... i'm sorry you're having such a hard time. i probaby would have an aneurysm trying to clear off that rack!

    i love the lift-off jacket. it's one thing that's been on my wishlist that's been on the sale wait FOREVER. and the lost in time skirt is just fabulous (in my opinion).

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  11. oh my, please put some of those things for sale on your blog!
    My rule is that if I buy something and don't wear it for 2-3 weeks, it goes back. If it's an item that's not in season, I won't buy it unless it's on super sale. Best of luck!

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  12. You and your sis look so cute! I love your outfit and am hoping I have a few pieces I can dig up to create a similar look.

    As a few others have said, you can totally just sell 99% of those things to me. I have tons of items that I don't wear enough, but generally with Anthro items I leave the tags on until I wear it. If I notice I'm not wearing it, due to the glory of the Anthro card I just return them (sometimes 6 months later) for a full-price refund.

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  13. You and your sister got the pretty genes! You both look gorgeous. That polka-dot skirt is fabulous.

    I am the opposite of a hoarder. I'm always looking for ways to sell my stuff or get rid of it even if I might need it.

    clothed much, a modest fashion blog

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  14. WHAT an adorable post!! Those dresses and jacket is AMAZING!!

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  15. You and your sister are so cute and you guys remind me of my sister and I (she's also tanned and I'm crazy pale next to her). This one of my favorite outfits on you! :)

    www.mandydiec.blogspot.com

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  16. i thought that was the varsity in the first photo! we eat there way too much. and i will totally pick your clothes up and pay you in cash when you're ready to let some go ... sarahdsimons[at]hotmail[dot]com. :)

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  17. i have a 30-day rule that i keep to quite strictly ... if it hasn't come out of the closet in 30 days, it's going back to the store. as much as it pained me to return the Wright Dress, it was just sitting in my closet and i really didn't have anywhere to wear it. remember ladies ... it's just STUFF. there are a gazillion cute things you'll want in the future so don't beat yourself up if you miss out on one.

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  18. You two totally remind me of me and my sissy. Except I would probably be the one texting. Well since I'm from Finland and we don't even have anthropology here (though I do know the label) I would say getting anything Just because it's a certain brand is just plain stupid.

    I sometimes have the problem about clothes that don't flatter me but look very cute or I just know are cool. So sometimes I end up buying them even though I know I will neve wear them. I just like to know I have it

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  19. I used to do this all the time, Jinah! And now I've whittled my closet down to nearly nothing. You know what helped? Looking at fashion icons i love who have/had great style and really expensive things that I love, but can't afford yet. And then I made the decision that I was going to shop less and buy nicer things when I do shop. So far it's working, but it's hard!
    Great seeing you today too!!!

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  20. you and your sister are so cute!!! love the ruffled top with the spotted skirt, you look absolutely adorable.

    i am a huge hoarder too. i'm getting better at it, and am trying to stop buying things that i don't LOVE completely

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  21. i'm so excited about your outfit that i have been moved to comment! i happen to have the same blouse and a very similar skirt that i found at h&m for only $10. i never would've thought to pair the two together or to wear the long sleeves in the summer. i'm definitely going to give it a try though on a cooler day.

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  22. I have and love the Lift-Off Jacket, it gots a lot of use too, but I live in Northern California where the fog rolls in regularly in the summertime and you need a light layer-also it's great for a windy day in the city (San Francisco, that is). I adore the Bold Boutaneirre dress, can't believe you haven't worn it! if it was a size S i'd be looking to purchase it from you..lol! also love the clock skirt and think you will get a lot of use out of it come fall/winter.

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  23. hi Jinah, I LOVE your bold boutonniere dress and if you decide against keeping it and it's an xs i'd definitely purchase it from you!

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Bonjour y'all! Thanks for stopping by.

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