New Year’s Resolution #2: Out of the Box

I’ve been on a bit of a fashion break of late; being pregnant and then having to care for a newborn has had me out of the style game to a certain extent. I’m only now gradually getting back into the swing of things and shopping in my pre-prego closet. In doing so, however, I’ve come to an unexpected conclusion: my style has become dreadfully predictable. The only thing worse than wearing a horrendous outfit à la Björk and her swan dress is to wear exactly what’s expected of you because you’ve done the same thing over and over and over again.

I’ve also come to a second, related conclusion: I’ve been accumulating clothes, shoes and bags at an alarming rate – there are too many items in my closet with tags still attached that have yet to see the light of day. It seems I’m not so carefully cultivating a collection of many variations of the same tops, jackets and shoes. How utterly uncreative and wasteful.

And so I resolve, in 2010, to cease purchasing the following:

1. Shoes. Most definitely no more special occasion, party shoes.
2. Outerwear for all seasons. Especially winter coats.
3. Tops with bows, ruffles, rosettes or similar frills.
4. Vests of any kind, until I figure out how to wear the ones I already own.
5. Cocktail dresses. Particularly sale dresses that are too big; I never get them taken in as planned.
6. Black blazers. Period.
7. Smythe jackets. Period.
8. Did I say shoes?
9. Silk scarves, until I can find a way to navigate Baby Backseat Styler and his drool/spit-up around them.

I also resolve to do the following:

1. Wear what I already own. Contrive new outfits out of old pieces.
2. Mix high and low. Not everything needs to be high – Jimmy Choo is unnecessary where Nine West will do the trick just fine.
3. Avoid purchasing pieces that are too specific and more than one wear would be unlikely.
4. Finally take cocktail dresses and jackets that are too big to the tailor’s.
5. Get rid of pieces that I will likely never wear again. Donate what can be donated. Sell what can be sold. Hand down what can be handed down.
6. Buy only what I do not already own. The same shirt in different colours/fabrics/patterns doesn’t count.
7. Shake up the wardrobe with colour. Enough of the black, white and grey already!
8. Resist the temptation of sales. If that skirt wasn’t at all interesting at regular price, then it probably isn’t all that exciting and/or necessary even at a lower price.
9. Focus more on hair/makeup/nails; these are worn every day.
10. Sacrifice once in a while. It may not seem like it at the time, but I know I’ll live without that cute top. Learn to admire from afar; I don’t have to own everything I love.
11. Read a book rather than cyber-window shop.

Wow – this isn’t one New Year’s resolution. It’s 20 resolutions. But if I put forth as much effort and determination towards these resolutions in 2010 as I did stalking Stella McCartney band jackets and tracking down sale Manolos in 2009, I’m sure to succeed!

Images via The Fash Pack