We all do a great many things well, with secret talents and untapped potentials. I can write & rock a blog post, do a little graphic design, make something grow, and entertain children with camp songs for hours. But there’s one thing that I almost always fail on – fashion.

My style, such as it is, probably would be called casual to the extreme. If I had my choice, I would rock yoga pants and hoodies almost exclusively. Throw in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt if we’re getting dressy and if the occasion calls for it, a dress. (Keep in mind when I say calls for it I’m talking a wedding or perhaps a funeral). 

I’ve also bounced through sizes like a yo-yo. Add in pregnancy, weight loss, drugs making me sick and problem with gluten and we have a wardrobe that rocks every size you can imagine.  So I have a lot of excuses that start with “after I lose this weight”, or “maybe I’ll get back to that size”.

In the summer, I got challenged to the extreme – I had to fit all of my clothes – for work and play into a RV closet. If you’re not familiar with an RV closet, that gives you approximately 10 hangers (if you really cram them in) to fit all your clothes. Even as I pared my wardrobe down, I still didn’t have the right pieces. After the first week, I actually threw everything on the bed and stowed a laundry basket of clothes under the mattress. 

The magic happened from there. With so few choices, making outfits became a little easier, check out on-site http://www.emeraldcarpetcleaning.ie. I only had 3 shorts for work (the rest were yoga pant-shorts, ha!), and 2 pairs of pants plus one pair of jeans. I rotated them through, using scarves and a few different coloured t-shirts I picked up from Costco. Although it wasn’t perfect, it was a start. 

I really need to shop. My “new” pants and shorts? My mom picked them out from Value Village. My newest (non-stained, non-dirtified) t-shirts were a quick grab from Costco. My jeans? From my last trip to Ontario because I blew the crotch out of my last ones while I was there. 

So I’m taking on a challenge to build a new capsule wardrobe for fall. One that looks less farmer and more fabulous. One that makes me look like the pulled-together 30-something lady I should be. The recreation professional and entrepreneur that I am. 

On Wednesday, I’m arming myself with my two secret weapons – a brutally honest friend and a sister who makes fashion look easy. I will walk in wearing my hoodie and walk out with the next step up – maybe a jean jacket? I will tell myself it doesn’t matter what size I am. I will tell myself my belly will not muffin top in every pair of pants I try on. I will try to keep an open mind. I will try to go from farmer to fabulous. I will try to make it all come together.

Wish me luck, I’m going shopping. 

Holly

a passionate recreation coordinator by day, crazy farm mama of two by night. i live outdoors: growing my own food, camping and hiking with my border collie with two active kids in tow. when I’m not writing, I’m experimenting with recipes, and crafts – or anything else that might keep the monkeys entertained.