wardrobe revamp: making plans

Back in high school, maybe even in middle school, I noticed a tendency in my own habits: when I am nervous about a new phase in life or a new place to go--generally, from middle to high school to college and now to graduate school--I think rather heavily about what I will wear in each of those places.  In middle and high school, it was easy; we wore horrifically unflattering uniforms (box pleat skirts, polos, and oxfords).  Nowadays, it's not so simple as choosing a khaki, navy, or plaid skirt and a blue, red, or white polo or oxford.  I never thought I'd think this way, but I actually miss the simplicity of an entirely interchangeable wardrobe.  I've been trying to compile one lately, and I think I've got most of it set up with these sets on polyvore, keeping track of what I already own.

I want to go in with a plan.  In order to fill out the gaps in my wardrobe--or, at least, the one I am planning--I'll need to make some purchases.  But instead of picking whatever is cheap, regardless of how much I like it and how well it'll work with other things, I'm going in with a plan and the intent to purchase quality items that will last for years, like all of these.

I can't really afford all of them, so I'll do some secondhand searching and a little bit of buying at Target and the like--after all, I have tops from Target that I've been wearing upwards of five or six years, and they're still in good shape.

The next step, once I go through my clothes, is figuring out the best thing to do with the extras.  I don't want to dump it all someplace where it'll just get thrown out and I don't think much of it could be sold.


Left to right: lightweight voile popover shirt, sailor popover shirt, paper bag skirt, the scholar satchel, ruffle shrug, t-strap heels, gathered-neck tee, easy-care blouse, linen henley, lightweight cotton sweater, cotton gathered skirt, flat front chinos, slim fit jeans