Major Clearout Ahoy! But What To Do With Those Problem Items?!

I've had several bags of clothing stashed around the bottom of my closet for a few months, piled to overflow point. I had to deal with them last night, no question (see mess on bed for proof!) - they were in the way of my storage and just looking at them made me frustrated. These were full of all my 'problem items' - things I can't decide whether to keep or not, for various reasons such as:
- I spent lots of money on it but it doesn't actually suit me!
- It was a gift from someone: I love the person but don't like the gift!
- I went through some trouble to get it, eg. bus journeys, store exchanges, etc., but now I don't like it so much anymore!
- It's too big/small for me now, even though it's cute
- Someone I adore said they liked it, so I should keep it if other people think it looks good on me
- It's too 'out there', but I might wear it in the future
- etc.

There are SO many reasons why people, including myself, keep items we don't wear. There is no point keeping any of these - having these items around made me feel guilty, annoyed, stressed and other negative emotions. Definitely not what you want to feel when you open up your wardrobe! Getting dressed is supposed to be a pleasure, not a chore.

Here are some creative ideas to detox on what to do with those troublesome garments:

- Sell them! Ebay is my personal favourite, & so useful for making money if you have the time to spend on listing items, taking photos, packaging, etc. If you have anything designer which you no longer wear and is in great condition, check out a local dress company which will sell your item and pass the money on to you.

- Give it to a charity shop who you support. Charity shops will be infinitely grateful for just about anything you have to pass on to them, providing it's clean and re-wearable (so no old dirty underwear!). You will feel fantastic knowing that you're raising money for a good cause. Personally, anything I can't sell on Ebay goes straight to the Cancer Research shop, as cancer is and was a cause of much sadness and suffering among members of my family, so it feels wonderful to be helping such a positive cause.

- Re-use. Be creative! This great book Generation T, is a great source of inspiration on fashionable, wearable and sexy ways to re-use your old t-shirts. Visit the link and buy it from £5-8 on Amazon.

- Give to a friend. If you think a certain dress or t-shirt would look perfect on a friend, ask them if they'd like it instead! I often save clothes I don't want anymore which my friends have previously complimented me on, and asked them if they would like it instead. If your friend(s) live(s) locally, make a day of it and have a fashion swap together. If your buddies are further away, email them photos of things they might love - if they want them, wrap them up in pretty paper and mail them off. Just make sure it's clean & in good condition first! I always feel better knowing my unwanted clothing will be worn & loved by someone I know rather than a stranger.

- Recycle. I am a believer in never throwing any clothing away, ever! If it's unable to be cut up and reinvented and not in good enough condition to sell or to give to the charity shop, there are special bins around for textile recycling, for example at supermarkets and car parks. Even though helping the environment has turned into such a cliche these days, I think this is much more positive than simply chucking an old top in the bin.

I may edit this in the future - I hope this helps someone and helps other people to gain control over their own rebellious wardrobes!

What I Wore Today: 30/3/09

Bought a new top on Saturday :D & in true little-kid style, I had to wear it asap. I'm attempting to mix more girly stuff into my wardrobe, though I hate anything too tight, trendy or with a super-low neckline, which is what (unfortunately) is worn by most girls I know.

I tackled a bag of leftover clothing from my latest wardrobe detox, now I have aching arms from trying SO many things on. D; only in my closet, I swear. I want to sell what either doesn't suit me or what I hardly ever wear so I have as much money as possible for my post-birthday New York trip. Such a great incentive!

Today's Outfit:



POF: Co-ordinating with new top & dressing for skoool.
Jacket: H&M
Top: H&M
Thermal: Primark (only £1.96: I love you, January sales)
Necklace: Topshop
Leather Pantz: Topshop. Attracted many "greased lightening" comments from little kids on my bus. what the fuck, seriously.
Boots: Doc Marten.

What I Wore Today: 28/03/09

POF: Present Huntin' for the boyfriend & looking casual.
Hoodie: H&M
T-shirt: David & Goliath
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Shorts: Delias
Tights: H&M
Boots: (not pictured) RTBU.

I found some wonderful gifts for my boyfriend, which I am delighted with. :D
Also, the clocks went forward last night, so yay for sunny evenings!

You heard it here first...

So I figured I should make a blog.

Blogs are awesome. Blogs let you nose into people's lives, stick your noses in their everyday business, they let you see what's goin' on in the world outside your bedroom and what's happening in people's heads. Conversely, blogs sometimes show only a certain side of people, just the desirable characteristics to form an online persona that may be completely different from who they are in real life. But I'm not making one of those kind of blogs, just one that showcases my ultimate interest. I have a mild fetish for fashion, to put it lightly.

Where I live, style isn't something that's regarded as particularly important, as the area is mostly populated by cattle and old men with scruffy beards and smelly coats. So I guess you could say it's challenging to be a stylish person where I live, though I've grown used to it in the last 16 years. Most of the time, the Internet, magazines and TV are my sole sources of style inspiration.

Here are some of my more well-known inspirations:


Audrey K.
Yeah, I kinda love her. She has amazing hair, an amazing figure & a super-cute style. I did a bunch of pieces of her for my Art GCSE (got a B :D). Sure, many of her photoshoots aren't that serious, but she's not supposed to be a serious model. She's done shoots for Hot Topic, Bleeding Star, Skelanimals & a bunch of other companies I can't recall. Plus, have you seen her wardrobe video on Buzznet? Makes me drool with envy. *__*


Kat Von D.
I love her more for her insane artistic talents than for her dress sense, though she does have a rather cool laid-back rock & roll kind of style. I seriously want to go to LA & get her to tattoo me when I'm old enough. Such a great incentive to start saving money.


Cassadee P.
I'm kinda biased in the sense that I adore Hey Monday. Her style is quite girly & casual to go with her cute alternative look, being more practical for jumping around on stage rather than on the catwalk. Being fabulously skinny, she can get away with just about anything, & I've never seen her wear an ugly outfit yet.


Nikki Sixx & Motley Crue.
Motley Crue is responsible for my leather fetish and adoration for over-the-top 80s style rock and roll clothing. Nikki's style back in the day was definitely crazy, outlandish and slightly scary, as well as his hair & makeup. I'm not gonna walk out of the house in one of their original stage outfits (including fishnet vests, spikes and PVC) but you've gotta admit their style is awesome stuff.

These are just the more famous people whose styles I crave - much of my inspiration is also from other bloggers & LJ enthusiasts who have a killer dress sense and envious style.

Just to kick this blog off, here's a couple of outfits I've worn lately with a quick rundown for your viewing pleasure:



POF: Wore this a few weeks ago out to a family dinner..normally I don't like doing family stuff, but the food was actually rather good. & it's always a good excuse to wear something pretty.
Jacket - Kimchi & Blue. It's a bit tight, but I couldn't not get it. Urban Outfitters were sold out, & so I turned to Ebay and bought it for 3 times the sale price. Still worth it. (Y)
Jeans - Topshop. I enjoy jeans that fit properly. If anyone knows somewhere that sells good quality, cheap skinny jeans with 36-8" inseams, I'll love you forever.
Shoes - Sugar. Bought these for going on holiday 2 years ago & hadn't worn them previously. They're super-pretty, I'm gonna wear them more often.


POF: Casual Lolita for skool-related exploits.
Got a lot of stupid, shitty comments from random kids, but my friend said the bunny ears on the hoodie were cool. Screw the shitty comments, as I'm in love with lolita style but don't have the body to wear a lot of the pieces.
Hoodie: K-Star @ Camden
Skirt: Bodyline. hello cheap pretty skirts with elasticated waistbands for us caucasian fatties.
Tights: H&M
Boots: RTBU. Not pictured, as I'm not allowed to wear shoes indoors. Rebel in the outfit pic before this one.


POF: Semi-emo for skool.
Jacket: H&M. Didn't wear it for 2 years previously, now I wear it all the time.
Thermal: American Apparel
T-shirt: H&M
Necklace: Topshop
Jeans: H&M
Belt: Lowlife
Boots: RTBU (not pictured)

So that was a quick overview of my style. I hope to post almost every day - I'll try to make it happen! I enjoy constructive crits, comments & answering questions.

Love, Lust & Pixie Dust,
Becky <3
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