Never Nude: An upcoming adventure in clothing

While some of you will be writing novels during the month of November (yay NaNoWriMo!) I’ll be tackling a different kind of creative project: a “30 for 30”. What is that, you say? I’m glad you asked!

Essentially you take 30 articles of clothing and create 30 unique outfits from those pieces. They can include tops, bottoms, and shoes; accessories such as belts, scarves, and jewelry are freebies. You can see more details and examples here. Kendi (who I’m pretty sure I’d be friends with in real life…call me, Kendi!) came up with the idea and apparently it has turned into a bit of a style blogging phenomenon. November seems like as good a time as any to jump on that bandwagon. 30 outfits in a month of 30 days. Perfect.

Now I realize I’m not a style blogger, nor do I have any intention of becoming one, and I know that most (if not all) of you probably don’t care in the slightest what I wear from day to day. But the idea of a 30 for 30 has really resonated with me and I’m more likely to stick with it if obligated to do so. Posting about it on my silly little blog seems like the best way to create a sense of accountability. If you decide not to check in with me for the next month, I won’t be offended in the slightest. But know this: I’ll be posting on a near-daily basis, I’ll be including pictures of myself (which could be good for a laugh), and I’ll be writing normal Jen-blog stuff. Sunday ensembles will be accompanied by svithes, for example, and Mondays’ will also include shots of Miss Mila. So there’s that to consider.

But why, Jen? What is the point of all this? Good question. My reasons are five-fold:

1) To regain some control in my life. There are so few things that I can genuinely control right now, and it gets a little discouraging sometimes. (I just want to sleep for longer than a couple hours at a time! Or sit through Sunday School! Or, you know, take a shower!) My theory here is that if I take control of this small aspect of my life, I won’t feel as resentful that nearly everything else is subject to the whims of a tiny, fickle dictator. While I may not get to choose when or where Amelia is going to barf next, I can totally choose what I wear while I’m cleaning it up. It’s silly, I know, but it’s a step toward feeling more at peace with the chaos of new motherhood. This month, get control of my wardrobe; next month, I conquer the house!

2) To get to know and feel good about myself. I’m still getting used to this postpartum body of mine. I’m still getting used to the fact that people who I’d never really talked to suddenly want to be my friend, simply because I have a kid now. (Note: this is a topic for another post because I have MUCH to say on the matter.) I’m still getting used to having my identity forever changed because I made a person. Not only do I need to figure out who I am now, but I want to feel comfortable and confident about what I’ve become. (Again, another post for another day perhaps.) I think exploring my personal style a bit might help that process along.

3) To curb my shopping habit. It’s just barely dipping into the 90’s now, as I’m sure I’ve told you on countless occasions. Because it’s been so hot, we’ve spent a lot of time indoors, even when we leave the house. Read: when Mila and I go for walks, we walk around Target or the mall. Subsequently I have purchased a lot of clothes for all of us. Granted, I’ve been shopping some great sales ($7 shirts from J Crew! $6 dresses from Gymboree!) but still. We don’t need to keep acquiring clothing and we don’t need to keep spending and spending. Instead of shopping at stores, I’m going to learn to be grateful for and happy with what I have by making a very limited wardrobe work for me. Also, every time I see something I really want to buy, I’m going to put the money I would have spent on it into savings instead. House fund, prepare to grow!

4) To assess my wardrobe. While there’s not much I need in terms of clothing, I’m sure there are a few holes in my closet that I’d like to fill. Contrariwise, I probably have extras that I don’t need to keep hanging onto. If I don’t miss something during a month of not wearing it, it’s probably a waste of good closet space. I’ll be making both a list of wants and a pile of things to donate as I go.

5) To have fun. So what if I’m almost thirty? Sometimes I just want to play dress up and take silly pictures. I fail to see anything wrong with that.

So there you go. Tomorrow I’ll post a list of my chosen 30 items along with the rules I’ll be setting for myself. Starting Tuesday I’ll be documenting my progress. You are welcome to join me. In fact, let me know if you do so I can be sure to leave encouraging and complimentary comments for you. 🙂

Let the great experiment begin!

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