Why I bought a Tide to Go pen...

 A few years ago, my mother bought me a Tide-to-go pen. Actually she bought me a few because she figured it's cheaper than doing laundry every other day for stuff that only needs spot treatment.

I thought it was pointless and a waste of money. Its an item that's full of chemicals that really shouldn't be allowed to be left on clothing, its effectiveness is definitely mixed and it smells awful. And then half the time, it creates another stain over the original stain!

I wouldn't recommend it as a solution to anyone. Just wash the clothes, I'd say.

And yet, here I am, having spent actual money on a new Tide-to-go pen a mere day ago, because one of my holdovers from my mother finally ran out of its magic serum and suddenly I was pining for my easy to reach Tide-to-go pen.

Ultimately I underestimated my laziness and my food preferences upon finding full time work. Because kids got nothing on me when it comes to stains.

I'm a messy eater and pretty careless too. At least once every time I eat out, a friend reacts to the fact that my long hair somehow finds its way in the bowl of miso soup. And I am known to splatter various juices and other things over myself despite care.

As a result, white is not a colour that I get along with when it comes to my clothing. Which is a real shame because white as well as pastels is a huge colour trend this year. And white is so easy to match in clothing. And I like white tops. 

But I tend to wreak havoc on my carefully selected outfits because, as it turns out, eating a hamburger while typing away at a desk is far messier than you'd otherwise expect.

And one too many times spent over a washroom sink scrubbing away at a particularly obvious stain on my white top had me buying into the magic of this pen, despite the price and the chemicals. The convenience is far too high and even if it doesn't fully make the stain disappear on my nice white shirt, it makes enough of it disappear where I don't feel like I'm wearing a really ugly broach in a weird spot on my body.

Proof of my bad consumer habits and me folding over to my own innate laziness.

But I'm seriously not about to stop eating ramen any time soon, so this will have to do until they create a fabric that repels stains.

And really, it's not ALL that bad. It is great for spot work and I've used it several times to great effect... but it depends on what you're washing. Ramen noodle soup is not one of the things it can make disappear though.

Stylize: May flowers in April

Top - Necessary Clothing (Fall '13); Bottom - Forever21
(Summer '13); Camisole - H&M (Spring '14); Necklace -
Forever21 (Winter '14); Shoes - Payless (Spring '14)

Note to self: best find some nice gold bracelets to wear. Because I have none.

When I originally bought these jeans from Forever21 last July, I was actually taking aim at a pair of medium green jeans, because that was what the picture for the product appeared to have advertised the colour of these jeans.

Well they weren't a medium green. I got a minty green instead.

Funny how these things work out.

Unbeknownst to my slightly annoyed self at the time (I never did get that desired colour of green jeans ultimately) mint-coloured jeans - or really any piece in that particular shade - has become a huge trend this season what with how popular pastels of any colour is this year.

I can't yet decide if it is a trend driven by an actual fashion consortium several months in advance or it was driven by the fact that this past winter sucked.

And I mean sucked to the point where all of us are likely exhausted by our collection of sweaters in our closet, because that was honestly all we wore the last five months here in Canada.

So needless to say, the changing of the seasons and the fact that I can finally wear something that isn't just knee-high boots (bonus if they're covered in salt stains), jeans and a sweater layered with a long sleeve shirt beneath and a scarf on top has made me gone a little stir-crazy for my closet. Because after a time, I actually missed being able to wear my collection of chiffon blouses (an impossibility for me between the polar vortex outside and the freezer-like temperatures inside my office.

Which is why I pulled out this particular top today.

I actually bought this piece last fall and basically wore twice before the big nasty winter set in and it was too cold to wear this anywhere but in a sauna. I found it in People's StyleWatch magazine and I fell in love the print.

The print can be both the centerpiece of an outfit, as it is here, or can be an accent piece under the right kind of blazer thanks to its mostly neutral black base. It is see-through which means unless you mean to show off your undergarments is best worn with a camisole underneath.

And it is honestly the softest chiffon shirt I've ever owned.

Lately I've been having issues with itchy fabric in that it is irritating my skin, and the cheap chiffon you find at most fast-fashion outlets are definitely a big perpetrator. But I can fall asleep in this shirt because that's how comfortable and soft this is.

And it has put me on an eternal search for an equally comfortable chiffon top.

Add on a gold antique locket to match the antique flower print of the shirt with nude suede wedge peep-toe heels that absolutely screams warm weather and this is something I could wear both to work and to hang out with friends at a coffee shop or a restaurant. It is simple, easy but still says a lot. But if you wish to make it a touch fancier, you can further accessorize either with a gold belt (and the shirt tucked in), gold bracelets and a really nice purse. Add the right mix of hair and make-up and this can really make a statement.

Next time I'm going to recycle one of these pieces and make a totally brand new outfit that hopefully exudes a different flavour to this one, although both pieces are honestly easy to mix and match with anyone who has a really versatile closet. I really do want to see how far I can stretch each piece of my existing closet in order to see how many outfits.

And to honestly find a way to justify keeping what clothing I am choosing to keep instead of tossing away.

Wearing it more than once

So I own a lot of clothing. And while I certainly try my best to donate as many pieces or more as I happen to purchase, the reality is that after awhile, the stuff in your closet tends to build up over time no matter what your do.

It's not even that I have a messy system or closet set up. Actually, all my stuff has its place and designated spot and if I find I'm running out of room, that's when I start ditching clothes. So there is a system in place to keep the clutter under control. 

(Of course, that's assuming I put everything where they should go. Which I do, but more often than not they can be an unfortunate casualty on the floor of my bedroom)

But still, just based on the loads of laundry I have to do, I have a LOT of clothing.

It's actually gotten to a point that I have to actively wear a different outfit with different pieces every day simply to make use of as many items as I can so as not to feel like I'm wasting my time buying new things or keeping old ones.

And it's a bit of a vicious cycle too, buying something new and trying to work it into your closet while at the same time trying not to wear certain pieces more than once at any given point and time or reproducing an outfit you already wore earlier in the week but with different items. 

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this. 

Really it was sparked by the perplexed and slightly annoyed realization that a lot of fashion bloggers (at least the popular ones) don't recycle their pieces in their blog posts. A lot of them are kind of one-and-dones unless they actually do recycle a piece strictly as part of a gimmick.

Even the basic pieces don't get seen more than once.

And it kind of annoyed me that these are supposedly normal people who live regular lives like us can have that kind of unlimited wardrobe where almost every piece is brand new and only ever photographed once in a full year. I mean, where does all that money come from where they can keep buying all these clothing? I shop cheap and even I struggle to keep up.

Also, I think part of this is just me trying to avoid picking up my clothing and putting away laundry in addition to formally making the changeover from winter to summer wardrobes. And me wondering precisely why I have so much freaking clothing anyway.

Ultimately, I want to see where I could go with each of my pieces. I think I've built up enough of a stable set of classic pieces (minus perhaps the LBD, because I never found a style I really liked in it) to really start focusing on recycling my clothing. And possibly decide if some pieces aren't worth keeping beyond the fashion expiry date.

My closet deserves the workout anyway.

Geek Style: understanding studs

For me, nothing ruins a good piece like studs.

And I'm not just talking about the huge, gaudy, pyramid studs that hearkens back to the days of 80s punk rock that covered so much of the shirt or the jacket that it was more studs than fabric, nor am I just talking about the five inch spike that looks like it could kill someone.

I'm talking about even the small "stylish" and "classy" studs that are and have been cropping up everywhere.

Why? Because they snag and they tear when you launder it and they can quickly become the most annoying part of the outfit depending on how it's assembled. Also it is dated and is an embellishment that can go from classy to tacky in mere seconds.

Why buy something if you only get to wear it a few times before it's no longer in style and "uncool"?

What also may help is the fact that I'm more attracted to the classy-chic looks that sticks with basics for the most part and studs just doesn't jive with that sense of style.

Unfortunately, one of this Fall's biggest fashion trend is studs. On bags, in shoes, on sweaters and on shirts. There are few pieces this fall that has escaped this now seemingly necessary addition.

And it is making shopping for clothes online and otherwise a headache sometimes.

This is particularly true for the website DailyLook.

This website is designed to give its free subscribers two to three outfits that reflects styles that are popular. The pieces used are all chic and affordable, and that - despite them not coming off the shelves of a name brand or designer store - is well constructed and made.

I love some of the styles and outfits that are produced on the website as they appeal to my broader sense of fashion. Some of the pieces too are even things I've been looking for when seeking out different solutions.

(If only their minimum shoe size wasn't 5.5 however! Oh the pains of being a size 5...)

But...

Everything that was somewhat cute and something I would buy... had studs somewhere on it. Studs on the collar, studs on the pockets.

And I can't stand it.

There are a number of Fall trends this year that I enjoy (Oxblood being my favourite) and would definitely try if not completely buy into, but studs are a HUGE miss for me and an actual deterrent in purchasing an item. Which as you can imagine, is why I'm waiting with great anticipation for this trend to be over with.