Has this ever happened to you? You get out of the shower, open the closet doors, stand in front of the contents for a good 10 minutes and exclaim, “I have absolutely nothing to wear!” This is almost a daily occurrence in my house. As I complain loudly about the nothing in my closet, my husband will state, “You’re right. You have two closets full of nothing to wear.” I eventually find something to throw on and sometimes with much chagrin.
I love to shop! I’m really good at it, too! But why do I continue to shop when my two closets full of nothing are brimming with options? Maybe it’s an addiction. Maybe it’s because of the four fashion magazine subscriptions I own calling me to the nearest mall for the latest trends. Or maybe it’s my need to keep up with the Joneses. Whatever the reason, I love to shop, plain and simple.
My husband and I recently took trips to Las Vegas and New York, which happened to be within three weeks of each other. I started planning my wardrobe in early spring so that I would be prepared with cute outfits for both cities. I was armed with pairs of boyfriend khakis and jeans, tanks, cute tees, and little dresses for evening. What I wasn’t prepared for were the cool temperatures. Las Vegas, set in the desert of Nevada, is supposed to be hot and sexy based on movies, photos, and hearsay. Our first day in Vegas, however, had a forecast of 56 degrees and rain, according to weather.com. Each day was supposed to get progressively warmer. I kept my eye on the 10-day forecast for over a week and as I planned that hot, sexy wardrobe, I found myself clueless on how to pack for Sin City.
For New York, I expected cooler temps for May, but really wasn’t planning on a high of 46 and rain for our first day. What was it about these first days in both cities?! The rest of the week called for chances of rain with highs in the 60s and low 70s. Again, I found myself mulling over what to pack. I had to look cute. Photos would be taken and posted to Facebook, and I couldn’t look like I do on any other day. It was vacation.
That’s when I started shopping out of my closet. For the first day in Vegas, a pale pink, light weight jacket purchased for spring in the Midwest, paired with jeans, a long-sleeved, feather-weight tee and a floral scarf in pink, rose, and cream. With Vegas’ increasingly warmer days, those tanks and dresses for evening were perfect. Our first day in NYC, being cooler than Vegas, called for that very same pink jacket. This time with jeans, a tee, and a solid cream scarf. What to wear for the remaining four days? An awesome gray jacket that I wore last year in Los Angeles sprang to mind. Instead of the striped tank I wore with it in LA, I chose a black sleeveless turtleneck. A slate gray jumpsuit worn to a Giada De Laurentiis’ book signing and to the office would be great for a dinner downtown. Who needs a trip to the mall? I had it all right there in front of me.
I continue to try and shop out of my closet for every day outfits as well. A black-and-white, 50s-inspired dress that I bought last summer, but only wore with black patent pumps, was suddenly revived with a pair of yellow heels purchased two summers ago. A new gray sheath dress was paired with fuchsia Jimmy Choo heels purchased by my mom on that Los Angeles trip last year. I still wear pieces I acquired three and four years ago. The difference is I pair them with things I’ve purchased this season to keep it on trend. A statement necklace, fun heels, stacked bangles, a multi-wrap belt, or a vivid-color handbag. I will still continue to shop but I will look to the contents, in those closets full of nothing, as a canvas for future trends suggested by those four subscriptions that may continue to be my reason to shop.
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