a little evaluation

this semester i've been taking a class called dynamics of clothing and i love it! i've learned so much about many aspects of fashion and clothing and it's really given me a lot to think about with my personal clothing and shopping philosophies. if anyone wants to talk about clothes, well, i'm your girl.

right now we have an assignment that involves evaluating our current wardrobe and our clothing needs. i've always enjoyed "curating" my wardrobe (look, it's even on my birthday list of goals.. number 15), but i often get overwhelmed and don't know the best way to go about it. in my class i've learned a lot about how to best do this, and thought i would share some tips!

helpful tips for wardrobe planning:

1. evaluate your budget

think about your resources. what percentage of your income do you spend on clothes? what percentage of your income should you spend on clothes? also think about quantity versus quality and cost-per-wear. if you're not going to wear an item very much, don't spend very much money on it, or better yet, don't buy it! but if you're going to wear it all the time it's often worth spending more money to buy a garment of higher quality that will last a lot longer.

2. determine your personal style

think about your lifestyle. what activities do you spend the most time on? what percentage of your clothing items are appropriate for those activities? also think about your fashion personality. how would you describe your style? classic? eclectic? dramatic? romantic? a combination of these?

3. go through your clothes and sort them into groups

create three piles: clothes you like, clothes you dislike, and clothes you never wear.

4. analyze your clothing choices

look at your clothes, both those you like and those you dislike. look for similarities in things you like or in things you dislike. try to identify reasons and explanations for why you like or dislike them. take note of these things so you can learn more about what you will and won't actually wear.

5. purge and discard

get rid of the clothes you don't wear and don't make excuses! you can give the clothes to friends or relatives or take them to goodwill. if you have a local plato's closet or trendy x-change, take your clothes there and see if you can get any money for them!

6. organize your closet

organize your clothes in a way that is intuitive for you, whether by item type, style, or color. make sure your clothes are visible and accessible—you'll have a hard time wearing items that aren't!

7. make a purchasing plan

identify needs in your wardrobe and items to fill those needs. focus on clothing basics or classics that you can then build on and supplement with trends you like. it would probably be helpful to make a chart to determine what you own and what you need. depending on your budget, you can make a plan to purchase items you want or need in the near future or over a period of months. as you plan purchases, make sure you remember things you identified about yourself in step four. most importantly, think about your wardrobe as a whole and make sure your clothing items go together and work with each other.

i hope these were helpful. happy planning!

link love

i'm so happy it's the weekend! this week has been a little bit crazy, and i'm just excited to be able to relax. i thought, though, i would share some things i've been loving around the internet lately.

this post. i really like this way of looking at the 13th article of faith. i feel very similarly and that's one of the reasons i'm studying art history and that i'm also so interested in pretty things like film, music, design, and fashion.

this cover. recently i can't stop listening to sad songs, but it's okay because i really think that melancholy music is some of the prettiest.

this blazer. if only i had $78 to spend on one little blazer.

this skirt. i love it. why do i not own anything with polka dots? this has gotta change.

this recipe. are you kidding me? my two favorite things in one delightful combination?!

this video. speaking of delightful combinations.. i just love these two.

okay, well, cool. bon week-end!




















p.s. this week i've practiced french braiding and worn coral lipstick twice. take that, birthday goals!

people are amazing

i love learning about incredible lives and people who are just so resilient in the face of adversity or talented despite circumstances or giving over all else. i have an ever-growing list of biographies and memoirs that i want to read, and i thought i would share the ones at the top of it.

audrey hepburn, an elegant spirit by sean hepburn ferrer

i recently read this biography of audrey hepburn written by her son and i loved it. audrey was really an incredible woman and just so full of love. reading about the more intimate moments and relationships in her life was fascinating and learning about her work with UNICEF was very moving. this book also includes a lot of lovely family photographs that i'd never seen before. i loved getting to see that different side of her, as a mother rather than a movie star. this was a beautiful book and you should read it. especially you, lauren.

my life in france by julia child

i got this book for christmas and started reading it on the plane ride back to utah. somehow i've gotten distracted and haven't finished it yet, but i've loved it so far. as a francophile and food lover, that's probably no surprise, but julia's voice in her writing is passionate and engaging and so full of life and emotion, you can't help but love it. from her fish out of water experiences as an american in paris, to her falling in love with france and with food, her writing is so personal and illustrative that it feels almost as if i am having these experiences right beside her. i can't wait to finish this.

the fun of it by amelia earhart

i've read this memoir once before, but it's been quite a while. i have always loved amelia earhart. something about her resonated with me as a little girl, and anytime i was asked to name someone i considered a role model or inspiring figure, amelia earhart was the first name out of my mouth. she really was incredible. the things she achieved as an aviator were amazing on their own, but she did them as a woman in a world not open to equality or female achievement. she was a pioneer in many more aspects than flight, and i think her life is fascinating and inspiring.

jesse: the man who outran hitler by jesse owens

a different kind of story of human triumph during the holocaust, this autobiography is one of my sister's favorite books and one that i've been meaning to read for years. jesse owens was an amazing athlete, and in a time of racial segregation in the united states and racial genocide in europe, his success was especially significant. i'm very excited to read this.

to the rescue: the biography of thomas s. monson by heidi s. swinton

i just love thomas s. monson. he is just the sweetest, most loving man, and he has had a truly incredible life. i love hearing him speak because of the personal stories he always tells, and i think there's a lot we can learn from his experiences. i have always been so touched by his example of selflessness and constant sacrifice for others. i particularly remember hearing one bittersweet story which caused him to make a commitment that he would never again ignore a prompting of the spirit, and i was so moved that i made the same commitment for myself. i love president monson and i hope that i can apply the great lessons from his life to my own.

the story of my life by helen keller 

i think helen keller is one of the most inspiring women i have ever heard of. i can't even imagine what it is like to be blind or deaf, but she had the amazing strength of character to move past both of these disabilities and make an improbable difference in the world. i can't fathom the experience of learning words when you cannot see or hear what they describe, let alone mastering a language to be able to write so eloquently. helen keller is a highly quoted individual, and she elaborated thoughts that are new and complex and moving and profound to us even as fully capable people. she learned to sign and to speak with her amazing power of will, she has touched so many lives, and i truly respect, admire, and am in total awe of her.

the diary of a young girl by anne frank 

i read this book a long time ago, but i think it's time i read it again. i think few books have touched the world as widely and deeply as this one has. i am amazed at anne frank's optimism and hope in even her personal writings throughout such an unimaginable hardship. i am amazed at how she could look at the world and see so much beauty and love, even as she suffered through one of the most ugly and terrible events in human history. this book is an inspiring example of endurance of the human spirit and a real gem.

van gogh: the life by steven naifeh and gregory white smith

vincent van gogh is perhaps my very favorite artist, and although he lived a difficult and unhappy life, his paintings are among the most beautiful and inspiring the world has seen. when i go home in april, i'm going to the van gogh exhibit at the philadelphia museum of art with my family and i plan to read this biography as well as this book of his letters before then. i think it's such a shame that van gogh is often simply thought of as that crazy artist who cut off his ear, because if you've ever read any of his quotes or writings, you see that he was a sensitive, spirited, and tragically brilliant soul. i think this song says it perfectly.

be still my heart.

the royal wedding was perfection in every way.

in bloom

i'm obsessed with these tissue paper flowers.

found here and here.

i just want to make some in cheery colors and hang them up all over my room.

winter? i'm over it.

some blog lovin'

i thought i would share my current must-read blogs.

so here's my list.

1. a beautiful mess

elsie is the cutest. i love her style, both artistically and in fashion. she just opened the most magical store, and she's engaged and just started a wedding blog that i'm sure i'll be hooked on, too!

2. smile and wave

rachel has the sweetest little family. her home is beautiful and i love her knack for sewing and crafts and vintage. and she's a pretty funny lady.

3. bleubird vintage

james's blog is lovely. she and her family are stylish and oh so cute, and baby gemma is absolutely adorable. plus james has the prettiest vintage shop.

4. rockstar diaries

naomi is the classiest. i aspire to dress like her and someday rock bangs like hers. also she can pull off red lipstick like no one else i've seen. she and her husband josh are the cutest, and they have a mischievous bulldog kingsley and a baby on the way! and naomi makes beautiful headbands.

p.s. they're mormon. wooo!

5. cupcakes and cashmere

i love emily's style both in her clothing and her home. she's legit—she recently designed a bag for coach, and was featured by forever 21. and check out the pretty jewelry she makes! also she's always sharing the most delicious recipes.

6. cakies

rubyellen has the cutest family and i love everything they do together! her daughters true, brave, and soul are darling and she always has the most creative and clever ideas and projects.

7. miscellaneous files, etc.

this is my sister liz's blog and i think she rocks. she always has the coolest things to say about art and photography and design and fashion and life. i love her a lot.