30-day challenge, volume 1.
once there was a girl named emma. emma loved to shop. and not just in stores, but online. actually, mostly online. emma found the act of purchasing clothing on the internet thrilling. coming home to one or more perfectly taped up packages by her doorstep sent her to the moon. she knew her sizes well enough that she had no qualms against not being able to try things on. if she had to return said items, no problem - most websites provided you with a pre-paid return label and if they didn't... she could afford to pay for shipping and get her full refund. she ain't cheap like that. but then, one dark and stormy month (november), emma went overboard. call it stress or emotional shopping over her most recent 100th failed attempt at dating, but bitch went insane with buying. suddenly, it was as if she had been promoted to CEO and could afford whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. $50 there and $30 there added up until her credit card bill was so extreme, she broke out in a cold sweat. "what have i done?!" she yelled out loud to herself in her apartment where no one can hear her except for her pissy downstairs neighbor who gets angry if she breathes too loudly. she realized she'd probably have to dip into her savings to survive this card statement and that's when she knew...
she had to be stopped.
for, like, a month at least.
so, her best friend devised a challenge for emma. NO SHOPPING (ONLINE OR IN-STORE) FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF DECEMBER. "you can only put outfits together from pieces you already own. NOT A DIME can be spent on new clothes. you can buy holiday gifts for others, but that's it." and so began the great, 30-day challenge that would test emma's will power, patience and bank account.
now, if you follow me on instagram you have most likely seen my progress thus far. i know outfit pictures aren't that fun for some people (mainly guys) (unless it's like "look at this silly tank top that shows off my titties! oops! hehehe!"), BUT i am going to recap all 30 days of this challenge on my blog per week with actual stories behind the outfits. makes it a little more interactive and interesting, don't you think? so far, i have barely thought about the struggle behind not buying clothes. it's probably because i bought so many during november, i have enough new items to keep me titillated for a few weeks. HOWEVER, this is not to say i won't be suffering come the end of the month. i have an addiction, y'all. AN ADDICTION TO FASHION (quote me).
the last 6 days have looked like this:
on day 1, i didn't have much to work with seeing as though it was my friends and i's "tit pock pub crawl." what's a tit pock, you ask? a tit pock (pronounced TIT-POCK) is any shirt that has one of the breast pockets embellished, be it with sequins and sparkles like mine or some simple lace. tit pocks accentuate one breast and are great fuel for conversation: "oh my god i love your shirt, where'd you get it?" "aw! look at those sparkles! so cute" "your left tit looks FABULOUS." i'm a fan of tit pocks, and you should be, too. there's not much to say about the rest of what i had on - i've had those chunky boots forever and the legging jeans are from GAP and stretch up to THREE SIZES. so you can eat like a pregnant woman and STILL feel okay about yourself since your jeans fit. dur. "yeah, i just ate that entire ham but my jeans still fit SOOO i'm not too worried." magic jeans.
on day 2, i had to get all fancy for my best friend's bridal shower. i decided on a mustard-colored dainty dress i've only worn one other time in my life - on a date. over a year ago. with a guy that (SURPRISE!!!) ended up being a pretty big dbag. HOWEVER, i love the dress and at least it's seen some makeouts and maybe a little boobie action. ain't nothing wrong with that. except for the fact that it's 100% polyester and is capable of producing some of the world's most enormous pit stains known to man. other than, SUPES CUTE.
on day 3, it was back to work i went, donning my fabulous shawl/robe/cape/robe/wtf something from tobi. i have found people either love or despise this piece. they either think it looks too much like a sexy bathrobe or they're like "that is FLY." obviously, the people who think the former can kiss my badunk. i love it and it was a solid investment. not only that, BUT the necklace i am wearing in the picture is a knock-off from nicole richtie's kind of expensive "house of harlow" line. got it from the same site (tobi) and for HALF THE PRICE. see? i know how to bargain shop. at least i have that going for me when it comes to my addiction.
on day 4, i cheated a half-bit only because i wore a new pair of lavender jeans i had purchased BEFORE THE CUT-OFF. so it doesn't really count, especially because the leopard flats, striped tank and grey shirt are all easily 2+ years old, if not more. mixing vintage with newness, y'all! i'm a huge fan of mashing patterns (e.g. the leopard and stripes). when done right, it can make any old outfit new. just gotta creative and not end up looking like a cracked out clown.
on day 5, i went SUPER retro. that sweater is from the wherethefuckdiditgo C&C California line. and, get this: it's from 2004. 2004!!! that's eight years ago. i was 17. i was depressed over a break-up and weighed 50 pounds (essentially) so NOW, in 2012, it sort of fits me like a cropped sweater when, back then, it probably fit just right if not oversized. ha. HAHA. growing up and out is funny. additionally, the romper pictured is an XXI piece from at LEAST four years ago. bitch can preserve. don't doubt my ability.
on day 6 (today, right now), i broke out my mom's 1980 liz claiborne cardigan and paired it with a bad ass muscle tee, an ann taylor loft necklace and some (what else?) GAP jeans. i've spent half the day walking around without the cardigan, acting hard, and the other half of the day with the cardigan on, acting normal. it's fun having split personalities through an outfit. side note: you should all know that 9 out of 10 pairs of jeans i will ever own will be from GAP. yeah, they sometimes become too loose. HOWEVER, they fit. and have so many varieties and are affordable. and, as previously mentioned, some can stretch to THREE SIZES. show me a jean that does the same and we'll talk.
so there you have it! my first six days of recycled outfits. it's fun, it keeps me entertained, it challenges me, it excites me, and the best part? it keeps me from being so broke. ain't nobody got time for that!
tune in next week for week two of my 30-day challenge. who knows what i'll come up with next!
- emma
