Days 11, 12, 13 and 14

I grow old, I grow old
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled

Sorry. Cheap quote but I did indeed wear the bottom of my trousers rolled. Not only that but, oy this task is growing old. The hardest part is not wearing something different (plenty of clothes to go around) but rather finding clothes to wear for specific events. As previously mentioned I have several events that require staid, conservative clothing and I have exactly 2 outfits that fit said staid and conservative bill. I'm varying my accessories but I'm beginning to bore myself.

Right-o

Day 11
Lazy Saturday-- I was on the couch and spent the day in sweats

Day 12
Oscars! Oscars and cooking in Brooklyn. Jeans, topsiders, orange and white scoop neck 3/4 length t-shirt.

Day 13
Day after the Oscars! Oof! Not my best moment-- cropped black trousers and an over-sized dress Stewart tartan shirt

Day 14
J.Crew Jules dress in the Fan print worn with nude hose fuchsia suede heels.

Tomorrow is Day 15 and I'll have to wear the plain black dress again. Not sure if I'll go with boots and tights  or heels and hose. Stay tuned sports fans, the results are sure to be scintillating!

On the running note: this weekend got away from me. Plan is to do 3 miles tomorrow (are you laughing? I am).

Day 10

It's Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday

Banner day here in the city that never sleeps.

Ran 3 miles this morning. 3 10 minute miles, that is. In my defense, this is the first time I've run since June 21 so I'm not complaining. Last night I did the 100 work out (100 jumping jacks, 90 crunches, 80 squats, 70 leg lifts and 60 pushups, then repeat at 50, 40, 30, 20, 10). Now I can have been tonight without too much guilt.

Today's outfit-
J.Crew jeans (light wash)
White oxford cloth
Nanny's Barbados pearls
Turquoise earrings (the ones that look like Poppy's Iranian turquoise)
Signet and black pearl rings
C. Wonder gold bamboo bangle
Coach Cuban heel boots

So- 10 days of different outfits; 3 miles down, 37 to go!

Day 9

This morning started off with a short round of dress up. It's February, that's what it is. Without fail February makes me want to pull out my spring wardrobe. It's 24 degrees out with snow in the forecast but the extra sun light in the morning and evening (light until 5:45! what what!) makes me think it should be 65. Anyway, I spent 15 minutes trying on clothes appropriate for April and quickly returned to my senses.

Today:

Neon pink silk camp shirt 

black cropped trousers

black riding boots

gold belt

gold hoops

enormous lucite ring (pro tip: this is the ring everyone think is Alexis Bittar. It's H&M. I will never buy)

pearl bracelet with sparkly clasp

I bought the neon shirt this autumn at Old Navy and this is the first time I've worn it. It's great and I can see it coming into full wardrobe rotation. Part of the reason I can't get behind the whole: "if you haven't worn it in 6 months, toss it"mentality is that there are plenty of things I haven't worn in 6 months but will wear the snot out of in another 3. Sometimes things go unworn because I've gained or lost weight, sometimes they go unworn because I'm in an environment that calls for different clothes (see also my 2 suits) and sometimes because I'm just too darn lazy to pull the whole outfit together and cropped trousers with a man's shirt and ballet flats is easy and looks nice (see also this entire project). 

Personally, I follow the William Morris theory of clothing: have nothing that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. Does it pull? Is it unflattering? Out it goes! Are there holes in it? Gone! Too big, purchased while I felt not unlike Fudgie the Whale? Dunzo! I cull and toss with the ruthlessness of well, I don't know (here's where I want to make a comment about vikings or cossacks, that's because I have a wrong sense of humor, so I won't). 

One caveat: I am extremely preppy. I wear Pendleton trousers my grandmother during the Kennedy administration and a fisherman's sweater that my grandfather bought while Lord Mountbatten was still vacationing at Sligo. Clothes purchased my first year of college still hang in my closet and get worn. So, yeah, are there two pairs of trousers I bought last spring and and haven't worn? Yup. Sue me. They'll get worn, I'll be complemented on them and told how nice I look. It just may be in 2015. 

Basic Math

We learned multiplication in 2nd grade.

 I wish I could remember my teachers name-- I can picture my classmates and the room itself but my teacher's name escapes me. Anyway, said teacher is the one who taught me multiplication. Or at least tried to teach me multiplication. She began the lesson by explaining the basic concept of multiplication-- that it's addition. 9 x 3 = 9 + 9 + 9.  That's about all I remember of those lessons because I immediately decided there was no need to learn to multiply, all I needed to do was add! And that was that. Why spend time memorizing my times tables when I could be reading or swimming or creating imaginary worlds? Just add!

Unfortunately for me (in the long term, in the short term I was fine), I was perfectly capable of adding all the numbers I needed to and passed all my tests and it wasn't until 3 years later in Mr. Reagan's math class that anyone had any idea that I couldn't actually multiply.  Don't get me started on division-- once I realized it was just subtraction, well, all was lost.

And lo these many years later despite algebra and geometry and college level calculus not to mention almost a decade of retail math, I still don't really know how to multiply.

True confessions here gang. Airing out my closets. My name is Ryan and I can't multiply.

Day 8

I've realized a flaw in my plan-- I have several commitments in the coming weeks that require a specific type of dress. Think staid, conservative outfits. I have 1 or 2 that fit the bill completely but may have to repeat. To that end, I will shake things up I will wear different accessories and pretend they are different outfits. (ed, I still can't believe I'm putting this drivel on the internet. That said, it's certainly keeping me honest and I'm enjoying writing again).

Today-

Maja's black boots

Black tights

Black Theory dress 

Pearl earrings, pearl bracelet with sparkly clasp, signet ring and black pearl ring

Still nothing on the running front but I've got time ahead of me. The increased sunlight (sunrise at 6:45! Sunset at 5:45!) is definitely giving me a spring in my step.  

In other news, I'm having a fabulous hair day and am feeling more and more motivated to keep it so. 

And not for nothing but I've worn makeup every day for over a week. And no baseball caps. 

Interlude and Day 7

It is a truth universally acknowledged that your mother is usually right.

Turns out when you make an effort you feel better.

It, frankly, is just as easy to throw on a dress and heels as it is jeans and a t-shirt.

I'm on day, what, 6 of this project. I'm one of my many J.Crew Jules dresses with hose and boots. I feel like a million bucks. I did NOT want to get dressed up this morning. I'm so glad I did.

Day 7 (Tuesday)
Burnt Orange Jules Dress
Stockings
Maja's brown crocodile boots

Days 4, 5 and 6

Just returned from a fabulous long weekend. We went road-tripping from the shore to the mountains and several places in between. Outfits were rather boring as I was on the road and thus capsule packing.


Saturday
Grey cashmere t-neck sweater
Black jeans
Red converse sneaks


Sunday
Black cropped trousers
Black boots
Black boots
Quilted vest
Plaid scarf

Monday
Black cropped trousers
Red converse
Grey cashmere t-neck sweater
Plaid scarf.

Now back to business and wearing my work clothes. I've repeated items but not outfits. 7 days ain't bad.

Days 1, 2 and 3

Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day and now the start of President's Day Weekend.  As I am incredibly lame, I have not taken photos of my outfits. I have, however, worn entirely different outfits each day this week (including Monday and Tuesday) and worn a dress and shoes that have sat dormant since November.

Wednesday, 13 Feb
Maja's boots
Black tights
JCrew black and white "fan"Jules dress

Thursday, 14 Feb
Black patent shoes (x2)-- the heel came off the first pair and so I switched to a different pair
Tights
JCrew purple floral Jules dress
* interesting note, I bought this dress over Thanksgiving Weekend but it is so bright that everyone
   commented that I was bringing spring to the office a few weeks early.

Friday, 15 Feb
Black riding boots
Black jeans
Black and white stripped t-shirt

This is such a remarkably stupid thing to do and decidedly narcissistic. It is, however, forcing me to wear the clothes I actually own. I think it's fair to say that I am no longer able to say, "I have nothing to wear."


PS- No running as yet. I've got weeks.
PPS- First Friday and I'm already sick of tuna.

40 Days and 40 Nights

Dusting this one off again...

Considering I won Catholic of the year for returning from mass and promptly screaming "Christ!" as I fell over my desk chair and dropped a load of books on the floor I've decided I may need a bit more accountability for my Lenten fast.

So here goes nothing:

• No shopping. I don't need anything. Save food and household essentials (note: this does not include my hair as it would be a crime against humanity to let my roots get any worse. And, as we all know, if there's one thing God loves, it's humanity. Seeing as He, you know, gave us His only begotten son etc. Also, God don't like ugly).



• Corollary to the above, wear a different outfit every work day between now and Holy Thursday. This should not be a problem as I just took 50lbs of laundry to the wash and still have an over flowing closet (in fairness, said laundry included linens and towels and I've spent the past decade working in fashion, clothes are my jam).While I'm at it, I may as well post a photo of each outfit to this blog. Gotta keep myself honest.



• Run 40 miles between now and Easter. If Christ can rise from the dead I can certainly pull out my sneakers and resurrect my jogging habit. Last time I ran was June 21, 2012. As an extra added bonus, and just to keep me honest, I will post my map my run times. 

And away we go.....