What I Wore: Cozy

Plaid Shirt - Sonoma ($3.50), Cardigan - Sonoma ($10), Cords - LOFT (GW, $5),
Cowl - Marie's Crochet Corner (Etsy $15), Earrings - Avon ($4.50) Boots - Target ($9) Total: $47

Last week, Mandy at This Girl's Life gave a little background about why she does "What I Wore" posts. I thought I might do something similar this week. Around 2 years ago, I was really dissatisfied with my wardrobe. I had a terrible time getting ready in the morning, to the point where I would take 20-25 minutes and end up calling my husband in tears. This was a terrible way to start my day and with a 3 year old at that time, it made everything more stressful.  I resolved to take care of this problem. It was sapping me of energy and confidence and left me feeling really discouraged. I had always enjoyed clothes, so  this was definitely not like me. I really think the transition and difficulty started after I became a mom.

I started reading lots of blogs about wardrobes and creating outfits. I also started figuring out my style and what types of clothing worked for my life - a combination of working outside the home and taking care of my daughter. I cleaned out and got rid of lots of clothes - all the things that weren't working, weren't quite right, etc. It was hard to do and I felt bad, but it was so much better to be left with a few good choices than a bunch of not good choices.

I also found that I didn't have a good foundation of basic items, so I've been working at building a wardrobe full of mix and match core pieces. I keep a running list of pieces I am looking for and try hard to stick with it. I've also discovered the magic of accessories! So for me, participating in What I Wore on a regular basis serves several purposes for me -

1. It holds me accountable and gives me motivation to keep putting together fun new outfits.
2. I love getting inspiration from others and look forward to reading the other link ups each week.
3. I strive to put together modest outfits that are still cute and put together on a budget!
4. It's enjoyable and I like to be creative in this way!

That's why I participate! If you blog about your outfits, do you have a specific reason or reasons why? I'd love to hear; leave me a comment!

I'm linking up to What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy!