Category Archives: Wardrobe

minimalist versus baby

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livinglagom.com - minimalist versus baby

In the course of 24 hours, I was pooped on, thrown up on and had coffee spilled all over me.

I can only claim blame for the latter.

Did I have a wild night of debauchery?

Nope.

I was just hanging out with a baby code-named Buttercup. Known in some circles as my niece.

As it stands in this battle of non-epic proportions, it’s baby = 2, minimalist = 0.

building up a defence

I can’t really blame Buttercup. She doesn’t know I’m a minimalist. She probably doesn’t even know she’s a baby.

Perhaps it was just her way of telling me that she didn’t like my dress. How was she to know It was the only one that I packed for our little sleepover?

What’s a minimalist to do? I can’t live in fear of an infant.

So I came up with a few weapons ideas to protect myself – I mean my clothes. Maybe some of you new recruits like me will find these useful too.

  • Receiving blanket. This is an obvious solution. New parents have like a gazillion of these. So it’s what I generally use when I’m holding Buttercup . . . especially if she’s just been loaded with ammunition (aka breast milk).
  • Scarf. But if there isn’t a receiving blanket handy or you feel uncomfortable asking for one, you could always use a scarf strategically placed in the most likely target areas. It’s much easier to clean a scarf than a whole outfit or to go without wearing the scarf if it gets spit up on.
  • Handkerchief. If you don’t have a scarf on you because it’s say, summer, you could use a handkerchief. I’ve recently purchased my first handkerchief, so I could always use that instead (once I feel comfortable actually using it in public and not just at home). You can also wave it in surrender in the event of a full on attack.
  • Apron. I think this one will come more into play as Buttercup gets older and I need complete body protection. I don’t even want to think about sticky fingers. Scary.
  • Dedicated outfit. I generally wear the same dress when I know I’m coming for a visit. It’s a dress that I’m planning on donating soon, so if it were to get wrecked, I wouldn’t be that sad about it.
  • Pajamas. When I’m staying over for a weekend visit with Buttercup, I usually change into my pajamas when we’re inside. I save my clothes for when we go out somewhere. This is helpful when I’ve only packed one outfit.

The above seems to be working. We haven’t had any additional retaliation. But I know that she’s just waiting until my guard is down to strike. I can see the glint in her eye (the right one).

Of course, if I had to be puked on, I can’t think of anyone that I’d rather do it.

This might be one battle not worth fighting.

Attention actual mommies: Jennifer at The Daily Connoisseur has some video posts for busy moms on self-care and looking presentable.

i don’t believe in irons

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livinglagom.com - i don't believe in irons

Remember when I told you that I don’t believe in printers?

Well, I don’t believe in irons either.

For years – years! – I owned an iron. In all that time, I probably used it only a handful of times.

So when I started purging my stuff, I got rid of it once and for all.

who’s afraid of a few little wrinkles?

I seem to have issues with anything iron-related. I also got rid of my hair straightener in my purge. I lack the kind of focus that’s required to make things perfectly flat, whether with my clothing or my hair. I lose interest before the job is adequately done.

I actually learned how to “properly” iron in my eighth grade home economics class. Once the class was over, I promptly forgot everything I learned. Something about lift and press.

Meh. Life’s too short.

So now I try to only buy clothes that don’t need ironing. But sometimes I buy something that would look better if it was. I end up wearing it slightly wrinkled until I ultimately get rid of it.

I’ve never figured out that whole “hang it in the shower” thing either. (Please enlighten me if you have. I’m just left with a steamy bathroom.)

the great ironing incident of the 1990s

I think my aversion to ironing started back in the 90s. My mom had purchased this beautiful black velvet dress for New Year’s Eve. She loved that dress. A few days before the big day, she decided to iron it. And even though my mom was an ironing pro, somehow the dress got singed. She was devastated. She wanted to wear that dress.

Instead of buying another one, she made an exact replica of the dress from scratch with only days until the big event. My mom was a superstar.

Perhaps this experience – while having a happy ending – scarred me into thinking that if I ironed something that I really liked, that I would wreck it. And since I didn’t inherit my mom’s sewing skills, I couldn’t chance it.

Regardless of the reason for my affliction, when it comes to ironing – ain’t nobody got time for that.

P.S. The dress that my mom made by hand is one of the few things that I’ve kept of hers. It’s a reminder of her true spirit and perseverance. Yes, I could get rid of the dress and still remember the story behind it. But I don’t want to. When I do, I will.

to consign or not to consign

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livinglagom.com - to consign or not to consign
That is the question.

I’ve sold items on consignment, as well as purchased them.

The following are my experiences with both.

a consignor’s perspective

I sold my first ever item of clothing on consignment in February. I don’t know how long it took to sell because when I went to the shop to check in on it five days later, it had already sold and the sales assistant couldn’t tell me when. I knew it would sell fast. It had pockets. What girl doesn’t love a dress with pockets?!

In case you’re wondering, I consigned the dress on the right in my post, a tale of two dresses. I replaced it with the dress in the image above on the bottom right. Seeing double? Well the clothing line changed the design of the dress slightly to have a lower neckline and shorter sleeves. When I first bought the dress, I wished it had a lower neckline. So when my wish was granted this past fall, I decided to snatch it up.

I could’ve made more money by selling the dress on eBay or Craigslist, but I didn’t want the hassle of posting the item or having strangers come to my home to try it on. So this method suited me.

Now that I’ve caught the consigning bug, I want to try it as a first option before I donate items. I’m planning on consigning my London dress (top right in the image above). I wore this dress a lot last summer and into the early fall. But it’s just a little too short and needs to be ironed to look its best. And well, I don’t believe in irons. (Remember that line.)

a consignee’s perspective

My experience buying on consignment, or what I’ll more generally refer to as secondhand, goes back to when I was just a wee little thing.

I remember trips to The Salvation Army with my mom, sister and sometimes my aunts and cousins. We would get some of our clothing (and toys) there. On the flipside, we would also get some of our fancier Sunday dresses handmade by a seamstress (and sometimes by my mom). The best of both worlds.

One of my favorite outfits as a kid was a pair of light blue corduroy pants and a fuzzy sweater that belonged to my older cousin, Rosa. I thought she was so cool and was over the moon when I got her hand-me-downs.

As a teenager, I would “borrow” items from my sister’s closet (and sometimes still do).

Then I went through a period of not wanting anything secondhand at all . . . until I met Brown Sweater.

Oh the adventures I had whilst wearing Brown Sweater! I’ve never gotten so many stories out of four dollars.

Nowadays, whenever I’m in need of an article of clothing, I check out the consignment and secondhand stores around town. I don’t always find what I’m looking for, but I want to make it my first stop.

I think the key to buying secondhand is to find shops that are organized like “regular” stores. I used to dislike buying secondhand because I couldn’t get past the ick factor given my mild germaphobia. But now I’ve found shops that I like going into.

I bought the gray cardigan in the image above at my favorite consignment store. I also scored a pair of almost new Paige skinny jeans for thirty dollars.

When buying secondhand, a lot of people will tell you to go in with an openmind and not have a set idea of what you want to buy. I disagree. I go in with an idea of what I’m looking for and only buy something if it fits in with my personal style. I may be a little bit flexible on color, but that’s about it. I’d rather check the store more frequently, than buy something that’s just okay.

So from my experience, to consign or not to consign – there’s really no question at all.

“Just because something isn’t new, doesn’t mean it isn’t any good.” – From the book, Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker