My Closet Cleanout



Good morning dear readers.  Last week when the temps dropped I knew it was time to start changing over my wardrobe from warm weather to cooler weather.  As most of you know I only have one tiny closet in the whole house so I have a canvas covered garment rack in the basement that I can use to rotate my clothes. At one point in the 10 years that we've been here I was able to keep all my clothing inside and not have to rotate anything but in the last 2 years that hasn't been the case.  Mostly because I began collecting vintage coats.  Some of you know that my son Alex is in the vintage business and he and his wife B would always come upon an old coat that was "perfect" for me.  I'm not blaming them, no no no!  It's always me. I really do know how to say no, but when it is free and fabulous it gets hard.  So all that being said, the summer dresses and blouses are downstairs now and my coats and sweaters are inside. Below I show some of my newer things and ways I hope to wear them.  This is really just like me talking out loud to myself to help make sense of everything.  I'm sure you know what I mean.



Ok, I see this as a good base layer for cooler weather and all I have to do is throw on a good oversized sweater or old coat.  These A New Day long sleeve tee's are at Target. They are a blend of cotton and modal and feel great, I'm loving all things blush at the moment.  They come in lots of colors, necklines and sleeve lengths.  I know I'll be purchasing a black one the next time I pop into Target.



Here are my beloved Who What Wear Cropped Flares.  I love these pants.  They make everything look better because of the little flare. They have a zipper in the back but I never use it.They have an elasticized waist so they just slip on.  So affordable and a great great work pant.  I normally wear these with a black tee for work but here I'm trying a vintage silk gold blouse I picked up over the summer for $10.  I love the sleeves on this blouse and the silk is so soft.  Either black flats or booties will be cute with this.





Some of you will remember this blouse from several years ago at THIS estate sale.  It was $5 and I just love it.  It looks great this time of year because it's brown and all those vivid flowers.  I love wearing it with jeans and my herringbone jacket.



And here it is with these 1940s trousers, another summer thrift find.  I love these pants because wow are they roomy and hide lots and lots of stuff.




Here's a shot of the closet before the transfer.



And here we are ready for cold. Besides the one long sleeve black tee I want to get I'm pretty set for fall and winter.  Going through all my things is fun.  I pretty much follow the Kon Mari method and empty out the armoire and closet. I dust and vacuum and then go piece by piece and see what fits and what I love.  I cannot stand to be uncomfortable in anything these days.  I love elastic waistbands now.  I'm serious!  You know those jeans you've seen me in lately?  I chopped them off at the ankles because they were too long and I'm not a fan of rolled jeans bc they just bother me. So don't be afraid to re-work your stuff.

I have a pretty big box of stuff going to Family Services and that makes me happy.  I hope I haven't left anything out.  I promise to show lots more of the outfits I wear in coming weeks.  I hope for it to be a regular thing here on the blog bc in a few short weeks I'll be 60 and I gotta represent.  xo

62 comments

  1. How come I never find anything good at target? Where is it all hidden?

    xo kelley
    ps your new blog format is beautiful ; ))

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    1. thanks kelleyx idk why you can't find anything good there?! x

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  2. This is fascinating stuff, Janet, and you look fabulous. I have been looking forward to a post like this. I envy your vintage shopping, and Target. I was always fascinated with the 99 cent store posts. Luckily, I can here about all your adventures.

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    1. still love my .99! and 2nd hand is my favorite still. :)

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  3. I'm loving blush this season too. It really is a neutral. And that brown floral top! It's so you, and super great. I did swap out my pajama drawer this weekend, but now I need to hit my closet. I'm jealous you are done and everything looks great. You inspire me to want to get organized!

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    1. the minute i finished the swap the temps rose! isn't that the way it goes? i do think blush is a neutral too. x

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  4. Your vintage pieces are classics...they look great on you....especially those 1940's trousers. Very reminiscent of Kate Hepburn.
    I remember a vintage coat that you wore years ago...it looked stunning on you and I think it had a fur collar. I hope you will share the other coats soon...
    Thank you for sharing so much of your daily round with us...
    XO

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    1. that was my mom's coat and i still have it. i lent it to a friend last year and she spilled wine on it. no one can get it out so i may have to have it shortened. it's quite costly tho so idk yet. x

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  5. Janet, I'll be 60 in 3 years' time so please, yes, represent!!

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  6. I'm 61 in 2 weeks and know what you mean. I need a good closet clean out to make sure the dreaded frump factor is not present now that I'm going grey. Or trying to go grey. Hair color certainly makes a difference and old favorites may have to go. Thanks for the tee shirt update at Target. I'll definitely hit them this week.

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    1. I went grey/silver 5 years ago and I love it. You do have to revamp your clothes to enhance your hair. No beige, camel, or tan , it looks awful. Go for it. You will never know how it come out until you do it. My hair has changed over those years to look better and better.

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    2. So agree! I ditched all my brown earth tones once I went grey - it's just not a good combination. Grey hair loves navy, white, cream, grey. Fabulous and elegant.

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    3. hair color makes a huge difference on clothing. as we age our skin and hair loses color. our lips lighten and we get that washed out look. i cannot wear gray tho. it's the worse color on me. it has to do with skintone in addition to eye color and hair. i look much better in camel than gray. we are all different! x

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  7. I have "that" birthday in December. Keep inspiring please!

    :) Jamie

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  8. Love this post, Janet. Felt like I'd popped round for coffee and you showed me your ideas for the colder months. Such a nice way to document your outfit plans. Your 40s trousers gave me the tingles, love 'em!
    I did something similar at the weekend. Filled four bin bags ready for the charity shop and washed all the winter jumpers, skirts and trousers I intend to wear. My clothes line saw a lot of action. And there the similarities end ... I will not be photographing my wardrobe, too embarrassing!!! Hugs, x.

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    1. thanks mary. my donation bin is growing. tomorrow we are cleaning out the basement yet again. xo

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  9. $5.00 BLOUSE is FABULOUS!GOLD second FABULOUS and the pink t-shirt sensational...........
    I doNOT know about YOUR SON being in the VINTAGE BUSINESS!!!!!Will you tell me MORE PLEASE!SHOP...ON LINE........FLEAS????

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    1. thanks e. his shop is online and on sunset blvd in los angeles.:)

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  10. It has been so crazy hot in the Midwest the last few weeks! That should all be changing by late this week. I am loving your frequent posts, links and new design. Really love it!

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    1. thank you so much kathy. i'm so glad you like the changes. i'm still loving them too. i hope you all don't sick to death of me! x

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  11. Really enjoying your blog and more frequent posts ! Very interesting and informative as well as just plain fun ! Thanks so much....

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    1. thank you patricia. i'm so glad you like the changes. it's scary making any changes and i didn't know how this would work but i'm loving it. xo

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  12. Love the 40's pants and the floral shirt. Those need to make a fashion come back!

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    1. thanks sunny. i agree, they are so roomy and comfy - almost like pjs. x

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  13. As always, I love your tips and recommendations. I will check into those Target tees - thanks for the heads up. I hit that dreaded number 5 months ago. Where did the time
    go?

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    1. idk, but it's flying. yesterday we took my father in law to lunch and he told me that it's downhill after 80 so we better live it up. it was an eye opener and thought provoking. i'm checking my bucket list! x

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  14. I don't mean to be overly effusive, but you just DO NOT look or seem the age of what I know of as age 60; kudos to you, Janet, as always. AND, because as always I follow you like a puppy dog, 'what Janet says, goes!' (on a lot of things!) I of course linked over via you to Target and investigated (thoroughly!) this New Day line, of which I knew nothing (I've avoided shopping at Target online or in person because I tend to overbuy there, so was clueless about it) - - what a cute line, with lots of accessories! I was thinking of how, if I was a young woman again, working in an office, how easily I could...starting out with new things for my look and my fashion, probably having likely left my parents' home with only a few ensembles...build a good wardrobe with a line like this; stuff to wear to work that you could take easily to evening for Happy Hour, for instance, on a Friday night! Good, basic, classic pieces...with some interesting touches (subtle, stylish 'flair' if you will!); some are full cotton, others with a little bit of good rayon; many different sizes; some throw-on jackets with a smart mix of acrylic/wool (we're just too hot in my neck 'o the woods to really do 100% wool, even in winter; I'm more temperate closer to the beach than you are inland, Janet; aren't you like 2 hrs inland from the coast, so you get the hotter summers and the colder winters here in SoCalif?). Anyway, I like, so thanx for the intro! The thing about long-sleeved anything with me is that the sleeves usually drape over my hand and I get tired of pushing up sleeves and/or having to get new garments constantly altered (gets expensive; I don't sew, unfortunately). But sometimes in our cooler days, a lightweight, long-sleeved tee feels just right; I have a couple for sure, preferring a v-neck on myself but liking a ballet neck on anybody else, because it's so usually-flattering.

    But I'll make you a deal; I'm waiting a couple of weeks before I change out the closet from S/S to F/W, since we're forecasted with Santa Anas and 90s temps through next Sunday; ugh. As I write, it's 93 degrees in backyard shade as we near 4pm PST.

    Love your food and clothes posts! The silky blouse of yours is to-die for, and so perfect for Fall. And those 40s slacks; how many photos of my mom do I have, when she was anywhere from age 15 to age 25 in the 40s, wearing those very, perfect, drapey yet tailored pants; they hung so beautifully; some of my fave photos of Mom in the war years.

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    1. you are too kind vicki. i'm now at the age that my mom first showed signs of alzheimers and that scares me. she hung on for 12 more years but they were awful years for her. so it's kinda shocking to me that i'm right there age-wise as she was. sigh.

      oh i agree about being young and having places like target to find cute cute clothes. it was not that easy when i was 20. we are almost an hour away from the beach. on a sunday morning we can get there in 45-50 minutes but during the week it's another story...! traffic is so bad in LA and the OC. x ps - all the pics of my mom are in those trousers or big dresses! x

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  15. Loving your new format Janet...the last time I commented was when I was in Paris celebrating my 60th and you were on your way to England, then France. We e-mailed about what to bring. I'll be turning 65 in February, have been letting the silver sparkles come through my hair and I'm loving it. As another reader said, your wardrobe has to change with your hair, out with the bland and bring on color. You've got great style my friend.

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    1. thank you cheri. i remember that! i can't believe that was 5 years ago. seems like yesterday to me. i think i'm at the age where i kinda want my wardrobe to change! we all better live it up (within reason) but you know what i mean. xo

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  16. OK,you have inspired me, I am cleaning everything and packing up my summer clothes for storage. It is just easier to only have things in the closet I will want to wear.

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    1. so true CLG. i could easily keep all my clothes in my small closet but it'd be cramped and i prefer to be able to see everything:) have fun sorting! xo

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  17. LOL! I think you represent just fine!

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  18. 60?! Not possible, Janet! Love your style!

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  19. I like my greying hair too. It's about half and half with streaks I like around the face. My only complaint is more of a tendency to dry hair -- anyone have tips on keeping or reviving moisture?

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    1. yes the drying is the worse part. any moisturizing shampoo will work. i'm loving Moroccan oil. and i notice my hair does not need washed as often which is a huge plus! x

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  20. Thanks for the tips on the Target tees...heading over there tomorrow!

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  21. "... to rotate my clothes." Wait. What did I just read?!
    Janet! Your are human! I thought the tiny closet was all there is after the project 333!
    LOL

    Still in awe.
    :-)

    This is what I love about the seasons: the opportunity to clean ojt the closet twice a year.

    Your fall/winter season looks lovely!

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    1. lol, i know right?! it's true. i could keep it all together in the small closet but it'd be tight. i have room in the basement so why not use it. xo

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  22. Hi Janet, I just turned 55 and am so glad that I found your blog! You are so down to earth and welcoming, and I love your style. So please yes continue to share your outfits - they inspire me.
    And I absolutely understand the elastic waist/comfort preference. I am right there with you!

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    1. you are so welcome and glad you found us here. this blog is nothing without the readers/commenters. you guys are the best ever. xo

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  23. Love your style Janet, am liking your new blog design and content very much !!

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  24. Well everyone, I just turned 70 and still not letting my hair go grey! But I feel that will change in the coming year or so. I agree with Anne above and so I'm planning by gradually replacing my beige tan things to light grey which already looks great on me! Love your new blog, Janet, and LOVE your clothes and style especially the elegant simplicity always there. I believe we can look "vital and stylish" while still respecting the new calmer adventures of "age". For me I'm happier now than ever, in better shape than ever, and enjoying life so much more than ever. My wardrobe is made of a FEW simple things I love. Thanks for the continual inspiration, Janet.

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    1. so well put janice. i love that you are happier and more peaceful now than ever. i feel the exact same way. do you think it could be wisdom???!!! lol x

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  25. Love those vintage gorgeous brown pants on you!

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  26. SEND ME THE NAME OF HIS SHOP!I will be there NEXT WEEK!

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    1. ok! the shop is called Sunset Vintage

      It's all womens vintage clothing. 1282 W Sunset Bl LA 90026

      they are closed mondays and tuesdays

      let me know when you'll be there and i'll try to meet you there:) x

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  27. Janet I'm confused. you cleaned out your basement just a few months ago. Are you going even DEEPER? How deep? Thanks!

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    1. i think it was about 6 months ago which is about right. we have v little inside storage and yes, everytime we clean it out i go a little deeper. things i've hung onto after another year or so i'm now ready to let go. letting go for me isn't easy. :) x

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  28. Thanks Janet for above answer on storage. I'm anonymous but really Jen. Meant to sign in in google. In my storage in my basement I have Christmas decor - appliances I use now and then - entertaining pieces that I use when I have company. Decor items that I use but not ready to part with them. I guess my question is do you have ANY Christmas decor ? Stockings- xmas plates- ornaments- Christmas books you read to your kids- I have two shelves worth - I also have a few things for Halloween. And a few things for fall. I have some games. Photo books. I keep going through the basement storage constantly. Can you do a post on your basement storage and your holiday items? I think I remember your xmas home and the only thing you had out were holiday branches and maybe a wreath? Please tell me you have more holiday down in the basement. Lol. (To make me feel better). I'm paring down but holiday stuff always trips me up! Can you add this topic to your blog idea topics for me? THANKS!!!

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    1. hi jen. i have very few christmas ornaments or seasonal decor of any kind. my christmas decor fits in a med sized rubbermaid box, you know the ones that are red with a green lid so you can tell without opening it that it is the christmas one. in it i know there is one or 2 strings of lights, a few gold ornaments that were my moms and a few others. i have a small collection of vintage christmas postcards that fit inside an envelope. i have no christmas plates or serving ware. i've given all the christmas books we read to our kids to our grandkids. i just decorate with boxwood clippings from my garden and if one of my orchids is blooming i'll bring that in. i donated a faux tree we had and then a couple of years ago got another one bc we were having a large holiday party. we used it once and will prob donate this one too.:) i hope this helps! xo

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  29. Yes this helps! So you don't have fake pumpkins or fake apples. You don't have fake bunnies. If you decorate for the season it's with flowers or candles - correct?

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    1. that's pretty much it jen. my general process re holidays or seasonal changes is to incorporate fresh, natural elements that reflect the time of year and then bc i have a pretty healthy addiction to fabrics and i can do basic sewing, i have a good collection of pillow covers. so fresh flowers, branches, rocks, shells, nests, fabric and candles are my go to. xo

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  30. I love these sort of posts, most days I dress like boy in either jeans and a plaid shirt or jeans and a denim shirt, I love comfort and cosiness and don't like fussing but when I have somewhere to go to, my other side come out and it's carmen rollers and glad rags a go go but that's not really me and I can't wait to ditch that whole glamorous persona when I get home.
    My Christmas decs etc are all just garden bits and bobs and pinecones, I prefer natural too.
    I hardly slept last night, I've gone off on a waffly tangent!

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    1. oh we dress the same on the daily but i don't have quite the gorgeous dress up clothes as you. your wardrobe is truly envy inducing tabs. xo

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