Dear Hush Puppies...

Dear Hush Puppies,

I want you to know that I have always been a high-heels girl.

Wedges, pumps, stillettos--I started wearing them in middle school and will most likely be the wobbledy grandma giving her children and grandchildren heart palpitations as I teeter-totter around the assisted living home. My undying love for the high heel notwithstanding, I have to admit that wedging your toes into a sexy little shoe can get downright uncomfortable. A few hours at church is one thing. Eight hours on your feet at work is another thing entirely. And frankly, I just don't think you should have to sacrifice your little toe for style and beauty.

Enter your Allie Dalten wedge heel.

I. Can't. Even.

Those who follow me on Instagram or have spent any manner of time in my presence lately have undoubtedly heard about my Hush Puppies wedges. Here are the two things that everyone needs to know RIGHT NOW about these shoes: 1) they feel like you're walking around on on a cloud, and 2) they come in mint. Yes, mint!

I first heard about these wedges and their alleged comfiness through one of my favorite Instagram feeds @whitv. A Greensboro based graphic designer, Whitney posted a "shoefie" of her mint colored wedges, lauding them as the "comfiest wedges I have E V E R worn." My brain glossed over her caption and focused instead on the adorable mint color they came in. A comfy shoe that was actually cute? Could it be true?

After seeing @whitv's post, I ordered my own pair. Hey, I'll just return them if they don't work out, I thought to myself. The moment they arrived, I slipped them on. I may or may not have moaned "OMG" when I put them on my feet. I do know for a fact that I rushed into the living room and brandished a shoe in my husband's face declaring something along the lines of:

"Mark, these shoes are so stinkin' comfotable! And look! They're adorable! They're comfy and adorable! Do you realize what this means for humanity??"

Between you and me, he did not seem nearly as impressed as he should have. But I didn't care. I knew I had stumbled upon shoe-shopping gold.

To test this seeming miracle, I decided to put the wedges to the test. I would wear them all day at the vintage furniture shop I manage in downtown Frederick. If the shoes could stand up to the all-day bustle of shop life, then I knew they would be keepers. So, what was the verdict you ask?

The Allie Dalten wedges not only stood up to my little test, they performed better than most of my go-to work sandals and flats. These are truly the comfiest heels ever made. I stocked shelves, I moved furniture, I helped customers, I did the books, I stood in line at the post office--all without a grimace of pain. In fact, I didn't think about my feet at all other than to reply to the somewhat comical number of compliments on the shoes' minty cuteness. And frankly that's how women's shoes should be. Why should we have to sacrifice comfort for style or style for comfort? We shouldn't. It looks like (and feels like) Hush Puppies agreed with me. Now, I'm like a born-again wedge fan, practically flinging my shoes at strangers, trying to spread the good news of cute comfort.

So thank you, Hush Puppies. Whatever technology you put into your shoes, it's working. Whatever shoe designer or lab technician gets the credit for this particular wedge, please give them a high five from Abigail in Maryland. Because you have seriously made my day. I mean, come on, I even blogged about it.

From the bottom of my soles, I do thank you.

Sincerely,
Abigail Hobbs
a middle-class blogger with happy, cute feet

P.S. The shoes are currently on sale for a great price. So if you want to plan ahead for next summer or happen to live in some sunshiney area, I highly suggest you check them out. Literally and figuratively.

Living Small // Capsule Wardrobe Outfits

As you may recall, I recently threw every bit of clothing out of my wardrobe and began afresh with a spring capsule wardrobe, If you're new to the blog and missed the Great Purge, you can read more about it here.

One of the main questions people asked after hearing I had purged my closet was "But what if you run out of clothes??" In response to this worry, I decided to share three outfits generated from my capsule wardrobe. Each outfit features one item from the closet: a basic infinity scarf. Before you scroll down, please excuse the fact that I seem to know only one way to pose.

 "Hand on hip, camera held high-- work it girl," said the selfie model.

Outfit one: black maxi skirt (TJ Maxx) // grey tee (Theory) // infinity scarf (Target)

Outfit two: pencil skirt (Loft) // grey tee (Theory) // infinity scarf (Target)

Outfit three: emerald blouse (StitchFix) // shorts (TJ Maxx) // scarf (you guessed it) 

These outfits now comprise my "casual outing" wear. No more yoga pant fall backs! Due to the limited number of clothing as well as the fact that I actually like all of my choices, I have to build outfits in new ways, learning how to mix and match different pieces. For example, when paired with a nice blouse and colorful heels, the pencil skirt becomes a church outfit. Similarly, the emerald blouse, tucked into a bandage skirt, suits a night out. 

I will try to post more capsule wardrobe outfit pairings throughout the next few weeks. It's just hard to remember to photograph myself before heading out for the day. But don't worry, there will be more hand-on-hip goodness coming your way! 

Living Small: Creating a Capsule Wardrobe

"So... I think I may get rid of all my clothes." Wait. What the what?
Yes, you read that first line correctly. Over the weekend, I took the plunge and emptied my closet. You may be wondering why on earth I did such a thing. What could possibly motivate a reasonably sane young woman to pare down her wardrobe so drastically? To toss perfectly fine items into the heartless black donation bag? To--gasp-- purge her shoe rack?

Well, the motivation was fairly simple: this post which led me to this blog.

"Capsule wardrobe" is a term I have previously encountered on the interwebs. In the past, I would scroll through the images of immaculate closets, with their wooden hangers arranged in precise rows, their stacked jeans, their color-coordinated dresses, their neat rows of wedges and flats standing at the ready. Raising my eyebrows in disbelief, I noted that some of these closets even had room for artwork. I mean, really? Come on now.

Yet the more I read, the more the concept of a capsule wardrobe appealed to me. More so than the wardrobe itself... the attitude behind the movement captured my attention. Constantly bombarded with magazine ads, Instagram, emails, and television spots about clothing, clothing, and more clothing, we fall under the delusion that we need this shirt, that skirt, those jeans, that new purse to feel fashionable, with-it, or beautiful. (Cough...Lilly for Target...cough) Sure, if you love the clothes, want the clothes, and have the closet-space for it, then by all means, go buy the clothes. All the clothes. For myself, however, I constantly felt that I was wasting time and money purchasing clothing that I only half-liked, would rarely wear, and then inevitably stuff in the back of my closet. And why? 

But before I go any further...what exactly is a "capsule wardrobe" anyway?

According to Caroline of the blog UnFancy, the main source for all things capsule wardrobe-y, a "capsule wardrobe" is a mini wardrobe consisting of versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear. Caroline proceeds into more detail, explaining that for her purposes, a capsule wardrobe consists of just 37 pieces: 9 bottoms, 9 shoes, 15 tops, 2 dresses, and 2 jackets. (The remainder of your clothes either go into storage, get donated, or go to your favorite second-hand shop.) From these 37 pieces, you create numerous mix-and-match outfits which should last you one season, a three-month time period. During that time period, you buy clothes once. Yes, only once. At the beginning of the three months, you take inventory, determine what you need, and purchase additional pieces as necessary.

The overall goals: to possess a closet that consists of items you truly enjoy wearing, to determine your actual style, and to realize that less really is more.

Cue the Great Closet Purge of 2015.

With a cup of black coffee and armed with enough black garbage bags to do Santa proud, I woke early Saturday morning and began the process of creating a spring capsule wardrobe. How did I start?

1. I took everything out of my closet. And I mean everything. I emptied every shelf, bin, hanger, you name it. I deposited all the items on my bed and stepped back to survey the damage. (At this point, I may or may not have dusted and swept the closet. #slightlyOCD)

2. I sorted the clothes into four piles. The piles had fun names. There was the Love-it-and-would-wear-it-right-now pile. The Wow-why-did-I-buy-this pile. The Sometimes-love-it-sometimes-hate-it pile. And the Aww-but-Blahblah-gave-me-this pile.

3. Once the items were sorted, I returned only the "Love-It" items to my closet. Everything else either went into a donation bag or received a second level of scrutiny. For the latter objects, I asked myself "when did I last wear this?" If I had gone through an entire season without wearing it, it went into the donation pile. If I had actually worn it a couple of times and yet was still hesitant about the item, I decided to put it into storage. After all, I could always donate it later.

4. Seven black trash bags later... I felt I had pared my closet down to the items I truly loved to wear. Items that I felt really defined how I dress. I couldn't believe the style that emerged as I arranged the "Love-It" items in my closet. To my surprise, a common theme did exist among my clothing choices. Most of the items possess a simple cut (pencil or A-line skirts, sheath dresses, simple blouses) and vivid hues (coral pink, turquoise, citron, and navy blue), toned down by a few of my customary little black dresses. No wonder I gravitated to these particular items and over again... they all possessed some similar quality that apparently suits my figure and personality. I didn't even know it before, but now it is glaringly obvious.

5. Once I had determined exactly what I wanted to keep, I could assess whether or not I needed any additional items to supplement the wardrobe. As it turns out, I do need a few things. My tee shirt drawer consists of two white shirts. Well.... that's a bit sad. So I may need to supplement this lack by purchasing a few tees and tanks for the spring and summer months. After all, you can't just wear the same shirt over and over again. Additionally. I have no flats. Not even one pair. I'm currently determining whether I want to purchase a pair of TOMS again or just head to TJ Maxx to scout for a basic pair of leather  ballet flats that will match anything. Purchasing my supplemental pieces will complete the entire wardrobe-makeover process. And then... no more clothes shopping until mid-July, when I'll create my late summer capsule wardrobe.

So what did I end up keeping in my closet?

Well, to be honest, I didn't follow UnFancy's 37 piece rule. I considered my own lifestyle and determined what I genuinely needed in order to maintain that lifestyle. For example, since we attend church regularly, I knew I wanted more than the two dresses allotted by UnFancy's wardrobe formula. I knew I would want a few nicer pieces. So here are my final results:

4 casual dresses

4 dressy dresses

2 maxi dresses

4 short skirts

2 maxi skirts

2 cardigans

1 kimono wrap

6 blouses

1 vest

2 tee shirts *

1 tanktop *

2 light sweaters

2 pairs of jeans

3 pairs of shorts

3 wedge heels

1 pair of pumps

2 pairs of sandals

total: 42 items *

*Tee shirts and tanks to be supplemented somewhat. 

An important note: this list excludes my workout gear, outerwear, painting clothes, lounge wear, accessories, and intimates. No one should limit themselves to two socks and two undies, people. Keep it realistic. 

And that's her! To be honest, I was mildly intimated by this minimalist challenge. But I am so happy that I took the plunge and created a simplified wardrobe. It not only has reduced the amount of clutter in my life but has created room for other things--things I really value--as well. For example, Mark has his own storage space for his hiking and camping gear, whereas before these items were stored in the basement. Plus, I now have a craft drawer: my very own space to store my paints, ModPodge, paper, and work materials, stored in space created by emptying out the never-used-sweater storage. It is truly amazing how cutting down the possessions you own can make you feel like you have so much more. 

So, what do you think? Do you think you would try a capsule wardrobe? Do you want to trade it all in and start fresh? Give it a try! I heartily recommend it! 

If you've been inspired by this post

and want to create your own capsule wardrobe, 

please share your progress with me

either on Instagram or in the comments below.

Follow @ampnabi for updates and more wardrobe details!