Day 31: Final Thoughts

I made it! It's been quite an interesting experience. I was quite surprised at how easy it was at times, and how hard it was at others. I hit a wall after the first week, feeling like I had run out of cute ways to style it, but then got a fresh wind. Then the last week, I just felt over the whole thing, and was sick to death of the dress. Here are my final thoughts:

Stuff I liked:
I am proud of myself for participating for the full 31 days.
I have more confidence in my creativity.
I feel more comfortable with creating a stylish feel for myself.
Feeling like I had conscientiously stepped out of the consumer dependent mindset.
I am more aware of the quality and quantity of my stuff.
Always knowing what my core piece for each day did take a lot of the guess work out.
Overwhelming support from my family and friends.

Stuff I didn't like:
Wearing a dress EVERY day.
Realizing I have WAY too much stuff.
Spending time managing stuff, when I could be spending time with people I love.
I wish I had been able to go on a complete shopping fast too.

Overall, I this was a positive experience, and I'm really glad I did it!

Days 26-30 The Lost Days

Yep, so, no pictures for days 26-30. I know, it's terrible. Life caught up with me, and the photos just didn't happen. I swear I wore my dress, and I have witnesses.

I am sad to say though, that I'm not sure the dress is wearable after this month. The coming-apart-seam has, well, come apart. All the washing has shrunk it slightly, so the zipper's wonky. And the cotton is not as soft as it once was, and it starting to pill. I'm a little sad that it seems, literally, worn out. If you consider that I probably would have worn it on average, maybe once every other month, I've stuffed 3-5 years worth of wear into one month.

It also means that as I add clothes to my wardrobe (in moderation), I'll be looking for well constructed stuff that won't fall apart soon. That means I'll probably have to pay more up front, which means I'll need to be a more conscience shopper. Its a win win for me, I think, against the culture of stuff.