A wardrobe in a suitcase

I posted a few weeks back that I was re-evaluating my shoe collection, in preparation for moving (again). It now looks like I'll be in the UK in mid-late November, and then back to Australia in March-May 2014, then back to the UK. So the current seasonal rotation is: Spring-Winter-Autumn-Summer. 

The upside to that schizophrenic seasonal structure is that I can move in pieces and I don't have to winnow quite so much. I intend to leave my summer clothes behind, and then wear that when I'm back in March, then take it with me when I leave in May.  Some of this travel will be via the US, where I have every intention of shopping. :) 

Photo 1 is the entire shoe collection, as it stands. I notice that I don't get quite as much rotation from it as I'd like. 

Photo 2 is the shoes I plan to leave behind in Australia. 

Photo 3 I'm on the fence about. The black shoes I generally like, are comfortable and walkable, but I've been leaning away from such rounded toes lately. But I think the amount of wear they're getting is from the hole they fill, rather than my love for them. The flats I like, but they don't love me back--the leather tears up my feet. I may try to work with them some more and soften them up before I let them go. The 'vogs aren't as comfortable as I'd like, as well. I'm not sure if I'd keep them or re-sell them. 

So I took everyone's advice on styling this tube skirt, and I think I'm starting to figure it out. Many, many thanks to everyone! I went looking for a lower-contrast top, with structure around the shoulders, and not a knit. I found this pale citron top (the label says it's green, I think it looks yellow), with fluidity. It's comfortable, and perfect for the summer-disguised-as-spring we're having at the moment. 

And now I can add to the "list of things I never thought I'd wear": a garment with "tube" as the primary descriptor. :) 

So I brought the patterned pants home with me, and played with them a bit. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts! My face/hair is cropped in the first two because I didn't have them done. Then I realised the pictures looked better if *I* looked better. Also playing with new poses. 

1. With a pale lemon/lime tee (I think it's yellow. The tag said green.)
2. With a black chiffon top. This top was given to me, and is set to be donated. I don't like the fit, but I may look for something similar. This is just to illustrate colour. 
3. With a white top. This is also new, and was purchased with these trousers in mind. But I may keep it anyway--even if the trousers don't stay. 
4. Denim jacket added. It doesn't get much wear right now because I wear jeans a lot, and I won't do double denim. 

A few lessons for me already: 
1. If I'm taking pictures (even just test-driving), I need to fix myself up as if I were actually going to go out of the house. 
2. I like this new pose (feet placement, stand up straight)
3. I think I need a haircut--time to cut it off again. 

Thoughts? 

Work's been crazy this week, and has left little time for shopping, posting, or much of anything really, so I've been doing some thinking about the words I want to describe my style. Begin navel-gazing in 3...2...1..

I think the wardrobe shift I've been experiencing over the past year has only a little to do with the weight I've lost, but more to do with internal changes that have been happening. It's convenient that nothing fits physically, as it certainly doesn't fit mentally. Moving from the US to Australia has shifted my perceptions (as I expected it would), and has made me a little more experimental in my choices. As I'm getting ready to move on to Europe, I know it'll shift again, so I'm trying to leave room in my wardrobe (and budget) to accommodate that.

I've done some thinking, and reading of the archives, and trolling individual blogs, and it looks like one of the first questions is "Well, what do you want to look like? What speaks to you?"  And the first question is easy. I want to look like me. The second--well, I've found some inspiration, mostly among the arty/eclectics here, and others off-site.  

But on the first question...me. I don't feel like the words that I'd use to describe my wardrobe (durable, practical, plain) are really the words I would use to describe my personality (smart, creative, adventurous--but practical, too). Perhaps when I first chose these clothes, I wasn't feeling very adventurous? Looking back, in the weeks before I moved, I was a little scared. I think my choices reflected that. 

I really like the description that floats around here--the urban warrior princess. But I wouldn't use them to describe me. I'm not really a warrior. My personality veers more toward "protector" and less toward "enforcer". After some thinking, I realized that my sartorial inspiration has been on my hip (in tattoo form) the whole time--Bastet. She's the Egyptian goddess with the head of the cat, who was known for defending the home, and was also associated with art, music, and dance. 

So what does Bastet dress like? To me, she's interesting, eye-catching, feminine. Probably a bit playful. She doesn't put up with b.s. (she's defending the house, after all), so there's some leather around.  Her festival, by all accounts was decadent. Hedonistic, even. So, there's probably a little bit of allure there.... :) 

So what does this all look like to me, as far as a descriptor goes? Modern Adventurer Goddess. I'm living in the here and now, and want to keep it with the times. Adventurer captures my situation, and the words that describe me. I need some practicality, and I want to incorporate bits of style from everywhere I'm going. Goddess--a nod back to bastet. This is where shape comes in for me. Allowing for the fact that I look good in those classical shapes (defined waists, full skirts), and I am a big sucker for lushness. Fine materials, elegant construction, rich colours, and warm sunshine. 

That's the look I'm going for. Modern Adventurer Goddess. 

Apologies (as usual) for poor picture quality. Wanted to post this WIW as an exercise in learning. Not about photography or the outfit in general, but about those skinnies.
 I have a love-hate with skinny jeans. I love how they look--on other people. No matter the shape, size, or age of the person, I think they look decent. But when I wear them, the evil tape recording in my head starts playing, listing all the reasons why I don't have the right body for them. 

So I made myself take the picture, and I'm posting it here (I cut my face off because I don't feel well and can't be bothered smiling for a camera today). And ya know? They don't look half bad. Certainly not as bad as I think they look on me. 

There's my lesson for the day--if the camera's not lying, then maybe I should be a little more adventurous. 

I still hate this pair of jeans, though--they don't fit properly. :) 

So, I'm headed to Scotland (from Australia) in 3 months. This will start my "nomad time", where I'll be doing a lot of travel back and forth. I've been in Australia for the past year, and I will be in Scotland for 4 months, then back to Australia for 2, before finally returning to Scotland for a year. It seems like I've just gotten settled here and now it's time to start thinking about how I'm going to cram everything into a suitcase again, what's useful, what can stay in Australia, and what it's time to let go of. 

I'm starting the process with shoes. They are the easiest in that there's not so many to deal with, but they also take up the most room and weight. They're also the most expensive to replace, at least here in Australia. I'm travelling through the US on my way to the UK, and I intend to do a bit of shopping there. I also don't have to take everything at once--the hops back and forth means I can move in shifts. 

Starting with the front row, on the left:
-The gym shoes go, without question.
-The hiking boots stay here as field shoes. They'll go on the second trip.
-The thongs/flip flops are tacky, but a girl's gotta keep her feet protected in showers. They don't get worn in public, and don't take up much room. 
-The black flats are quite plain, and aren't as walkable as I thought they'd be. As such aren't getting worn very much as I thought they would. I don't think they'll stay. 
-The leopard flats are cute, and new, but they've rubbed blisters. I need to see how they soften up. (They're leather, they will.)
-The black heels are cute, and walkable. They can probably stay, but I haven't worn them that much. 
-the mary jane 'vogs are also new, and also not very comfortable. I don't want to give up on them..they might be deposited in the US. 
-The black boots get a lot of wear, but they like to pull my socks down and irritate me. They'll go for now. 

Second row, from the left (this gets harder): 
-Brown 'vogs...I love them and have worn them..only a couple of times since I've been here.
-Black toms: stay for now. They're horribly tacky, but they're comfortable. I wear them out wakeboarding (not in the water, but to the water)
-blue 'vogs. Haven't gotten as much wear as I'd like. They're good to walk in, though. 
-Multi-booties: Worn exactly once. They're getting cut. 
-Sandals. Are a little beat up, and probably need replacing. But I"m not buying anything new here in Aus, and won't need anything for a year. They'll stay in Aus, then be donated.
-Brown 'vogs. They've gotten a ton of wear. They're warm, and a bit roomier than the blue ones (which are on the same heel style). 

From a thematic perspective, I feel like I'm missing the walkable sneaker (like a converse), a tall boot, and color. I see too much neutral here, where colors would add some pop. I feel like I've got too many fluevogs (there, I said it). I don't want to get rid of them...I'd mail them to my parents for storage. 

Thoughts? What deserves the axe?