Dress, Zara (thrifted); blazer, Anthropologie (thrifted); belt, BCBG; shoes, Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); bag, Gucci (via consignment)
Dress, Zara (thrifted); blazer, Anthropologie (thrifted); belt, BCBG; shoes, Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); bag, Gucci (via consignment)

So, I think it’s time to say goodbye to this Zara dress, and let it go forth and enjoy a third chapter in someone else’s closet. It’s been fun — and these photos definitely remind me of it — but I don’t think I love it enough to keep it. It’s weird how that happens. The dress is very cute, and it fits nicely, but I only ever reach for it out of I-should-wear-that-more-often guilt. That’s … kind of a downer, actually. And I honestly don’t know why I don’t love the dress more, which also makes me feel guilty. Gah!

love it or list it??
love it or list it??
decisions, decisions
decisions, decisions

The rest of the outfit, though? Definitely not making me feel conflicted. Love the blazer, love the shoes (peep toes and all), LOVE the bag. The belt, which you can’t see very well (sorry!), is another with-dress BCBG number. The dress, which I bought 7 years ago for a Christmas party and ended up wearing for my engagement photos, has lingered in the back of my basement closet for years; after I gave birth to my son, it didn’t fit for many years, and I was never able to sell it. Well, it fits again. It’s still bright pink, which is not really my colour, but what the hell — I may as well keep it for posterity at this point. And, more importantly, the belt fits again and you guys know how much I love a jewelled belt.

So one thing goes, one thing comes back, and the circle of life is complete. Or something like that.

too cute to give up?
too cute to give up?
tell me what to do!!
tell me what to do!!

27 Comments on One More for the Road

  1. As you said yourself, it’s a nice dress and it fits nicely. If I saw that hanging somewhere I wouldn’t say, “OMG that’s so you!” When I look, say, 3 years ago, your style was far less defined. There was a style, but it wasn’t so tightly edited. I feel like you’ve refined your tastes and are aiming to do so even more? Does this dress fit into that goal?

  2. As you said, nice dress and fits well, but if you’re just wearing it to check it off the list, then you should be wearing something you really love instead. There are dresses I’ve seen on this blog I love more, and I bet you feel the same. Time to let it go and make someone else happy for a time :^)

  3. I love the dress, but I know what it is like to be conflicted over keeping something that you are not sure “fits” your lifestyle anymore or you have maybe fallen out of love with. I have a ton of dresses that I have either thrifted or made and I hem and haw over what to do with the ones that malinger in my closet. Cheers, Michele

    • I’ve been there! I’m there now, in fact. Unless I turn my closet into a museum, I have to get better at letting things go.

  4. that dress is super cute! I tend to keep things like that unless there’s a specific reason to let it go. For instance, I let go of a dress that fit pretty well because I was running out of styling options and felt like an elf when I wore it, and another one I let go because I was having a hard time finding the perfect occasion for it (not quite right for work, a bit too dressy for every-day but not really for weddings either). If you no longer feel the need for it to be in your closet though, might as well let it go.

    • Hahaha! I totally had an elf dress too. My main problem is that I have a ton of dresses I love wearing more, and I already keep an ‘archive’ of “out of size/style” dresses I adore too much to let go … and that overflow is getting rather, um, overflowing. So I need to become more ruthless about letting things go.

      The problem is that I can always see myself wearing the dress/skirt/whatever, in some hypothetical situation. I swear, I should have been an actress in another life, because I have about a dozen different (style) personas I like to dress for …

  5. Love the dress, but if you’re only wearing it out of obligation, let it live with a new friend who will take it out & show it a good time more often!

  6. Let it go. You have many other things that you do love in your closet. Don’t make them compete with something that doesn’t thrill you.

  7. At this point, my closet is so full that anything I have even the slightest doubt about goes. I have too many items that make my heart sing to hold on to something I’m less than thrilled about.

    • Yeah, I have that problem too … and, of course, thrifting doesn’t help. I’m like one of those compulsive cat ladies, except for clothes. I want to adopt ALL the orphans!

  8. If it doesn’t spark joy then let it go. You have so much other stuff that you do love. And with thrifted prices, it’s a lot easier to let things go!

    • it should be, and yet somehow it’s not! I think it’s because the “trasure hunt” aspect of thrifting imbues the clothes with extra “value” … or something. I swear, I agonize over thrifted pieces as if they were thousand dollar purchases :/

  9. I’m scrolling through Feedly while watching “Love It or List It” on the break room tv. Synchronicity!

  10. I think you look gorgeous in it but equally if it’s not speaking to you it’s time for it to move on and let someone else enjoy. Perhaps it’s a sacrifice to the thrifting gods? I agree re letting go, sometimes I have to say to myself would this make the cut if my close was on fire and I had two minutes to save some stuff – or is that just me?

  11. Clothing should never be a chore. If it isn’t for you then make room for something new that makes you feel fab.

    That said, if it turned up on your “Shop My Closet’ page I’d buy it.

    • Hahaha! The dress is already spoken for, but if something like this happens again, do mention it — I’m usually open to letting things go to someone who will love them more than me.