Above: a pair of Dolce Vita oxfords that I got at Target a few years ago, and really like. But, I also bought a similar pair with tiny-gold-studded toes (in the background), which I LOVE, and always choose over them. So I donated the "boring" pair.
I packed one small suitcase for my month-long stay in Michigan. It was just the essentials: two bikinis, two deep-V t-shirts, two tank tops, two pairs of jeans, two dresses, a pair of shorts, a pair of pajama pants, a sweater, a denim jacket, a scarf, a pair of flats, and a pair of flip-flops (plus a few pairs of underwear). I loved living so lightly. Everything went with everything else, so I didn't have to think about how to pair things, and I never lacked for something to wear the whole time I was there (I even went to a wedding!, and Michigan's lakefront weather is notoriously mercurial).
When I got back home, part of me wanted to just donate everything that wasn't in that suitcase. I knew that wasn't practical, but I used the spirit of it to look through my wardrobe again, and make another donation to VVA. I was able to find a few pieces that I could part with: items that I just don't LOVE reaching for, or that felt redundant (though I still have a clear over-attachment to deep-Vs), or that required special care (like ironing – ain't nobody got time for that), or that were just part of a wardrobe from another life ("9 - 5 office worker," in this case). As it turned out, I was able to lose a few pieces from each "category." Here's what I'm left with:
TOPS
3 long-sleeve shirts
2 boatneck 3/4-length shirts
6 deep-V short-sleeve shirts
3 chambray button-ups
1 silky racerback tank
4 cardigans/wraps
3 sweaters
(22 pieces)
BOTTOMS
3 pairs pants (1 pair wide-leg, 1 pair cropped skinny, 1 pair skinny corduroys)
3 pairs jeans (1 pair flares, 2 pairs skinny)
1 pair shorts
(7 pieces)
DRESSES
4 short dresses
1 long dress
(5 pieces)
OUTER
2 winter coats (1 long, 1 short)
1 denim jacket
2 pairs boots (1 pair biker, 1 pair rain)
8 pairs shoes (1 pair heels, 1 pair wedges, 2 pairs oxfords, 3 pairs flats, 1 pair running)
(13 pieces)
LOUNGE/ACTIVE
2 pairs pajama pants
2 pair comfy shorts
1 pair leggings
4 tank tops
2 t-shirts (1 Duke, 1 Michigan)
(11 pieces)
...which adds up to a grand total of 58 pieces.