Welp. It’s Day #2 of the Six Items or Less Challenge, and I’m already cheating.

As you probably noted yesterday, workout clothes are exempt from the challenge. I’m going to a yoga class at 1 PM today. So when I got dressed at 7 Am, I put on… my yoga clothes. Six hours early. And these “workout clothes” may or may not include a t-shirt that, when not SIOL-ing, gets worn to places other than yoga, causing my husband to study me over his morning coffee with grave suspicion like I’ve seen that someplace before. (Which, not to be all gender stereotype-y, is his highest level of recognition regarding any item in the VA wardrobe.)

So I’ll just admit it: Working from home (meaning I can hit my desk in my yoga clothes and not break any office dress code rules) and working out regularly (meaning I have legitimate reason to wear workout clothes every day) are definitely going to make this challenge a lot easier on me than the average Sixer. As some of you noted yesterday, I’m pretty privileged, in a lot of ways.

But even swimming around in all this privilege, I’m aware that this challenge will, you know, challenge me on a lot of levels. Last night when I changed into my PJs before bed, it felt completely odd to hang all of my clothes back up instead of throwing them into the laundry hamper. And then I looked at them, and was like, these aren’t even dirty. (I did a smell check too.) Why on earth do I think jeans and sweaters need to be washed after just one wearing? Madness!

Okay, that’s a pretty tiny revelation, but hello, it’s only Day #2. More profound insight sure to come.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at what I’m actually wearing this month, mm’kay?

Item #1: Gray J. Crew Ruffled Cardigan

I scored this off the J. Crew clearance rack for something like $30 earlier this fall and it is my absolute favorite thing right now. I wear it at least once a week anyway, so it was a no-brainer for the Six. It’s a good weight (warm but not too warm), it works in a lot of outfits, and the ruffles are insanely flattering, especially for a no-waisted person such as me. My one issue with this piece is that it needs to air dry — which might get frustrating when I have to do more laundry than usual this month.But I wore it yesterday and received two compliments right off the bat, so there’s that.

Item #2: Target Mossimo Supply Co Bootcut Jeans

So these jeans are a little fraught. I bought them last month after I finally admitted that none of my other jeans fit and it’s super uncomfortable to walk around in too-small jeans all day long (to say nothing of the muffin-top related stress it produces). But I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on jeans that may not fit for many more months (more on all of this weight business soon). So I went to Target, which really does make cute jeans for $25. Unfortunately they do not make cute jeans that hold their shape for $25. So these fit in the first five minutes after they come out of the dryer, then get all stretched out and floopy-looking. Plus, the Target definition of bootcut is a lot more wide-legged than mine, so they don’t work with a lot of my shoes. Are we at your clothing TMI breaking point yet?

Suffice to say, these are more around-the-house jeans than anything… but see above re: me working from home and thus spending a lot of time around said house. In these jeans.

Item #3: Target Mossimo Jeggings

It is hilarious to me that my six most-essential items of clothing includes an item of clothing that did not even exist two years ago. But curvy girls can’t breathe in skinny jeans, so jeggings are the answer if you want to do the cute jeans-tucked-into-boots thing. Which I do. These were also purchased at Target for $25 (because I’m not about to invest serious cash in an item of clothing that comes with a made-up name and a hilarious rap video), and as such, are also prone to stretching upon wearing, which my husband refers to (and so now will you) as Jeg Lag. My friend Meg (of Beauty U fame) has mastered the subtle jump-and-adjust move which lets you quickly get your jeggings back into place without doing that old man hiking up his pants thing… and she tried to teach it to me at the mall last week, but let’s just say I’m still learning. And hopping around in circles a lot. Oh Fashion.

Item #4: Navy Tunic-y Dress (from some random boutique in the Adirondacks).

Damn, that’s a blurry picture. Sorry. I’ll try to retake it soon. Anyway, I bought this is it a shirt/is it a dress thing from some little hippie/hipster-y boutique that I randomly discovered on a weekend trip to the Adirondacks (in one of those little towns that used to be all farmers and lumberjacks and now is also a lot of rich New Yorkers with summer places) several years ago. I bought it and never wore it and felt guilty about that fact until this fall when I suddenly wanted to wear it every day. Which goes to show, sometimes those impulse purchases DO pay off. The sequins mean it can do semi-dressy night outings (with tights and boots) but I can also wear it over the jeggings for more casual stuff. And I now officially feel like a fashion copywriter telling you that.

Item #5: Gray Knit Dress (from my mom!)

I just got this dress for Christmas (thanks, M!) and already wear it everywhere because it is super comfy and being gray, can be worn with any number of my necklaces and other accessories. Which seems key to getting through this month. I figure it will be good for work things where I actually leave my house and need to seem somewhat professional. It does happen occasionally.

But wait, what about Item #6?! Here I am, whittling my wardrobe down from a cast of thousands, and I’ve only got five things to show you. That’s because I’m wracked with indecision about Item #6 — and am going to let you be the judge, reality TV-style. So stay tuned! I’ll post pictures of the top contenders later today and let you vote. I know, your world is now complete.

PS. Sixitemsorless.com is still besieged in technical difficulties, alas, and won’t let me log in to update things there. But that should happen soon-ish.