#MMMay16

I did Me Made May last year, for just a week, until I ran out of outfits and looks to try out. But I did find it valuable and decided to do it again this year.

I didn't fill out an internet pledge or post any of my outfits on Instagram, because I think MMM is most useful as a doing thing. I don't think it's that interesting to share a whole month of my clothes on social media, and frankly some of my friends would never let me live it down if I did.

It's a chance to look at what I wear, how I wear it, what I like and what I don't, and what is missing from my wardrobe.

I decided to wear at least one me made thing every single day in May, taking pics using a camera-balanced-on-top-of-the-biscuit-tin set-up, with spare room and storage cupboard door as background.

I'm pleased I didn't miss a single day, although the 9x9 framing here means that there are only 27 photos. I do have the last four, but they were all repeat outfits and particularly frumpy on the last weekend, so I'll leave them out.

What did I learn from #MMMay16? Quite a lot.

1. Maybe Cher Horowitz was right and you can't trust mirrors. Or maybe taking photos made me realise that I do need to stand up a bit straighter and do a few more sit ups. I had a bout of illness last year that went of for a few months, drained me of energy and caused me to lose the habit of exercising regularly. I've been telling myself to get back on the bike, literally, for months now but maybe this was the added spur I needed. I signed up to the gym again on Monday night.

2. I don't look as well turned out for work as perhaps  I think I do, in fact some days I look positively frumpy. That's not the end of world, my workplace isn't super formal. But it did surprise me. I find it interesting to look at what I wore for a month, see the patterns, what I like, what I don't.

3. I like some of my handmade clothes more than I realised. Specifically my red moss skirt and beige boat-neck lark tee (day 5), my Liesl + Co maritime tee (days 15 and 26) and my geometric Kate top (day 27). For some reason I always think of these pieces as not quite right, but looking at the pics I am surprised. I really like how these look.

4. I made some things I really love during May, and you can see when because I start wearing them non-stop. My Named Jamie jeans (day 7), Grainline Driftless cardigan (day 8) and my Inari/Maya dress mash-up (day 23) are projects I am very pleased with. I've fabric for another pair of Jamie jeans bought already, yet more denim with plans to make Closet Case Files Morgan jeans. I've also cut out two more driftless cardigans and am pondering another Inari dress.

5. I'd quite like to do another month of tracking, maybe later in the year when it's warmer, to see what I learn, although I probably won't blog it. May is a funny month in my corner of Australia, starting to get cold but still a bit in between.

6. I need more work clothes - more trousers, more shirts, more fitted skirts.