closet orphans and optical illusions

     Calvin Klein cowl-neck striped top, Macy's

denim pencil skirt, Old Navy

earrings, Thai market in Seattle, gift from sis

       About two weeks ago, I signed up for Go Chic or Go Home and started the process of photographing my clothing to upload to my account. As I did so, I realized with dismay that while I've taken steps toward finding my style and expanding beyond jeans and a tee, many of the things I own are underused - what I call "closet orphans."
       It was a bit distressing the more I thought about it. All those nice things that aren't in the regular rotation - do they represent money and closet space wasted? Should I knuckle down and stop buying cocktail dresses on deep clearance and only get sensible things that are suitable for both work and the weekend?

 
      With that in mind, I decided to wear one of my closet orphans - this striped top - with this recently rediscovered pencil skirt. (I know the skirt appeared on the blog this week, but it's also going steady with the washing machine - promise!) While I love stripes, this top is tricky to style. I like that it's drapey, but being short-waisted, I end up with a lot of fabric bunched around my middle, which is not the most flattering fit. I played around with wearing it untucked, half-tucked (first photo), and fully tucked (second photo). It might look better with pants instead of a skirt, and a blazer might be a good addition to counteract all that drapey fabric.

  
  P.S.: Sis gave me these earrings for Christmas, saying that she thought they were "my style." She was right, and they're my new favorites. 
   What lovely thing(s) do you have lurking in your closet unworn? Or, how do you make sure that you wear everything in your closet?