Splurge! - Miu Miu black patent peep-toe pumps

Sometimes, it’s just nice to have something that makes you feel glamorous and these certainly do it for me!

I bought these beauties during my first trip to Hawaii at the Ala Moana Nordstrom in 2008. I’ve only worn these 3 times since I’ve owned them and although I rarely get to wear these, I will be keeping them for special occasions, such as the up-coming charity gala I will be attending this Saturday. 

Save or Splurge!

A few years ago I slowly started to 'improve/upgrade' my wardrobe. If money wasn't an option, I'd love to have a wardrobe of high-end pieces but I'm realistic in what I can afford and therefore have to decide which areas of my wardrobe I can allocate my funds to. 

I save on items such as: 

• costume jewelry 
• shoes for special occasions (although I do like to own one amazing shoe for those super-extra (rare) fancy events)
• basic t-shirts or tank tops
• trendy items (unless they end up being in constant use, in which case, I'll keep my eye out for a better quality version to eventually replace it with)

I am willing to splurge on:

• daily items I need to last as long as they can (i.e. every day shoes)
• the rare items that may not get much use of but need them to look fabulous when I do (i.e. cocktail dresses)
• pieces I find difficult to find and want to avoid re-buying as much as possible

My rule of thumb - spend only what I can afford, and try to get the best deal for anything I buy.  

I should note that my bag and wallet purchases follow a whole different set of rules, but more on that at another time ;)

I don’t need to buy - nail polish

When I first discovered nail polish at age 10, I went nuts and bought all the colors and glitter I could find. As I got older I used them less but every couple of years I would binge on buying nail polish. Last year I got rid of a lot of my polishes and am left with only 15. I’m still trying to purge and get down to 5 - I’ve identified 5 colors to keep on hand that will work throughout the year and with my wardrobe: nude, navy, gray, red, and a light pink. 

My base colors

When I used to shop, I would never think about what I had in my closet so even if the item was awesome, it might not have worked with anything I owned. 

Now, in order to simplify my wardrobe and make it easier to coordinate outfits, I’ve narrowed it down to some ‘base’ colors that look good on me and that I use as a backdrop. 

The base colors I chose were:

• White/Ivory
• Gray
• Navy
• Purple
• Black
• Red

That said, I also think about whether an item is a top or bottom because some colors work better as a top or bottom, or as an accent item. 

It’s not to say that I don’t inject other colors in my wardrobe but I research outfit ideas to make sure I can make a few outfits with them.

A few of my favourite things - Project Art by NEST fragrances: Mint Leaves & Lime

Not wardrobe related but I love candles (and it’s something I’m trying to use up and not hoard) and I’ve found that it’s rare to find a candle thatactually smells while it’s burning. Most candles I’ve found only smell when it’s burning and I’m standing right next to it, or smells after it’s been blown out. This one by NEST smells lovely and fresh, and actually carries throughout and entire room without being overwhelming and heavy.

Less is more - I sold one of my bags

Today I sold one of my bags - a Coach Madison “Lindsay” satchel in fuchsia. It is a top handle satchel with a hidden outer zip-pocket and removable strap; the body is about the size of an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper.

It’s a beautiful bag but it did not work for me - as I hone in on what bag styles I’m drawn to and use the most, I found that top handle satchels with a somewhat structured body is what works best for me (it has to somewhat hold its shape on its own when I put it down).

This bag has a slouch of its own and puddles the second I put it down unless I carrying something that can hold itself up, in which case, the bag has to lean against something, lie flat, or hang off of something. Too fussy.

For a bag with this much slouch factor, I prefer something with a body that is half the size of the “Lindsay” (such as Coach’s discontinued “Sophia”, which is the “Lindsay” but with a shorter body).

It was hard to let such a pretty bag go but once I realized it wasn’t working (and why), I knew it was time to find it a new home where it can be used, loved, and truly shine.

The second successful purge - summer and winter only items

My second successful purge came about when I decided to tackle smaller areas of my wardrobe such as my summer and winter only items.

From my summer items, I was able to purge:

• bathing suits that no longer fit me
• shorts that no longer fit me
• hats that I somehow accumulated along the way from fundraising events,  giveaways, and the like, including the only hat I ever actually purchased because it ended up getting misshapen from getting wet too many times at the beach
• visors (hey, they were ‘in’ at one point - you’ll be happy to know I now have none)
• a bunch of old bags and backpacks that I use strictly for the beach, picnics, and other summer adventures

From my winter accessories, I was able to purge

• scarves - I had so many scarves and I only recall buying 5 of them!
• gloves/mittens - I only kept my Olympics 2010 mittens and a pair of hand-made mittens I bought in Nova Scotia that were made from old sweaters
• old thermals that didn’t fit me any more or that were itchy
• toques and hats - I’m now left with 2 toques and 2 ‘bucket’ hats for the less chilly days.

The items that remain in my closet are those that look good on me, and in good condition. When each item is used to its last days, I will reassess whether they need to be replaced or not - since I have multiples of some of these items, it is likely that I won’t be replacing them until I hit zero, and for some items, ideally I’d like to own just one.

My love for bags and my goals for my collection

I am a lover of handbags and wallets and have been buying since as far back as I can remember. 10 years ago I made the switch to designer bags and have never looked back, to the point where I now own 60+ bags and clutches, 10 wallets, and a number of various small leather goods (SLG) such as pouches and cardholders. 

Every year I tell myself to buy less (clearly unsuccessful) and it wasn’t until the last two years that I have been able to make some real progress.

In 2013 I made a new year’s resolution to shop from my own closet and let go of items that weren’t really working for me. I had a plan to use a different bag and wallet combination each month - this worked for a while but for practical reasons I had to at times switch to a different bag. No big deal, I was still doing a lot better than previous years and I was able to get a better idea of why I wasn’t using certain ones, and what styles were actually working for my lifestyle. That same year, I was able to sell a majority of my wallets and SLGs and actually get down to a reasonable amount. I did make a couple of bag sales but nothing to make a dent.   

This year my goals were a little bit more specific and I had hoped to get my collection down to approximately 25 bags and 10 wallets, and exercise the “one-in, one-out rule”. In the beginning of the year I was able to sell a couple more wallets and unknowingly achieved my goal of 10 wallets, not counting one I use specifically for travel, and another I am retiring soon (but will never get rid of since it was the first gift my now-husband gave me).  

This year I also tracked the number of times I used a bag and after each season, I assess my list and then mark off which ones I might consider selling due to lack of wear, boredom, or it no longer suits my lifestyle. I still own a lot of bags but I now have a much better idea of what I will use versus “it looks awesome, I have to have it, just so I can stare at it but never use it.”