Getting ready for Spring!

Spring is just around the corner and a number of us on our forum are beginning to think about our Spring wardrobe so we're not tempted to shop outside of what we might actually need. 

I know I have enough in my closet, and I know they are Spring appropriate - I just need to think about it and come up with ideas while I'm not trying to rush out the door. 

I started off with my most Spring looking top - my mint green sleeveless blouse from Banana Republic. For simplicity, I just put together 7 outfits for each day of the week. What do you guys think? Any suggestions? What would you switch out? Would love to hear your thoughts! 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday - Business casual

Saturday

Sunday

February comings and goings

Wow, I actually had quite a few items come in this month, but fear not, every single item was a 'love it' piece and I have been wearing them non-stop. 

Comings - 6

• Red Banana Republic sweater with side zip - I actually bought this for Chinese New Year since it's traditional to wear something red to celebrate and start the year off
• Navy Banana Republic sleeveless top - I love navy and find the color is a great base for me to build outfits around and this was super comfortable, a great length to act as a layering piece or on it's own, and also just really basic looking which I like
• Raspberry Banana Republic cardigan - love the color of this, and against navy, it just looks so good. A great pop of color to add to my wardrobe and a very easy cardigan to wear. 
• Pair of casual pants with zip detailing from Banana Republic - these are just super cool and I'm obsessed with zippers lately so these were great, and they were petite so the length was perfect to wear with flats and heels. Just fantastic and sooo comfortable to the point where I don't even feel like I'm wearing pants haha. 
• Gray sweatpants, also with zipper details, and yup, you guessed it, from Banana Republic - I was thrilled to find these and they up my lounge wear by 200%
• Orange satchel from Lauren by Ralph Lauren - I finally broke my bag ban and succumbed to this beauty. It was love at first sight and I've used it every day for work. I even go the extra mile to carry a separate tote to fit my laptop and other things in, just to carry her. 

Current budget left over for this year - approximately $700

February goings - 1

• I sold my Coach Poppy Madras bag to start my 'let go of 10 items' goal from my bag and wallet collection =)

My Bleeker's first official plane ride! Vegas, here we come!



I'm headed to Las Vegas today for 4 days and have decided to do only carry-on, and not just that, but try to minimize the amount of stuff I'm bringing so that I can carry the beauty that is the Coach Bleeker; I have been waiting about 3 years to take her on a plane.

 



I've used her for other weekend trips but I would say that this is her first major test. Just to give you a better idea of what she will be carrying and how I packed her, here's a brief run-down of my trip: I arrive on Tuesday afternoon and leave Friday afternoon; we plan to have one day of randomness until the rest of our team arrives the next day, plan to go to the shooting range, have a nice team dinner, a gambling competition, spend some time at lounges, and a full working day. I have packed a heavy cardigan, pair of black jeans, toiletries, PJs, clutch for going out, under garments, belt, a top, and left room to comfortably fit a puffer jacket that can be bunched into a pouch. I could fit another pair of shoes and a few more tops, but I gaged our activities there and with what I packed, and my outfit to the airport, have enough to mix and match. If it were summer and I didn't have to pack for cooler weather, I'd have even more space!

 

From my previous trips, I can tell you some of the pros and cons of the Bleeker:

Pros <3 - 

• Spacious - I am always able to pack at least 3 days worth of outfits and that usually includes at least 2 pairs of shoes, 5 outfit changes, PJs, toiletries, curling iron, and my laptop and ipad. My previous trips, the bag would be stuffed to the brim but since I'm flying, don't want to over-do it. 
• Organization - it has 2 large inner, slip pockets, 1 large zipped compartment, and one outer slip pocket. The inner pockets are very useful for electronic cords and chargers, and I keep important documents in the inner zip pocket; I don't use the outer slip pocket except as an emergency place holder for papers, before I move them to another spot. I like the openness of the bag because it lets me pack that much more stuff in it.
• Large opening - the zipper extends well beyond the opening of the bag so I have easy access to my stuff and it also has a little more give if it gets over packed. 
• Color and profile - what can I say? I love the color, and I love its very minimal look.
• Leather - its leather is super sturdy and I really like that it holds itself up so I can easily organize my things.
• Feet - I like that it prevents the bag from touching the ground, and with a bag that size, gives it a bit of detailing.  

Cons </3 - 

• Heavy - it's VERY heavy. I don't recommend this if you have to move around a lot from place to place. Ideally, you should be carrying her from: car -> airport -> car -> hotel; also, don't carry more things than you need to, outside of this bag, or else it will be very difficult for you juggle. For this Vegas trip, I'm designated all my electronics, and travel documents to my handbag, and leaving my liquids on the top of the Bleeker for easy access at security.
• Handles - most of my complaints are with the handles. They are very stiff and short. If they were slightly longer, and able to fit over my shoulders, I think I would have an easier time dealing with its weight, but as it stands, the short handles mean that I have to use this as a hand-held, and it does get cumbersome. Also, if I am carrying a lot of things, the stiff handles do not make it easy to juggle a few things at one time as they give no amount of flexibility and sometimes you just need things to twist and turn a bit to manage - don't try with this, it will hurt your hand. 

Changes I would make - 

• Nylon with leather trimming to lighten it up, while keeping its sleek look and maintaining some of its structure; I think there's a heavy canvas version which would probably fare well, but have not had a chance to see it in person.
• Lengthen the straps, or give it a detachable shoulder strap (although given the weight, the shoulder strap would probably hurt, but it's still nice to have the option so it can free up your hands from time to time in the event you need to have your hands free for a moment)

My wardrobe count going into 2016

It's been well over a year since I started using the Stylebook App and it has definitely helped me to keep focused on my purchases and how often I'm using each item in my wardrobe. 

When I first started using the Stylebook App towards the end of 2014, my wardrobe consisted of:

124 tops (includes sleeveless, blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirt/hoodies, blazers)

48 bottoms (includes jeans, shorts, trousers)

25 dresses

53 shoes

17 scarves 

68 bags (including clutches)

17 coats and jackets

32 pieces off active wear (tops, headbands, bottoms, runners)

After more than a year of purging and refining, these are my current numbers:

106 tops (includes sleeveless, blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirt/hoodies, blazers)

54 bottoms (includes jeans, shorts, trousers)

31 dresses

51 shoes (I previously reported 46 pairs of shoes because I didn't count my one pair of sneakers for running, or a few pairs of shoes that were made specially for my Chinese wedding ceremony when I got married)

16 scarves 

65 bags (including clutches)

18 coats and jackets

22 pieces off active wear (tops, headbands, bottoms, runners)

Overall, I think I did pretty well - doing this for almost 2 years now I've definitely seen a shift from purging, to learning what works for me, to narrowing things that work really well for me and finally coming to a plateau where I feel comfortable with the items I have. 

The drop in numbers in my tops came from letting go of graphic-Ts, tops I had been holding on to in hopes to fit into them again in the future, and items that didn't fit as well anymore. Bottoms saw an increase as I slowly replaced wider legged trousers with slim fitted ones and also got some incredible deals on shorts and jeans; I also stocked up a bit on pencil skirts, my work staple. Dresses saw an increase mostly because I brought some that were at my parents home, into my current closet. 

Re-cap of 2015!

My goals for 2015 were to:

• continue to downsize the number of shoes I have - I purged a lot this year but there are still some that I can let go of. Also, I won't be replacing a number of them when they wear through - I ended up purchasing 9 pairs of shoes and was given 2 pairs of pre-loved shoes, for a total of 11 pairs of shoes in. I sold 2 pairs of shoes and donated several pairs (unfortunately, I did not keep tabs on how many I left go). My total count for shoes is 46 pairs =S
• continue to work on using the things I love and not worry about them getting ruined - Still continuing to do this, which is great. I can definitely see that I'm not as panicky when it comes to wearing my Burberry coats.
• build a capsule wardrobe for each month - unlike some capsule wardrobe challenges, I'm not limiting the number of items I will use but I will make sure the amount is reasonable - This was a bust. For most of the year I did not have my Stylebook App, but  think the major reason was that I still have too many items. I ended up switching to a color capsule which yielded better results but it tells me I still need to downsize my wardrobe
• continue to shop out of my bag and wallet collection and implement a one-in, one-out rule. - My biggest success for my goals, and personal best when it comes to not buying any bags or wallets. I bought 1 MbMj backpack which is something I don't have and therefore not counted as a bag, and my husband gifted me a wallet. I sold a cardholder earlier in the year. All in all, I did amazing!  There are still 10 bags I didn't use this year so I will be trying to see if I use them in 2016.
• rotate through all my wallets throughout the year. - My husband was away for most of the year so while he was gone, I missed him and mostly used the 2 wallets he gave me so I didn't make a complete rotation of my wallets. I still had 6 wallet I didn't use, in addition to my travel wallet.
• use jewelry more to accessorize my daily outfits. - still making progress with it and was gifted a few items.The Swarovski bracelet I purchased was used quite often.
• continue to purge, re-fine, and down-size my wardrobe. - still working on this and despite removing a number of items, I did bring in 62 items, including items gifted to me. 
• budget $1,000 for wardrobe purchases (not including investment pieces that may replace current wardrobe staples). - I exceeded my budget by approximately $240. Not bad considering I never implemented a budget before.
• downsize the number of jackets and coats - this started out great, and I managed to let go of 3 jackets/coats, but then I purchased 1 investment coat, 1 casual jacket, and was given 2 other coats.
• use the bags I weren't able to use in 2014 - if I don't use them again in 2015, consider letting them go. - I managed to get through a great rotation of my bags and of the 8 I didn't use in 2014, I used 5 in 2015. There are still 3 bags I haven't used in the last 2 years and so far I am thinking of selling 1 of them.
• have some purchase-free months - I had 3 purchase-free months.

2014 - a catalyst to stopping my frequent bag buying habit

For many, many years I tried to get my bag and wallet purchases under control - I made yearly resolutions and tried to limit the number of bags I purchase per year, but nothing worked.

In 2014, I was thisclose to having a no-purchase year of bags and wallets but caved mid-year and purchased 11 bags!

I was really disappointed with myself but turns out, these 11 bags filled important gaps in my bag collection. 

When I used to purchase bags, I went on simply what I liked and bought it. I didn't think about the function they played in my life, or their practicality. I love all my bags, but the 11 I bought last year, without knowing it, were useful to my daily life. 

Just a reminder, my bag purchases are not included in my budget for my wardrobe.

Why were these bags so important/special? 

Banana Republic clutch and crossbody, used 5 and 2 times respetively

Cole Haan large tote in pebbled leather, used 34 times

Cole Haan satchel in pebbled leather, used 44 times

Cole Haan tote, used 26 times 

Dooney & Bourke satchel and crossbody (another crossbody in 
violet not shown), used 15, 5, 7 times respectively

Dooney & Bourke satchel (nylon version not shown), 
used 25 times, and 43 times respectively

Dooney & Bourke satchel, used 16 times

When I tracked my bag usage, despite only owning them for 1.5 years, these bags were the ones I used the most since I got them. I use them on a regular basis because they are easy to use and their quality is fantastic. I don't have to worry about ruining them, or getting any scratches on them as they are super durable. The calf-hair bags have been my go-to for special events since they go with everything and with the price I paid for them, even if I were to use them recklessly wouldn't be too sad. 

The reason why I didn't use my other bags so much is because they were too expensive and I just cared too much about them. I care about these bags too but the price I paid, wouldn't cause me to cry. In total, I spent approximately $1,059, averaging less than $100 per bag! Since these 11 purchases, I have been able to spend 2015 purchase-free of bags! 

December, the month of reflection

I've been waiting for December 2015 to come along with great excitement! I have been diligently tracking my shopping purchases and trying to work within my wardrobe goals for 2 years, and can finally do a comparison between 2014 and 2015, and with 2 full years under my belt, feel I can finally get a better understanding of my budget and habits. 

Since I only started blogging towards the end of 2014, I'm going to go over 2014 in detail, and work my way up from there until the end of this year.

What I didn't do in 2014 was include my shoe purchases in my grand total of money spent, but I did keep track of them in a separate excel sheet specifically for shoes, so I was still able to determine what I spent on clothing that year. Unfortunately, I was't able to track the cost per wear for those shoes since I don't go into as much detail in their separate excel sheet as I do for my yearly budget sheet. (In 2015, I did include shoes into my full year's tracking.) 

My goal to purge and purchase better items had already begun in 2014 but I was mostly focused on purging rather than finding 'perfect pieces'. My purchases were less thought out in the 'wardrobe staple' department and more about filling in areas that needed replacing, or just things that I liked. The only well thought out pieces were my investment pieces.

In 2014, I didn't give myself a budget, but I also didn't go crazy - I would like to think I'm a pretty responsible shopper to being with, so not having a budget didn't affect me too much. In total, I spent $1028.78, for non-investment purchases, and $1,570 on 4 investment pieces (2 Burberry jackets/coats, and 2 Seiko watches), for a total of  $2,598.78. 

** For 2015, I made a conscious decision not to include any investment pieces into my regular wardrobe budget since they are intended to be long-lasting and very, very well thought out and calculated pieces. **

Spending $1,029 bought me a total of 33 items, including 4 pairs of shoes (including my ever so difficult to fit, knee-high boots), a winter coat that turned out to be one of my best purchases to-date (and an unexpected, very well-priced, investment piece), 3 items of gym wear, and an awesome black sheath dress. I also discovered that GAP boyfriend button-ups fit me very well and that I love their broken-in khakis, having bought 4 pairs. 

From those purchases, I have since donated 2 tops because I didn't like them any more, ended up wearing out my black sheath dress and a tunic, and ruined one of my favourite coloured khakis from a bleach accident (I've only recently bleached the entire pair of pants in an attempt to salvage them).

Since 2014, my cost per wear for each items has ended in single digits, with 6 items well under my $1 cost per wear threshold and approximately 10 items nearing that mark. The only item still in the double digits is my red Burberry quilted trench coat, but that was expected, and since I intend to have that for many, many years, am not too bothered by it.

Over all, my 2014 purchases helped me to: 

• find a great alternative to jeans by introducing me to khakis
• find a well-fitted button-up style
• finally find a pair of knee-high boots that fit me
• focus in on specific colors that are now my color palette of choice - gray, white/ivory, navy/blues, and black
• find an awesome cobalt wool coat that I absolutely love
• determine what kind of investment pieces I'm looking for and what areas of my wardrobe I'm willing to spend that kind of money on (coats, yes, definitely will lean towards paying investment prices; the watches were a one-time purchase and while they aren't in the price caliber as a Rolex, they meet my criteria of going with everything, are of solid quality, and are not pieces I intend to buy again until they break).

November comings and goings

Goings - 6

• Banana Republic colorblock sheath dress - was one of my staple wardobe pieces for work but is now pilling and showing signs of color bleeding into the white portion; tried to treat it but it didn't work.
• My black sheath dress - this was purchased in 2014 at Target and for its price, I definitely got amazing cost per wear with it. Unfortunately it was getting too worn out.
• Banana Republic navy dress pants - didn't like the wide-leg cut anymore; I have been slowly shifting towards skinny fitted pants for a more streamline look since I'm quite short.
• J. Crew plaid tunic - too worn out
• Sparrow blue short sleeved cardigan - lost its shape to due my laundry mishap =S
• Banana Republic pinstriped black trousers - another pair of wide-leg pants that don't flatter me.

Comings - 8

• Casual winter coat with fur hood - my mom gave it to me as she received it as a gift from a family friend but it's too big for her. *As great as it is to receive something for free, this, plus the earlier coat my mom gave me, and the casual jacket I purchased at H&M, puts me back where I was at the start of the year with my numbers in coats and jackets. Bummer.
• black sleeveless top, gray waffled trousers, black trouser pant, plaid button-up, and navy & black pencil skirt
• Marc by Marc Jacobs Printed Crosby quilted backpack - I found my perfect casual backpack!!! =D
• Cole Haan Johanna ankle boots - was given to me pre-loved and gently worn from a family friend; very excited about these

I found my perfect backpack!!!

For the entire year to-date I have not purchased a single bag or wallet - that has been a major goal of mine for years. This may hold my things, but it's not a bag! ;)

I was on the look out for a backpack this year, but had very specific criteria for it. I wanted it to be light weight, reasonably priced, good quality, water-resistant/repellent, stylish, and a good size for my height. And bonus, I love the dark hardware. 

I finally found it yesterday at Nordstrom. Not only was it on sale, but there was also an additional 25% off (I think it was due to Black Friday?). It was originally priced at $198, and I got it for approximately $85 including tax. 

I'm so excited to use it on the weekends and on my upcoming trips to Las Vegas and Korea. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Printed Crosby Quilt Backpack

Measurements
Height: 16.5in / 42cm
Length: 15.25in / 39cm
Depth: 5in / 13cm

Surprise favourites

Have you ever made a purchase that didn't seem like anything special at the time, but ended up being an unexpected favourite piece? I know my goal is to be making well, thought-out purchases that I love, but sometimes, I just need a shirt.

Then this shirt becomes something I can't part with!

Take for example, this sweater I bought at the Banana Republic outlet - I was looking for a light weight, long sleeved sweater, in light colors so that I could wear across different seasons; this top wasn't meant to be worn for work (I don't have enough tops to wear for the weekends) so I wanted it to be more casually fitted. 

When I first grabbed the shirt I wasn't sure about the stripes or colors but I gave it a shot because I was desperate for casual tops. I tried it on and I still wasn't sure - I wanted a casual fit but after wearing fitted sweaters for so long for work, I wasn't as used to it any more, and the sweater is actually 3 colors (ivory and the stripes are gray and light pink) and I thought it would be hard to match. I bought it anyway. 

The first time I wore it, I paired it with blue, ankle crop jeans, and as simple as that is, it made me fall in love with the top. I don't know why, but I have been wearing it at every opportunity I have. 

White skinny jeans look amazing with it! And even though I bought it to wear outside of the office, it looks great for a business casual outfit with my light slim leg trousers.

Not everything loved has to cost an arm and a leg

I am currently preparing myself to let go of two very beloved pieces from my wardrobe. They've both served me well and have helped to complete many outfits. While I generally feel OK with paying a little more for wardrobe staples in hopes they will last longer, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate the ones that I do find, at a low price point. That said, I wish these did cost more so that they would have had a chance to last me longer (I love good deals but there is some truth behind getting what you pay for).

First up, is my J. Crew tunic - I love this item because I have a  lot of trouble fitting into button-up tops. They are either too tight across the chest, too wide along the shoulder, or too loose or tight over-all. I was drawn to this because it fit throughout and because of the lack of buttons, it didn't have any parts prone to gaping open. From afar it looks OK. but upon closer inspection, you can tell that the material is slowly starting to pill and thin out, and the colors are starting to cross into each other; not to mention, at the cuffs, they have torn from the shirt - on both sides! Yes, I could sew them back in, but I'm not a master seamstress, and the cost to get it professionally done would probably cost more than the shirt itself. The cost of this shirt was USD $13.99, bought in December 2013 from the outlet store. I didn't get into a lot of detail in tracking my purchases until 2014 so I can't tell you the exact cost per wear, but I can tell you that I wore it enough times that my mom has told me that, that's all she sees me wearing. From memory, I can tell you I've worn it at least 5 times in the last couple of months, which for reference is already $2.80 per wear, and let's say I wore it a minimum of 5 times in 2014, that's already $1.40 per wear ... you see what I'm getting at.

 

Second on my list is one of my favourite dresses - my black sheath dress. I found this unexpectedly at Target in September 2014, originally CAD $29.99, on sale for CAD $14.99. It fit me perfectly and to my delight, even has pockets!! I was able to track my wear on this item and wore it 7 times in the remainder of 2014, and 12 times in 2015, to-date. My cost per wear on this is 79 cents! I love this dress but unfortunately the quality really isn't there - it is stretching out and attracting too much lint to de-lint and is pilling. I'm sad to let this go but I can't wear it to work having it look the way it does. In my opinion, with its pockets, this is the perfect style of a black sheath dress for me and doubt I will be able to find its replacement any time soon, if at all.

I love buying only favourites but it's really hard to let them go when the time comes because they were just that perfect for me. I've enjoyed wearing these pieces and will remember them fondly. Farewell.

Once you pop, you can't stop...

... or something like that.

Last month I went over my wardrobe budget and had decided to stop, however, I accompanied my friend to my go-to shop and came home with 5 new items =S

I went into the fitting room with 30+ items, in my chosen color palette, all with potential to be part of my carefully selected wardrobe, and whittled it down to 6. I carried 6 throughout the store while I waited another hour for my friend to finish, and eventually put down the vest that I had been debating over.

I didn't buy the vest because, as much as I had been wanting one all season, I couldn't come up with any outfits. One of my unspoken rules is that each item I bring in, must be able to go with at least 3 existing items I already own. It was difficult to let go since it was exactly what I was looking for, but I knew it was the best decision.

One of the tops I bought is this soft wash plaid button-up - I love the colors and can't wait to use it as a layering piece under sweaters and cardigans to show the contrasting plaid; it'll also be great paired with my gray pencils skirts and light gray GAP trousers, as well as jeans and cords. This will also be a replacement piece for my beloved J Crew plaid tunic that I purchased in late 2013 (I've worn it to death and am preparing myself to let it go)

Another top I purchased is this black sleeveless top with a zippered back because I didn't have one. I have been looking for one that is comfortable and not see-through. This is perfect for layering and to be tucked into pants and skirts. Love the dressy look and know it will go with any bottoms. I am complete in my search for dressy sleeveless tops in my color palette - navy, ivory, black, and gray.

I am now 20% over my budget for this year and I must take this seriously, and stop shopping. The only comfort I can give myself is that I finally found the perfect black sleeveless top for me. Moving forward, no excuses, and must exercise constraint and avoid temptation! 

My introduction to LOFT

I've heard many great things about LOFT and they finally opened their stores in British Columbia and I made my first purchase!

This year, I purged a lot of clothing and filled in some missing wardrobe staples. I'm starting to aim towards a more simplified and streamline wardrobe and having identified the staple colors I want to stick with (black, ivory/white, gray, and blue/navy), I am now on the look out for more staple pieces. 

I chose the following items and am very happy with them. I tried them on with my work staples - pencil skirt, slim fitted trousers, (and even my drape pants!) and they all looked great! The 2 dresses - well, I can never give up a well-fitted dress haha; the black and white striped one is going to eventually replace my black sheath dress which is going to have to go in the donate pile soon as it's getting a bit stretched out for me, and the flare dress, because I don't have anything like it, and it seems fun for both work and play.

Since this was my first time at LOFT, I tried on everything in all neighbouring sizes to find the right size for me. Their sizing seems to be all over the place compared to other stores I go to; they also seem to fit a little bigger than most places so I sized down for all my pieces except for the striped dress which I bought in a medium-petite. Usually I'm a small/medium in tops and range from 6-10 in dresses, but usually a solid 8. At LOFT, at least in this flare dress, I'm a 6P.

Having the right items can really make all the difference

Everyone is different, but this is my story

I used to flip through fashion magazines and longed for the day when I could find a reason to buy a cocktail dress or an evening gown. As the years went by, I reserved these items to a Pinterest board and never thought I would actually need them. 

Flash forward to my mid-twenties when I began my career and unbeknownst to me, slowly found my imaginary lifestyle creeping its way slowly into real life. 

My industry involves a lot of client, and networking events ranging from conferences, company hosted parties, luncheons, happy hour, client dinners, galas, etc., and for a very long time, I felt out of place and under-dressed, and dreaded these events. 

I convinced myself that I simply didn't like going to these events so I 'didn't care' what I wore, but it wasn't until I got married in 2013 and had to purchase a full length evening gown and 2 cocktail dresses, that I actually figured out what the problem was. 

In reality, I was dressed OK - OK, as in 'standard boring, not unprofessional but would never stand out in a crowd'. This was how I saw myself and it made me feel very uncomfortable and self-conscious. Instead of using these events to build my career, I just felt anxious for them to be over so I could leave. 

The problem was that I was always scrambling to figure out what to wear to these events (not just work events, but all special events!). I would fret for days and try to go shopping but as shopping karma would have it - you will never find anything you're desperately looking for. Defeated, I would just try to look my best with what I had. It wasn't my actual outfit that made me feel uncomfortable, it was that I felt unprepared. It was like I was going into a proposal and hadn't done any due diligence. It completely blew my confidence. 

After my wedding, I actually had dresses that were appropriate for these events - feeling the relief of already owning these items, and knowing how they fit me and not having to scramble to find them really gave me peace of mind and confidence and that really helped me to focus on my conversations and enjoy myself instead of worrying about how I looked. 

After years of feeling stressed (yes it took my years to learn this) I've learned that my wardrobe is my arsenal and I wouldn't want to go to battle without all my weapons. That said, I also make sure to have the appropriate shoes and accessories because sometimes those little pieces add even more stress. 

August comings and goings

What came in - 4

• Franco Sarto Venezia flats
• Keds x Kate Spade purple leopard print sneakers
• Marc by Marc Jacobs black Balle Logodisc flats
• Townshoes black loafers (made in Italy)

What went out - 11

• 5 pairs of designer jeans/shorts - was able to find a new home for them with my friend. I am so happy I was able to pass them to someone I know who will give them a good home. I know, I'm super attached when it's something I love - I need to know it's going to be taken good care of. 
• 1 pair of really old wide leg, 3/4 pants from the GAP - they were really popular 10 years ago; the really comfy and soft kind with the wide elastic waist band that folds over, remember? I can't remember the name for them now...
• my every day Cole Haan Wedge shoes - getting worn out and I found replacement every day flats with the MbMj flats
• 1 pair of red American Eagle wedge sandals - let go because they don't go with too many items in my wardrobe, and I can't think of any new outfits for them
• 2 pairs of Aldo shoes that I have not worn in years, and can't think of any outfits to pair them with
• my Cole Haan leopard flats - they're just too worn out now =( and replaced my trend wardrobe staple with a new trend: black loafers

Budget status: With another month left of the third quarter, I am currently over budget per quarter, but still under budget for the year. I'd love to come out of the year under budget and have more than one month of no-purchase months.Who knows, this may be the end to my shopping for the year.. maybe....

One and the same - let's lighten that closet!

Can you account for every article of clothing you own? Yes? You sure? 

I'm glad I started this blog to capture milestones, and remind myself of what I previously thought. In one of my earlier posts, I wrote, "I didn’t have an insane amount of clothes to begin with ..."

I thought I didn't until I continued to find myself thinking "Oh yeah!" upon discovering a forgotten piece that was hiding in the back of my closet, or in the weird nook and crannies of my drawers. They weren't there because I didn't like them, or they didn't fit any more; some were actual wardrobe staples of mine! How could this happen? 

Was it because I actually had a lot of clothing? I argue against that, but who really knows haha. That aside, I think I figured it out.

My first major purge targeted items that I didn't like anymore, didn't fit, didn't flatter, etc, and the usual list goes on. What I didn't do was remove items that I had more than one kind of, or can be interchanged with one another. If they didn't fit the purge criteria, I kept them.

Where did my black pants go? I didn't even have to ask myself because there would already be another pair of black pants hanging right in front of me (or something I easily substituted it for). This leaves me with possibly 3-5 times the amount of items that essentially serve the same style purpose.

I recently did another round of purging and identified these duplicate or  interchangeable items - I picked 1 or 2 of my favourites from the bunch and culled the rest. My wardrobe has seen another significant purge, allowing me to better remember what I already own and preventing me from purchasing another item that might be too similar.

With even less now, it's much, much easier for me to exercise the one-in-one out rule because I actually only have 1 of that item that serves a more specific purpose, and also it helps me to better consider whether what I want to bring in will indeed enhance my wardrobe and style, is of variety, and won't simply just add to its numbers. 

4 seasons

When you're trying to minimize the number of items you own, living in a 4 season country makes things a little bit difficult. 

As I am trying to pare down what I own, I've found some items that work really well throughout all seasons.

Sheath dresses - my best friend. I rave about these on a regular basis (mostly because I'm a self-admitted, lazy dresser) but I've found they're just great for all temperatures. As-is plus some sandals make a great and easy light-weight look for spring and summer, and when it gets colder, I like to add a dress shirt underneath, or a sweater over top (the sweater over top look works really well because the 'skirt' part showing looks like a really well fitted pencil skirt and I don't need to re-adjust at all)

2 of my favourites, and most worn from my closet

Cardigans - a variety of materials and lengths are great for adding layers. I'm not exactly there yet, but if I really wanted to go to extreme lengths of minimalism, I would only keep/incorporate ivory cardigans in two different lengths and materials. I feel they work well in warmer weather because of the light color, but also in the colder months because it gives that winter wonderland sort of feel. Overall, ivory seems to be a great neutral.

Crop tops - now this one I JUST discovered but love it already. I'm not a crop top kind of person - I don't have the body, youth or guts to wear one haha, but I accidentally came across the perfect crop top for ME, that gave me an idea to wear it over top some of my more 'top revealing' dresses so that I could get double-duty out of them, and wear them to work. I not only managed to get a new arsenal of 'skirts' from my dresses, but also, got a top that works really well with pencil skirts where I don't have to tuck anything in. It's a boxier cut, so in the winter, I can even use it as a layer similar to a sweater vest, to give me extra warmth. 

I love that it's not super short so if I ever go on vacation,
I could wear it as an actual crop top and not feel self-conscious. 

I'll be posting more '4 season' posts in the future with more details and different outfits I put together  - stay tuned!

"When one door closes, another door opens... "

"... but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

He's right. 

It took me a long time to let go of my Cole Haans (and to be honest, ever since they have been sitting in the donations bag, I have had to hold myself back from putting them back into my collection) but this weekend, I was able to justify bringing a new pair of shoes into my collection (one-in, one-out rule!) and have found new love and a new summer wardrobe staple.

Behold - my new Franco Sarto Venezia flats!!! 

 

I bought these on Saturday on a way to a party because the sandals I was wearing at the time were really cutting into me (the fate of that one will have to be decided at a later time) and I happen to be at the mall picking up some last minute things and thought I would just check to see if they have something more comfortable for a low price. I found these beauties for a great price - $39.99 and couldn't past them up. They are so comfortable and a great shade of gray (maybe taupe?) to be a definite wardrobe staple for me. I couldn't ask for more. 

This is my first venture into Franco Sarto shoes (I've heard great things before) and definitely would want to look into this as a go-to brand (I'm very brand loyal, if you haven't noticed already).