Wardrobe goals for 2016

Last year I worked hard on making more focused purchases and tried to make sure that each item I brought in would make at least 3 outfits. I also continued to purge and focused on letting go of items that could be substituted with other items, and didn't rush into making any purchases until I found the perfect pieces.

My goals for 2016 are to:

• Not purchase any shoes, and continue to let go of more, with the ultimate goal to own 25 pairs of shoes
• Continue to work on using the things I love and not worry about them getting ruined
• Continue to shop within my collection of bags and wallets, and let go of 10 items
• Stay within my budget of $1,000, and again, not include any major investment pieces or bags
• Have 4 purchase-free months
• Continue to purge so I can consolidate all my items into 1 closet
• Build a 'rainy day' fund by selling any items that may have some value to use towards a pre-loved Louis Vuitton Speedy 35/40.

2016 Wishlist and "needs" (these items are exceptions to any 'do not' buy lists):

• Black wedge ankle boots 
• Gray leather bag 
• Gray wool winter coat
• Navy sheath dress
• Pre-loved Speedy 35/40
• Black sheath dress

'Do not buy' list: 

• Trousers and Khakis
• Shoes
• Bags, wallets and small pouches
• Jeans

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

N's guest post! - How she cleaned out her closet

Last week me and N finally had a chance to catch up and she was telling me that she had done a major purge to her closet. Some of you may remember that N and I have been cheering each other on, on our journey towards a simpler closet and better outfits. She told me about her recent purge and I asked her to write a guest post to share, because it's amazing! Without further adieu....

Heya everyone! I'm so excited to get invited to write on V's blog - thanks V! Well, really excited to share my wardrobe cleanup with you all. 

So, I had too much stuff in there that I had not worn in a long time or were so attached to that I couldn't get rid of them and all that! I came across this book '1,000 outfits from just 30 pieces - Terrific Thirty' (by Wendy Mak) and I got really inspired to try this myself! I looked at my closet and didn't even know where to start with everything all over the place and I had also added in a number of extras during the last few seasons. One morning I woke up and took everything out of my closet. I only wish I had a walk-in closet so I could see each and every piece I have in there. Anyways, I started sorting things and kept taking almost everything out. This is the first time I've let go of almost 2 garbage bags full of stuff. I let go of some of my favourite pieces but I know I'll never wear them. Some of them were pieces like coloured jeans, some blouses, maxi dresses. Last year I was hooked on shopping at Marciano and I bought a bit too much from that store! I tell ya I felt so much better after this cleanup. The idea was for me to let go of stuff and add some really good staples for work. My wardrobe cleanup was a general one but the thirty pieces I'm putting together are for work for Fall/Winter. I think this is a good start and I feel very positive I can do this. 

This is what my collection looks like now. Not very clear but I'm hoping to put it in a better way so I can see everything.

Oh thought I mention this cool project I used to organize my everyday wear jewelry items. Made this out of cork board last winter.

Now, I'm well organized and look forward to styling my looks from these 30 pieces. I'll share these in detail when I've put it all together.

Many thanks to N for taking the time and sharing her purge with us. Stayed tuned for a future post about her 30-piece capsule! I'm so excited for it!

September comings and goings

Coming - 3 

Technically, NOTHING (at least nothing that I bought myself) - It is my second no-spend month of the year!!

• Gifted - Swarovski necklace
• Gifted - Banana Republic earrings
• Gifted - Jeweled firefly necklace

Goings - 3+

• Necklace
• Tahari sleeveless top - actually, it will be demoted to a sleep shirt (letting go of another one of my sleep shirts which I don't log in my Stylebook App)
• Banana Republic khaki colored trousers - don't like the way they fit anymore 
• not directly from my home closet, but from my closet at my parents' house; I donated a number of work appropriate pieces. I had been hoping I would fit into them later, but my friend is involved in a program to collect clothing for women who are looking to get back on their feet, so I let them go. And I'm very, very, very close to completely having no clothing at my parents' place.

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. 

June comings and goings

What came in - 3

• Converse sneakers
• Mint green sleeveless blouse
• Bracelet

What went out - 9

• A summer dress from years ago that I decided to let my cousin have to explore more sewing projects
• Nude Chanel nail polish 
• 4 graphic tees that I'm going to have my cousin turn into drawstring bags for travel uses
• 1 t-shirt - didn't fit the same
• 1 tank top - too small now
• UPDATE: I DID decide to let this one go.
  
  
  
  
  
• not wardrobe related, but my parents are renovating their basement so I donated a lot of my childhood toys and tossed a lot of things I had been keeping. They also purged and let go of a lot of stuff so we have a trunk full of stuff to donate. Hurray!

What do I do with you?

Do you have an item where you struggle to decide whether to let it go, or keep? 

Lately, I am wanting to let go of this top - 

Why? I have no idea. I wear it often, it looks fine, it's comfortable, and is a nice shade of gray. 

Something about it though, is making me want to say good-bye. I've been debating this for 3 weeks now. Yes, I know, #fwp...

Every other day, I think, I'm going to let it go and walk towards the donation bag and then I decide to put it on, look in the mirror, and change my mind. This should tell me I should keep it, especially since I wear it often (actually, quite a lot) but then why do I have an inclination to do without it? This is really bothering me and I can only come to the conclusion that I DO like it, but I am wanting something very similar to it (that may, or may not exist) and I'm waiting for that item to come my way (which, may or, or may not)... which brings me back to my original struggle.

I've asked myself a series of questions - 

Does it make me happy? It doesn't, not, make me happy

Does it serve a purpose? Yes.

Do I enjoy wearing it? I suppose I do, I wear it a lot.

Is it easy to wear? Very much so.

If I were to let it go, has it reached my cost-per-wear threshold? Definitely. 

Do I already have something that I could substitute it with? No.
Have I seen a better replacement? No.

None of these answers, are helpful or make me any more decisive. Any thoughts? 

May comings and goings

What came in - 12

• Swarovski bracelet from the Stardust collection - love it so much!! I very rarely buy costume jewelry but I LOVE Swarovski pieces and can never resist a dark colored piece.
• 3 pieces from H&M - 2 throw-over dresses in navy and orange; and a orange striped sweatshirt. These 3 purchases are fast becoming a staple in my wardrobe, especially the dresses. I had originally purchased 2 items back in February, but decided to exchange them for something else since they were still sitting in my closet with tags on them. Upon exchange, I immediately went home and changed into one of the dresses for dinner - very telling =)
• 4 skirts and a skinny belt from the Banana Republic outlet - all 5 pieces for around $50, can't go wrong there! The only draw back is that the two ivory skirts I purchased are a tad too short for work when I sit down, but great for dates nights, and evenings out. 
• Dress, sandals, and earrings - they were a gift from my friend for being in her bridal party <3 (do these actually count? hrm...)

The Tano sandal from Aldo - I love the color and details of this!

What went out - 11

• Adidas Missy Elliot sneakers - after several attempts at trying to sell them, and trying to work it back into my wardrobe, I decided to just donate them. This is great because I'm one more pair of shoes down to having only 20 pairs =) still a long way to go....
• T-shirt - just didn't fit me the same anymore.
• Sweater - didn't feel the same way about it anymore.
• Black and white houndstooth jacket - letting this go was a sad moment for me; I love this piece but ruined it by trying to bleach some of the white squares =( I learned after I tried to bleach it, that trying to bleach anything that isn't cotton just turns it yellow.
• Purple denim shorts.
• Gray Tommy Hilfiger skirt with pockets (one of my previous go-to items in the summer but it was looking 'tired') 
• Red and black sweater dress - really loved this piece as I had purchased it on a trip to Malaysia many years ago but it just wasn't working for me any more.
• 2 Hoodies (this makes me incredibly happy as I'm trying very hard to lessen the amount I have)
• Pair of dress shorts - from last year, don't like the fit of it any more. 
• Ralph Lauren cami from their sleep wear - didn't fit any more.

Starting April off right!

I am SO happy to share that I was able to pass to my friend several items that I no longer am able to fit into - I was able to let go of 11 items!!

I passed on:

• 2 pairs of jeans
• 3 hoodies
• 1 zip-up
• 1 pair of runners
• 1 blouse
• 1 blazer
• 1 jacket 
• 1 canvas tote

I am SO pleased to let go of my jeans, hoodies, runners, and jacket the most because they were items that I am trying to lower in number. 

What a great way to start April!!!!

March comings and goings

I vowed that I would not make any purchases in March, and I succeeded! =) I ALMOST had a slip-up when I saw a Transformers t-shirt (hubby's a huge fan) on mega-sale at Target, but I walked away from it. 

Going - 

• Adidas sneakers - I loved them when I bought them but because I wanted to keep them looking new, I rarely wore them. I tried to bring them back into my wardrobe earlier this month, only to find that they were not as comfortable as I remembered. I have been wanting to let these go for years but couldn't overcome the guilt I felt for spending money on something I barely wore - I'm over it now, and own one less pair of shoes, hurray!
• Adidas runners - I've had them since grade 8, haha, and I just love them; they were really hard to give up but my mom gave me her runnners and she told me mine needed to go. Can't argue with my mom!
• few more pieces of costume jewelry, and items I was going to use when I wanted to try my hand at making my own jewelry (what was I thinking?)
• Adidas bag - one of the vintage inspired ones from my university days.
• Indigo tote bag - given to me by my friend, but just have too many bags and had to decide to let it go.
• Not wardrobe related, but I let go of a few more glasses from our kitchen, and made the rounds in my condo and threw out as many random pieces of paper as I could.

Coming - 

• Black Hunter boots - my mom can't wear a lot of her shoes any more due to spurs =( so she gave me her knee-high Hunter boots. In Vancouver, these are a staple and I'll now have another pair of rainboots to add to the two I already have. Rainboots are an item that I plan to not buy until I need to replace them so since my existing pairs are still in great condition, I won't be buying rainboots - probably, ever.
• Nike runners - again from my mom. This is great because I have been thinking about replacing mine and I really needed a push. Free, is a good push, haha. 

February's comings and goings

What came in:

• 4 pairs of new shoes from Nine West and Townshoes (ugh, on the last day I came across these pony-hair black wedges for a steal - just couldn't pass them up =S). I am NOT doing well in the shoe department.

What went out:

• 1 black cardigan/bolero
• 1 card holder - I finally was able to sell my teal Cole Haan cardholder. I will miss this piece as it was a great color but it did add some bulk to my bags; the 2 remaining cardholders work better for me as they are the slim kind.
• wristband - don't ask haha
• 1 scarf - another scarf gone! I hummed and haahed about this one because it was a great mix of blues but I've only worn it twice since I bought it 5 years ago.
• capsule wardrobe - This year I thought I would try implementing a capsule wardrobe, and I decided to do it by month. January went well; February started out well; upon my return from my trip, I gave up. I gave up because I missed wearing a lot of my clothing and I don't think I'm at a point in my wardrobe count where I won't be distracted by other items I want to wear. I think, until I am able to pare down more, where more of my favourite clothing is in constant cycle, a capsule wardrobe won't work yet. I will revisit the capsule wardrobe again, but for now, it's another wardrobe lesson learned =)

Sold! Cole Haan business card holder

I'm pleased to share that I have let go of my Cole Haan business card holder. I love this item but it's thicker than I would like and I'm working on carrying less stuff, and bulk. 

I miss her as I really love the color, but I think it's for the better. Her new owner seems to really love her so I'm happy =)

Removing 100 items from my home

Last month I read an article that one of my friends posted about purging 100 items from their household - 

"Get Rid of 100 Things Weekend": http://letslassothemoon.com/2011/09/11/take-100-things-off-your-houses-waistline/.

They recommended that you just go around the house with a garbage bag and without thinking, just plop in the stuff you no longer use or has a use. 

My husband is currently away so I took it as the perfect opportunity to go through things and get rid of them. I purge best when I have the house to myself. I took it a step further and set up my computer for any of the random items that needed to be logged - i.e. signing up for things, so I can throw away the bits of paper that reference codes were on; I had an empty garbage bag ready for any thing that belonged in the trash; and set aside an area for items that can be donated. 

In one evening I found glassware and candle holders I could let go of, unused items that could be donated, mail that was old and could be thrown away, empty boxes that can be recycled - it was so easy and felt so freeing! I also took out anything that was hiding and forgotten so that they can be visible and used, and not wasted by just sitting there .

When I first purged to begin my minimalist lifestyle, I would get rid of 10 items a day - ranging from donating something to disposing of a post-it. It really is the simple things that can get me on a roll to keep going and even today I try to get rid of things on a daily basis (mostly papers that can unknowingly pile up), and once I make a major donation of items, I immediately start another bag to fill up.

If anyone is wanting to declutter but finding it difficult, I'd start off with the 100 item purge of anything you can think of, and then try to let go of 10 items a day for a while. You'd be really surprised by how amazing just throwing away a piece of paper feels. 

January's comings and goings/ February's capsule wardrobe and bag of-the-month

In January, I let go of: 

• 1 scarf - it was actually a 'second chances' item - I just don't like it anymore
• 1 pair of dress pants - it is a wider leg pant and I am slowly making my way towards slimmer fitting pants for work
• 1 top - replaced it with my recent GAP plaid top that I like more
• 1 sweater - I just don't feel the same about it anymore
• 1 bag - not from my main collection - it was a bag I purchased in university and I had been using it as a beat-around bag, even though it's handles were showing large amounts of wear
• 1 perfume - I sold it! One of my minimalism goals is to have only 2 perfumes in rotation and now I have 3 in current rotation and one unopened (which was a wedding gift from my sister-in-law - it's a Hello Kitty wedding themed perfume!)
• 1 coat - finally donated one of the winter coats I was debating on letting go of last year. I did take from it its fur trim from the hood since it was easily detachable and doesn't look like anything is missing from it - I attached the trim to another coat that can't bring myself to let go of yet, to spruce it up
• 1 money clip - I gave my Gucci money clip to my guy bff - I'm SO happy to pass this on to someone who will enjoy using it; I bought it in my university days for clubbing and only used it a few times (it wasn't an ideal purchase as I thought it would be) and have been feeling guilty about not using it enough. 

8 items out of my wardrobe, and dropped off my bag of donations of household goods, books, and other random things. 

In January, I brought in:

• 1 bag - not purchased, but given to me by same guy bff: it is a canvas tote from Indigo of sizable proportions with detachable shoulder strap. It will be taking the place of the bag I just let go of but its condition and style will let me use it for other occasions

• 1 pair of tan Uggs - I have been waiting for my pair (mine are gray) to be completely unwearable before I replaced them but my mom recently bought a pair of boots she liked better and gave me her Uggs that she had only worn a few times  ~Thanks, Mom!~

• 1 scarf - it was a gift and hand-made by a close family friend, in a beautiful torquise-y/teal color - love it!
• 3 pairs of tights - I really needed to replace my old ones, and I got them on sale =) I don't count these as additions to my wardrobe since they're sort of like socks, but I am reporting them to keep myself accountable for the things that I do buy
• 1 wool coat - I found a beautiful camel colored wool coat at Nordstrom and jumped on a chance to buy a quality, neutral colored coat.

3 items into my wardrobe (cost me NOTHING!), 3 pairs of the same item that is a wardrobe staple needing of replacement , and a neutral colored coat (which I see as an upgrade and a long lasting wardrobe staple) 

February is going to be an interesting month as I will be visiting my husband and in-laws in Nova Scotia for a week. I have picked 2 very small capsules for this short month - one for home, and one for travel.

Again, no app for me to post pictures, but here is what I have picked out for my time at home - 

My bag this month will be my much-loved and used blue Coach saffiano leather tote - she is one of the easiest bags in my collection. She fits easily over my shoulders, carries tons of stuff and because she has some structure to her, I don't find myself digging through a black hole; I love her color and especially love that I don't have to worry about her when I carry her in the rain or on transit - the color and material seems to just be scratch and dirt-proof. I love her so much that I have her in white and brown for the summer (although I admit, the white is less user-friendly because I will worry about getting anything on her haha). 

A look back at my 2014 wardrobe resolutions

Last year I participated in a thread on thePurseForum about our 2014 wardrobe resolutions and the thread originator posed these questions to us - these were my answers and I wanted to share with you what I have achieved since then (updates in red). 

one: Write a short review of your style and the progress you made in 2013. How did your style, lifestyle and aesthetic preferences evolve?

In 2013 I took a really good look at my lifestyle and wardrobe, taking into account that I spend 4 days a week in professional attire, my closet consisted of too many neutrals but I still could not pull an outfit together; outside of work, I dressed like a university student holed up in a library cramming for finals (not a pretty sight).

To start my cleanse, I purged everything that didn't fit, items that looked and fit only so-so, poor materials, things that were very worn or faded, and got rid of accessories I know I would never use (i.e., fashion jewelry and trendy belts - not that I had that much to start with, but still, had to get rid of them). 

For work, I determined that sheath dresses worked really well for my body-type and it's SO easy to just throw on one item, rather than having to think about a top and bottom. For winter and fall I purchased a few more and implemented colors. For spring and summer I purchased more colorful pencil skirts and sleeveless tops and explored patterns. Realized that as much as I loved a dress shirt, I could never find one that fit just right, so I've given up for now. Now that I've implemented color and patterns, getting dressed seems so much easier. Also got a few pairs of dress pants on sale that filled in some staple pieces that were missing. 

For casual wear - I almost got rid of anything I couldn't pass off as business casual, save for a few hoodies, and pretty much left it at that. I didn't add more to my closet and am sticking to plain t-shirts, jeans, and my patterned sleeveless tops for now until I can figure out exactly what I'm going for. 

In 2014, my purchases seemed to focus on tops and bottoms that could all be worn on Fridays at the office and also weekends - immediately, my weekend wear improved ten-fold and I no longer wear hoodies as part of an outfit (unless I'm wearing them as part of an actual outfit involving a puffer vest) and reserve them for lounging around the house or quick errands. I also wear jeans a lot less and only purchased one pair to replace a few I let go of and now have 6 pairs of great variety in regular rotation - black, dark blue, red, gray, white, and a standard blue jean for the easy days. In spring and summer I have mostly replaced jeans with khakis.

You will note that I stated I had given up on the dress shirt but managed to find a perfect fitting one for me at the GAP - hurray! 

two: Write about one or two paragraphs about your style and wardrobe plans for 2014. Which aspects about your style and your wardrobe do you want to improve, why and how?

I'm pretty happy with my work wardrobe and am looking to decide on a few more items to let go, but that will be dependent on weight change in the new few months. For casual wear, I plan to continue to use what I have until it wears out and then I will begin to reinvest in that part of my lifestyle. I would like to continue to pare down my closet, especially my shoes, but my biggest goal is to make my accessories visible so I can try to implement them more into my outfits, and in turn, decide whether I should keep them or not. 

Since finding dress shirts that fit me, I feel that my work wardrobe is complete - I can finally put together looks that I loved but couldn't complete. As for my weekend wardrobe, I am achieving the 'preppie' look that I so love but just couldn't do until now. Now I am slowly wearing out what remaining hoodies I own as loungewear for the home and will unlikely be buying any more. I am slowly losing weight so I still have on hand the items that I'm on the fence about that were weight dependent - I'm hoping I will need them in a few months.

three: Express your five most important goals in a short, motivating sentence each and then start sketching out how you want to achieve or implement them. 

Sort of similar to #2 but I have started to track my clothing in addition to my bags, wallets, and shoes, and i'm hoping that will give me a better perspective on where my money goes when it comes to my clothes and what items give me more value, whether cost per wear, or how it holds up.

I did dutifully track my purchases in 2014 and can tell you the exact breakdown of my 43 wardrobe additions (bags not included). 

• 5 dress shirts (all from GAP)
• 2 button-up tunics (Jcrew and GAP)
• 2 cardigans (all from Banana Republic)
• 2 dresses (Banana Republic and Target)
• 1 headband (J Crew)
• 3 coats/jackets (Banana Republic and Burberry)
• 1 pair of jeans (GAP)
• 4 pairs of khakis (all from the GAP)
• 2 straight legged trousers (all from the GAP)
• 1 sleeveless top (Banana Republic)
• 1 sweatshirt (J Crew)
• 6 sweaters (Banana Republic and Olive Moon)
• 2 watches (all Seiko)
• 1 T-shirt (Pleione)
• 1 skirt (GAP)
• 1 pair of khaki shorts (DKNY)
• 3 articles of active wear (all Nike)
• 5 pairs of shoes (Zara, Cole Haan, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Denim & Supply)

All these items (with the exception of what I bought at the end of December have been worn regularly and throughout the year and have all become my wardrobe staples. Their cost per wear is ridiculously low, and some have even paid themselves off because I got them at such great prices (for me, for something to have paid itself off, its cost per wear is $1 or less). 

Wardrobe goals for 2015

I learned and achieved a lot in 2014 for my wardrobe and think that I'm at a point where I can begin to introduce capsule wardrobes to further simplify yet enhance my style/wardrobe. 

I donated or sold a majority of items I don't need, no longer fit (except for a few pieces I'm getting closer to), don't look good on me, or don't wear any more - there are a few pieces that I'm still undecided on or have not had a chance to list for sale, but I expect that my wardrobe numbers will be going down again this year. 

I have filled in some wardrobe gaps, including the ever-difficult for me - knee high boots, and feel I now have all the essential pieces that I have been working towards to give me a 'complete' wardrobe. 

Summary of 2014:

• purchased 11 bags, received 1 backpack as a gift; sold 3 bags, donated 2 bags.
• received 1 wallet for my birthday, purchased 1 wallet and 2 pouches; sold 1 wallet, donated 1 wallet.
• achieved my goal to only have 10 wallets (not including a travel wallet, and one wallet that I am semi-retiring but holding onto because it was a gift from my husband).
• received 1 watch as a gift, purchased 2 watches; sold 1 watch.
• bought 5 pairs of shoes, incorporated 2 pairs of shoes from my early days into my current wardrobe; donated 8 pairs of shoes.
• Purchased 43 items for my wardrobe (not including the bags), all of which have been worn regularly and include 4 investment pieces (2 coats and 2 watches). 
• not including my 4 investment pieces or bags, total purchases totaled less than $1,000
• purchased something every month of the year except for November when I made a conscious decision not to buy anything.

My goals for 2015 are 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.
• continue to work on using the things I love and not worry about them getting ruined.
• 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.
• continue to shop out of my bag and wallet collection and implement a one-in, one-out rule.  
• rotate through all my wallets throughout the year.
• use jewelry more to accessorize my daily outfits.
• continue to purge, re-fine, and down-size my wardrobe.
• budget $1,000 for wardrobe purchases (not including investment pieces that may replace current wardrobe staples).
• downsize the number of jackets and 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.
• have some purchase-free months

2015 Wishlist and "needs":

• leopard calf-hair bag or clutch
• find and stock up on good quality tights
• black wedge ankle boots
• a gray leather bag 
• gray wool winter coat
• leopard print, calf-hair belt
• gray jeans to replace my current pair - they are beginning to look in need of replacing and since they are a major staple in my wardrobe, I want to start looking early to find the 'perfect' pair
• navy sheath dress