Goal achieved - 5 pairs of shoes out!

Woohoo! I achieved one of my 2016 purging goals - to let go of 5 pairs of shoes this year. 

I passed on a pair of Guess wedge strappy sandals to my coworker - I had purchased them so long ago and hardly got the opportunity to wear them. With her style and outfits, I thought they would be a great fit for her. 

Now that I'm housing more in my closet, space is a very big deal - it might seem like a drag, but it's actually really great for me to be more conscious of what works with my lifestyle, and if it can physically fit in my closet. 

Spring cleaning!!!

Over the weekend, my husband and I, delved right into the spirit of Spring Cleaning!

We let go of a lot of books and DVDs; consolidated a number of items into one organized cube shelving unit; removed furniture, and re-organized some furniture for better uses; managed to create more open space in our condo; and removed the remaining gross carpet in our bedroom in preparation for new floors. Talk about being productive!

Turning to my closet - we removed the inefficient cube shelving unit (it's now in the living room and looks so awesome) and replaced it with 4 shelves meant for shoes, but we turned two upside down to stack, making it the perfect height for my bags; they're also shorter than the original shelving unit so my clothes hang better. I am now storing the remainder of my shoes in my closet as opposed to an ottoman that was in the bedroom (which we are now using in the living room, where it should go). 

Honestly, the consolidation makes me closet look less than ideal now  but I do have more wardrobe related items in it, which is what I eventually want (to consolidate every wardrobe related item into one area), and it definitely strengthens my goal of wanting to have less. The sheer number of my bags and shoes, along with everything else, is overwhelming and I just want as much out as possible. Once we are done with the rest of our condo, I will be refocusing my attention back to my wardrobe and closet. 

March comings and goings - first purchase-free month of 2016!

Comings - 1

• Swarovski necklace - a gift from my Godmother

Goings - 4 (+1 from February)

• Adidas Superstars - I actually forgot to include this in my February count, but I let these go as they were a lot more worn looking than I remembered.
• 2 Eddie Bauer sundresses - I bought these not because I loved them, but I needed something light for a trip I was taking a few years ago. I only wore them a couple of times each but never was too impressed with them. I held on to them because it seemed like a waste, but it's just as much a waste if I'm not wearing them and they're taking up closet space. 
• Vintage wedges - I love them and they're super cute but the other day I tried wearing them to work and had to change out of them immediately by the time I got there. I think I wore them before, I wasn't doing too much walking. The walking distance I have for my commute to work isn't even that long. 
• Navy Zara kitten heels - SO sad about these as they just became a wardrobe staple but unfortunately they make an incredible amount of noise on the concrete. Constantly squeaking and in trying to walk a certain way to avoid the squeaking, have been causing me pain. So choked to let these go as they went so well with a lot of my outfits, but there's just no way around it =(

On a plus side, to-date, I'm already 4 pairs of shoes in (or gone, depending on how you look at it haha) towards my goal of letting go 5 pairs of shoes this year.

9 more days of March - will it be this year's first purchase-free month?

With the exception of an almost moment of weakness at Danier Leather, so far, so good.

This is a big year for non-material expenses - circumstances have resulted in two trips lined up for my husband and I: New York in May, and Korea in August. Both will be expensive trips so I don't plan to buy anything (except in Korea where I will go crazy over skin care products since it's much cheaper there than in Canada) but have decided to spend my money on experiences since I don't know when I will be going there again, any time soon.

I'm also trying hard to let go of more stuff. One of my wardrobe goals is to be able to consolidate 2 exterior drawer units in my room, into my closet so that we can have more space and options when we finally decorate our room. So far, I've managed to remove one drawer and still reuse the fabric containers in my existing closet unit.We live in a condo so space is precious and I just want clean lines and very little clutter. 

All in all, the more months I'm able to have, purchase-free, the better successes I'll have in most of my 2016 goals. I'm hoping that March will be a no purchase month to motivate me through the rest of the year. 

And I repeat, gifts don't count. 

Sell threshold

I talked before about a 'buy', or 'cost per wear threshold' as a criteria I use to decide whether or not I should buy something - my buy threshold is a cost per wear of $1.

So, how do I decide whether or not sell something? 

Sometimes it's very easy to let something go, especially when I'm getting the price I want for it, but what about the times when I know the price I can get for it, may not be worth letting go? Of course it's easy to reason that I should sell it because I'm not using it anyway, it will free up space for something that I love now, and something is better than nothing, but when you love bags as much as I do, it's hard. 

I went through this again on Sunday when sold my Coach Poppy Madras for $30. I originally listed it for $45 on Friday night, and decided that I wanted a quick sale instead of waiting it out. What made me decide to let it go for so low? I decided that for the period of time that it was in my possession, and how many times I used it, less the amount I will recoup from it, I was worth it.  

I purchased it in 2012 on sale for $79 (original price is $158) and during that time, I used it for a recorded 17 times since 2014 when I started to keep track. If I sell it for $30, then I 'bought' it for $49. The breakdown cost per wear of that is $2.88. For me to hit $1 cost per wear, I would have had to have used it 49 times; I know I haven't used it that much but definitely more than 17 times, so I calculated that my total cost per wear for this item is probably closer to under $2. Seeing it calculated like that helped me realize that I got good use out of the bag, and get over the emotional connection to the bag and I happily let it go. Now I'm one item less towards reaching one of my 2016 goals =)

 

From impulse, to staple piece

Even though I've improved a lot in making better wardrobe decisions, sometimes, I still make impulse purchases

Last year, I was having considerable success in downsizing my shoe count, when, I couldn't resist these shoes at Zara. 

When I bought them, it wasn't too much of an impulse - I rationalized the purchase. 

• Kitten heel - Great! Easy to get around in and dressier than flats; 
• Navy - even better, one of my chosen neutral colors; and 
• Different - I didn't own anything similar to this. 

It was a perfect purchase! Until they sat in my closet for an entire year.

I was beginning to beat myself up over having made this purchase. Despite my initial rationale, I knew deep-down I didn't need them and I knew had falsely convinced myself that I did - I just loved them too much to put them back down. 

I wore them a few times but wasn't super impressed by them, and in my closet they sat, until very recently - I think due to my recent clothing and color choices, they seem to go with everything! I've worn them regularly this last month and they're slowly making their way to the ranks of a staple piece! 

I'm so relieved, but I know that not all my impulses will turn into happy endings. It's a good reminder to myself that I may have to walk away from an impulse-looking purchase for at least a day to make sure I don't fall into that trap again.

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. 

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

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.

Merry Christmas!!! - Preparing for 2016

Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day with their loved ones. I'm spending the day with my husband and enjoying the time we have together before he heads back up north to finish school.

I'll make this post short and sweet =)

After what I consider to be a pretty successful 2015 year of purging and refining my wardrobe, and being mindful about my purchases, I'm very much looking forward to setting new goals and furthering my progress of perfecting my closet. 

How am I preparing?

• I'm taking another sweep of my wardrobe to see if there are any other items I can remove;
• I've set aside some items that may have re-sale value and listed them for sale to build a 'rainy day' reserve fund outside of my budget for some pre-loved bags I have had my eye on should they become suddenly available;
• I'm checking my Stylebook App to remind myself of the number of items I have in each category and revise my 'no buy' lists;
• I'm revisiting my 2015 resolutions to remind me of my goals and decide which goals to keep, revise, and what new goals to add; and
• Reorganizing my closet

I'm looking forward to sharing my new goals with you and seeing how I can make 2016 an even more successful year!

The start to my pre-loved Speedy 35/40 fund!

After confirming how much I want a pre-loved Speedy, I went through some more of my things and actually started to list things for sale. I started with shoes since I have way too many and it seems to be the most difficult area for me to make a dent in.

The first item to contribute to the fund are my Doc Marten combat boots. I had come up with a number of cute outfits for them, but still hadn't worn them, so I decided to let them go and help them find a home where they could be loved and fully used.

Second on the list is another pair of Docs - my 'second chances' shoes! I did make awesome outfits with them and wore them a few times this year, but over all, I didn't wear them as much as I thought I would. Off to a new home they went!

I hope I'm able to keep this momentum up and continue with the selling. I sort of regret not trying to list my previous items I let go, for sale, but onward and upward!

Whew, that was a close call

Last Friday on my way home from work, I stopped by a new luxury re-seller and stumbled upon a Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 40. Although it was pre-loved and had seen better days, it's an item that I have been looking for, for a long time. Why do I want a pre-loved one, let alone one in less than stellar condition? Let me fill you in - since realizing that I baby the bags that I spend a lot of money on, I've been looking for certain bags that have been pre-loved so I can fully use them. 'Fully' as in, wear them in poor weather, put them on the ground, stuff them full, and bring them on trips. 

I have been wanting a Speedy 30 for the longest time and have been debating this for years - why have I put it off? Because my mom has one and it seems redundant to have 2 in the family even though we never share bags. Also, I have a number of Gucci Bostons that are of similar size and don't use them enough to justify a brand new Speedy (not to mention, the price increases have helped to deter me). 

The solution? A pre-loved Speedy in a larger size. This avoids having the same bag in the family, lets me use it as a 'beater' bag (and lets me use it as a carry-on, or smaller weekend bag) so I don't have to be the one to feel bad about breaking it in, and is much less expensive. 

Now that you're up to speed, let's resume. It was actually in a condition that I would love to have it in - no interior stains (this is very important to me), no cracks, pretty even darkening on the piping and handles, and the sales associate was even willing to throw in the lock and key from another bag, for free. It was everything I wanted, and the price was very reasonable. My hesitation? I wasn't prepared to be buying anything this month (remember, I'm trying to have 3 no-purchase months this year, and December is the only month left for me to keep my resolution), and since I wasn't expected to find it (I sort of gave up recently since I have other financial obligations) I hadn't planned to make this significant purchase. The bag was also on hold for another person but the SA told me that it didn't seem like they were interested since they had been unreachable over the 24-hour hold policy. I told the SA that I would go home and think about it and if it was still there on Saturday, I would likely pick it up. 

I spent 2 hours thinking about it and decided to phone the SA the same night to put it on hold for me until Sunday if the original customer had not taken it. When I called, the SA told me that 'Monique' had come and picked it up. It wasn't meant to be =(

Part of me was super relieved that it was gone because I think I would have purchased it and I would have broken my record year of 'no bag and wallet' purchases, and also spent a significant amount of money on an unplanned purchase. If I had bought it, I don't think I would have as much fun and satisfaction of using it, knowing that I was so doing so well. At the same time, it has shown me that even though I haven't been thinking about the bag for a while, it is something that I really do want so I'm taking steps to save up for it outside of my wardrobe budget. Since it's very much a 'want it' item, I plan to fund it by selling items I currently have so that I have the money to purchase it if another 'perfect' one comes along - it'll be even sweeter to buy it then. 

How did I do with my wishlist?

To try to keep myself focused on purchasing the things that I was specifically looking for, I made a 2015 wish list of '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

How did I do? 

Well, the only things I actually bought were tights (it's also probably the closest thing to an actual 'need') and the leopard print, calf-hair belt. The belt has been an amazing addition to my wardrobe and I've already used it 9 times since I bought it in May, and with the fantastic price I got it for, its cost per wear is less than a $1. 

As for the other items - I either couldn't find the 'perfect' item, or realized that what I already owned was working great enough that I didn't feel I was missing anything, or changed my mind about them. I am really happy about this because it means I am being more thoughtful about my purchases, not compromising on exactly what I am looking for, and most importantly, I feel I am learning more about what I own and doing a much better job of utilizing everything.

• leopard calf-hair bag or clutch - I really want one, but with the help of some lovely ladies, I realize that if I were to get one, I'd probably be quite worried about carrying it in the weather we get; I also have a black and white, spotted, calf hair clutch and a crossbody that make for great substitutions, not to mention, found at complete steals!
• black wedge ankle boots - still haven't found the perfect pair and I am not willing to compromise on this. Also since, I want to pare down more on the number of shoes I own, I am happy to wait.
• a gray leather bag - still haven't found the perfect shade of gray
• gray wool winter coat - didn't come across the perfect one
• gray jeans to replace my current pair - I didn't actually wear my gray jeans that much this year, so they're still intact and can probably last another year or two.
• navy sheath dress - I've tried on several and none of them were the 'perfect' one.

Next year,  I think my 'needs' list is going to be a  bit different.

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).

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

October comings and goings

Goings - 3

• Collarless blazer - just don't really like the way it looks and fits on me any more
• Guinevere purple bolero - gave it to my friend as it was a little snug on me and looked better on her
• Esprit white and navy striped 3/4-sleeve sweater - it was big on me to begin with but has now stretched out even more

Comings - 17

• Cobalt colorblock drape pants from Banana Republic - got these for such a steal and I'm so in love with the color!
• a set of 3 pouches - I'll count as one item
• a coat from my mom for weekends and casual wear - it' s a good in between fall and winter coat until I am able to find one that I like enough to purchase. It's in a neutral color scheme and also has a hood for our never-ending Vancouver rain.
• 2 pairs of white jeans, pair of blue jeans, white linen pants, a black and gray patterned drape pant, a blue sheath dress, sweater, tshirt, and v-neck top for layering all from the Banana Republic outlet
• Slipped a last minute haul day into October - 2 ivory tops and 2 dresses from LOFT, and a navy quilted jacket from H&M for casual outings (something I had been missing since I donated a number of jackets)

For the rest of the year, I do not intend to add any more pieces to my wardrobe since I went a little over my 2015 budget with my last second haul at LOFT and jacket purchase at H&M. Hopefully, I see more 'goings' for the rest of the year to start out my 2016 goal with a bang! I'll talk more about that later ;)

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.

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!

I'm adopting my husband's 'no sweatpants' rule

3 years into dating, I found out my husband had a 'fashion rule' - he doesn't wear sweatpants out of the house. I laughed out loud when he told me this. Why? Because this is the same man who thinks wearing foam sandals he bought at a convenient store in Hawaii, is acceptable to wear as normal sandals. You know, the type you wear at the beach, or buy in an emergency to wear when you end up going to a last second pool party. Yup. 

After I got over my shock, I thought back to the 3 years we had spent together and realized, WOW, he really didn't wear sweatpants outside the house. He said it was because as a child that's what he always wore and he just didn't think they should be worn outside. And that was that. 

I, on the other hand, LOVE wearing sweatpants. Why? Because I grew up wearing a school uniform and have to dress up for work. Recently, though, I began to re-evaluate my preferred weekend attire and think that my husband's rule has some merit. 

I started observing how we dress now, as a society, and back to how people dressed up in the past: to take a flight, to go grocery shopping, or to attend a play;  perhaps in our search for comfort, we have mistakenly replaced it with sloppiness. I've seen people wear yoga pants to work because they're black pants! Because they were "black pants" - ridiculous! 

To avoid any chances for myself to ever get to that point, I've traded in my sweatpants, for alternatives, like drape pants - I've never been so happy! I am comfortable and instead of risk mistakenly looking sloppy, I now look like I'm put together, by mistake! haha.