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Fall shopping diet & wardrobe plan

Tanya

Veteran

To join all the adore forum musings on general wardrobe size and shopping, here is my contribution, albeit a bit different.

I First, I have decided to go on a big shopping diet in the upcoming season. Not a shopping ban, because those don't work well for me (big rebounds); but I plan to give myself a very small shopping budget for the season - around 20% of the usual and stick to it. The only exception would be gift cards/birthday money I sometimes get for my birthday (early October) and Christmas. The reasons for this are multiple:

1. Budget - I am trying to save for some important non-material stuff
2. I have a very large wardrobe, and don't won't to increase it - in fact, I am trying to do the opposite.
3. I would like to wear what I have more - despite loving some items they don't get much wear, since I end up having lots of choices in that particular category.

II When it comes to the upcoming fall/winter season, here is a general plan, to be refined in various details in many future posts.

1. My main trendy silhouette of the season will be cropped kick flare/straights pants/jeans worn with high shaft booties or appropriate shoes when it is warmer.
2. Two secondary trendy silhouettes will be full length flares worn with right height footwear and culottes worn over tall boots so that no skin is visible
3. For each of those three, I plan to come up with at least three different outfit formulas ( pairings with tops and outerwear) similar to Angie's ensembles.
4. My three less trendy formulas with revolve around skinnies: tucked into tall boots when the weather is nasty, full length with shorter shaft booties, cropped with higher shaft booties. There is no need to come up with outfit formulas for these as the proportions are much easier and there are many options.

III Alterations: I have a bunch of lovely things I rarely wear for various reasons which I do not want to get rid of, but are still sitting in a pre-holding zone. The main category are full length flare/bootcut pants and some jeans. The reasons they get worn so little is the practicality - soggy hems and need for heels, as well as moderate difficulty styling the flare pants so that they don't look too classic. Chopping a big percentage of them into cropped versions should solve most of those.

General

16 replies

Latest reply was from TraceyLiz65

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I hear you on the flares. I only have one full length pair and I'm keeping them that way, but they get worn about twice per year due to all the issues you mention. However, I do love them when I wear them, and I've had them now for six years, so I suppose it is worth it.

I think your plan sounds sensible and eminently do-able considering the size of your wardrobe and the number of lovely things you already own. I look forward to seeing your variations!

Joyce B

Veteran

You have a good plan. I will follow your posts which I am sure will motivate me to not shop unless there is a real need.

Runs With Scissors

Veteran

This sounds like a very sensible plan, and I can relate (down to the birthday in early October, in fact!) I have a very large wardrobe and while it definitely needs some "pruning", honestly I *like* having a large wardrobe (at least until such time as I have to move house). But I don't wear it systematically, and need to discipline myself to figure out more "challenging" items (including flared jeans) that don't get worn even though I like them.

I might want to buy a few "wildcard" items that add dimension to my wardrobe, and if I start wearing my closet more systematically I might discover some holes. But otherwise, given my great success at NAS I am not needing much -- just bras, mainly.

Chris987

Veteran

I love the idea of defining what your outfit silhouettes will be! I'm going to try it myself.

Your plan sounds great and very well thought out. I have the impression that you have a fairly large wardrobe so you should be in very good shape for working with it instead of buying new stuff. Looking forward to seeing your ongoing postings.

Chris987

Veteran

I also find it very interesting that you define your silhouettes as a pant style and a footwear style...and then put ensembles together by adding tops and outerwear. Another great idea I'm going to steal You end up with fab outfits so you must be doing something right....

Anonymous

You've thought this through so well Tanya and I'm already looking forward to your other posts on this subject. Can I just say thank you for switching on a little light bulb for me with your points about deciding on your preferred silhouettes for the season and building outfits around them...why don't I do that???

Tanya

Veteran

Thank you for your comments ladies, I am glad my plan sounds sensible.

Suz, I am glad you have the same feeling for the flares. My flare jeans get a decent amount of wear, but pants are a different story. I hope that by hacking existing pants I get a lot of fun new trendy cropped flares to play with and utilize what I have more.

Joyce B, thank you. My purchases will have to be extremely well thought out, for sure.

Runs with Scissors, I like having a large wardrobe and lots of choices, too. I am going to try to wear my stuff more systematically and use lots of Pinterest inspiration for remixing. Purchases are going to be either items necessary to make many things work - for example I need a pair of high shaft booties in light neutral to go with light cropped pants; or fun/wild card/trendy items very different form anything I already own.

Chris987, yes, my wardrobe is pretty large and I did well at NAS, so main challenge is going to be resisting all the pretties I am going to see in the stores and on the forum. About the pant type +shoe type silhouette definition, I had a light bulb moment some years ago that you can only wear a particular type of bottom if you have the right shoes to go with it, otherwise it will sit in the closet unworn. Thus my limited budget would first go into making sure I have all the right shoes for all the pants I want to wear, with only two new pairs (one pants and one jeans) purchase. Whatever remains will be used tops/sweaters; but I already have a lot in those categories so overall things should work fine, I think. Of course, certain type of pants require certain type of tops, too; but overall there is a larger flexibility there.

Diane G, you are very welcome I have found that this approach works well for me.

El Cee

Veteran

What a terrific and well thought out plan. I especially love your idea of creating outfit formulas for your three main pants silhouettes. This will inspire you to shop your closet and will make for some superb FFBO's. And I think that cropping some of your holding zone flared/boot cut bottoms is also a great idea. They will feel like new purchases when you are done... and for the small price of the alterations.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

It sounds like you've got a very workable plan for the upcoming season. My flares got more wear last year because when the weather is bad, I either wrap them around my leg and tuck them in my boots, or I fold/roll them up when I go outdoors. Yes, I look ridiculous, but I'm not outdoors in bad weather long enough to care. If I'm wearing weather boots and going to work, I change into shoes once inside.

Anonymous

I too am quite taken with the concept of building a plan around a few key silhouettes. I suppose many of us do it organically , or without being conscious of it, but actively sticking to this plan makes a lot of sense.

I too am on a bit of a shopping diet . I am fully into a 12- week diet and workout "transformation" program and have decided not to buy anything until the program is over in early November and I know where my body is going to settle out in terms of size and shape. I must say it is kind of liberating not having to worry about getting out there buying new things and figuring out a new wardrobe for fall. I'm going to wear what I have and not think about it for the time being ! I realize I may be forfeiting the best selections by waiting that long, but I think I'll survive

Anonymous

Tanya- I love your silhouettes and you really rock the kick crop look.
I wish I had the discipline to go in a shopping ban--good on you.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Tanya, I love your plan. You already have a BRILLIANT wardrobe and are one of the few who can manage its size so well.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

are you going to have a top end preference for sweaters or jacket + blouse?

Sally

Veteran

It was really interesting to read your plan. I like the idea of having main and secondary silhouettes. I also like the idea of using your bottom pieces and mixing it up with different tops.
I bought a lot of basics this year due to a size change and I am saving for a big holiday at the end of the year. Like you I can't go on a complete ban so I am going on a diet of some sort. I came up with an idea today that I would only really buy things like shoes for summer and a few accessories to change things up a bit and add new looks. I have a lot of slim pants and also some harem pants/loose pants so going to play around with different shoe styles with these.
It'll be good to follow your progress with this plan. Keep us informed.

Tanya

Veteran

El Cee, thank you. That is precisely one of the main reason I am going to do plenty of pant alterations, including getting some use our of those pants, of course.

Karie, that is a good way to deal with wearing flares in bad weather. I think that briefly looking slightly unusual is fine as long as you look the way you want when inside.

Lisap, I am glad my plan resonates with you. It sounds like you are on a very cool plan yourself and I wish you lots of luck with it. See you here in November!

Smitties, thank you! I am not going on a complete shopping ban, I have failed miserably in the past with those. I am just going a very strict diet, with limited budget I hope yo plan extremely carefully what to use it for and when it's gone it's gone.

Angie, I am very glad to hear you approve of my plan, thank you!

UmmLila, I am hoping to do both, that is why I am planning to develop of couple of different formulas for each bottom+shoe combo. Since I run fairly cold, it will likely be more blouses in the fall and more sweaters in the winter.

Sally, good luck with your shopping diet, we can cheer each other! I find that shoes are absolutely crucial for me, if I have enough variety, and the right styles for all the bottoms, plus they are comfy and reasonably trendy, I find that I can resist a lot of other things.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

A well thought out and realistic plan. Can I be you when I grow up! I so need to stop shopping and really enjoy the versatility and remixing ability of my large wardrobe!