New year’s resolutions for 2009

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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New year’s resolutions for 2009

— by Angie

on January 2, 2009

I’m not usually big on New Year’s resolutions because I believe that if we’re going to change something about ourselves, it’s a good idea to act immediately as opposed to waiting for the first day of the year. But this is as good a time as any to talk about style, fashion and shopping related resolutions for the year ahead, and the forum had a great discussion on the topic.

It was interesting to see a core set of resolutions emerge. These were shared by almost everyone who participated in the thread:

to spend less overall and become more of a bargain shopper
to purchase fewer fabulous items of greater quality
to pass on items that are not absolutely perfect (minor alterations are obviously permitted)
to shop for your dominant season
to focus on footwear and accessories like handbags, scarves, specs and jewelry because they are cost effective ways of changing up a look

Here are some of the other fashion and style related resolutions that were shared on the forum:

to do regular closet sweeps
to improve closet organization
to shop with a plan
to learn how to correctly fit garments
to get out of clothing ruts
to shop more at thrift and consignment stores
to eliminate closet orphans
to get a great hairdo
to let go of T-shirts (one of my favourites)
to make an effort to look nice every day

These are fabulous resolutions and I share them whole heartedly. I have a few additional ones on my list:

to add more skirts to my wardrobe – as much as I adore dresses, I’m on a skirt kick. I seem to wear jeans less frequently these days and I’m enjoying evolving my style in this way.
to add more knitwear to my wardrobe – it takes a long time to warm up in my neck of the woods and I never seem to purchase enough knitwear. That’s not going to happen this year.
to wear my cocktail rings – I stopped wearing my rings because I encountered problems with my wrists and didn’t want anything on my hands. My wrists feel better so I hope to wear my rings again.
to have regular facials – taking care of my skin is my top beauty priority and I’ve found that facials work wonders. I am still trying to make these happen monthly but time is at a forever shortage. This is the year for monthly facials.

How many of these resolutions do you share? Do you have additional ones that will inspire us?

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26 comments · Add a comment

Tanya

I share pretty much all of the common resolutions, how coincidental. One I have that was not mentioned is to add more shirts/blouses to my wardrobe. I have tons of pretty knitted tops, but not so much of the wovens, probably because most of them do not fit right of the rack, but require alterations, usually taking in the waist. I do want to get a few fab blouses this year, and alter them if necessary.

January 2, 2009 at 10:39 am

Laura

I share all of the common resolutions too.

Instead of resolving to add skirts to my wardrobe, as Angie is, I am going to resolve to add dresses to my wardrobe. For my body type and lifestyle, it is insanely easy to throw on a dress and feel put together and look great. I have no idea why this didn’t occur to me earlier! Another YLF revelation

January 2, 2009 at 10:51 am

Sal

(website)

SUCH a great and inspiring list! Many of these are things I try to bear in mind all year … but definitely slip up on. I’m intrigued by the idea of shopping for one’s “dominant season,” as that’s not a concept I generally ponder. But since we basically have 6-7 full months of winter here in MN, I should definitely START pondering it!

January 2, 2009 at 11:17 am

Marlene

(website)

My first resolution is to do a complete closet purge and focus on what works for my new climate and style “culture”. Things are completely different here in the Pacific North West compared to San Diego! My new dominant season has shifted from blazing hot desert to chilly, damp rain forest!

My second resolution is to eliminate closet orphans and stay focused on my best colors and making sure everything mixes and matches. I have too many pieces that just don’t go with anything else and these are just taking up valuable rod space. A lot of these orphans were aquired as I experimented with different styles and most of them just didn’t work with my personal style or color palatte.

My third resolution is to make sure that I have enough pieces that work with my current lifestyle. I actually have a LOT of nice evening wear but I never go out in the evening! Again, these are taking up valuable rod space. I need to make sure I have enough fab pieces that work for my casual/smart casual lifestyle.

My fourth resolution is to make sure everything in my closet FITS and vow to make sure everything that is not quite right is sent off to the alterationist. I’ve already started a pile!

January 2, 2009 at 11:43 am

Patience

My main fashion resolution this year involves having more patience and trying to not get so caught up in consumerism. At the beginning of each season, it always seems that I feel a mad dash to find the perfect necessities of the season. Then I get frustrated when I don’t find them. But by the end of the season I find I have plenty of options.

January 2, 2009 at 11:44 am

Maya

At first I read Tanya’s comment as saying “[wovens] do not fit well in the rack”–you can see how much this problem plagues my mind!

I really want to do as much shopping as possible at thrift stores, vintage stores, and possibly consignment stores if I can find any that work for me. I haven’t had any luck with consignment stores so far. Most of them seem to sell super expensive designer clothing for a highly discounted, but still expensive price. I saw some shoes that were $955 marked down to $300. Great discount but still not in my budget.

The idea of recycling and reusing clothing is important to me this year. There are so many clothes out there that have been preworn/preloved, and sometimes even not worn at all, that are perfectly good and stylish. I think it’s unnecessary, expensive, and wasteful to always buy new things. It’s just so hard and such a tossup finding things that work this way, and since I do not like to go shopping it can be frustrating and I tend to give up easily.

I guess that is my resolution: persevere! Try to stay in the store for more than 5 minutes!

I’m hoping to discover some good shops with Angie, Laura, and anyone else who decides to join us later in the month

January 2, 2009 at 12:22 pm

Breakfast for Dinner

(website)

I definitely like all your resolutions! One big one that I’d like to do is to pare down my closet. I know that I have way too many clothes that I just never wear and I’d like to give my more frequent outfits some room to breathe.

I’d love to adopt the monthly facial thing, but at $100 a pop I won’t be able to do that. Maybe quarterly would be doable. I am starting to use these Kinerase at-home peels that my derm recommended—she said they’ll even out my discolorations and unclog my pores.

January 2, 2009 at 1:03 pm

BLB

(website)

Something I didn’t mention on the forum is that like Marlene, I have a solid collection of evening-y or glittery clothes with sequins or silk that hardly get worn. I’d like to find a way to mix and match them so I can wear them in the daytime too.

I love the “get a great hair style” resolution! I’m growing out my hair and I need to figure out some way to keep myself from getting bored as I do this. Maybe funky highlights are the way to go?

January 2, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Jane

My fashion related ones are pretty simple: 1) keep my closet clean an organized. It’s too easy to let the clothes become all jumbled up and then I feel less excited about wearing them. 2) try to take part in Angie’s forum…what a great resource!!

Happy New year!!

January 2, 2009 at 3:27 pm

Joy

Angie, that is a wonderful list and want to resolve to do most of the things mentioned. I love skirts but, for my lifestyle (on the floor with kids) I need to expand my pants collection.
Like Tanya, I want to add more blouses (as opposed to button front shirts or knits), but they are a challenge because of a small bust.
In order to convince myself to go with quality and fewer pieces, I resolve to keep a record of what I spend on clothing. It will probably show me that for what a spent nickle and diming, I could have had some fabulous piece.
I’m also going to work on getting more wear out of what I have by making new outfits with what is in my closet.

January 2, 2009 at 3:39 pm

Kyle

(website)

Angie, I, too, am drawn to skirts lately. I was shopping today for skirts and found that I am actually a size 6 now, which was really quite nice. I did not buy anything, though, as I didn’t find anything I loved (another shared resolution). Here’s to another great year on YLF!

January 2, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Ana

Ooh, I love the idea of getting a monthly facial. It’s pretty pricey where I live, and I already have resolved to get my hair cut every 4 weeks to keep it from getting ratty. I like Breakfast for Dinner’s idea of a quarterly facial. I’ve never had any facial before, so maybe starting slowly is the way to go anyway.

Also, I really need to work on filling holes in my wardrobe. My big weakness is basics (jeans, cardigans, etc), because I think they’re just boring and I hate spending money on them when I could buy something ruffly and dramatic. But it’s really becoming an issue. I’m creating closet orphans buying statement pieces when I have no basics to go with them.

January 2, 2009 at 8:13 pm

Ana

Congrats on your weight loss Kyle!

Jane–come on over to the forum–we have loads of fun! Be sure to introduce yourself so we know who you are.

January 2, 2009 at 8:14 pm

San

I am going to study this list because it is very valuable information. I have trouble with the closet sweeps and throwing out things I have spent money on, however I just now realized while reading this post that the closet sweep is the way to balance what comes into the closet, as I will certainly think twice before investing in another piece to bring in knowing that it will have to hold it’s own when closet sweep time comes around.
My main resolution is to organize what I already have so I can see it and have an easier chance of putting nice pieces together. No more piles of sweaters on the top shelf of the closet getting wrinkled and forgotten. This organization goes for shoes, jewelry, and cosmetics too.

January 2, 2009 at 11:04 pm

carrie

My main priority is to accessorize. It’s always the part of the outfit I overlook or the part that gets cut when the budget is tight. I think I could bring new life to some of the old stuff if I bought better jewelry and shoes.

January 3, 2009 at 6:19 am

Chris

My main resolution is to add some prints to my closet. I have been print-phobic in last few years. My phobia is compounded with inability to find woven shirts that fit my bustline but seems some knits or looser woven styles worn belted may do.
Buy less but better quality is the resolution that is easier to keep – I recently left my job and am on the hunt for a new one. Since I work in retail I will be less tempted in the mall or shops for a bit – long enough to hopefully break some bad shopping habits.

January 3, 2009 at 10:48 am

Ellen

I am hoping to continue to implement many of these this year. We just moved and I have been doing stuff-purging and organization throughout my house, including my closet. I am at a bit of an in-between stage this year because I had a baby in January and my size and shape have been different every couple of months. This means I can’t get rid of a lot of the stuff I would like to, because it may fit again (and there have been things I was glad I didn’t toss when I finally reached that size!).

The thing I’ve been noticing in my shopping and cleaning is that some YLF ideas have really stuck with me. I now don’t buy something if it’s less than perfect. I alter things (I can do this myself) instead of letting them sit in my closet. And if something is beautiful but doesn’t fit my lifestyle, I don’t purchase it. These principles alone have helped me to put together a much more workable closet (no small feat with the changing requirements of this year!) and I find that now, even on my entirely at-home days, I find it easy to quickly select an outfit that is workable, practical, and stylish.

I suppose in this area another thing I’ve learned has been to WEAR the things I own! I was always the type to avoid wearing something if I really liked it to ‘keep it fresh’ for a special occasion. Now, I realize that I should be wearing things I like all the time, and when that one wears out, I will replace it!

January 4, 2009 at 7:49 am

Marlene

(website)

Resolutions update: I have spent the last 2 days in my closet, purging, sorting, editing. I have enough clothes that I don’t have to save “almost OK” items..out they all went! Out went all the closet orphans and styles that I just don’t care for. Out went a huge pile of MATRONLY things! Although I’m bearing down on my 45th birthday, I refuse to dress old…or safe…anymore. Each item was viewed through my new YLF eyes and SO MUCH did not pass muster. It’s been quite liberating, really. And very satisfying to get a jump on my resolutions instead of waiting.

January 4, 2009 at 1:23 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Wow. Excellent resolutions. I feel a surge of energy by just reading them!

Marlene, I’m impressed with your action.There is no time like the present. Well done!

January 4, 2009 at 7:48 pm

Joelle

My wardrobe resolution this year is to be a lot more picky about the fit and quality of what I buy, and also to make use of accessories more. I did a good job last year cleaning out my closet and got rid of several big bags of clothes. I will do my best this year to keep the size of my wardrobe the same as it is now.

January 5, 2009 at 7:30 am

Sarah

Wow, these are great! Thanks for sharing ladies. Here are my jumbled thoughts on my own style New Years resolutions.

I’m already a bargain shopping, and thanks to YLF I’m learning shop with a plan and to buy a few fantastic items instead of several OK items. Last year, I released many items that were not perfect from my closet, but I want to continue the process with regular closet purges. I want to keep only what I love and wear those items often.

I am also working on focusing on accessories, shopping in my own closet, and organizing my jewelry so that it’s visible and easy to wear. A major goal of mine is to dress nice every day, even when I’m just at home. They days at home are challenging, but I’m working on it.

Since my style budget has been stuck at $0 per month for a while, my biggest resolution is to dig my sewing machine out of the storage unit, find a home for it in our tiny apartment, and start using it. I want to use it to fix some of my favorite knitwear that has started to stretch out, as well as make new clothes. Over the last couple of years, I’ve bought patterns and material for a few dresses and tops, and I can’t think of a better time to make them up than now when I can’t afford to buy anything new.

I also need to go through my massive collection of formal gowns (stored at my parents’ house) and get rid of any that do not fit and flatter my body. I rarely wear evening dresses, so I need to get out of the habit of buying them merely because they are on sale.

Finally, I want to get back to the forum, but with moderation. I can’t spend all day on here like I used to, but I still miss you ladies’ friendship and your wealth of fashion knowledge.

January 5, 2009 at 10:29 am

Sara

(website)

Ahhh, fashion resolutions. Mine:

* Sew, sew, sew! I am going to try and wear skirts or dresses 3x per week starting this spring, and I just need to get cracking on this goal.

* Continue to purchase pieces that are versatile and easy to put into outfits.

* Seriously think about accessories. I really need to incorporate them into my outfits better…and find some good ones.

* Be more adventurous with my hair.

January 5, 2009 at 6:07 pm

Aurora

being newly single again i am trying to figure out my “style”, it seemed to have been lost for a while. these are great ideas to use when shopping.

January 6, 2009 at 9:41 am

Carolyn

I am adding this late, but want to amen the MONTHLY facial. Last year I began going to a place called Facelogic. You pay $39 monthly (bank draft). It is so relaxing and has made a big difference in my complexion! Of course they offer upgrades but i stick to the great price ( I usually tip $10).

January 6, 2009 at 5:41 pm

Following through on New Year’s Resolutions | youlookfab

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[…] just a month and a half into the New Year and time to check in on those fashion and style resolutions. Hopefully, you’ve had an opportunity to follow through on some of them. I’ll go […]

February 13, 2009 at 7:43 am

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January 1, 2010 at 3:05 pm

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New year’s resolutions for 2009

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