If you’ve had an exceptional run with some Summer purchases, now is a good time to duplicate some of the workhorses and wardrobe essentials of the season. It might be an indispensable white top, amazing pyjamas, an extremely comfy pair of shoes, the best set of insoles, exceptional yoga leggings, or a brilliant accessory. The items are probably conveniently discounted because Fall 2018 collections are in full swing.
I did my usual thing of duplicating winning footwear. I walk a lot, am hard on shoes, have fussy feet, and don’t have that many pairs. I therefore wear out the shoes quite quickly, especially when they’re white, light or suede.
I duplicate footwear by purchasing a second pair that is identical to a pair I already have in my wardrobe. This can be a risky strategy because your style preferences might have changed by the time you’re ready to bust out the second pair. There is also the budget impact to think about. Still, the strategy has worked very well for me over the last eight years. I have not once regretted a footwear duplication. On the contrary. I’m much relieved when I can pass on the first worn-out pair and haul out the exact brand new fresh pair by shopping my closet. I wore my white Franco Sarto Jolette Penny loafers into the ground, but luckily had a back-up pair to sport mid-season. Now I’m on the hunt for the next pair of white flat loafers to duplicate.
My climate changed this year, now that I spend a third of my time in Salt Lake City where the weather is more extreme than Seattle. Hotter, drier and longer Summers, and cold, snowy Winters. As a result, I needed extremely comfortable flat walking sandals both for my urban Utah life and our hot and humid holiday in Italy earlier in the Summer. I bought a pair of wild-card white huaraches back in May. They saved my feet, fit like a dream, and go the distance. I LOVE these sandals and duplicated them in July. I’m grateful that Naturalizer makes them in a narrow width to fit my feet.
I was wearing out the white huaraches very quickly, so to share the wear I purchased another style of white Naturalizer sandals. They’re one of the few brands that offer a narrow width. I loved them equally much and duplicated them last week. Now I have two pairs of hard-to-find, brand new versatile, comfy and classic white sandals waiting in the wings for next year.
By chance I found a pair of watermelon dressy pointy-toe ballet flats at Banana Republic that fit perfectly and feel fab. I’ve wanted ballet flats for a long time, but stopped looking because they fall off my feet and feel unsupported. Of course, when you stop looking for something — you find it. These were on sale and I gave them a chance. I’ve put them through their paces and, to my surprise, I can walk miles in them. I LOVE their dainty integrity and the way they dress up my outfits despite being flat. They’re a great substitute for the heeled ankle-strap pumps that I no longer wear. I duplicated them in red and have worn both pairs equally this Summer.
If they still had my size in the right colours, I’d have duplicated my metallic blush loafers and while mules that I’ve also worn into the ground. The mules were a narrow size so very hard to find. Oh, well. I tried! On to something else next year.
Who else is duplicating smashing Summer items that went the distance?
