19 months into the global pandemic, and things have been tough and tricky at best. Most of us are going through something that is a little or very stressful. Many of us are feeling restless too. But when I’m annoyed or impatient about something, or with someone, I remind myself to be positive and compassionate, and to cut others some slack. Onward we go with hope and peace in our hearts.

On that positive note, today we’re giving ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back for something fashion or style-related. I’ll go first.

First, on this leg of my style journey I am VERY attracted to patterns. They make me happy, and I like to pattern-mix my outfits. As a result, many of my wardrobe additions have been patterned. But I need to hold back on the pattern before my wardrobe becomes a chaotic mess. I have to focus on solids, and sometimes tear myself away from glorious patterns if I’m to maintain a versatile and balanced wardrobe. I’m happy to report that many of my recent purchases have been solid.

Second, I’ve also done a good job of not straying too far from my annual shopping list, despite the fabulous temptations. Apart from rubber rain boots and some dressy attire, I can tick most things off. Dressier ankle boots were not on my shopping list, but I’ve bought two pairs on sale — in cream and burgundy — which fit into my budget. Since I have very fussy feet and a walking lifestyle, it’s hard to plan my footwear purchases. I grab what feels and looks good at the time and I’m grateful for comfortable shoes that go the distance.

Third, I built a burgundy capsule five years ago, which I wore a lot for a couple of years. I remixed it with all sorts of reds, oranges, creams, blue denim, and navy and loved it for Autumn and Winter. For no apparent reason, I went off burgundy, but held onto every burgundy item apart from the boots that I wore into the ground, and a scarf that began to aggravate my skin. This season I’m back into enjoying burgundy, and was delighted to already have a capsule in place. I just added a pair of Merlot boots. I am VERY happy I held onto my stuff, just in case my mood changed. And it did.

Your turn. Share a bit about what you’ve been doing right in your fashion and style life, and give yourself a pat on the back.