Team Summer or Team Autumn

We’re about to say goodbye to Summer and head into Autumn so we’re taking a poll on Labor Day. Do you prefer dressing for Summer or for Fall? 
 
I LOVE Summer clothes. I adore the lightweight and sheer fabrics, vibrant colours, happy patterns, lack of layers, flowing dresses, pretty blouses, fun skirts, and the high volume of optical white. I wear white jeans (an all-time favourite) a few times a week. Drapey and soft silk and cotton feels luxurious, and it’s wonderful to not wear dark denim. I like wearing shoes without socks and feeling the warmth on my skin. I am comforted and energized by the heat so a hot Summer makes me very happy. 
 
I LOVE Fall clothes. Although I wear brights and white jeans year round, I adore the moody change of colour palette as I add ink blue, black, cream and earth tones to my outfits. This year I’ve added more olive, which will be a fun change of pace. I like hauling out my dark denim and black bottoms and wrapping my feet back into comfy socks and boots. I look forward to wearing my equestrian jackets, woolly tweeds, heavier weight scarves, wool coats, plaid shirt, cashmere and turtlenecks. As long as Autumn isn’t too cold and wet (read: well above freezing) I thoroughly enjoy the brilliant hues of Fall foliage, the crisp air, and the cosiness of the season. 
 
I like dressing for both seasons, and enjoy that they are different most of all. I can’t pick a side so I’m benched with a bowl of stir-fried tofu, veg and quinoa, as well as a slice of dense chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. 
 
Over to you. Are you on Team Summer or Team Fall dressing? NO batting for both teams but feel free to join me on the bench. I bet Team Fall is going to win the race. I hope that you’re having a great long weekend if you live in the U.S.

Fashion News Roundup: August 2017

A shade of purple in honour of Prince, Target’s new maternity clothing line, jeans from Everlane, and other style stories that caught our attention in August.

Fun Fashion Quotes

In line with Allure’s resolution above, I’d like to share two unattributed quotes I found on the Ladies Pass It On website:

“Fighting the ageing process is like trying to catch the wind. Go with it, enjoy it. Your body is changing, but it always has been. Don’t waste time trying to reverse that, instead change your mindset to see the beauty in the new.”

“You will regret the years you spent berating your looks, the sooner you can make peace with the vessel your soul lives in, the better. Your body is amazing and important but it does not define you.”

Ensemble: Blush, Citron & Denim

The ensemble was inspired by a friend’s outfit, and my recent travel capsule that combined denim with blush and a bit of citron. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe that I used to create looks based on the colour palette. 

Think of any way at all to combine blush with denim with a bit of citron. Here are some combinations to get you started. Blush is versatile and can function like a neutral, so I used it for the footwear in these ensembles.

White Jeans, Citron Top & Blush Accents 

Combine white jeans with a solid or patterned citron top. Finish off the look with blush shoes and bag. A denim blue jacket is a nice way to top the garment, should you need an extra layer. 

Denim Skirt, Blush Top & Citron Bag

Combine a blue denim skirt with a blush top and blush footwear. Add a citron bag. A citron scarf is another way to add citron if you leave your bag by your desk at work. A blush scarf can create a fab tonal look with the blush top.

Blue Jeans, White Top, Blush Shoes & Citron Bag 

Combine blue jeans with a white top, blush shoes and citron bag. A scarf in blush or citron is optional. I like to throw in a coral jacket as a third colour here, but that’s quite the acquired taste. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

Ensemble: Blush, Citron & Denim

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Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Link Love: Clothing Maintenance

Banoffi and I both thought that this New York Times article on How to Take Care of Your Clothes had some good tips.

I’m strangely fascinated with reading guides on how to keep footwear in good shape. I find it relaxing. This older article on the best products for maintaining and shining leather shoes focusses on men’s footwear, but of course applies to shoes in general.

Apparently adding 1/2 cup of salt to the wash cycle can brighten clothes if you feel the colours are fading. I’m curious to hear if anyone has tried this.

Fab Links from Our Members

New Zealand is having its annual Fashion Week in Auckland this week, and Jenni NZ is going to the Designer Garage Sale, as it is too good to pass up.

Anne very much enjoyed this blog post with lots of photos about the Dior exhibition in Melbourne.

Scarlet wanted to share an article about men wearing shorts at work. She adds: “Personally I have trouble with the idea of men in shorts at work, but if it meant the A/C would become less frigid I could get behind it.”

Annagybe came across this article calling out H&M for inconsistent sizing.

Sticking to a Wardrobe Budget

I highly recommend setting a wardrobe budget so that you can track and control the amount of money you spend on this area of your life. It’s especially important if you’re under financial pressure, or concerned about curbing your shopping habits. If you enjoy shopping and don’t stick to a budget, it is easy to end up shocked at how much you actually do spend. Get it down in black and white, do the sums, and be accurate about it. 

If you need to, refresh your memory on how to set a wardrobe budget. Decide on a range, establish your needs, prioritize, pick the monthly or seasonal amount, and test-drive the budget. Tweak the amount if you can or need to. You might want to set a higher budget when you’re renewing your style, and a lower one when you’re refreshing for the season.

Budgets will differ greatly across people and families. Remember that it’s nobody’s business but yours. How you choose to spend your money should not be subject to judgments from others.

I established a monthly wardrobe budget many years ago, and I stick to it. Here are some of the details: 

  • It is the same despite the season. 
  • It does not include wardrobe basics like underwear, sleepwear, socks, hosiery, loungewear, and workout wear. 
  • It does include wardrobe essentials. It does not include hair appointments, make-up, beauty products, presents, or wardrobe items that I buy when on vacation.  
  • My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale budget is separate from our monthly fashion budget.

If I exceed the budget one month, I spend less in a following month. I prefer to shop early in the retail season and tend to be over budget during my peak shopping months. I make up for it by barely shopping at all late in the season, and at the end of season sales. 

Every once in a while, I have my eye on something very pricey-for-me, which means that I need to save for a couple of months in order to afford the item. It’s a good lesson in patience and makes the item even more special when it’s finally mine. 

I tabulate every wardrobe purchase into a monthly spreadsheet. I record whether I keep or return the item so that I have a current and ongoing account of how much I’ve spent for the month. It’s very important that I record my purchases into the spreadsheet immediately if it’s an online purchase, or on the same day if it’s a store purchase. If I don’t, the purchase might fall through the cracks and introduce inaccuracies. This way of controlling my wardrobe budget requires more discipline and organization than an automated system, but it’s working well for me. 

Over to you.  How do you keep track of your wardrobe expenses? Do you have a wardrobe budget, and how good are you at sticking to it? Feel free to share your process in the comments section. I’m sure we can learn from each other.