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.

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.

57-year old petite Shauna lives in Salt Lake City and documents her outfits on her blog, Chic Over 50. Shauna sprinkles her Sporty Luxe and playful, casual outfits with feminine touches and bold colour. She adores hats, quirky design details and is a huge believer in the power of accessories. Our blogger is not afraid to try new things and make them her own. While her spunky short silver ‘do, punchy lipstick and big earrings continue to be the eye-catching trademarks of her style.

The unexpected colour combo is what first caught my eye. Shauna paired skinny warm-toned cargo pants with a cool-toned ink blue shirt. The dressy silk shirt and polished lace-up footwear create a fun juxtaposition against the casual bottoms. Semi-tucking the shirt lengthens the leg line and adds a playful touch. Our blogger’s sassy short ‘do and punchy pink lipstick add in a lot of extra pizzazz. A single silver bangle, ring, watch and oversized hoop earrings are the polished finishing touches.

Shauna wears athleisure and Sporty Luxe looks like it’s nobody’s business. Here, she’s sporting black woven joggers with eye-catching gold zippers – it’s all about the details! She’s tucked in a long-sleeved cream and black striped top, which helps create a long lean line when you’re petite. The top’s soft fabric and the relaxed vibe of the entire outfit are great for casual days. Iconic black and white Adidas sneakers complement the colour palette. Our blogger “Shauna-fies” the look with statement hoop earrings and her trademark bright lipstick. Her Panama hat in natural colours provides additional Tomboy flair.

The light grey boiled wool dress with dropped waist and metallic floral embroidery takes centre stage. The fun silhouette fits right into Shauna’s casual Sporty Luxe style persona, while the white button-down shirt dresses up the look. Layering a long-sleeved shirt under a sleeveless dress is a great way to transition seasons. The metallic studs on the shirt collar tie in perfectly with the embroidery on the dress. White polka dot ankle socks and quirky yellow pumps make this a fashion-forward look and show that Shauna has a fantastic eye for colour. The yellow brings the light grey to life, while the socks intensify the crispness of the white throughout the outfit. The all-over colour palette also amps up the impact of our blogger’s silver ‘do.

A casual Summer look consisting of on-trend pieces. The high-rise cropped skinny jeans with released hem fit Shauna perfectly. The bold-striped cropped top with flattering diagonal sleeves is a great length to wear with high-rise bottoms. An empire waist silhouette and linen blend fabric are breezy for warmer temps. Oversized white tassel earrings and blue suede ankle strap espadrille wedge sandals add to the Summer-y vibe. Keeping the footwear low-contrast to the jeans lengthens the leg line. Bright orangey-red lipstick echoes the red detailing on the top.

A cheeky denim jacket is a marvelous way to casualize a dressy frock. Shauna is sporting a fab little black dress with intricate lace detailing. Opting for a tailored, short jacket creates easy-going spunk. Buttoning up the jacket streamlines the look and emphasizes the elegant fit-and-flare style of the dress. A dark wash denim jacket keeps things polished. Popping the collar of the dress and wearing the pearl necklace over the jacket is a creative way to showcase your jewellery. Plus, the white adds extra feminine crispness to the dark outfit and works fantastically with Shauna’s light hair. Our blogger uses semi-opaque hose to create a tonal look. Kicky red footwear is a festive and glamorous finishing touch.

What a great example of a Boho Lite look. The relaxed-fit fringed hem jeans make up the boho part of this outfit, and are quite the statement on their own. Playful and flirty! The look becomes extra eye-catching by adding a pointelle batwing-sleeved sweater in an electric shade of blue. Layering a white top under the sweater makes the colour pop even more. Cognac peep-toe sandals and a mini crossbody with cognac strap are another nod back to the Boho trend. Extra large sequin petal earrings in an equally vibrant shade of blue and white fingernail polish tie the look together. And, as always, Shauna’s tomboy silver ‘do and bright lippie bring extra spunk.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Shauna’s bold, playful style. You can browse the rest of her outfits over at Chic Over 50, and find more visual inspiration on her pinboards.

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There is nothing wrong with outfit repetition. It simplifies your life and increases the cost-per-wear of wardrobe items. It creates “fast fall back” options when you’re rushed or stressed. It promotes a small or moderate wardrobe, which is cost-effective, easier to store, and much easier to manage. It also reduces shopping time, and your need to have more to feel fabulous. 

I also find outfit repetition very satisfying. It makes me feel like I’m wearing the heck out of my clothes, and relieves the pressure of styling an item ten ways just for the sake of it. No need to fix something that isn’t broken. And it strengthens your signature style. 

I don’t think I’ve seen a fashion blogger repeat an outfit through their blog or social media outlets. A repeated outfit would not yield the same traffic or commentary as a new combination. The fear of boring the audience is great, and the pressure to look fresh and fab is high. Instead, fashion bloggers focus on remixing wardrobe pieces to showcase versatility and cost-effectiveness. I’m sure fashion bloggers do repeat head-to-toe outfits in their daily lives. It would be fun and authentic if we saw this reflected on their blogs and through social media from time to time. 

I do understand the pressure to not repeat the same outfit combination to work, or amongst the same group of friends, until a certain amount of time has passed. For some the time period is a week, and for others it’s a fortnight, a month or even longer than that. 

I have a couple of clients who challenged themselves to not to repeat a single head-to-toe outfit over a period of six months. They managed to do so because they have large wardrobes and made small changes to outfits. They documented what they wore daily along the way. It was a fun project that they enjoyed, and my hat off to them for persevering. 

I’ve also heard talk of bold and dramatic items being too memorable in the context of outfit repetition. Personally, I think it is highly unlikely that other people will even remember what we wear, even if it is bold and dramatic. And if people do remember your bold outfit, what’s wrong with being memorable?

2017 has been my year for repeating outfits even more than I usually do. I have identified the combinations that made me feel extra fab and I’ve worn them over and over and over again. I used to try to wear different combinations when I saw the same clients or group of friends within a season. But this year I thought, why should I be concerned about that? Rather, I’ll send the message that I’m wearing the heck out of my clothes, loving my outfits, simplifying my life, and denying the need for relentless outfit newness.