https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:24:39 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348591 Thu, 04 Jan 2024 01:23:00 +0000 SarahD8 2348591@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for your kind comments, <b>Angie</b>, you are further bolstering my confidence as I head into 2024. Excited and curious to see what the sartorial year brings! And waving back at my slipper-twin, so glad you saw the shout-out. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348548 Wed, 03 Jan 2024 19:50:52 +0000 Angie 2348548@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, yes! Waving at my slipper twin! Soooooo awesome, right? Yay for happy at-home feet!</p> <p>Glad they worked out, and thanks for the shout out :)</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348547 Wed, 03 Jan 2024 19:42:06 +0000 Angie 2348547@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><i>'less whiney than usual..."<br /></i><br />Thanks for making me laugh! :)</p> <p>This was delightful!&nbsp;</p> <p>FWIW, a larger wardrobe does not go against my grain! Some of the most stylish and fashionable people I know have VERY large wardrobes. They are in control, very organized, and not overwhelmed.&nbsp;</p> <p>Welcome to Team 50! You have never looked better, and been more confident about your style than this past year. Your style planets have aligned. Well done! Please carry on :)&nbsp;</p> <p>(LOVE THE WHITE BOOTS!)</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348460 Tue, 02 Jan 2024 21:27:02 +0000 SarahD8 2348460@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Ginger</b>, glad to have struck some chords! And yes -- I have certain preferences for color and value mixing too. I don't mind outfit repeating (current January challenge aside) so that's ok -- I'm still figuring out the best way to achieve the right amount of variety for me, but feeling a lot more relaxed about the process! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348438 Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:44:59 +0000 Ginger 2348438@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This was a great read, and it struck some chords for me as well. I'm so glad your wardrobe "clicks" now. Mine does in most ways (outerwear being the exception) and it's very satisfying when it does.</p> <p>My large wardrobe is also limited in mix-and-match ability. Silhouette limits it, large seasonal temperature swings limit it, and now (I'm learning) my distinct preference for color and shade (dark to light) mixing in one outfit. There are some bottoms that function largely as neutrals but if I choose something else, I tend to have just one or two favorite complete outfits with that piece. While I could mix together others (and sometimes do, toward the end of the season when I get super bored), I'm usually far happier with the favorite.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348366 Tue, 02 Jan 2024 00:30:20 +0000 SarahD8 2348366@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Runcarla</b> that's a lovely thought (and example), and I quite agree! In fact, a portion of my work both around the house and at my desk is oriented toward rewilding cities in one way or another. So, one doesn't need to choose between urban adventures and natural beauty...everything is coming together! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348353 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 19:11:04 +0000 Carla 2348353@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In the epistolary novel ‘North and South’ by Elizabeth Gaskill, the heroine, Margaret Hale writes to her cousin about how she takes long walks in the fresh air above Milton (a dirty, smoky, industrial Victorian city). &nbsp;In the BBC series, the director shows the character walking through a graveyard(!) on a hilltop overlooking the town as an unseen narrator reads the letter! &nbsp;It’s all in the perception! &nbsp;</p> <p> <div><br /></div><div>I believe the urban environment has been underrated as a place for adventure, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder! &nbsp;<b>Of course&nbsp;</b>a body needs appropriate (and atmospheric) outfits for daily adventures! &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay inspired!</div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348352 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 18:44:50 +0000 SarahD8 2348352@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you all so much for reading &amp; sharing your thoughts!&nbsp;</p> <p><b>JenniNZ</b>, yes, it was super interesting to look back on that old thread and ponder what has changed and what hasn't. I think we share that tendency to enjoy signature items for a long time...so glad your little olive pants capsule is still working for you!</p> <p><b>Jaime</b> I definitely take inspiration from you as someone who manages a large wardrobe with a sense of relaxed fun and commitment to secondhand sustainability. Thank you for your example!</p> <p><b>pirouette</b>, ah, a fellow fussy shopper -- you get it.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Bijou</b>, thank you so much! I am having a lot of fun with that polar bear tee the last few months. I just love the expression on his face! It's been fun to discover that I *do* like a good graphic tee -- just not the typical high/tight crewneck.</p> <p><b>Cardiff girl</b>, it's lovely to see so many fabbers finding more of a sense of ease this year, isn't it? It seems we are in the phase of life when bodies might change repeatedly in all sorts of different directions...so maintaining a thoughtful holding zone is a good idea for sure.</p> <p><b>Roberta</b>, ohhhhh "It fills a gap, but not a desire" is such a thought-provoking idea. I am pondering!</p> <p><b>unfrumped</b>, oh yes I am the same way about wanting fewer thicker layers rather than more thinner ones. Here's to small adventures and lots of playfulness in 2024!</p> <p><b>Helena</b> thank you so much!</p> <p><b>Dee</b> "we become our own muse in our style stories," I love this!!!&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Suz</b> oh blast about the lost post but thank you for coming back to reconstruct it, and I'm glad you saw the shout-out! "<i><b></b></i><b></b>I can get dressed for anything I need to do and feel happy with what I am wearing" -- that's a great way to put it.&nbsp;<b></b>I hear what you are saying about things continuing to shift...I hope that having felt that "click" once, it will be easier to find my way back in the future. And thank you for the vote of confidence for my outerwear explorations! I think your counsel is very wise.</p> <p><b>Janet</b>, isn't it so interesting how sometimes the more philosophical insights transcend differences in personal style? That makes a lot of sense about the importance of solid tops -- looks like you have found a really nice one!</p> <p>Hope everyone is enjoying a nice first day of the new year! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348288 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 20:10:40 +0000 Janet 2348288@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Really great stuff here! I can relate to much of what you wrote, even though our styles are not similar! I don’t care to shrink my wardrobe down to minimalist levels; I am happy with a larger closet but I do want to scale back a bit and continue to be more thoughtful about purchases in the future. This year was a mixed bag as far as my success in that, and I will be making much more of an effort next year. </p> <p>Interesting too, to pay attention to the “I don’t buy enough of” category. I don’t pay enough attention to solid color tops. I’m so attracted to print and pattern that I’m sometimes stumped when I’m more in the mood to simplify and not be so pattern-happy. To that end I did get a great solid blue top at COS last week. It’s a substantial cotton long sleeve tee with a crew neck — very basic but a NICE basic that plays with all kinds of looks and ties together some of my prints. I’m learning! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348286 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 19:43:04 +0000 Suz 2348286@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ok. Let's see if I can recap what I tried to say yesterday and then lost into the wilds of wherever posts go when you press the wrong button at the wrong time.&nbsp;</p> <p>1. First, <b>thank you </b>for the shout out and I'm so glad the moniker/ description has been useful! I do think the implication of action is a good addition and also the recognition of your urban reality.&nbsp;</p> <p>2. "The click." The timing here makes total sense to me. When I had to build my closet from scratch, I started I think in 2011 but had almost no money to devote to it then...so it was really over the next few years that I built the wardrobe, getting it together by 2013 or maybe 2014 (so, a decade ago).But I didn't really feel the "click" until 2014/2015 -- that was when I started feeling, <i><b>I can get dressed for anything I need to do and feel happy with what I am wearing.&nbsp;<br /></b></i><b></b><br />Note that it will shift...you might feel perfectly content for a few years and then sense some new dissatisfaction as you have to edit key pieces out and can't find replacements that work as seamlessly. But once you have the foundation, it becomes much, much easier to edit and add in a comfortable way and still feel like yourself, if that makes sense, even as your style and needs evolve. </p> <p>3. Love your moor tromping skirt!</p> <p>4. I get it about the right at home footwear. It is a game changer somehow. </p> <p>5. Layers and outerwear. I swear I need more and better layers in this milder west coast climate than I did back east! I definitely have (and use) more coats! I think prioritizing coat purchases could be a really smart move and it might not be as difficult as you fear to find what you want and need. I own a <b>lot </b>of coats now and every single one was either a sale purchase or bought on consignment. Some of my coats are 12. years old or more and look and feel good as new. Coats can be mood lifters, easy ways to add drama, and of course they keep us warm and dry!&nbsp;</p> <p>6. Wardrobe size: I am with you on your realization that if you want to play with varied silhouettes you are going to need a larger closet. There's no way around it. My entire wardrobe is mix and match in terms of colour and "mood" or style sensibility -- but in terms of cut and fabrication, um, not so much. There are many items that only work in summer (or winter) and no amount of layering or stripping off of layers will change that because I just won't be warm (or cool) enough. (Which is not to say I don't layer -- see above -- I do!! I just don't and never will buy the idea that I can "winterize" a sundress.) Meanwhile, the longline cardigan that works great with my pants does not look good with a full skirt, full stop.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ok.&nbsp; I might have said more before but this is my essay for now. :)&nbsp;</p> <p>You did great wth your closet this year and so happy you are feeling happy with where you are!&nbsp;<b></b> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348284 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 18:20:31 +0000 Dee 2348284@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Enjoyable &nbsp;read and great insights into your own fashion journey. Looks like you’ve been able to hone in on a wardrobe that’s just right for who you are today. </p> <p>I too, have a pretty darn big wardrobe because I have a strong need for variety and I want my clothes to say something about who I ACTUALLY &nbsp;am in all my many facets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Love the idea of having a verb in the style descriptor, this way we become our own muse in our style stories.. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348281 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:26:06 +0000 Helena 2348281@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is fantastic! You are in a great place, you know what matters to you, and you are giving the right f**** to the right things. Hooray for a successful year and may 2024 be even better! Xoxo </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348280 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:04:25 +0000 unfrumped 2348280@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just loved this post! So many parts but I’ll pick 2:</p> <p>Wardrobe size: mines still too big for ME, but I also can tell I’m not super this- goes-with-everything, I’m very picky about proportions-lengths&amp; widths of tops/ bottoms so like specific things together. I also run cold and actually don’t like too much layering—I feel constricted. Instead I like wearing thicker, warmer items with either no extra underlayer or something very thin and soft. But then, there’s Summer! So my tops &amp; jackets and even pants are a wide range of warmth levels. </p> <p>I loved your “ urban adventure “ approach. I’m planning more true “ small adventures “ in the coming year, but also want to just embrace and relish my everyday errands &amp; such. I find I’m not as devoted as I thought I might be to dressing up more to leave the house, but I feel like I can be more playful with my outfits and accessories. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348279 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:13:19 +0000 Roberta 2348279@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This was very thoughtful and interesting to read, thank you! I also have found that I am not very good at targeted shopping. I see a hole in my wardrobe, I start looking for the thing, and about half the time I buy something that isn't all that satisfying. It fills a gap, but not a desire. Then I find something that isn't on my list, and isn't arguably a need, and I just love it and I wear it all the time. </p> <p>So I think there's a little more mental work to be done in that area, or at least a little more thought before i make the purchase. Maybe I have seen it on someone else and admired it, but don't really like it on myself. Or I suspect my wardrobe has gone too far in one direction, and I want to course correct by buying something that is more neutral, or more elegant, whatever. This is actually going on in my head as we close out 2023. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348277 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 14:41:41 +0000 Cardiff girl 2348277@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yet another fabber who’s happy with her wardrobe,what is happening!?<br />seriously though l am so glad that you feel youhave reached a happy place with yours and l don’t think having a larger wardrobe,whatever that means ,is a problem at all as long as it works for you.l hear you on the body shape thing and am waiting to see where l end up by this time next year before getting rid of a section of my wardrobe that currently doesn’t &nbsp;fit the way l would wish. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348274 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 10:57:58 +0000 Bijou 2348274@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I enjoyed reading your analysis and agree with the sentiment that a larger wardrobe often makes finding the right outfit easier. I love photo #1, the fluid fit and fun of the polar bear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348273 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 10:17:22 +0000 pirouette 2348273@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This was a great recap. I am like you in that I need a big wardrobe not in my case that I like variety but I need as you say to “stay ahead”. If my &nbsp;black jumper wears out it would be hard to replace quickly as I am a fussy shopper , so when I find something I like I duplicate or even triplicate. I’m glad your wardrobe has clicked and you have lots of options when an occasion arises. .&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348267 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 05:31:32 +0000 Suz 2348267@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OMG. I just wrote a massive reply that disappeared into the ether. OY!&nbsp;</p> <p>Will come back again tomorrow!!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348260 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:01:05 +0000 Jaime 2348260@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Excellent read! Lots of great insights and the results speak for themselves. I am also on team unapologetic lots of clothes. I hear you about finding a certain styling hack (in your case prints with cardigans) that solves lots of problems. Also appreciate Suz's style line for you. Good point about including an action! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348259 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 01:49:29 +0000 Jenni NZ 2348259@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha! Awesome essay! Even more of an essay than Cardiff girl’s!<br /> I went back and read your whole thread on the wardrobe “clicking” and could hardly believe that was just over 5 years ago. So happy it has finally happened for you. I think it has much more than then for me, too. I was amused to see that the olive snakeskin pants I had pondered for 11 months were mentioned there- I later duplicated them, can still wear both pairs, bought a more casual pair of olive animal leggings as well, and intend wearing the pants out for NYEve tonight. Hopefully these days I might not need to ponder for 11 months because I know myself better.<br /> I like how you have the verb in your new persona, might be able to incorporate that idea (or just ask Suz!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/2023-recaplong-of-course-but-much-less-whinge-y-than-usual#post-2348258 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:48:42 +0000 SarahD8 2348258@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>&nbsp;have enjoyed the yearly wrap-ups on the forum a lot! You all were very thought-provoking, and here is the result…</p> <p>Quite a while ago I asked the forum “<a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/when-and-how-did-your-wardrobe-click">When and how did your wardrobe ‘click’?</a>” A very interesting discussion ensued! Although, I must admit, the recipe for “clicking” remained mysterious to me.</p> <p>Well, I am here to tell you that somehow, sometime in 2023 my wardrobe appears to have ‘clicked.’ Around mid-November I started to notice a real ease in getting dressed. Like, I could go to my closet in the morning, pick an item, build an outfit around it, and get on with my day. If I had an event or occasion that was somewhat out of the ordinary I could generally find something to wear without too much stress. (I remember picking out an outfit for Thanksgiving dinner, I had about three possibilities that I thought of, tried them on and they all worked, thought through the practical considerations and picked the one that seemed to suit best. Received compliments!) It’s been wonderful.</p> <p>So, we’ve covered the “when.” What about the “how”? I am less certain I know the answer here. But there are a few things that I think have contributed:</p> <p>First, embracing the idea of having a larger wardrobe. I know this goes against the grain a bit on the forum and in the wider world, where there has been a strong strain of minimalism these past years. And, a tightly edited wardrobe *does* appeal to me in some respects. But, I think a larger wardrobe functions better for me, for several reasons:</p> </p> <ul> <li>Something about either my body or my style <b>limits the mix-and-match-ability of my wardrobe</b>. I admire people who can layer things in creative ways to get dozens of truly different looking outfits out of a handful of garments but I cannot. I find that items generally work best in one particular outfit silhouette for me. So if I want to wear more than one silhouette I need more items. Also I run cold so I need to layer! And I don’t mean layering a cardi over a sleeveless tank to “winterize” it. That’s a transitional outfit for me, not warm enough for real winter. So for the most part items don’t work across outfit formulas, nor do they work across seasons. All of that adds up to larger numbers in the overall wardrobe. </li> <li>I am <b>not very successful at “targeted” shopping </b>— like, noticing a hole in my wardrobe and then going out and promptly filling it. Again a skill I admire in others! This might be down to some combination of being picky, being hard to fit, having a quirky style (what I like is not always widely available), and preferring to shop secondhand (for the record I am open to shopping retail but to be honest I’m just not that great at it!). But whatever the reason, I think it works best if I “stay ahead” of my needs and have multiple things that can serve a similar purpose in my closet. That way things wear out slower and if something does wear out before I am “done” with it and it takes me a while to find a replacement then my wardrobe can function ok in the meantime. My tastes change relatively slowly so I’m not that worried about tiring of something or things feeling “dated for me.” I do acknowledge that there are pitfalls to this strategy — I need to make sure that I don’t accumulate more than I can reasonably hope to wear, and I don’t want to run a clothing museum — but there are pitfalls to every strategy, so, pick your poison, right?</li> <li>Getting <b>more comfortable with said quirky style</b>. Folks I have just turned 50 and have entered the proverbial “out of f***s to give” phase. Most people are not paying that much attention to what I wear, and no matter what I do wear someone will surely love it and someone will surely hate it so I may as well wear what I like. I just feel more at peace somehow with marching to the beat of my own drummer. I also want to give a shout-out here to <b>Suz</b> who in a comment at the end of my “<a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-day-6-7-and-thoughts-on-the-pinterest-challenge">week’s worth of Pinterest-inspired outfits</a>” challenge offered the formulation <b>“natural-dyed literati goes on an urban adventure.”</b> Well! Reader, I loved it. I have really been enjoying playing with this formulation as a guide to getting dressed ever since. Something about it has felt looser, more playful than phrases I have previously used to define my style (Modern Land Girl and Girl on the Moors). I think it’s also been useful because for the first time it really acknowledges my city lifestyle within the style statement — and thus makes it easier to marry fantasy style with lifestyle reality. Finally, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on I think having a *verb* involved has been very useful. Maybe because it makes the style statement less static? I live a very quiet life but nevertheless it’s been fun to ask myself, “ok what urban adventure am I dressing for today?” It might be seeing a play with friends (<i>Photo 1</i>) but more likely it is just going to the grocery store (<i>Photo 2</i>). Perhaps this sounds silly but it has all helped me take more pleasure in these minor urban adventures, somehow!</li> </ul> </p> <p>Oddly, I only purchased about 10% more items this year compared to last. I don’t keep good enough records of discards to say whether I’ve gotten rid of less. But, I don’t generally get rid of things for the sake of reaching a certain number — so my guess is that a slower rate of discard doesn’t explain why my wardrobe has expanded. Which brings me to:</p> <p>Second, I have lost some of the pandemic/perimenopausal weight that I have periodically complained about these last several years. I want to be really clear here. I truly believe that one can be attractive and stylish at any size. But I also cannot deny that it had been difficult for me to accept the changes in my own body! So, it’s a lot easier to be happy with my outfit when the body in the mirror looks like I expect it to and clothes do what I expect them to on my body. Also, from a purely practical point of view — now pretty much all of my clothes fit me, and fit comfortably. (So, this is where wardrobe size comes in — my wardrobe may not be all that much bigger in terms of numbers but it certainly feels more expansive now that everything is an option to wear.) <b>How much of being happy with my outfit is simply being physically comfortable in my clothes?</b> Well, quite a lot I expect! I don’t know how sustainable this weight loss will be of course but for now I am enjoying being able to wear more of my wardrobe again.</p> <p>So, that’s the story of wardrobe “clicking.” Here’s my version of a top-five list:</p> </p> <ol> <li><b>Best purchase</b>: Dansko slippers/house shoes, o<a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/help-me-find-indoor-shoes">n </a><b><a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/help-me-find-indoor-shoes">Angie’s</a></b><a rel="nofollow" href="https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/help-me-find-indoor-shoes"> recommendation</a>. FINALLY, after years of searching, just the thing I was hoping for. Yes, they’re clearly slippers, but they make me feel JDE (just “dressed” enough) for at-home; are super comfortable; work across registers from loungewear to casual skirt outfits; etc; etc (You can see them in <i>Photo 1</i> which I snapped before putting on my outside shoes). I expect them to wear like iron, but even so I’m tempted to duplicate to hold a pair in reserve. They are THAT good. Thank you so much, <b>Angie</b>!</li> <li><b>Best rediscovery</b>: loafers, both black patent and nut-brown. (Seen in my recent Pinterest challenge series.) I hadn’t worn them at all in several years but this past autumn I’ve practically defaulted to them. Oh, and I’m wearing my tall black boots more than I have in a while too — bolstering confidence in my buy-and-hold strategy.</li> <li><b>Wardrobe achievement finally unlocked</b>: Moor-tromping skirts! (<i>Photo 1</i>, and also <i>Photo 3</i>)</li> <li><b>Best unexpected workhorse</b>: my silk foulard-print tee (<i>Photos 4-5</i>). This was one of those “I don’t really need it, but it’s a steal” purchases…and it proved really fantastic for slightly dressy occasions over the summer.</li> <li><b>Best new styling strategy</b>: boho/block-print shirts with vintage-y cardis (<i>Photos 6-9</i>). I’m not sure quite where I got this idea? But I’ve really enjoyed playing with it. And I don’t think I’m done yet!</li> </ol> </p> <p>Priorities for next year:</p> </p> <ul> <li><b>Jeans refresh</b>. (I think I’ve finally identified some skinny-alternative silhouettes that I want to wear and now it’s just a matter of making a few strategic purchases).</li> <li>Pay attention to areas in which I tend to under-buy: <b>outerwear, handbags, shoes</b>. (Ok, I don’t *really* under-buy shoes, but I haven’t had great luck shopping for this category the last few years, burning out quickly on the buy-return cycle. So I need to pay some focused attention to footwear if I don’t want to end up limping — literally — along when it all gives out at once. Also, I think I’m due for a good shoe edit: time to admit that I have several pairs that I love the looks of but that aren’t comfortable and so I always pass over.)</li> <li><b>BE DISCERNING</b>. <b>Cardiff Girl </b>said it best, “don’t be afraid not to buy things.l have enough to wait for the perfect piece”</li> <li><b>Make a dent in the mending/alterations pile</b>. Oh, I know, I know! I say this every year. Maybe 2024 is finally my year!</li> </ul> </p> <p>And in the immediate term: I’m going to <b>begin 2024 with a month-long no-repeat challenge</b>. More on that shortly!</p> <p>If you made it this far, you truly get a gold star -- and as ever I am interested in any thoughts, observations, or queries you care to share. Best new year's wishes to all!</p>