https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 03 May 2026 06:07:02 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-660282 Tue, 03 Jul 2012 19:25:05 +0000 Ornella 660282@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kate, your posts are *always* thought provoking, educational and inspiring. Thank you for generously sharing your experiences. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-660064 Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:34:18 +0000 Makrame 660064@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Very interesting update (and the kitties are adorable)!</p> <p>I think I started keeping a CPW worksheet after reading one of your posts, and I find it very useful in reminding me not to buy more things than I can possibly wear. Thanks for the inspiration! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-660061 Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:26:09 +0000 Kate 660061@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm bumping this in hopes that Traci will see the sandal pictures that I added! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659479 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:03:05 +0000 Kate 659479@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Traci, sorry it’s taking me so long, the camera had to spend some time recharging (we take so many kitten pictures and videos these days it’s absurd), but I will have pictures for you by tonight! The lunas are more casual than my other sandals, but I do wear them to school/work every day. I’m a grad student, so I wear them to classes, meeting with professors, and teaching class, and I’m still dressed more professionally than many of my peers because AZ and academia are rather casual. I’m not sure if they would pass the test in a more formal office environment. I’ve had two convertible wrap dresses from American Apparel that were never as great as I wanted them to be because I was constantly adjusting them. They weren’t as secure as I wanted, but I’m hoping that the versalette’s greater structure will help out in the category. And I must admit I’m still eyeing some wrap dresses on etsy…</p> <p>Fern, ebay and other secondhand are fine with me, but the hit and miss nature of secondhand shopping really frustrates me, and ebay particularly bothers me because I can’t return a lot of those purchases. I do make trips to buffalo exchange a couple times a year to sell some of what I’ve removed from my wardrobe, but rarely find items there to bring home. </p> <p>Harmonica, I live in Tucson, so I don’t have much in terms of a winter wardrobe. I can wear a lot of my skirts and dresses year-round as long as I have wool tights or leggings underneath them and cardigans or jackets on top. However, a lot of my clothes are simply too warm to get much wear from April through October (6 pants, 3 leggings, 5 blazers, 2 sweaters, 4 long sleeved tops, plus a bunch of gear like my snow boots, long underwear, and thick smartwool socks!). A lot of the gear that I’m not counting makes it possible for me to survive visiting my family in Seattle and boyfriend’s family in Ohio for a week or two at a time, even when it’s cold, wet, and even snowy. I think I will probably increase my number of clothes once I move out of the desert, but it will certainly be on a trial and error. I don’t think there’s any ideal number for everyone or every situation, it has to be personalized.</p> <p>Lisa, I’m so happy to hear that the spreadsheet has been working well for you! Your shoes CPW is awesome! My one and only pair of heels are still at a whopping $13.57 per wear, my leather luna sandals are at $2.64, and my booties are at $1.36 even though I’ve worn them 124 times! It’s amazing how long it takes for wardrobe investments to pay off, even if you wear them all the time! It sounds like you’re far more even with your wear of items! I’ve still got 6 items of clothing at or above $5 cpw. But then I’ve got the pair of skinny jeans that I mentioned in my original post at 8 cents per wear, and a pair of bermudas that used to be skinny jeans at 17 cents per wear! I completely agree with what you said about tops, they are truly the most challenging and even though I’ve substantially reduced the number of tops I have they are still the area that I’m replacing most frequently. </p> <p>CocoLion, knitwear is such a challenge. There are plenty of people selling tops that they knit on etsy, but a lot of the ones I’ve found look like they were handmade and I’m just not drawn to that aesthetic. Thanks for the update on where you’re at, it’s always nice to know that I’m not alone in my quest! </p> <p>Mirp, the versalette hasn’t arrived yet, but I will be sure to post a review when it does! I actually bought one from their kickstarter campaign, but none of the four colors they ended up starting with will fit well in my closet, so I’m waiting until their next batch of colors to get mine. It’s a long wait, but hopefully it will be worth it. In the meantime, the two founders are wearing a versalette every day for two months and you can see pictures on their facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.435889369777860.103547.270812752952190&#038;type=3" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/media.....038;type=3</a>). I think a strapless bra may be helpful for some of the looks, but there’s lots of layering potential as well.</p> <p>Sylvie, in a lot of ways the spreadsheet has helped me to recognize my blind spots! I thought my wardrobe was teeny tiny when I got down to 100 pieces of clothing. And then I realized that there were still items that I hadn’t worn in months (and were seasonally appropriate)! Even now, I have two dresses that I haven’t worn in 2 months and have only worn 5 and 6 times in the past two years. They are a bit more formal and less everyday than my other dresses, and we’ll see how much I end up wearing them at conferences, teaching, and various events in the next 6 months. I have a pair of pants that I love the idea of, but I haven’t decided if I truly love actually wearing them. It seems like there are always a couple items that I could certainly live without, and seeing just how often I wear them helps me stay aware of their questionable status in my wardrobe. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659448 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:59:53 +0000 Sylvie 659448@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Very impressed by your lean wardrobe and careful, thoughtful wardrobe additions. I don't know quite how you're doing it as my wardrobe is about double yours and I still think it's small. :)</p> <p>Your thread is very timely as I was doing a similar semi-annual review of CPW/clothing spreadsheet aficionado. There really is no better way to manage your wardrobe if you're a minimalist (I'm not - my count is double yours) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659436 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:39:29 +0000 Mirp 659436@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Very interested in the versalette. How is it working for you? My concerns are how many ways you can wear it and still wear a bra. </p> <p>Also I think most ways it has no sleeves -- which might be too chilly for London. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659347 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:46:23 +0000 CocoLion 659347@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So good to hear from you Kate! Your new kittens look so sweet, and am glad they are getting along with the ranking feline. I keep hoping my dogs will start getting along better with my cat, but it's not happening. Sometimes I wonder if they like the "game" of cat vs. dog though! (My dogs love to play fight with each other and growl, etc.) My kitty, rather than running and hiding, is willing to engage in the game at least.</p> <p>As for my wardrobe, well, mine is a lot bigger than yours. And, I had to revise my goal of purchasing only domestic items. It is still very much a goal and when something is made in the USA it will be far favored over something made in China, even if it costs 50% more. But that is where I stop. Many items are 300-500% more and although I'm not a grad student, I do not have unlimited funds. Not only is there the cost factor, but selection. It is almost impossible to find quality knitwear that is made in the USA, although I could try hand-made things on Etsy I guess. Ditto with fashion shoes. I did purchase one pair of Italian-made shoes but they were double what my regular shoe budget is.</p> <p>So one of the things I have started doing is spreading my purchases over the world. Why not let people in other countries get some of the US dollar? For example, I got a pair of light wash jeans from Zara, they are made in Turkey.</p> <p>I know my system is very subjective. I don't really look into the supplier and their ethics. I am looking at more gross, macro economic considerations like what is the balance of trade with that country and am I contributing to a continued deficit with that country. Yes I actually have looked up the balance of trade figures.</p> <p>Anyways, thank you for sharing the status of your wardrobe and consumption habits and ethics. For me, this does not take the fun out of fashion, it adds an interesting and meaningful dimension. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659315 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:46:12 +0000 Kate 659315@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Franz and Milo are adorable! There are few things in life as joyous as a pair of kittens.</p> <p>I'm inspired by the way you have pared down your wardrobe, Kate, and the strategies you have developed to shop mindfully. That's something I need to do. Right now my closet is too full, but I don't have the clothes that really suit my lifestyle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659299 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:13:31 +0000 Mo 659299@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Love these posts! Good to see you Kate. I continue to be amazed at your small but effective wardrobe. I am miles from where I used to be, but still not in your league ;)<br /> I have been looking more closely at what I am buying this year, and it feels good to weigh a purchase rather than impulsively acquire things. It's a process I am really enjoying with my budget and list this year. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659291 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:45:31 +0000 Lisa 659291@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Congrats on the new furbabies. They are too cute!</p> <p>I've been using your CPW tracking sheet all year so far and it's been helping me to continue my closet purge. I'm down to under 150 items and that includes my scarf collection which is one of my largest categories. I notice I am gravitating to more items that can mix and match easily and less items that are stand alone pieces. </p> <p>One of the biggest areas I purged and have enjoyed the new numbers, is my footwear. I'm down to 11 total shoes/sandals/boots and have found that a rotation of 3-4 shoes per season works quite well for me. This was a big change from my previous shoe collection which was easily at 40+ shoes at one point. All my footwear is at $1.00 or less CPW at this point in the year. </p> <p>Another big area is my jeans. I've cut the jeans down to less than half of what I previously owned and all my premium denim is under $1.50 CPW. I even have one pair that's under 50cents! </p> <p>I'm still working on pairing down my toppers but I find these items do not hold up well regardless of the brand or price point, unless it's a blazer. I wash toppers after every wear so that's probably going to be the area where I always have the largest number of items.</p> <p>For shopping this year, I have only gone one month with no shopping for the month. But the rest of the months it's been only 1-3 days for the entire month which is a huge improvement from last year when all I did was buy and return. I've used the new found time to start up my running routine again.</p> <p>I'm looking forward to more of your check-ins the rest of this year! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659216 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:09:04 +0000 harmonica 659216@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for a highly interesting and inspiring post! I love how you have figured out your wardrobe needs and how you manage to have such a minimalist wardrobe! Just so great to read your thoughts on ethical shopping too. </p> <p>How many seasons do you have where you live? I might be caught in my box, but I think it would be hard to have such minimalist wardrobe with a nordic 4 season climate where temp differs from -20C to 30C (-4F to 86F), and through in big portions of wind and rain. Or maybe not? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659186 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:40:43 +0000 Astrid 659186@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great to see you again, Kate! Your new kittens are adorable. </p> <p>I'm still in awe of your minimal wardrobe. It's something I still want for myself in the long run, but I've lost some focus. I hope I'll be successful to get back to it once I have some free time to do a inventory of my current wardrobe. </p> <p>The new pieces look great and like the fit perfectly into your style, from what I can remember. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659159 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 07:42:57 +0000 ManidipaM 659159@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for an inspirational post, Kate! I'm especially in awe of your shoe wardrobe. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659135 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:10:14 +0000 AJ 659135@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So good to hear from you, Kate!</p> <p>I am in awe of your minimalist wardrobe. Kudos for honing in on your style and wardrobe needs! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-659037 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 02:43:07 +0000 fern 659037@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kate, I love it when you post - you remind me of my very attainable goals.<br /> I think I am with you in clothing amounts, but I definitely have more accessories &amp; shoes. I love it that all of my clothes get worn now. You have a super minimal shoe group- wow.<br /> I agree that I can find "handmade" bags and accessories more easily than clothing.<br /> I am trying to deal with the clothes part with second-hand items from EBay or consignment- does that meet your goals? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-658977 Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:24:05 +0000 sarah 658977@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kate, your kittens are adorable. And the colors of the clothes you linked too are so you. They are lovely. Nice to hear from you again! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-658952 Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:56:43 +0000 Traci 658952@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for the links, Kate! Dh has cured his painful plantar fasciitis by wearing barefoot shoes and retraining his feet. He has super wide feet and can never find sandals to fit, so he may love these. I'll have to show them to him.</p> <p>I really like the look of the Lunas for me. Do you find them to be uber casual? Or do you wear them for more smart casual and work settings as well? I'd love to see pictures of yours in action.</p> <p>I'm fascinated by your tiny wardrobe. The idea has always appealed to me, but the execution has always escaped me. </p> <p>Also, similar to the idea of your versalette, I've been recently enthralled with these multi way wrap dresses<br /> <a href="http://confederatearticles.wordpress.com/tag/emami/" rel="nofollow">http://confederatearticles.wor.....tag/emami/</a><br /> I'm just way skeptical of the "one size fits all" sizing idea. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-658939 Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:17:21 +0000 Kate 658939@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Traci, the leather sandals are from <a href="https://www.lunasandals.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lunasandals.com/</a> I ordered them with thin black leather laces, but they also had some old, less soft tan laces that they were willing to send me too (though they no longer sell them). I spent some time softening up the leather, and love them! But if you're interested in black or red laces, those ones are ready to go.</p> <p>The others are from <a href="http://www.invisibleshoe.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.invisibleshoe.com/</a> and are far less fashionable. They look like nylon rope and rubber (which is what they are). However, they get the job done when it's raining and I don't want to compromise my leather sandals. I also bought them first to make sure that I was ok with the "barefoot" feel before investing in the lunas.</p> <p>I'll post some pictures of both of them when I get home, and let me know if you have more questions. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-658929 Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:49:58 +0000 Traci 658929@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'd love to see pictures of the sandals and a link to the maker. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/halfway-through-2012-check-in-and-shopping-review#post-658922 Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:17:20 +0000 Kate 658922@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can't believe it's already July and how absent I have been around YLF! I've been getting the work done that I need to, but I miss this place dearly! </p> <p>The most exciting news is that we adopted kittens about a month ago! They are pretty much the best thing ever, and getting along swimmingly with our elderly cat who lost her brother in January. They are 4 months old now, and Franz is already nearing 5 lbs while Milo is a bit smaller at 4.5 lbs!</p> <p>I've been keeping my wardrobe as minimal as I feel comfortable with at this point. Excluding gear, I'm at 64 items of clothing, 6 pairs of shoes, 4 scarves, 5 belts (and flirting with the idea of fewer), and 22 pieces of jewelry. This is the smallest my wardrobe has ever been, and I'm absolutely loving it!</p> <p>After being very unsuccessful with my original SYC and SYB attempts, I'm managing to keep my shopping rather under control. So far this year I've bought 9 items: 2 sandals, 2 tops, 2 earrings, 1 belt, 1 jacket, and 1 versalette (<a href="http://revolutionapparel.is/pages/making-versatile-apparel" rel="nofollow">http://revolutionapparel.is/pa.....le-apparel</a>). And 4 of those items (earrings, belt, and versalette) haven't even arrived yet! This is roughly on par with the<br /> 10 items I bought from July-Dec 2011, but miles ahead of the 31 items I bought from Jan-June 2011. I've struggled a lot of keep my consumption habits consistent with my grad student income as well as my morals, and I feel like I'm finally pretty close to where I want to be.</p> <p>What I particularly love is that with the exception of the 2 tops and jacket (pictured below) these items have been customized to be exactly what I want! Both of the sandals are huaraches (one in tan leather for everyday, one in brown nylon and black vibram rubber for the rain) that have soles cut to perfectly fit my feet and laced exactly how I want them. My picky feet have never been so comfy, plus I'm working to rebuild my sunken arches and stop over-pronating so much. Plus both sandals are re-laceable so that they should last me a long time! For the belt, I got to choose the color, width, length, buckle, and thread color. I'm finally in a place where I know exactly what I want, and have been able to find producers (mostly on etsy) or products that can be modified to perfectly fit my needs. It's wonderful buying items and knowing that I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of them for many years to come.</p> <p>Additionally, most of my new items have been purchased directly from either the artisan or US company that made them (again, with the exception of the tops and jacket). It makes me feel so much better wearing items without wondering about what kind of terrible conditions the people who made it were in. Yet I've found that this type of buying is far easier for me to do with accessories, shoes, and jewelry than with clothing. I'm still struggling to find clothing options in colors and styles I like that come from ethical producers and that I can afford. It's difficult. But I haven't given up hope yet! </p> <p>In the rest of 2012 it's looking like I'm going to have to go back to focusing on clothes more than accessories. Two of my workhorse cardigans are clocking in at 41 and 58 wears and are going to need to be replaced soon. My skinny jeans with 120 wears are holding up surprisingly well, but my gut tells me that I should be looking for a replacement pair so that I'm not caught in a pickle when they inevitably get a rip or hole. With any luck the rest of the year won't be quite as hectic as the first half, and I'll be around more to share my shopping trials and tribulations!</p> <p>ETA: pictures of sandals </p>