After pretty much building a wardrobe from scratch in 2022, this SHOULD be a much quieter shopping year (she said to herself sternly).
Jenn and others have talked about maintaining a mental list of things they would like to have. I thought I would try to articulate some of the things or kinds of things from my mental list that I'll be keeping an eye out for this year.
There's not a lot on my list that is urgent, so I hope to focus on playing with what I have, continuing to add colour and non-black neutrals, and really having FUN with fashion -- not taking it or myself too seriously.
In no particular order...
- Dressy/semi-dressy footwear. This is a hard category for me to fill, so I have to keep my eyes open and think creatively. Universe, if you could throw me a dressy light coloured low heel bootie with a high shaft and maybe something a bit on the daintier side, I'd be super appreciative. I've created a collection of aspirational items to help you. It doesn't have to be these exact shoes, but you see the concepts to which I am open, dear Universe...
- Dressy clothing/accessories. In keeping with Angie's advice to buy them when you find them, I'm just keeping an eye open for a few items to add to a dressy capsule. I don't lead a particularly formal lifestyle at all, so the needs are limited, but they do arise. I think it's possible a niece might announce an engagement at some point, and weddings in that family tend to be a big fancy deal. Most of my dressier items right now are black, so would love to branch out -- cream, pale gold, silver, sparkle, bronze...
- Long sleeved layering tops. I'm getting by here, but could stand to replace some older pieces as appropriate replacement come up in good colours and neutrals.
- Pieces with texture. I'm a big low on textural variety, so I want to keep an eye out for the odd fuzzy or chunky knit sweater, boucle topper, braided belt, etc.
- Jeans. I've avoided shopping for jeans the last couple of years, and I don't wear them a ton, but it's time for a refresh. Maybe a wide leg crop and a nice straight boyfriend style that can be rolled or worn longer as needed.
- Comfortable casual shoes/sandals. I might consider adding a casual cream or brown casual bootie (not a lined winter boot, a warm weather/indoor boot), replacing a pair of older walking shoes and/or adding another pair of casual sandals that can take a lot of walking in a colour or a good brown.
- Non-black pants. This can be a bit of a HEWI, so I tend to jump when I find the right thing in the right fit. I'm fairly well kitted out for summer, but most of my colder weather pants are still black or black based. Universe, I am talking to you again -- bring on brown, grey, burgundy, orange, olive, and maybe even mustard....
- Gear. I should probably do a bit of a gear refresh soon. My gym game is not particularly strong....
- Serious winter boots. I'm talking something rated to -30C designed for cold weather walking -- designed to eliminate excuses for not getting out to walk in the coldest days of our winters. You'd think I would own these already, but I do not. Silly me.
- Statements. I am not really clear what these might be yet, but I suppose I am at the stage where I could start to enhance my wardrobe with a statement piece or two. Universe, can you please help point me in the direction of what that might mean for me?!
This will probably evolve as the year goes on or other items on my unarticulated mental list comes up but I think this is a reasonably accurate reflection of my mental list.
Colours on my radar include orange, burgundy, magenta (not fuchsia), purple, caramel, bronze, grey, yellow, green, and of course, off white/cream. (ETA blue -- I can see adding a bit more navy and brighter blue this year.)
One of my first tasks is going to be to conduct an inventory of sorts to see what I really have and what I should get rid of. I also have to make a few keep/return decisions after a bit of an overbuying spree at the end of 2022. The inventory should help solidify those decisions.
Anyway, if you've read this far, thanks for persevering! Your comments/observations/suggestions are always welcome.
