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Anyone still holding strong with Shop Your Closet / Budget?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I see a whole lot of spring shopping going on lol! It's gotten me itching as well . . . but I'm still on track. I would love a white denim jacket and a blue day dress but I can wait the 20 days until April. Hopefully I will be working the golf course by then (come on warm weather!!)
I did finally order my petite hangers a week or so ago, but they have yet to arrive. So, many of my tops are not hung up yet since I left 50 hangers behind in FL. Funny thing - I only am short 20 or so right now, so that means a had a whole lot more clothing just a mere 2 years ago than I do now.
Anyway, I am salivating for an ink blue short sleeve woven dress with the idea that I could maybe wear it over my white straight leg jeans and my MoHop sandals in maybe a peach or mint ribbon
Oh, and my Frye Julia boots have now gotten a wearing, only 11 more to get that Cost Per Wear under $20
Anyone else still on track? Or has spring bitten and gotten the better of you?

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from harmonica

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

Well i said i would start shopping again in March. It's March, spring weather as started to arrive and i've been bitten. But i'm not going crazy. I'm trying to stick to mainly thrifting this year with an exception for shoes, accessories and pants.

So far i've bought leopard print loafers, prison pants and some random accessories from retail. I really badly need jeans though because most of my pants from last year are too big. I hate buying jeans. :-/

Great job staying on track Mo!

Jewell

Veteran

I only made two purchases last month: a coin purse (which I justified as a "need" )and a bright polka dot scarf for spring. So, I'm pretty on track for SYB. Right now I'm looking for shoes. I'm eyeing two pair, but haven't pulled the trigger. I have a teensy bit of retail credit left to spend, and I'm on the hunt for something color blocked.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I was good and have only been buying for work - and for once this includes swap meet shopping. I did spend part of a gift card to get the striped shorts I've been hunting for for 1.5 years, but I don't count that since it's not out of pocket.

The one slightly "bad" thing I did was get a Black Milk galaxy print dress, which I am categorizing as band wear... totally different from casual wear.

The tough thing is knowing when I'm *done* with my work wardrobe. I keep spotting things that would go well. But I'm also getting sick of spending money, and I'm hoping to do a long-term SYC challenge very soon. I need it!

harmonica

Veteran

Mo - the title of this thread caught my interest because I am really trying to do the best out of what I already have.

Out of curiosity, have you been shopping your closet for a long time? What where the reasons for this decision?

@ rae: As a newbe on this forum, I'm not all familiar with all the shortening of words.. :-S What does SYC mean?

My last buy fulfilled all my wishes for a trench (beige, but not too green or yellow. not too much fabric around the hip and thigh area, quite streamlined, long term investment) and a beige trench has been on my shopping list for a looong time and I ended up with this: http://store-uk.hugoboss.com/B.....Dark-Beige

The last two years or so, I have been building my wardrobe from scratch (thanks a lot to the style advice archive!! It has helped me in sorting out what is necessary and what is not) and sometimes been carried a bit away when following my shopping list. Now time has come to take a break. That means that I have set some rules for my shopping for a while. No new clothes until june (or at least within budget!). I really hope I will be able to do this.

Doro

harmonica: I'm fairly new as well, but as far as I know: SYC = Shop Your Closet, SYB = Shop Your Budget. (Hope I got it right?)

Personally, I've never actually planned to "shop my closet", but after taking a friend's advice on not buying any clothes for a month, but instead to add the item I want to my "wish list", it turned out: About 70% of these items are a flash in the pan. So since I realised that I don't really NEEEEEEED anything, I'm a much calmer shopper and I'm kind of unintentionally shopping my closet

Mo, on 50 vs. 20 hangers: congratulations on the streamlining!
Rae: I don't think one can ever be *done*, from what I've read and learned so far it's some kind of ongoing evolution. As long as you don't only add, but also edit, I think it's ok. If you're so sick of spending money, how about setting a strict budget for work clothes?

harmonica

Veteran

Doro - thanks for the translation! Now it seems so obvious

Lisa

Veteran

20 hangers short is great Mo! I am doing well for March so far. I purchased a couple of items in Feb, so I feel like I am ok clothing wise for the next month. Also our weather is warming up and I am starting to break out clothes I haven't worn in almost half a year. This makes me feel like I have new items already, which also helps quench my thirst for something new.

A long term project for me this year after having foot surgery was to rebuild my shoe wardrobe. I have been hunting around for new shoes for spring/summer, but I am stuck in boots for the moment as nothing has worked so far. If I do break SYC in March it will be for shoes. However, my list of requirements for a shoe for spring and summer is extensive (black, blue or taupe in color to coordinate with my wardrobe, the shoe really has to fit my foot, no "oh well it will streach with wear" puchases, no patent material (these never felt comfortable to me), cannot expose the top of the foot where you see the scar per Dr orders this means all ballet flats are out and the majority of sandals too, no heel over 1 1/4 inch and most sandals I see are these HUGE wedges WITH platforms, have to be able to wear a sock or foot ped (my feet sweat too much sans socks), a strap across the foot (I need something to keep me from falling out of the shoe) and thus far, this is not what I see in stores (the bulk of what I have seen recently are: ballet flats, super tall wedge sandals, boat shoes in warm colors such as camel or beige, these are not colors I am looking for) so I am expecting my search to take a while.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I wasn't doing too bad until I discovered a color called mint.

Meredith1953

Veteran

Annagybe,
Mint is your obsession! Actually I like it too

I have been "pretty good". I am trying to use everything in my closet and only buy when it fills a gaping hole or "fixes" an orphan. Alas, I do buy too many scarves though.....They are MY obsession!

Isabel

Veteran

YES !! Granted I only started three weeks ago... but I have been tempted. I went to an upscale mall the other day and there were so many things that I liked. I also need to size up my clothes for Spring. But I refuse to buy anything now. It has actually been really good to cool my heels and my head after all that January and February buying. Man, one gets on a roll and it just gains momentum.

Interestingly, I have enjoyed looking through magazines and websites and window shopping. It is a relief not to feel a pressure to buy. It is really narrowing down what I really want for the next few months. I want to really minimal.

But I won't lie, it is 67 degrees here today and I want to run out and buy something because almost nothing from last year fits. But I keep telling myself once I clear out what doesn't fit and May arrives, I can shop.

SYC - shop your closet ( not the stores )
SYB - shop your budget ( not your credit limit LOL )

Rae, I think that one good way to determine if you have enough, is just to commit to wearsing everything that you already have and keep write somehting down if you find yourself saying more than a couple of times " X would really help right now ".

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Sorry I didn't get back right away. Looks like a few of us are trudging right along! Harmonica, my reasons were twofold - loss of family income for the time being, and I wanted to learn to love and wear and remix what I had, rather than looking for the excitement of new pieces all the time. I was a large wardrobe kind of gal and although I didn't spend a whole lot, I had too many clothes to really wear what was there. Many dresses would only get worn 2 times a year, for instance. And I never purged effectively. So I'd have outdated stuff just hanging there that I didn't even really 'see' anymore, I just automatically looked right past it.
I made one big purchase before the BF and I moved and we left his job behind. The Frye boots were actually the biggest purchase I've ever made and the last one, so far. I don't regret it, but I knew it would be my 'last hurrah' of sorts until I started working again.
Lisa, I can imagine a shoe revamp (ha ha ha) would take it's time if you want to be sure you make the right choices.
Anna, do you plan on mixing mint with your darker pieces, too, or just moving to a brighter spring palette overall? I have to say it is a very refreshing color on you!

Sarah A

Veteran

hmmm... id give myself an 8/10 here... i wanted to do all american made if new and mainly thrifting (and not too much of it)! I have been fairly on budget with the thrifting but i have bought 2 new bras which arent american made (couldnt really find any!) but i did loose a lot of weight since having DD 15 mo ago and went from a 38B to a 34B so i feel totally justified that this was a *need*. I also have gotten 4 new pair of shoes (2 nicer leather, 2 canvas for spring) and ordered some sandals last night (11 pair with the intention of keeping 2 returning 9 or if not even 2 are good returning them all -- i sure hope posting this will keep me honest) since going out to buy shoes has been too stressful and unproductive, hence 4 other new pairs and no sandals which was the goal. After wearing 2 pair of ballet flats and one pair mary jane since September i was getting pretty tired of no variety so this is where i am taking off 2 points! I didnt *need* 4 pair, just *wanted* more variety...

christieanne

Veteran

I am doing a SYB and made up my own self identified plan of Shop Your WishList after analyzing what holes were in the closet.

Trying to stick with buying transitional items - they can be worn for smart casual business wear or MOTG casual.
Went a bit off list with shoes - ended up with three pairs that aren't needed but two out of three are colors I didn't dream of and are so far fun additions to the closet. I am supposed to (by another self imposed - one in. one out rule) eliminate three others but have not done so yet.

Sticking with budget was easier with consigning some items - I took more things to shop this weekend and am excited to find out results of those sales. Donating more to charity this week so it balances out.

Remaining on my original wish list is a denim/chambray shirt and a bright blue handbag.

I have gone off the mark a bit on beading supplies - this could be very addictive! My DH has a huge amount of tribal/Tibetan/African beads from his past import work so I am trying to do something with those. I most likely won't end up wearing them all myself though maybe a few.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

The change in season, (and my super busy schedule) has kept me from doing too much shopping. I still have to return my gold loafers, and hopefully exchange them for something else.

harmonica

Veteran

christieann: seems like we are following the same kind of strategy with the shopping wish list. you also reminded me of a self imposed rule (though stricter in my case) i have followed for a while.. one in, two out. that way i have been able to slim down my wardrobe and think twice about what i buy.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Looks like several ladies are having success with wish lists. Interesting that after a time an item can turn into a "flash in the pan" - I have some wish lists going, but in more of a pounce-if-the-price-comes-down capacity and a pounce-if-found capacity. I guess I either love things that are out of budget or that don't exist IRL sometimes.

harmonica, I think I want to adopt one in two out as well. If I buy less, and keep a smaller wardrobe, then I won't feel so bad about some of those bigger ticket items that come up. Good to see it has worked for you! I feel much the same way about getting carried away with my overhaul and now needing a break.

Doro, I don't use a budget because I don't spend all that much in reality. I gave myself permission to do a full overhaul in my work wardrobe when I got my new job... it's just so jarring to me because I'm used to being rather miserly.

Beth

Veteran

Why yes I am, actually! OK, there was that *one* slip, but otherwise I'm hanging in there.

I ran wild with shopping last year, but this year we've had a lot of (un-fun) house upgrades: new septic field, new furnace, relined chimney, etc. Hoping to renovate our guest bath in late summer and DH has finally talked me into a front-end loader for his tractor, so I'll be on some kind of SYC for most of the year.

Doro

Interesting how everyone uses their lists differently... I should maye learn from you and not just add items that I fall in love with, but also ones that would be sensible staples and that are actually missing. Hmmm. Thanks for the nudge!

harmonica: One in, two out? Hats off! And thanks, that's another good idea.

Rae, ah, thanks for clarification. In that case, I think maybe you simply could define "full overhaul" for yourself: Is it aspiring to have enough fun outfit combinations for two weeks? Or is it more like: Having only items in your work wardrobe that are in pristine condition? Maybe that could help with finding out whether you are "done", and with justifying a new purchase to your used-to-being-miserly self.

harmonica

Veteran

@Doro: one in, two out doesn't have to be very hard. In the beginning it was (i started with one in, tree out!), but I really needed to get rid of all items that didn't fit and just clutterd after three pregnancies. you don't have to get rid of key items, but smaller stuff like hoserie, socks (one pair = one item, not two ;-), undies etc which have seen better days. baby steps are important to acheive the main goal