I feel sooo out of the loop! Summer is by far the least fashion-oriented time of year for me. The past couple of months I have spent pretty much every day wearing either gear (we just got back from a 3-week backpacking trip) or chore clothes (we bought a house 2 months ago and are beginning some DIY renovations now that vacation is over). I've actually spent a fair amount of my budget replacing gear (trail runners, gaiters, running shorts, yoga tights, bras) -- all of which was very necessary, not to mention fun, but leaves me feeling a bit guilty spending money on plain old casual clothes.
Just looking at what I have for fall/winter, everything feels a bit blah. I can already tell there are some big gaps in my wardrobe, but just identifying them feels exhausting and not-fun! I love browsing fall/winter clothes, but I really don't like the pressure of doing a big in-season shop. Besides, a lot of the stuff I love about fall/winter (denim, cords, flannel, wool sweaters, cute beanies) I have *plenty* of.
The most glaring holes right now are footwear and jackets. I have such a hard time plunking down cash for these big-ticket items. I just consigned two pairs of boots that don't fit anymore, and that leaves me with only four pairs of non-gear shoes. And only only two of those are appropriate for cold/wet fall weather. I have a pair of cute women's Blundstones on the way that will, I hope, fit and serve as an everyday 'round-town shoe as the weather turns less clement. I also have a new pair of real winter boots on the way -- with insulation and traction! After 3 winters in the southwest, I didn't actually have snow boots when we moved back to the northeast last winter, and fudged it with some old hikers that were big enough to accommodate two pairs of socks and wool insoles. It only worked because last year was sooo mild.
I also replaced my rain coat midway through the summer with a Patagonia trench that I'm quite happy with. I have a puffer I really like for deep cold, but my go-to wool coat is in sorry shape. (No finds for these, sorry.) I either need to replace it or find a good tailor who can put a new lining in it. Or maybe both will happen!
I'm also hoping to acquire some fall-weight toppers that are casual but a step up from hoodies and easier-care than wool. I have a lot of wool sweaters, including a black boucle hoodie that's been my go-to for years, but I'm sorely in need of some sort of field jacket/anorak/etc for days when wool is too warm, but a cotton hoodie is too sloppy.
I'm going to have to bite the bullet on some decent casual footwear -- probably some black or almost-black ankle boots, and maybe some neutral colored flats. Remarkably, I have NO black or brown footwear right now. The closest thing I have to neutrals are grey and burgundy -- this is feeling a little ridiculous lately. It works for me most of the time because I'm almost always wearing denim, black, or grey on the bottom, and lots of black, navy, and white on the top. But as soon as I add more color to an outfit, my current shoe options don't cut it.
My accessories -- especially scarves -- are also in need of an upgrade. When it's hot and muggy, I can't even do a light linen scarf, but this transitional weather is crying out for some linen, cotton, and silk scarves, and in a month or two I'll be wanting chunky knits.
I'm going to have to restrain myself from buying sweaters and jeans, two of my *favorite* things to shop for, since I have plenty of both right now, and I love what I have.
To summarize, my F/W goals are:
- find some comfortable, dressier-casual shoes/boots in black or other dark neutral
- find some everyday fall toppers in natural fibers other than wool (cotton, hemp, and linen blends)
- decide what to do about a non-puffy winter coat -- repair or replace
- try not to look at sweaters and denim! (I already have two pairs of custom-order pants in the works that will be the bulk of my holiday gifts this Christmas)
- use whatever is left of my budget to refresh my transitional and cold-weather accessories, especially scarves and maybe light gloves/mittens
