New Year's Resolution check in: How are you doing? - YouLookFab Forum

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New Year's Resolution check in: How are you doing?

April

Veteran

My fashion resolution was "more shopping" -- going to real stores and trying things on.

I've definitely done this every week so far. It's interesting that it hasn't always been fruitful (three different Macy's branches later, I finally caved and ordered my sweater online; the high-rise skinnies I wanted to try on in Gap are online only).

The good news is that "more shopping" has not necessarily resulted in more spending.

Over to you -- how are you doing with keeping any resolutions you made?

General

34 replies

Latest reply was from Mo

viva

Veteran

I'm impressed by your achievements!
I am doing pretty well in terms of my style-related resolutions: more jackets for inside-wear, more thoughtful outfits for work-at-home, more photos, more reflection on my style. All good there.
Shopping-related resolutions are a mixed bag. I am doing more shopping from my closet, which is good, but I have spent more than I expected to, which is not necessarily bad -- but does mean that I need to exercise real restraint for the next month or so in order to get back on track. I had not wanted to buy any more winter items but realized I really needed a nice pair of weatherproof boots and that set me back a bit.
Generally, I feel good about where I am. Ask me in a month and I will see if I have been able to catch up financially -- that will be the real test!

Lisa

Veteran

So far, so good. The donation bag I was thinking about here has started taking shape. A friend mentioned a tight wallet and needing clothes, so now is the perfect opportunity to get clothes out of the "boutique" (or holding zone) and into a good home.

April

Veteran

Lisa, that is not only wise but kind. (Greg, can we add a "kindness" tag for posts?)

Viva -- even if your budget got a little ahead of itself, it sounds like it was for items you need rather than for an impractical splurge.

Lisa

Veteran

*blushing* thanks April!

Thistle

Veteran

Well, I got a battery for my pedometer so I could start working towards those 10,000 steps a day

As for fashion, I donated all the remaining button downs in my closet to my sister. I had not worn them for at least 2 years as I hate dealing with bust gape. We are shaped very, very differently and she loves button downs! She was so excited to get the "good ones" as they were all the wrinkle resistant kind.

AnnieMouse

Veteran

I actually make it a point to start my resolutions in February, so I have January to plan out how to implement them

January is a shopping-free month for me, as a rule. One of my goals this year is to actually try to implement a quarterly month-long shopping hiatus. So far, so good!

April

Veteran

Tagging you with kindness too, Thistle!

My sister is always thrilled with my pass-alongs. She's six inches taller and we don't wear the same shoe size so this limits our sharing, but when it works, it's so nice.

April

Veteran

AM -- that's brilliant.

ramya

Veteran

My goal this year, was to start wearing all I have. I have been pretty good with that. I have now started to really see what I like and don't in my stuff.

Anonymous

Resolutions? What resolutions?
This thread is reminding me to get a package sent to my sister.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You are all doing great! I love the sounds of those donations -- it's freeing for the donator as well as a kindness to the recipient. And the shopping discoveries can be very helpful, if uncomfortable. April, I've had similar realizations. There just isn't that much great shopping available to me in my very small city, but even on my big-city trips I can be done in by what's available in my size. On the other hand, at least you get to feel the fabrics and see if it's even worth ordering online.

AnnieMouse, I love your idea of leaving January free for planning.

Since my resolution was basically ABOUT planning, I guess you could say I am meeting it. It's a bit hard to measure! I think I said "refining the essence."

Well, in fact, I have come a bit clearer about how I plan to do that -- partly as a result of a wild card purchase. I'll post about that later in the week, I hope.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm doing okay . . . took a dress to alter (they did a poor job, won't be going back :() and have a mistake maxi listed on eBay as I type. The repeating of favorite outfits is proving harder. I still seem to be wary of exact repeats. Of course, we're only a few weeks in, so I have time to right that ship.
A little too far ahead on my yearly shopping plan but I'm slowing down for Feb. to catch back up.
it's all a work in progress, you could say.

Anonymous

I think I am doing pretty well. My 2014 resolution was one in-one out and I have managed to achieve that goal.

It has been challenging though. I love to shop, but having to think through which item in my wardrobe will be replaced has really put the brakes on actual purchases. Although 2014 is still very young, my resolution is teaching me that my existing wardrobe meets my needs and style goals. I could not have made this statement three years ago. I purchased purely on impulse without any clear plan or understanding of my needs. I had a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

In my heart, I still want more clothes (especially purses and shoes), but I don't need them. I don't have any identiable holes at this point, I just want to upgrade the quality of those pieces that need to be replaced anyway.

This new way of shopping is unique to me. It is too soon to say whether I will love it or hate it. I can say I will be hard pressed to include impulse purchases during 2014 because it would mean replacing something in my wardrobe that already works.

Debbie

Veteran

Thank-you April. This reminded me that I need to do some things. I am going to make an appointment at a make-up counter. I think I will try Mac and update my make-up.

My other goal was to take more pictures and post them here. I really need to work on this. I find myself more accountable when I post pictures.

Greyscale

Veteran

I brought all my jeans to the tailor to be shortened, and I brought a few high-end rejects to the consignment store. I need to call the consignment store to follow up, since they never emailed me a price list as they promised. So far, I'm doing pretty well!

April

Veteran

Debbie, I know what you mean! I did not make that part of the "get back on YLF" resolution I made, but I need to figure out how to take decent photos to post. Mirror photos are hard at my house because all the full-length mirrors are very old. Fine for checking yourself from head to toe, not so great for photos.

Go, GS! It will feel so good to have those jeans available to you at the length you want.

shedev

Veteran

My main resolutions were to embrace fewer, better and to buy things that get me closer to "there", so far I've bought a pair of blue RB and am looking at a pair in black. So for now I'm on track.

Jewell

Veteran

Sounds like everyone is (mostly) on track, which is good since the first month of the year isn't even over yet- LOL

My resolutions were/are...
1. Be Patient, Picky and Practical with my purchases. So far I've ticked two things off my 2014 shopping list, though one was for fall. I also grabbed two scarves that were love at first sight, but I left a lot of other items behind that weren't quite what I was looking for. The real test will come once I start seeing more new merchandise in stores.

2. Commit to a skin care routine that includes drinking enough water. I've been consistent with my nightly face washing, and I'm drinking more water- just not 64 ounces a day. I've gotta do better.

3. Gain 10-12 pounds to return to my goal weight, and then maintain that weight. 5 down, 7 to go. The last five to ten are always the hardest for me.

4. Learn my correct bra size and buy some new bras. I have a fitting planned for February. Right before Valentine's Day seems like a great time to buy new lingerie.

Gigi

Veteran

One of my resolutions was not to buy anything that didn't really make me happy. I have done pretty well, although I did buy two scarves that I wasn't super-excited about. However, I had been looking high and low to find wool-blend scarves that didn't cost an arm and a leg, and these fit the bill. The one scarf just needed some styling...when I paired it with the right sweater, I had a very high happiness factor. So I'm forgiving myself for those. :^)

anne

Veteran

My new year's resolutions was to put away all my clothes as soon as I took them off. I have mostly kept to this, with the exception of workout gear that I need to air before putting on again.
I reckon my drawers are getting more untidy though!

April

Veteran

Anne, I confess my dresser used to have a big pile at all times of items I'd taken off (either that I'd decided not to wear, or had worn minimally.) I hated seeing that pile but still kept adding to it.

Then I moved my bedroom to a much smaller room in my house, and I had no dresser. I have a bed with storage baskets beneath, and a closet. In such a small space, any item out of place makes things look chaotic, so I became much more disciplined about putting things away.

High five on keeping your resolution -- I have found that putting things away immediately really increases the peacefulness of my room.

unfrumped

Veteran

Hmmm, I may decide on my resolutions retroactively, based what I accomplish!

Seriously, more editing was a goal. Not just crazy- purging, but continuing to see those things that didn't fit in the big picture.

Doing pretty well so far. I keep a list of incoming vs outgoing, and I'm running out of room on the Jan out- page.

--Honing color palette is a big help. Items in olive and brown are causing confusion and I keep finding bits.
--The editing tip, " pull out things that don't feel like you" helped.
-- continuing to reduce some categories to 2-3 items instead of 5-6 helps
-- trying on stuff not worn for 6 months or so helps-- usually I can get a good yay or nay with a fresh look.
-- allowing it to be okay to do these nibble edits helps. I love the dramatic giant edit idea, and I have done several big sweeps, but I also find I get some good clarity by doing something else for awhile and then suddenly I'll "see" what doesn't fit in, without any struggle.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I've donated four (smaller, not garbage bag sized!) bags of stuff to the thrift store. I lost track of counts for one in, on out already, to be honest, but that I think I'm going to track based on how things fit in my drawers and on my hangers rather than keeping track of iteral counts. And I have been tracking my clothing purchases, although I am already over budget for January. But if I have some restraint in February I can make it up, no problem.

Dee

Veteran

My goal was to develop a more cohesive style/wardrobe. In terms of purging, I've sent one bag of winter items off to the thrift/consignment shop and have a bunch of spring items baggeed up waiting for the appropriate season. I already can see more space in my closet, which is nice.

In terms of shopping, I haven't much. I realized I'm actually pretty happy with my wardrobe so my only clothing related purchase so far was one lightweight scarf (impulse purchase overt the weekend). But January is when my semi-annual car insurance payment is due so I have less spending money this month anyway. We'll see if more careful shopping/spending holds up in future months.

Laurinda

Veteran

Such a warm & fuzzy thread, it's inspirational to read how well folks are doing. I went back to Mo's New Year's resolution thread to check myself, and three weeks in I am doing pretty well. The mending and hemming are done but no refashioning yet, and I found a cobbler to shorten a couple leather belts. I dropped off a load at Consignment and Goodwill, bought a new sweater and scarf (updates and treats), bought a new well-fitting bra, and made an appointment for a haircut. Once I get a new eyeglass prescription I can update those for a fresh Spring start.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Well done, April. Love having you back on the forum. Really missed you.

Here are my 2014 Style Goals:

http://youlookfab.com/2014/01/.....-for-2014/

Although I added two more black items to my wardrobe this year - their harshness was offset with my new apple green specs. So I am still right on target. Thanks for keeping an eye on me. xo

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Mine were:

I'm pretty happy with my trans-seasonal/winter wardrobe & for the first time in years I actually have a summer wardrobe at the start of summer. So for me it's wearing & fine-tuning my summer capsule.

Other than that I want to minimise & update my dressy capsule but that involves finding my perfect tux style suit which is proving difficult.

I am wearing my summer clothes & I am finding the dresses I bought are really working well. I also tried on all my evening clothes & let most of them go - I realise I can use my brocade jacket & some of my dressier tops & other jackets for evening until I find my suit.

April

Veteran

I'm thrilled at how many people are sticking to their plans! We hear so much at this time of year about the percentage of resolutions that are kicked to the curb by mid-January -- very discouraging.

(And if you're reading this and feeling badly because you're not doing as well with your goals as you'd hoped -- take heart! You can start over any time.)

DonnaF

Veteran

I'm feeling like such an epic failure. My resolution was to buy and spend less this year, and now I'm on my way to spending MORE. In my defense, my right foot has become even fussier, so the booties that worked for me a year and two ago are becoming sitting shoes AND the three pair that were on my Watch List suddenly went on sale as well as the drapey blouse I was watching. That doesn't explain the belts which were full price.

Anyway, I just sent an e-mail to the podiatrist to see if an orthotic might make those old shoes and booties wearable, so those purchases might end up being returns.

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