Shop Your Closet / Budget - midway through week 6 - YouLookFab Forum

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Shop Your Closet / Budget - midway through week 6

Mo

(website)

Veteran

How are we doing? For those who fell off the wagon, are you back on with renewed determination? I am!!

Those Frye boots should last me all season lol!! Funny thing, I wore them around the house that first day for opinions here and feel for the fit and then packed them up! So they are like a delayed present of sorts. Of course, today it's 79 here so I wouldn't be wearing them anyway, but it's weird to have my most awesome purchase of my life so far just tucked into a box right away!

I have been tempted with both blue dresses and a blue top, but have refrained (or returned) so far. So it's just the boots as a black mark on my SYC record so far this year. I am feeling good. I will be moving in a week, and into cold weather at last, so my winter will begin in essence. I have plenty of cold weather gear that needs to be worn so I should be sitting pretty, closet-wise.

How about you?

Shopping

24 replies

Latest reply was from Mochi

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I know I said I was in a hug your closet phase but that nagging itch for constant novelty just won't go away. I fell hard for the new cognac jacket I posted on Friday. I already wore it to work and I can tell it's going to be a well loved piece. I'm also going to the NYC meet up this weekend and I know I am going to want to buy something there! So that's Feb in a nutshell for me and we're only 25% of the way through!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

That itch is a real b*#^&, isn't it?! Rationally we know we don't need more, but emotionally the want lingers.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I'm trying to do the 30 day thing; and so far, I'm okay - the annoying thing is that some of my items don't fit. Should have tried them all on first. Grr.

Queen Mum

Veteran

going strong and feeling good.
Interesting though that after I scored my $16 jacket yesterday I was looking at boots at Macy's thinking "well, if I find a great price, it would be okay to grab them since my jacket was practically free"
I had to remind myself of the commitment that I made to stick to one per month regardless of price or any other creative excuse I could come up with. I'm feeling really good and in control of my wardrobe.

Raven

(website)

It's very timely I'm seeing this post about shopping your closet. I have a serious addiction to "updating" my wardrobe every year with new pieces (some I need, most I don't ). I decided if I was going to be serious about saving money (and at least having the luxury of not running up my credit card debt to astronomical levels), I would do the following:
Clean out my closet first of items that I don't wear or don't get excited about - this includes shoes (especially the ones' that hurt) - this has helped tremendously with keeping my closet tidy and seeing more of the pieces I've overlooked.
Set aside any clothes that should be altered (or can be updated by altering). I've discovered that I get "new" clothes by changing my old ones - removing sleeves or sashes, shortening a jacket or mending something that's been worn to shreds.
It's pretty cool in Chicago 9 months out of the year, so I'm mostly updating/altering my sweaters and wraps. Right now, I'm more interested in taking care of my pieces so they can last for the long haul and only replacing basics as needed
Keep us posted on your progress!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Hi Raven! Sounds like a good starting place
I am leaving some of my summer stuff behind as I move from FL next week. Purging is the hard part for me, especially if it's clothing that is still in decent condition. But I realize I won't need nearly the volume of warm weather items after my move, so I'm making the hard choices and leaving some perfectly fine pieces behind.

Lyn, that is hard that your 30 don't all fit right! Are you allowing a switch out for poor fit or just going with it?

Queen Mum, I understand the mentality behind 'allowing' yourself to shop due to the low price of the jacket. But good for you for sticking to your guns on the one a month!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Mo, I think will use one of my switch outs - but I need to find something I want to switch in :p

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I fell off the wagon for the most part, but I made a few ill-considered purchases and got annoyed with myself, so for the moment I have stopped buying anything. I'm still compulsively scouring ebay for things that I like, but I haven't bought anything for a while. At the moment I am just collecting things that appeal to me, and working on analyzing what I like about them.

Since I cleared out the things in my closet that don't really fit, I have a lot less clutter in there. But this has also highlighted the fact that there are a number of holes in my wardrobe, and a lot of clothes that I keep because they are good enough in a pinch. They would allow me to become an "acceptably dressed nobody" but definitely a frumpy one.

I think I'll try to keep my impulse shopping to a real minimum for a while, and work on making a more comprehensive list of things that need to be purchased or replaced. I've been thinking about spring and summer clothes, but really I should probably focus more on identifying missing winter items because it's likely to continue to be cold here for at least another month. And I realized the other day that I am desperately bored with black cardigans.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Stinko. Anyone surprised?

I am starting The Great White Quest for summer already.

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rae

(website)

Veteran

I felt really good this week! Getting more into my work outfits, so I'm not that tempted by casual clothes anymore - whew! Getting some pieces I really love for work has also shown me that I don't really need *that* many pieces - when I actually want to wear the stuff I have, I don't get bored as fast (what a concept, I know).

I'm looking forward to another good purge, full documentation, and possibly a full SYC once all my current stuff arrives in the mail - Frye Julias, some new styles of Esprit pants, two Halogen skirts, and the BR gold button sweater jacket.

qfbrenda

Veteran

My budget is large this month because we have our regular monthly clothing budget + hubby's overtime we're splitting for fun money + we each get a bit of tax return to play with. It's all adding up to some great finds:

bracelets and one pair of earrings I found in a local artsy town--goes along with my style epiphany of enjoying my combo loves of classic clothes and artsy jewelry

3 dresses on the way from Gap

red cropped denim jacket one the way that Angie suggested

Fossil bag I'm planning on getting---a gray cross body

Jewell

Veteran

Wellll, I gave myself a $50 allowance for the Jason Wu for Target debut. I really only wanted the cat scarf ($20), but I included a thirty dollar cushion in case something "spoke" to me. I got the scarf and I used the rest to get the black pleated skirt which looks awesome with my skinny zebra belt. I've talked myself out of a number of impulsive purchases- feeling rather good about that. I've been itching to get back to the mall and spend the rest of my merchandise credits and gift cards, though.

catgirl

Veteran

I'm doing terribly. Or let's just say I'm shopping someone else's budget. But on the good side, I'm checking things off my list like mad, and I just consigned a bunch more mediocre stuff that I was hanging onto for no good reason.

jenanded

Veteran

Its change of season here and for me, this is when the best all year round pieces come out so I need to buy.... You CAN NOT hold me to this comment when I try and bluff you with the same excuse next month so I will try and be super creative with it lol... My (late) mum and I had a great rationalisation - you can't take anything with you when you're gone but you do get to wear one last outfit, one last time - so you would NEVER want to be unprepared!

missvee

Veteran

Guilty secret - I actually like shopping my closet! Like Raven, I've found some nice pieces that weren't being worn, and I figured out that with a bit of alteration here and there, they could be winners again. So, I haven't actually bought any new clothes, but have spent money on alterations.

celia

Veteran

I was doing great until walking inside winners today and seing some nude pumps.When I asked for help to accessories the b44 dress someone mentioned some nude pumps and i realised that I have no pair of high heels.None,zero,none at all.
So I bought the shoes.
Technically speaking I am still SYC because I didn't buy any clothes,spent $50 wich is much less than I would have normally in this two months and I took care of a hole in my wardrobe.
No more shopping for mama until April now. :0)

Anonymous

Just popping in to say that I can't wait to see you (Mo) in layers, boots and a coat with snow in the background! What a change that will be!

Hope your move goes smoothly!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Aw, thanks, Claire! Anything has got to be better than the loungewear and soon to be purged cast offs that I've been wearing for the last week. That's what I get for packing ahead of the curve I feel positively SCRUFFY.

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

D@mn you, Jason Wu!

I'm hopeless

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Natalie, perhaps going the budget route would be more attainable for you

kellygirl

Veteran

I think I'm permanently off the wagon. Going SYC makes me want to shop more! I think I need to implement some reverse psychology.

Lisa

Veteran

Well I cracked the first day of the month for a JCrew top and t-shirt. After going the entire month of Jan with no purchases I wanted to "treat" myself. I planned to get back on the SYC bandwagon until the YLF gathering in NYC.

Then my feet started hurting in my new boots. And my foot is still (gosh yes still healing, it's a 6 month recovery) and I have NO tolerance for wearing my bright white running sneakers everyday anymore. I went to DSW with the goal to replace my uncomfortable black boots with new one's. And I was happy to find two pairs of boots that fit, that I purchased both. I'm sad I cracked on SYC but I am happy to have boots that are comfortable.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Lisa don't feel bad about cracking on shoes. You need comfortable footwear during your recovery. It is a necessity

Mochi

Veteran

I haven't been reading many of the SYC posts up till now because I was in an entirely different situation, badly needing to build up a wardrobe from nothing. Now, after this upcoming YLF meetup weekend in NYC, where I may or may not be doing some shopping, I feel it's safe to say I will want to get on some modified SYC plan. I think for me it would entail only buying clothes and shoes for springtime and beyond (or anything that can be used transitioning into spring). I can't say for sure, but I think it won't be hard to maintain this as I feel a lot of shopping fatigue just this past week--or maybe it's just a handful of pricey items that are adding up and giving me pause. I think everything I've bought was well-considered and will earn its place in my wardrobe; it's just that I can't keep this buying pace up, and don't feel the need to, either. (I don't think I've bought a lot, relatively, but for ME it is a sudden inflow of stuff!)