Trying sooo hard to be picky and careful, but still…. Last year I wanted a pair of Blundstones so badly! It seems like everyone wears them here, and they do look so cool. Well, I think the popular style has a narrower toe box than I could wear (bunions), so I opted for a round toe version. They worked okay style-wise with my skinny’s for fall through winter to spring, but I find them so heavy and clunky looking! Now with skinnies edited from my closet, they are tougher to style. Don’t work with crops at all, and only one pair of full length jeans. I think I’ll set them aside for gardening (heavy spade/shovel work) and keep my eyes open for a lighter looking, more refined Chelsea boot.

Most memorably shoes for me too, including one just this Christmas! Got some new Birkenstock Bostons as house shoes, not realizing that the style I chose was a men's style and thus the default is a wide rather than a narrow, whereas when you buy a woman's style they default to narrow? (Super confusing, I would not classify my feet as narrow, but apparently every Birkenstock I have ever worn was a narrow without my realizing it.) So I tried them on in my size, 38, they felt great (I also have sort of new arthritis in one big toe & knuckle, so the roominess was welcome) and so I threw out the box and everything. Within about a week I was starting to worry that they were so loose that I would lose them! I decided to keep wearing them and they didn't continue to get looser and looser as I worried, although they are quite loose. I had a friend who works in leather punch some new holes in the straps so I can tighten them up if I need to, but I have just generally felt dumb that I didn't examine the whole thing more closely in the beginning.

I try to look for pieces that work well with my small wardrobe. Last year I made several shopping mistakes.

1/ Camel oversized turtle neck sweater from Artitizia
This is a lovely sweater, but the colour is wrong for me. The camel colour and my hair look unattractive together. I thought camel would be an excellent colour to introduce to my wardrobe. Wrong! I will probably try to sell it.

2/ Orange oversized turtle sweater Zaket & Plover
I love the colour, but I don't do oversized. It just doesn't work for me.
I will probably try to sell it.

3/ Burnt orange wide-legged cropped pants Lululemon
These started as winners but were uncomfortable after I cut the tags. Donated.

4/ Olive joggers Lululemon
These looked so good that I ignored how much I disliked the feel of the material on my skin. Donated.