What I Bought And How I've Worn It

Well I bought a lot this month! I picked up quite a lot in June & July so I wasn't looking to add more to my wardrobe, and didn't do any shopping in August, but in September I made a few impulse buys!

A mix of thrift finds, sale purchases, and even a lucky ebay score.

What I Bought:

• Kmart Anko oversized cropped denim trench coat
• Kmart Anko short sleeve wrap chambray tiered midi dress 
  
  
• pre-loved black Acne Studios Pistol boots
  
  
• thrifted TEMT long black duster cardigan
• thrifted Valleygirl pink and grey tartan longline blazer
• thrifted Target blue linen blazer
  
  
• thrifted Rama Boho Fashion pink and orange floral print button up midi skirt
  
  
• thrifted Dotti linen blend flutter sleeve blouse
  
  
• thrifted Target Preview black shirred tartan midi dress

Why I Bought It:

I always have a browse in the opshop when I drop donations off, and if I'm kid free as I was on one trip this month, I take the time to checkout the clothing section for myself and the kids. With clothes for $1 each in my fave local opshop, I can never resist a browse! I got really lucky and ended up with many things I just had to have! the blazers are great finds for work, I'm always on the hunt for blazers in the opshop. The blouse and the skirt I just really liked, and the black duster I thought would be a good wardrobe addition for when it's not warm enough for short sleeved dusters. It warmed up quicker than I thought it would this spring though so it's not been worn much. I think the tartan midi dress is my favourite opshop find this month though, it works so well in every outfit.

I'd been wearing my nude toned Acne Studios Pistol boots a bit so decided to see if there were any black ones available cheap on eBay and got these for an absolute bargain, resoled too!

The Kmart buys were because I walked passed the discount racks a few too many times - at $5 for a denim jacket I had to give it a try, even though it's so similar to the longline denim trench I bought a while back. And that dress I'd had my eye on for a while, it was finally reduced to $10 so I had to get it. I like it for the office.

How I've Worn It:

Every time I buy something, I stop and consider if I'll get at least 30 wears from it, as I want to minimise the environmental impact of what I buy. it's why I buy preloved so often. If I can't easily think of 3 ways to wear something with pieces I already own, I don't buy it. I then set myself the goal of wearing everything twice in the month I buy it, so I am actually buying pieces I will wear and get use from.

In September, as my opshop trip was at the start of the month, I had more than enough opportunity to wear everything twice or more. While not everything was a planned purchase (aside from the blazer, nothing else is really something I'm hunting for when I'm opshopping), I think I did well buying things that work in my current wardrobe and lifestyle.

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What I Bought In June & July And How I've Worn It

In what is quickly becoming a common refrain on the blog, I wasn't expecting to buy anything but then..... I bought a few things this month and last month.

What I Bought in June:

• Kisschasy Hymns for the Nonbeliever 2025 tour band tee
• thrifted Suzanne Grae basics red tee
• thrifted Iris Maxi the Label purple floral tiered mini dress
• thrifted blue knotted beaded necklace
• thrifted grey and white beaded necklace

What I Bought In July: 

• thrifted Target cotton and modal relaxed red tee
• thrifted Country Road grey crew neck tee
• thrifted Mossimo black and white striped v-neck tee
• thrifted Dotti leopard print long cardigan
• thrifted Gypsy Mermaid blue tulip hem wrap skirt
• thrifted Kmart tiered little black dress
• thrifted Louenhide metallic embossed sandals

• Kmart long sleeved brushed seam detail knit top in berry

Why I Bought It:

I picked up a couple of things at the end of June (the red tee, purple floral dress and necklaces), at the opshop after having a quick browse after dropping off some donations. As I'd bought them near the end of the month and it was winter school holidays, I didn't have the time to get a post together. But as you can see from the photos below, I did manage to wear everything at least twice in the month I bought it. That's my goal with everything I buy, to wear it twice in the month I buy it. It's my way of making sure I'm actually buying things that work with my wardrobe and are suitable for my lifestyle, after feeling a little frustrated with all the NWT items I found hanging in my wardrobe when I did a big clear out years ago.

However, in July I did not manage to hit my goal of wearing everything twice! Mostly because the sandals weren't really geared for the weather. While Brisbane winters aren't that cold, I definitely won't be wearing the sandals I bought until spring at least!

While June's purchases were still impulse buys, just browsing the opshop after dropping stuff off, July's purchases were a result of emotional shopping for sure! I turned to retail therapy and stopped by the opshop just to shop. The "fill a bag for $5" sale hooked me and I walked away with clothes and sandals for me, clothes for the kids and books for all of us as well. Definitely a bargain, but not anything I was really needing. Still, I tried to really consider everything I put in my bag to make sure it would work for me. I am happy with everything I bought as I managed to wear everything at least twice except for the sandals. The Kmart knit was another impulse buy just because I saw it in store, near the checkouts, and I didn't have a pink knit! I do have a very similar one in blue I thrifted a while back, but I really liked the berry pink colour. And with the weather in Brisbane recently, it was definitely worn more than twice.

How I've Worn It:

I've still spent less on fashion this year than last year, but I do feel I've been buying a lot lately. When my favourite opshop has clothes for $1 though it's easy to justify a little retail therapy - it definitely doesn't break the budget!

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30 Ways To Wear: Charcoal Grey Tunic Tee

After hitting 31 wears with this grey tunic tee, it was definitely time to put together a post sharing 30 ways I've worn it.

30 Ways To Wear: Grey Tunic Tee

I picked up this tee from the opshop all the way back in August 2019. It was such a bargain, and so super soft. I'm not sure how much it was worn before I thrifted it, but it made it to 31 wears in my wardrobe. It will not get any more wears though unfortunately as although it's super soft and comfortable to wear, the fabric has some elastane in it. And over the years as I've worn this tee, the elastane has stretched out a bit. It's started to lose its shape and is showing its age, so it's not something I'm going to be able to achieve any more wears from unfortunately. It's getting a bit sheer with the elastane fading and stretching so it won't be staying in my wardrobe, and will be going into fabric recycling.

Cost Per Wear

At 31 wears over 6 years of owning this tee, I've definitely gotten good value for money. It was one of 9 pieces I got in the "fill a bag for $5" sale so it was technically just 55 cents. And so it works out to 1.7 cents a wear. Amazing for the budget, and also good for the environment that I could give this tee over 30 wears before retiring it.

Here's my favourite ways I've worn this grey tunic tee over the years.

Grey Tee With Green

Obviously, a grey tee goes with everything! I have called out a few different colours in these outfit groupings as I see I wear it with some colours more than others, and green is one of those colours I like wearing with neutrals like grey.

Grey Tee With Pink

I like a pop of pink with grey, it really stands out! The grey tee works with little pieces of pink like that bag or the scarf, or more pink like those jeans.

Grey Tee In Monochromatic Outfits

As well as wearing this grey tee with bright colours, I like to wear it with other neutral pieces like blacks and whites and more greys, to create nice monochromatic outfits. I do often add an extra pop of colour with these outfits, as you can see from the pink bags and the blue bag and scarf.

Grey Tee With Red

Another great colour pairing with grey is red, red really pops against the neutral grey tee.

Grey Tee And Winter Layers

A good basic plain grey tee like this is so good for layering with in winter. I love how it goes with everything so I can add printed or colourful scarves and cosy cardigans, blazers or jackets.

Grey Tee And Prints

Like you can see with the printed scarves above, a plain grey tee works well with larger printed pieces like the maxi skirts and the chevron print jeans.

Grey Tee and Shorts

While I've shared some layered outfits above you can't beat the simplicity of a shorts and tee outfit for warmer weather, and of course a grey tee works with any style and colour of shorts, like in each of these 4 outfits.

Grey Tee and Skirts

Another easy outfit formula, grey tee and a skirt. Much like the shorts, each of these skirts is very different, but a basic grey tee works with any style of skirt.

Grey Tee and Printed Cover Ups

The final set of outfits I want to share with this grey tee is one of my favourite ways to wear it. A plain grey tee and colourful fun printed toppers is a formula I often repeat. The colour and print never clashes with the basic grey.

I'm sad this tee has to be retired, but it was getting too sheer and shapeless with the faded elastane. It's not the first soft and stretchy tee I've had to let go of because the fabric hasn't stood the test of time sadly. It's definitely made me consider the fabric of what I'm buying in stores. Of course if I see a super soft and stretch tee in the opshop I won't pass it up, but if I see a new tee in store with elastane in it, it's not something I'm going to buy new as I know it will be unlikely to stay in good enough condition for me to get good value from the purchase. 

It was such a staple in my wardrobe, as you can see in the photos it really worked in every outfit, and a grey tee is something I'll always frequently reach for. Just not this one any more.

More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 31 ways I've worn this tee in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear: slouchy wine purple v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy and white striped tee
• 30 ways to wear: lilac v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a dark grey v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a grey v-neck tee

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What I Bought In April & How I've Worn It: Opshop Finds and a Few Retail Purchases

I haven't bought a lot of things to add to my wardrobe this year. I did pick up a NWT bag in the opshop back in February, but since then hadn't had much thrifting luck looking for myself. Managed to purchase plenty of books for myself and the kids to enjoy though!

Earlier in April I had a rare morning running errands by myself, and some things to donate to the opshop, so I had a good long browse after doing so, and I came home with a lot!

Not everything was a preloved find, as I also bought a couple new things on a day out with my mum and sister. So here's my massive April shopping haul, and how I've worn everything so far.

What I Bought:

Bought New:

• Havaianas glitter Rosa Macaron  
• Anko Kmart short sleeve slub v-neck tee in copper 
• Cotton On silver beaded bracelet stack
• Mimco mini shimmy bracelet in bluebell

Opshop Purchases:

• thrifted Target hammered silver circle earrings
• thrifted hammered silver statement necklace
• thrifted Lovisa red tassel earrings
• thrifted rose gold station statement necklace

 

• thrifted Seed heritage black dolman sleeve blouse
• thrifted no label terrazzo print white tank
• thrifted no label black and white leopard print cocoon cardigan
• thrifted Cotton On pale olive cami

How I've Worn It:

Every time I add something to my wardrobe I set myself the goal of wearing it twice in the month I buy it. While there have been a few exceptions to this rule (like knits I stumble across at the opshop in summer I need to wait until cooler weather to wear), most of the time I achieve this goal. It helps me make sure I'm buying things I'll actually wear and enjoy and that work with my current wardrobe. And everything I bought I managed to wear at least twice. Even the Havaianas, as it was mild enough for a few days not not need closed in shoes.

The hammered silver circle earrings were a surprise winner for most worn new purchase in April, as I wore then 4 times. Good cost per wear already, at $2 new with tags at the opshop. They just go with everything! I love wearing them, and all the things I bought I've enjoyed wearing. The leopard print cardigan was such a lucky opshop find, as the autumn weather has really set in in Queensland and I've been reaching for knits more often. I'm confident I'll still be able to wear it over winter too, it keeps me nice and cosy.

I'm really happy with everything I added to my wardrobe this month, and expect I'll have another couple of shopping free months before I buy any more.

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What I Bought In February & How I've Worn It: Upcycled Re-Up Denim Tote Bag

When I did my annual budget round up post at the end of the year I shared that I probably wasn't going to add much to my wardrobe in 2025. And I managed to resist the January sales and bought nothing, although I did make one purchase this month. An impulse buy I just had to have!

What I Bought:

Just one addition to my wardrobe so far this year. I just HAD to buy this when I saw it in Lifeline. I see that a lot of opshops are listed as stockists of the Re-UP bags on their website so I'm assuming they partner with the opshops in some way and it wasn't just a donation from someone's wardrobe. That explains why there was an entire rack of these beautiful bags all new with tags for me to pick from.

I was only intending to browse for books, but I like to look everywhere in an opshop in case I find a gem or two and this bag was definitely it. It's a real conversation starter!

I  am not short on bags, but for something this unique I couldn't resist adding it to my wardrobe.

How I've Worn It:

While I don't have any blue jeans in my wardrobe, I do have some blue denim skirts and jackets, although I don't see myself wearing this bag with them. I love it with non-denim pieces, particularly dresses, those outfits might be my favourite with this so far.

It's also been used as as a laptop bag for work a few times, it gets a lot of compliments! And it's a great tote on a day I need to carry a lot. Definitely a fun addition to my wardrobe.

At just $14.95 I'll get a lot of value from this bag, and it's so good that it's giving life to an old pair of jeans as well.

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What I Bought How I've Worn It: #SecondHandSeptember

Managed to stick to second hand September with my purchases this month. After thrifting a few accessories in August I ended up buying a couple of clothing items from my frequent trips to the opshop for books for the kids and I.

What I bought:

• thrifted Kmart black and white boho print maxi skirt
• thrifted purple and red Paisley print duster

How I wore it:

Both the black and white printed maxi skirt and the purple and red Paisley print cover up were lucky opshop finds, and I've worn them a few times this month already, along with a few other preloved pieces I have in my wardrobe.

The Paisley print cover up is so fun and for only $1 I just had to have it. I really like the colours in the print and with the spring weather being here in Brisbane it's been perfect for the temperatures, so I've already worn it three times.

The black and white printed maxi skirt was another $1 item, from my favourite opshop. I only managed to wear it twice this month but I know it will be a staple in my wardrobe like my other maxi skirts.  It's so good with sandals for spring.

I wasn't intending to buy anything this month, but always have a browse of the other items whenever I visit an opshop, and I'm pleased with these additions to my wardrobe that resulted. And despite being firmly casual pieces, I was still able to hit my "wear twice in the month I buy it" goal with both, even with my increase of days working in the office and decrease in work from home days.

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30 Ways To Wear: Valleygirl Cobalt Marl Knit Jumper

In the first days of spring in Brisbane, I'm looking back to some colder weather outfits with one of my winter knits. Sharing 30 ways I've worn this beautiful bright cobalt knit I thrifted, over the years it's been in my wardrobe. It's the first jumper I've hit 30 wears on too!

30 Ways To Wear: Thin Cobalt Marl Knit Jumper

Cost Per Wear

I purchased this bright cobalt marl knit at the opshop back in April 2015! At the time, I'd had a wardrobe detox session with a personal stylist after having my eldest boy and she pointed out my wardrobe could use some more basic block colour pieces. This fit the bill nicely and it was just $7 at Vinnies! At 30 wears so far, that's 23 cents a wear. And because it was a preloved thrift find, I'm sure it was worn more by the previous purchaser as well, lowering the environmental impact even further.

Valleygirl is a fast fashion brand in Australia, and not a store I shop at. But this knit has gone the distance over the years and is such a good opshop find. I've only worn it 30 times in the 9 years I've had it because the weather in Brisbane means I don't often need a cosy winter knit! I do enjoy wearing it when the weather cools though.

Knit Jumper Knotted Over a Dress

This is quite a thin and stretchy knit (it's synthetic) so it knots up beautifully to be worn over a printed dress. It adds a little more warmth to allow me to wear summer spaghetti strap dresses like these four on cooler days. I really like the way this jumper looks knotted over a dress.

Cobalt Knit With Skirts

This marl knit is so versatile! While I've worn it over dresses in the first set of photos I also really like it worn with skirts for a similar look. It works just as well with a pencil skirt in an office outfit as it does with a maxi skirt for casual weekend or working from home wear.

Cobalt Jumper With Red

This jumper being a block colour works so well with other pieces and colours in my wardrobe. I've worn this jumper with a lot of different colours and shades. Red and blue is always a bright and colourful combination, and any shades work well. Like the deeper burgundy jeans in the middle, or the brighter red skirt and jeans in the first and last outfits.

Cobalt Knit Jumper With Green

"Blue and green should never be seen" is not a rule I follow! I like this bright cobalt with different shades of green, just as it works with different shades of red in the outfits above. Although I don't find green as easy to wear as some other colours in my wardrobe, pairing it with blue is always a winning combination for me.

Cobalt Knit With Pink

Blue and pink, again, as seen above with the other colours, is something that works in any shade combination! From pastel pink to brighter neon pinks, and even a darker magenta like that little Rebecca Minkoff Edie bag in the third outfit there. I really like the combination of blue and pink. No matter how much or how little pink is worn with this knit, it's always a good pairing.

Cobalt Knit Jumper With Purple

Blue and purple is another frequent go-to combination for me. And while sometimes I just stick with the two colours together like I have in that third outfit there, I often add in a little extra and make one of my most worn trios with blue, purple and a touch of pink. Cobalt never looks out of place with purple or pink.

Blue Knit and Black

Of course if you're not sure what to pair a bright knitted jumper with, any colour works with black! This cobalt knit really pops when worn with neutrals like black, and the bold block colour means it looks good with printed black pieces, like each of the three printed bottoms in these outfits.

Cobalt Marl Knit With Stripes

While I've shown you a few ways to wear this jumper with prints in the other images, I really wanted to call this out as a separate combination with this knit jumper and stripes. With the marl knit having an almost striped appearance I worried at first pairing it with more stripes would be too much, but as you can see from each of these 4 outfits, it really works!

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Similar Cobalt Knits Under $50:

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More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 30+ ways I've worn this jumper in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear: wine purple slouchy tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy and white striped tee
• 30 ways to wear: navy waterfall cardigan
• 30 ways to wear: lilac v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear: cobalt blue leather jacket
• 30 ways to wear: purple cocoon cardigan
• 30 ways to wear a dark grey v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a grey v-neck tee

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What I Bought In August And How I've Worn It - Opshop Finds

After buying a few pieces to add to my wardrobe last month, I really wasn't expecting to buy anything this month! But an opshop browse to get things for Book Week at the kids school on a 50% off sale day was too good to pass up! I ended up buying a few accessories.

The best bit is that the 4 necklaces and the earrings were just $6 all together!

What I Bought:

• thrifted Colette gold metal flower stud statement earrings
• thrifted mint silicone statement necklace
• thrifted bronze foil statement necklace
• thrifted neutral silicone and wood bead necklace
• thrifted blue tone flat bead statement necklace

How I've Worn It:

I couldn't resist these earrings, still new and unworn and absolutely beautiful! I love how they look on, I wasn't sure they would be too big and heavy but they are lighter than I expected and they do make a fun statement.

I wore a lot of silicone necklaces when the boys were younger - great for teething babies! I felt these wood and silicone beaded necklaces were a nice nod to that phase of my life without looking too baby related, so I added those to my bag too!

The blue and cream flat bead necklace and the bronze clay bead necklace are similar to pieces I already own and love so I knew I would get a lot of wear from them.

Even with the winter weather hanging around Brisbane into August and not completely giving up on scarves yet, I have still been able to occasionally wear the necklaces as spring warmth starts to arrive, and I've hit or exceeded my 'wear twice in the month I buy it' goal with all of these pieces.

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What I Bought In April and How I've Worn It

Back again with more wardrobe additions! After scoring a few thrift finds in February, I hadn't really felt the urge to add much to my wardrobe. I did make a couple of recent impulse buys though, so here's what I've bought in April and how I've worn it.

What I Bought:

• thrifted Zara pink frayed hem skinny jeans
• thrifted white leather Converse sneakers
• thrifted Jeanswest cobalt blue blazer
• thrifted Belle Folie multi colour tassel necklace
• Just Jeans Jamie shirt tail v neck tee in coated champagne gold

Actually bought something new this month! While the jeans, Converse, necklace and blazer were lucky opshop finds, the metallic tee was something I picked up on our recent trip to the outlets. When hubby was buying a couple pairs of jeans I decided to add the tee to our shop as we waited at the register, I thought it would be fun to wear! It gets a lot of compliments for sure, but if I'd stopped and read the care tag and saw the metallic comes from polyester, and that Just Jeans does not have a good track record in ethical fashion practices, I probably wouldn't have bought it.

Completely owning up to the fact that I got swayed by the price tag at the register, and committing to wear it 30 times as I do with everything I buy to minimise the environmental impact, just a reminder to myself to be a little more discerning when I shop and what I support with my cash.

The opshop finds are nothing but positive of course - my money goes to local opshops that help in the community, keeps clothing out of landfill and expands my wardrobe without adding to the environmental impact of the fashion industry or supporting the unfair lower-than-living-wage for people that make cheap clothes. Plus new wardrobe additions at barging preloved prices are always fun!

How I've Worn It:

The blue blazer I have a very similar style of in blush pink that I'm nearly at 30 wears with and so I know this blue one will get a lot of wear. I've really enjoyed the brightness it brings to my office outfits so far!

The tassel necklace I already have something similar, it was also an opshop find and it's a multi strand one with lots of colourful tassels. I couldn't resist this when I saw it at the opshop, despite it being similar to one I already own, as I know I like the style and it will be a great way to add a little more colour to my outfits.

The pink jeans are a little heavy on the stretch fabric but that does make them very comfortable to wear - and while I know frayed hem jeans were a trend a while ago, I couldn't pass up the cute shade of pink. As it was the 50% off sale day at the opshop too I got them for just $2 which was perfect.

Given how much I wear Converse lately I had to check out these leather ones at the opshop - seeing they were my size made them an automatic must-have! They do have the downside of looking exactly the same as my white canvas Converse in outfit pics, so they may suffer from being incorrectly tagged on the blog in future, but for $9 and a little bit of elbow grease to clean and condition the leather they were definitely a good buy. And at 7 wears already, definitely the most worn of my purchases this month!

The gold tee is a little tricker to wear than I thought - it is very shiny! But it's also been fun coming up with ways to wear it, and as you can see I've enjoyed pairing it with softer pinks the first couple of times I've worn it.

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What I Bought In February And How I've Worn It: Thrifted Finds

After getting so many awesome clothes and accessories for Christmas, I wasn't expecting to be adding to my wardrobe so early into the year! However I came across some a few pieces I couldn't resist at the opshop. I mostly focus on books when I'm there, but also have a little browse through the clothes racks and accessories stands and often unearth some gems like I did on my last visit.

What I Bought:

• thrifted cream resin bangle duo set
• thrifted burgundy and cream beaded statement necklace
• thrifted &Me blue linen button up midi skirt with pockets
• thrifted Cotton On The one crew tee in green

How I've Worn It:

It's taken me a while to add midi skirts to my wardrobe - but after thrifting an awesome leopard print midi skirt last year, and getting a pretty green one from my mum for Christmas, I couldn't pass up this lovely linen button down one. It has pockets! And was just $1.

I wear a lot of tees so I always have my eye out for them at the opshop - this green one was in perfect condition, and I have a bunch of Cotton On tees in my wardrobe already, just no green ones. I'm finding it really easy to wear so far. I used to avoid anything green, but have been embracing the colour more these past few years. I think realising "blue and green should never be seen" is a silly rule has really attracted me to the colour, I love wearing green and blue together.

The accessories are fun statement pieces I instantly noticed on the accessories stands at the opshop. The resin bangles work well with the trio of colourful resin bangles I already own, I have been enjoying wearing them.

The necklace has been trickier to wear than I thought, but even it met the "wear twice in the month I buy it" goal I set for all new things I buy. With the burgundy beads I think I'll be pulling it out more often when I start to wear a lot of darker layers for the cooler months.

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What I Bought In November And How I've Worn It

My shopping usually slows down near the end of the year as I focus on finishing off my Christmas shopping, but I got lucky at the opshop in November and picked up two cute coverups for myself while looking for some books and clothes for the kids.

What I Bought:

• thrifted no label leopard print cover up with waist tie
• thrifted Shein black floral print cover up

These were complete impulse buys. I'm always on the look out for more kimono jackets and cover ups to add to my wardrobe when opshopping! I have a lot of basic shorts and tees and these are the perfect topper pieces to provide a bit of sun protection without overheating. And for $1 each from my favourite opshop I didn't even hesitate to buy them.

How I've Worn It:

With only buying two pieces this month, and pieces that I know work so well in my wardrobe, it was easy to hit my goal of wearing each of these items twice in the month I bought them. I do have a few floral print cover ups, and a dark floral print cover up already, so it was maybe not the most thought out buy, but the leopard print one is super soft and a completely different print from anything else I have in my wardrobe. Happy with both of these buys!

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What I Thrifted In August & How I've Worn My Opshop Finds

Just like back in July, I feel I have been shopping a lot in August too! I have been making more trips to the opshop, as we declutter at home and reorganise, to donate things we no longer need, and of course browsing leads to buying!

What I Bought:

• thrifted black scoop neck H&M tee
• thrifted peach and white floral print tiered sundress
• thrifted red denim shorts
• thrifted pastel pink and wooden bead necklace
• thrifted chartreuse necklace

Some of these things were impulse buys - the dress and tee I thought were good basics I couldn't pass up! I definitely have a couple black tees already, and a few printed sundresses, but I could easily rationalise adding another when clothing is $1 each! I'm always on the lookout for more of these wooden statement necklaces too, I feel they work well with outfits in my wardrobe and it's nice to have lots of choice when I am picking a necklace to add to my outfit. As it's spring now in Brisbane I'll be wearing more necklaces than scarves so these will get a lot of wear.

The red shorts were actually something I'd been wanting for a while, couldn't believe when I stumbled across them in the opshop. I have a few pairs of denim shorts, but I'd like to have more than the classic blue wash so have been on a look out for red shorts for a while. I've actually been able to wear them in August too, although it's technically winter, it really started feeling like spring early in Brisbane.

How I've Worn It:

How I'm Tracking With My Spending Goals:

This month I had more success wearing all the things I bought twice, as the weather has been so warm. I set myself a goal of wearing everything I buy at least twice in the month I buy it, to make sure things really work for me and my wardrobe. And I easily achieved this this month. I think the blush necklace is the standout, being worn 4 times this month.

I have been buying a lot, although as it's mostly preloved opshop finds, I'm still well under my budget this year. I've been revamping my wardrobe a bit and selling old pieces at the markets so I'm more open to buying things and less strict when considering purchases. And also, honestly, I like browsing the racks at the opshop and once I find something it's hard to say no! More browsing time always leads to more buying for me.

There is the drop off in the 30 wears posts I used to do each month as with refreshing my wardrobe and buying so many new pieces, I haven't hit 30 wears as often. I know that things leaving my wardrobe are being put to use - on the racks at the opshop generating money for a worthy charity, or being sold to a happy customer at a market. They aren't just filling up space in landfill, just no longer pieces I reach for that are going onto new homes. I'm not giving up on my 30 wears goals! Just revaluating my wardrobe a little and making some changes that mean I have less pieces I've achieved 30 wears with, for the moment.

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What I Bought In July & How I've Worn It

I feel I have been doing a lot of shopping this year! While I didn't buy anything in June, I added to my wardrobe in July, just like I did in March, April and May. And I added quite a lot this past months! With the preloved markets stalls I've had I've also cleared out a lot from my wardrobe, and I feel I've made some really wise buys to replace some of the things I've let go.

What I Bought in July:

• thrifted red dinosaur skeleton earrings
• blue and yellow daisy resin earrings
• thrifted pink ombre tassel scarf 
• thrifted Rebecca Minkoff vintage Cupid satchel in dark navy blue

• Kmart linen blend textured black tank
• Kmart teal tank
• Cle The Label Amelia tank in indigo 
• Cle The Label Charlotte tee in ombre rose 
• Kisschasy Hot air balloon United Paper People tour band tee

• thrifted Atmos&Here white straight leg jeans
• thrifted no label floral print babydoll dress
• thrifted colourful geometric print maxi dress

• thrifted Kmart turquoise linen shorts (no wears yet, until it warms up!)
• thrifted pastel Paisley print cape (no wears yet, until it warms up!)

Why I Bought It:

Actually bought a couple pieces new this month! The majority of my purchases have been preloved through the year, but I couldn't resist picking up a tour tee from my favourite band. The Cle the Label items were on super sale so I thought I'd give the brand a try, however I don't think I'll be buying more from them in future. As good as the organic cotton is as a material, I haven't found anything about the people in their supply chain and if they have fair wages, so they were a bit of an impulse buy I was maybe too hasty on. The two pieces I got are good basics, but I really need to be more thoughtful about where my money goes when I buy retail. Kmart is good for a bargain, but despite improvement isn't yet paying a living wage either.

With the decluttering at home, of everything from books to pieces from mine and the kids wardrobes, I've been visiting the opshop more frequently, so of course I couldn't resist a couple of browses through the clothes and picked out a few things for myself. While they are impulse buys, I'll never turn down a Rebecca Minkoff opshop find, and I did try to stick to thrifting pieces I knew would work with the goals I have for my wardrobe this year. I've been focusing more on shopping preloved as I know it's more environmentally friendly. More budget friendly too!

How I've Worn It:

As you can see, I've been buying a lot of basics! And that Rebecca Minkoff Cupid bag has been a firm go-to since I practically danced out of the opshop with it. Such an amazing find. To prevent this post just being a huge wall of photos, i tried to only share times I'd worn the bag with other new pieces I bought this month.

I haven't worn some of the summer pieces I bought. While I could make the dresses work with a few layers, the cover up and shorts are going to have to wait until winter weather leaves us in Brisbane. Not too long until spring arrives though!

This is the biggest shopping month I've had this year, with 14 items purchased, which is a lot to purchase all at once. Not everything has met my goal of being worn twice in the month I bought it, as I did buy some summer pieces, and July only had so many days to wear so many new buys. I'm confident everything I bought will be a wardrobe staple though. Even with the opshop finds I was trying to be really discerning with what I added to my basket. At only $1 per item of clothing at my local opshop it can be hard to not buy everything I like!

My wardrobe has changed a lot this year, but I'm putting thought into it. With going back to work full time, and having regular days in the office each week so I'm working from home less, it's been a good year to have re-evaluated my wardrobe and to have made a few changes. Even if I have donated or sold on pieces I didn't hit 30 wears with, I'm trying to make sure everything I buy is something I'll want to wear 30 times or more.

Excited to come up with more outfits from these new additions to my wardrobe!

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