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.
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!
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.
I don't usually buy a lot in winter - I have plenty of winter pieces in my wardrobe to see me through the few weeks of cold weather we have in Brisbane. But this June and July I bought a few pieces, and felt it was time for an overdue wardrobe update!
I was hoping that I would have had some more opportunities to layer up the summer dress and maxi skirt I bought recently, but it has been very cold in Brisbane, so one wear each is all I have achieved. I set myself a goal of wearing everything I buy twice in the month that I buy it, but definitely wasn't able to achieve that with the very summery things I bought. I know I will get a lot of wear from the sandals when the warmer weather arrives, but I'm sticking to boots and sneakers for the immediate future!
I went out on an early Christmas shopping trip with my mum and sister but my mum let me take everything she bought me home early, so I was happy to add this beautiful denim maxi dress and the cute purple tee to my wardrobe. I am always looking for more basic colourful tees, this purple one will work so well with everything else in my wardrobe.
Looking forward to warmer weather to rewear my summery opshop finds, and to get the sandals out!
The bag is easily my most worn piece as I bought back in June but never got around to sharing the purchase on the blog then. It was one of those "special little treat" impulse purchases that I love. I'd been admiring my sisters bag for a while, then a MIMCO sale, some expiring credit card rewards and a very illness-filled winter had me adding it to cart to cheer myself up. I love it! I like that the Mimco brand uses leather from tanneries that are part of the Leather Working Group so it's a bit more sustainable than other brands I've bought bags from before. (Although preloved will always be the most sustainable way to get leather!)
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.
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
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.
In what is becoming an annual blog tradition, kicking off another year of personal style blogging by looking back on what I bought last year and confirming if I stuck to my fashion budget.
What I Bought & How Often I've Worn It
Just like last year, the majority of what I bought in 2023 was preloved. And unsurprisingly, after the year that was 2023, being somewhat of an emotional shopper, I find myself with a long list of purchases to share. I had a massive declutter and re-evaluation of my wardrobe that resulted in a lot of pieces leaving, as I searched for new pieces that fit into my lifestyle a bit better. I donated a lot and sold some things at local fashion markets too to make space for all these new buys. Last year I bought 18 things. This year, I added 54 things to my wardrobe. Mostly accessories, but still, a lot of shopping!
Of course, everything I bought has been worn at least twice. I set myself the goal of wearing everything I buy at least twice in the month I buy it, to make sure I'm buying things I'll actually wear and use and that work in my wardrobe. It's always interesting to look back on what I bought and see how much wear it actually all got over the year too.
Things Bought New:
Target animal print ruffle hem mini skirt - 8 wears
No surprises there that I focused a lot on accessories and cover ups when shopping! They are great final pieces to add to staple outfits to make them seem a little different each time.
I made the most of the special "fill a bag" sales and 50% off days at my local opshops to have a browse and quite often come away with a new purchase or two. And of course all the items I donated from my wardrobe resulted in a few more browses where I'd often pick up a necklace or accessory!
Of course I already hit over 30 wears with my thrifted Rebecca Minkoff vintage Cupid satchel in dark navy blue. It is SUCH a good sized bag and being a neutral it goes with everything, so again, no surprise it was my most worn item of everything I bought this year. Definitely a go-to bag for me. One of the volunteers came up to me in the opshop the other day to say she remembered my excitement over my bag find when I stumbled across it and wanted to see if I'd found any other awesome finds since! I was able to share with her how much I still love and enjoy wearing the bag - even if I wasn't wearing it that day she spoke to me. Benefits of a personal style blog and a daily diary of outfit photos to look back on!
Sticking to My Fashion Budget:
The best thing is that my total spend comes up to $441, which shows that while I doubled what I bought last year, I was able to be well under budget by shopping preloved more often and searching for things second hand before buying new.
Fashion Resolutions For 2024
These fashion related goals for 2024 are very similar to last year, as I feel they worked well for me then too.
Continue to not buy any more hangers. When I set up my wardrobe room of my dreams, I replaced all my hangers with velvet ones. And I refuse to buy any more hangers. If something enters my wardrobe, something has to leave to make room. This has been working well for me so far.
Shop second hand more - there is already so much stuff in the world, I don't need to add to the demand for it by buying new when there are plenty preloved pieces out there to discover.
Buy less - this was my goal last year and I didn't meet it, buying a lot of items in 2023! But I'm hoping I can meet this goal this year as I'm very content with the state of my wardrobe at the moment.
Spend no more than $1,000 on fashion - something I've been able to do consistently the past few years, thanks to frequenting opshops rather than retail stores.
Start up my 30 wears series again - something that became tricky as I worked through my wardrobe this year and sold or donated older pieces. I'd love to hit 30 wears with more of my wardrobe this year though. I still think we should aim to wear everything we buy at least 30 times. It minimises the environmental impact that went into making clothes and it's better for the budget to rewear more often.
Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for your spending on fashion in the year ahead?
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!
After not buying anything in September, I was back to my opshopping habit in October, and bought a few pieces. Some impulse buys, but also some pieces I'd been thinking about for a while, so a mix of purchases!
As I mentioned above, I've been visiting the opshop a bit recently, as the declutter continues at home. I'm also heading there first rather than heading to the retail stores when the kids need things, like special dress up things for events at school. And I can never resist browsing for myself! The maxi dress was a complete impulse buy for sure, as I have so many dresses already, but the others were a bit more thought out.
Crossing Items Off My 'Maybe One Day' Wish List
It was one of those trips focusing on things for the kids after donating a few items that I stumbled across this amazing Stella McCartney Falabella bag. I could not believe that it was authentic, and just $30. Such a lucky find! Especially as I've been searching now and then for a Falabella online, always wanted to try one! I'm thrilled with this splurge, hidden away in the corner of the opshop.
I also scored a cute leopard print midi skirt that's really more of a maxi on me, that is similar to one I tried on and regretted not buying in Target a while back. Very pleased with this as I've been keeping an eye out for a similar skirt for a while!
The one thing I didn't get to see in person before buying, the Nobody Denim shorts, were an ebay purchase, such a bargain for that brand. I'd been watching the listing for a while and eventually decided to go for it. However I didn't check the measurements and they are a bit shorter than I'd normally wear. Perfect for the hot almost summer-like spring days we have been having though!
Focusing On Basics:
With the multiple visits to the opshop, there have of course been multiple purchases! I've been focusing on being selective and adding more basics to my wardrobe after my big declutter though. So I picked up a few basic tees that are perfect for the mix of life right now with a few office days, a few working from home days, and relaxed weekends.
How I've Worn It:
A last minute opshop dash for another school event that crept up on me and needed a themed outfit for the kids meant a little browse at some of the women's clothes on my way out, and I stumbled across even more tees. And just ran out of time to wear them all this month! Everything has been worn once though and I know the tees that haven't been worn twice will easily achieve that goal in the 4 weeks after buying it, as I aim for with everything I buy.
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.
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.
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!
After not buying anything for my wardrobe in January and February, I have been impulse buying a lot these past few months! Picked up some things in March and April, and now I've tripled what I spent over both those months with my latest buys in May!
Everything except the bag was purchased at Gladrags markets. It was a cold morning so I did a few laps around the market to keep warm, instead of sitting in my stall all the time. I ended up chatting to some of the other stall holders and making a few too good to pass up buys. Still made more than I spent, so a good day, and I got some incredible bargains too!
The handbag was an impulse buy as well - I've been looking at this style when it goes on sale quite often on the Rebecca Minkoff site, but even the sale prices didn't drop enough to make me buy. When I stumbled across this on eBay, ticking off a style I wanted to try, and a fabric I wanted to try (I don't have any suede bags in my wardrobe), I knew this was a keeper!
How I've Worn It:
Gladrags Markets was at the end of May, so I haven't had as many opportunities as I'd like to wear everything I bought. Even if it takes me a few days longer to hit my goals of wearing everything I buy twice in the month I bought it though, I've managed to wear everything at least once which is awesome.
The leather jacket was a very timely buy with our record breaking cold temps at the end of autumn - it's kept me very cosy! And I've managed to wear the bag 3 times too.
I can definitely see I've been increasing my spending since the start of the year. With that stall at Gladrags markets I'm being a bit more critical with my wardrobe, so that even if I haven't reached my 30 wear goal with some pieces, I'm creating a wardrobe full of things I love to wear and letting those that don't work for me go on to new homes. And it's so much fun seeing who your pieces go home with when you have a market stall!
First haul of the year. Nearly made it 3 months without shopping, without even trying! After my December opshop haul I hadn't seen anything I had to have as I was enjoying wearing all my thrifted pieces from December, as well as the new things I got for Christmas. But then I stumbled across the Target end of summer clearance sale, and had some time at the opshops, so I bought quite a few things this month!
Quite a large haul for my first haul of the year! With the exception of the white denim skirt, which I've been thinking about getting for a while, everything was an impulse buy. That explains all the necklaces!
I had fun browsing the Target end of summer sale with my mum and sister at the start of March. I only picked up two things to try on, both of them skirts, and I decided to buy them both. I thrifted a black denim version of the white skirt from the opshop a of couple years ago and love it, so thought it was worth the splurge on the white one in the Target sale. The leopard print skirt looked really cute and when I tried it on I just had to have it! Perfect for autumn here in Brisbane, I'm also looking forward to when it will eventually cool down and I will get to layer it.
The opshop finds were lucky finds! I'd been browsing their $1 book sale for books for the kids, and while I had a little extra time I checked out the clothes and accessories for myself too. Found one of the kimonos on the scarf rail! I loved the colours and the tassels and I pulled it out to take a closer look when I realised it was a kimono. Whenever I see a kimono in an opshop I add it straight to the basket! The cardigan I couldn't pass up either, although I know it will be a while before it's cool enough to wear it.
The necklaces were a little bit of a crazy buy! To be honest I actually put quite a few back, and just ended up taking these 7 home. Still so many to buy at once.
How I've Worn It:
I have a personal goal of wearing everything I buy at least twice in the month I buy it. It didn't work to curb my purchases this time, but my inability to wear everything twice this month has made me realise that yes, maybe 7 necklaces is too many to buy in one go. At just $2 each though, I couldn't resist!
The cardigan I have not worn, as I expected, as it's just not been cool enough, it's been a hot autumn here in Brisbane. I know it will get more wear when the weather cools though, and I've been looking for a printed cardigan for a while.
The kimonos I was sure I'd get two wears from - I do love a good kimono! I have been in the office much more than expected though, and had a few special events this month I'd pre-planned outfits for I wanted to wear, so I didn't meet my wear twice goal with both kimonos, although I do have plans to hit 2 wears with them this weekend.
The white denim skirt, being worn 3 times this month, was definitely the most worn buy of March!
Yearly Fashion Spend for 2023 So Far:
Since I hadn't bought anything in January or February, the March spend is the only amount added to my yearly spend so far in 2023. The skirts from target were 50% off, and the necklaces were $2 each, so my total comes to $52 spent on fashion so far this year.
And in keeping with my fashion goals for 2023, the majority of my purchases this year have been pre-loved, thanks to that awesomely productive opshopping time!
As usual, I'd finished my Christmas present shopping before December, so was ignoring all the pre-Christmas sales. Until I got the notification that my local opshop was finishing out the closing days of the year before Christmas with a "fill a bag for $10" sale.
This time it wasn't just clothes, it was anything in the store that you could fit into a bag, and you paid $10. If it didn't fit in the bag, it was just $1. The kids and I had a great time shopping - toys, puzzles, games and books for them, and a few new items of clothing for me!
What I Thrifted In December:
thrifted Kmart black and white embellished cover up
thrifted Kmart dusty rose cami (left out of video accidentally!)
thrifted No label chambray tie strap cami
thrifted Cotton On orange and white stripe The One crew neck tee
thrifted Forever 21 wine ribbed knit jumper
thrifted Valleygirl navy jersey blazer
thrifted Kmart rust button up linen blend skirt 2020
thrifted Kmart fuchsia linen blend shorts 2020
thrifted Kmart mustard linen blend pull on shorts
This whole haul was just $10! Everything works out to less than a dollar if you consider the things the kids got as well which I didn't include in the video. Such bargains!
I always aim to wear everything I buy within the month I buy it. It's something I started doing after having too many unworn pieces in my wardrobe during a clean out. It works pretty well and slows down my impulse buying, but I definitely threw that goal out when buying these pieces - I wasn't going to have enough days left in December to wear everything I bought, but I knew they'd get a lot of wear in 2023.
The only seasonal appropriate piece I haven't worn twice yet is the dusty rose cami - but January has been a bit of an unexpected one and I'll hopefully get to wear it tomorrow. The blazer and wine knit I will be able to enjoy when the weather cools.
Here's how I've worn it all so far:
I of course got a few things added to my wardrobe as Christmas presents too, like this dress, and this bag, so I'm excited for all the new outfit combinations I'll be able to wear for 2023! It's helped me ignore all the January sales, got so many new outfits I want to try from the pieces in my own wardrobe.
Just like last year and the year before, I'm looking back at all my fashion related purchases over the past 12 months. Seeing if I came under the spending goal I set myself in 2021, and how much I've been wearing all of the things I bought.
What I Bought & How Often I Wore It
It's always my goal to wear things twice in the month I purchase them. This stops me having items taking up space in my wardrobe unworn for weeks, and ensures I'm buying practical pieces that work for my current lifestyle. I don't always achieve that goal. Once again this year I went to the pre-Christmas sale at the opshop where I filled a bag of toys, clothes, books and games for just $10. It meant I had a lot of great value clothing items added to my wardrobe at under $1 each, but also sadly no time to wear them all with just a week and a half left in December! Giving myself a pass for that though, I know I will get a lot of wear from these pieces in the new year, just as I did with the pieces I picked up last year.
Opshop and Preloved Buys:
thrifted no brand navy grid print scarf - worn 3 times
thrifted Eb&Ive black wooden bead multi strand statement necklace - worn 5 times
thrifted No label chambray tie strap cami - worn once
thrifted Cotton On orange and white stripe The One crew neck tee - worn once
Things Bought New:
Silver chain handbag strap - worn 3 times
Kmart long sleeve black tie neck dress in floral wisteria print - worn 4 times
The least worn were those late December opshop finds, naturally. Just not enough days left in December to wear them all when I bought them! I'm pleased to see I wore everything else a good number of times, and of course the Chloe Marcie bag was my most worn purchase of the year, which was fitting as it was such a big splurge!
Fashion Spend For 2022 - Under Budget!
This year was an interesting one, in terms of things I bought I don't think I've ever added so few items to my wardrobe in a year before! I only bought 18 things. All of them were preloved buys expect for 2. The floral Kmart dress I picked up in the store clearance sale, and I bought a new handbag strap as well. Everything else was an opshop (thrift store) find or a preloved find online. I'm really pleased I shopped second hand so much this year, it was one of my goals!
This year, I bought 18 items and spent $943.84. Under my $,1000 budget and 36 item goal I set last year! And if you exclude the massive over $800 splurge on the Chloe Marcie bag, it would have been a very low spend year instead. Definitely felt like treating myself though, even if that one item took up most of my budget.
Fashion Resolutions for 2023
Much like last year, I have the same goals for my fashion spend in the year ahead:
Spend Less - $1,000 limit, but always trying to see how little I need to buy, and working on reducing impulse buys.
Shop Second Hand More - it would be good to have an entire year of nothing more than preloved additions to my wardrobe, although I'm certainly not going to turn down a retail sale bargain if I see it! Just like this year, having the majority of my fashion purchases being pre-loved will achieve this goal.
Buy Less - I bought under 20 items this year, would be good not to buy more than 20 next year!
Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for your spending on fashion in the year ahead?
Mid-October is possibly a little late for sharing what I bought in September, but dealing with school holidays and sickness at the end of September meant a little delay in putting this post together.
Since my last splurge all the way back in March, I haven't bought any fashion items at all. It has been a busy year, but I am impressed I could go without shopping for so many months - after it was such a challenge to try 6 months without shopping in 2017! Definitely made up for my lack of purchases over the past months with a couple of impulse buys!
Kmart long sleeve black tie neck dress in floral wisteria print
As you can see in the videos above, I had a lot of fun picking out a couple handbags for myself when doing some Christmas shopping!
I also bought a bag strap I could use just for my Marc by Marc Jacobs bag that I'd been using straps from other bags in my collection with. And then I stumbled across a $25 dress reduced to just $2 at Kmart and scooped that up! With the warmer spring weather I have been wearing a few more dresses lately, and it will be so easy to get a good cost per wear with a $2 dress! I've already worn it twice, so it's $1 per wear without trying hard.
How I've Worn It:
I set myself a goal of wearing everything I buy twice in the month that I buy it, which was a little trickier last month when I bought a few things close to the end of the month and then we had to stay home for a while thanks to getting sick on the last week of school. Giving myself a pass on not hitting my wear twice goals for that reason! While I have worn everything I bought at least twice, it wasn't all twice in September.
The little mini Darren bag has been worn a lot - it's been great for days I don't need to carry much other than my phone, car keys, and sanitiser.
How I'm Tracking With My Budget:
In 2021 I spent just $580.36 on clothes and accessories. I knew I was never going to spend less than that this year, so I set myself a goal of spending less than $1,000 on fashion this year. I'm still under that budget, but getting close! With the last months of the year and all the extra sales coming up I'm hoping I can stay under the $1,000 budget I set myself.
I started the year off being a very low spend year, with just a little thrift haul back in February. But then I saw something I just had to have and I made a pretty big splurge!
It's taken me a while to get this video and post together - I had the bag for a while before I did the video, as I explained. It has been a very hectic few weeks, as I bid on this all the way back in March! But better late than never. Once I fixed up that major issue it had with a lot of patience, I've been enjoying and using this bag fairly often recently and it was definitely due a post!
A few years ago I bought the Chloe Marcie hobo in this same colour, and sold it. At the time I wasn't using it much and didn't use hobo bags often for life with baby, so I figured I'd let some impractical bags go. But every now and then I regretted selling the hobo bag. I kept browsing for Marcie bags, thinking a shoulder bag would work better, and just waiting for an excuse to make the splurge! Some exciting happenings at work (I've mentioned before on the blog a few extra rewards I've earned) and a timely auction on eBay resulted in me taking the plunge and getting this bag I'd wanted for a while.
How I've Worn It:
Having owned this colour in a similar style before I knew this would work well in my wardrobe! And if I ever run out of ideas for how to wear it I can refer back to my 30 ways to wear post with the Marcie hobo style!
How I'm Tracking With My Fashion Budget:
As you heard in the video, I got caught up in a bidding war on this and did not want to lose! As well as forgetting to factor in the import charges and GST (as it was an overseas auction) and credit card conversion rates for foreign transactions... I have definitely spent more than I did last year!
I feel a little bad to have spent more in 2022 in the first half of the year than I did in the whole of 2021, but I'm also really pleased to have this bag. And at almost a third of the retail price, it wasn't overly expensive for a Chloe Marcie bag in such great condition. Plus, everyone needs to indulge now and then!
