Wednesday, 2 August 2023

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 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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Friday, 2 June 2023

What I Bought In May & How I've Worn It: Preloved Purchases

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!


What I Bought:





Why I Bought It:

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!



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Friday, 5 May 2023

What I Bought In April And How I've Worn It: Thrift Haul

After not buying anything in the first two months of the year, I've been adding a lot of items to my wardrobe recently, with quite a few purchases in March, and now a little thrift haul in April!


Here's what I bought in April:

  • thrifted Cotton On maroon wanderlust floral border cover up
  • thrifted Cotton On navy zig zag cover up
  • thrifted Dotti black cocoon cape cardigan
  • thrifted metallic clay bead necklace
  • thrifted flat peach statement bead necklace
  • thrifted flat navy statement bead necklace


Despite picking up a LOT of necklaces in March, I was once again drawn to the accessories section of the opshop this month and picked up a few more necklaces! I couldn't resist these 3 necklaces, having and wearing similar pieces in my wardrobe so often already.

The cover ups and the cosy cardigan were such good finds at just $1 each. I picked up quite a few different cover ups as I browsed the racks, and put all but these back. I did pick up a few back in March last month too, but I'd been overhauling the kimono section of my wardrobe so I felt I had room for these pieces. Plus I already own the blue version of the floral border print one, had to get the maroon one too as soon as I saw it!

I had a stall at the Glad Rags Markets at Bulimba to sell a few things from my wardrobe and for a friend in April too. It was really fun but I was so busy with my stall and focusing on reducing what I took home, that I didn't get to browse the other stalls as I'd hoped to, so surprisingly no purchases there. I did have a lot of fun shopping at a previous market though! I've got a stall lined up again for later in May so we will see if I find time to take a look at what others are selling and come home with any wardrobe additions then. 😉



How I've Worn It:





With autumn weather arriving, these cover ups have come in perfect for the cooler mornings. I've even managed to wear the cosy black cocoon knit twice. I set myself a goal of wearing everything I buy twice in the month I wear it, to make sure it all works for me and my wardrobe, as everything I bought this month did. Even managed to get 3 wears from the navy flat bead necklace too, can see that becoming a staple in my wardrobe!



Yearly Fashion Spend To Date:

Continuing to stick with my wardrobe goals of shopping second hand more this year, and trying to buy less, I've only spent $61 on fashion this year so far. Really pleased with the progress, even though it feels like I'm adding a lot of the same things to my wardrobe (mostly different cover ups and necklaces) I feel I'm really buying things that work for me and my current style.



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