When I first began ordering clothes online, I worried about having to divulge my email address. Sure enough, those daily enticement that pinged their way into my mornings had an effect for a few months.
But for whatever reason, something has switched off; my drive to wardrobe acquisition is currently as low as it’s been since. . . . well, perhaps since before I began blogging (because if I had to be scrupulously honest, I think I’d admit that blogging and reading blogs has encouraged more shopping overall for me. That’s fodder for some other post, one which would have to concede that there are other contributory factors to the retail fun I’ve had over the last 7 or 8 years).
Whatever is going on, I’m rather proud to say that I have been quite impervious to any and all invitations, recently, to expand my wardrobe. I did buy the cream cords, above, from J. Crew when they were on sale in January, but they are my only purchase this year, and I’m hoping to maintain that near-streak at least until the end of this month, an entire quarter of the year.
By ignoring the “new, cool, and so covetable” “updates,” and “things we love” for “25% off” and by not panicking that there are “Only 2 more days” to “update my wardrobe” with “pretty things,” etc., etc., and et. cetera. . . .I have instead found myself settling into a comfortable style that works well with my daily life but, I believe, is not completely out of date yet. I still find these garments “covetable” even though they might no longer be “new” — and when I do need a pick-me-up, it’s pretty obvious that 25% off sales come along every other week.
The Kenzo scarf above is not one I’d have chosen on my own — the graphic is, hmmm, too graphic? for me, and the colours (that’s a deep olive background, which I do like) not ones I’d pick on my own, plus the brand-waving is very not me (although the P A R I S lettered across the bottom works for this Francophile) — but my husband picked the scarf for last year’s birthday because the tiger outlined on it in mint seemed to him a worthy adornment for a woman who’d just run a marathon. And I decided that reasoning made it worth my working the scarf into outfits as often as I could. Now I quite like it!
All the pieces in the outfit below are a few years old — a Gap marinière, Club Monaco scarf, JBrand skinnies, and my Acne Pistols, which finally have the patina I was waiting for — love these much better now that they’re scuffed up a bit.
I quite like the way this (Banana Republic) faux-fur vest changes an outfit — I’ve been surprised at how often I pop this piece on. Perfect for transitional weeks and also for an added layer during cold winter days.
Because I’m winnowing my wardrobe a bit, these straight-cut virgin-denim jeans (Denham, bought in London three years ago) are finally getting enough consistent wear to start looking as worn-in as I want, and the once-stiff denim is softening.
I love wearing them with this elephant-gold-metallic-printed tee (J Crew, a before-Christmas purchase) and a Bompard cashmere cardigan, my Vince moccasins.
I’m not sure why I ever would have thought it a big deal to resist all those sales shouting from my mailbox — but doing so has me digging deeper and more appreciatively into what I already have. I’m making no big declarations about shopping moratoriums, but as the weather warms, I’m thinking about last year’s spring and summer purchases and looking forward to wearing those pieces again. Honestly, at the moment, they look almost as enticing as all those “updates” at “25% off.” Almost. . . I did feel the slightest stirrings of desire when the latest J Crew catalogue showed up in my snail mailbox . . . . There’s a gold metallic linen V-neck Tee with my name on it, but I’m going to try to make myself wait until the end of the month. . .
What about you? Need a few new pieces to freshen up after winter? Excited about the warmer days and the chance to wear wardrobe pieces that haven’t seen the light for a few months? Resisting or giving in to that siren call of New New New? Perhaps you follow the lead of that astonishingly organizedHigh-Heeled Wilderness Gal and her fabulous, research-filled notebook. . . Do tell . . .
(btw, if you’re being stymied in your attempts to leave a comment, as one reader told me she was yesterday, drop me a note at fsproutATgmailDOTcom — @ for AT and . for DOT, of rcourse . . . I’m not sure I’d be able to do anything to fix the problem either than wait and stare in Blogger’s direction (which is where, exactly?), but you could send me your comment and I could post it for you.)
Happy Wednesday!
Every morning, I wake up with an inbox full of shopping offers and a bevy of blogs showing me clothing that I would like. Since I've been away, I've worn the same grey jean capris almost every day alternating with grey linen pants. I change my tops, add my cardigan or a scarf and I'm set. Certainly in retirement we don't need so much. I'm hitting the 4-year mark in June and I find my interest in clothing waning. There really does need to be slowdown in purchasing. Too much of anything is overwhelming!
I would imagine that even without your recent purging and editing of your closet, your immersion in Oaxaca would reset priorities considerably. I'm curious to see how retirement will change how I shop and dress.
I have bought a few things but have found saving for shopping in Paris a much more enticing option. I don't Need many clothes now that I am retired…you might find it the same. I have just bought a super comfy pair of shoes that will help me navigate the cobblestone streets.
Your casual looks here will more than likey transfer you well into your new retired lifestyle.
Honestly, I don't think I needed as many clothes even before retirement! (although I have enjoyed having the excuse!). Good shoes are so important on those cobblestones! My problem in Paris is often that my good shoes get absolutely soaked when I get caught in a rainstorm. But then I always tell myself, hey, I'm in Paris, how bad can it be?!
You look both comfortable and current in all of these outfits. After a few months of not seeing a lot that tempted me, I've tried several items lately, returned most and kept a few, some with an eye toward a warmer-weather travel wardrobe. I did pick up a couple of the J.Crew linen tees, both blue and one in a pretty tie-dye print. I've also been having some fun going through the warmer weather pieces already in my closet and finding some new ways to wear them during our recent heat wave.
I love those J Crew tees! And I appreciate the new pieces you pick up and the inspiring outfits you put together — then I look in my closet to see if I can translate their spirit somehow.
And I love that we were Kenzo twins! 😉
Oh, and also wanted to mention that I'm wearing a Kenzo scarf today too, though mine doesn't have a tiger. I rather like yours too!
Good for you! And I agree with Pseu, you look •wonderful• in your things. What works for me is to look at something alluring and then 'fill in the blank' as in "Instead, I could wear my…" If I really don't have anything that would do its job, then I consider a purchase. But it still takes a lot for me to bring more into in this small apt.
Could your impending retirement may have something to do with your decreased buying? I find I need even less than I ever expected. The workplace is a kind of fashion show even if we would rather think it's not.
I think part of the problem for me has been that my wardrobe is here on the island and the best shopping is in Vancouver where we often spend weekends. It's too easy to forget about what I have in the pleasure of an afternoon shopping the new . . . these last few months I simply haven't had time and that's been a good thing. Determined to hang on to this recognition — as you suggest, I'm pretty aware that retirement will likely change my wardrobe habits, so it makes sense to go slow. . .
I LOVE Kenzo. I want one of their sweatshirts. I'm going to go add a link to this to my post today:).
love that sweatshirt! Thanks for the link.
I've been looking at my whole house, wardrobe included, finding a lot of items that can be disposed of at this stage in my life. Not sure if it's moving out of the accumulation phase of my life, or being more discerning with what I want to keep and take care of now. A wardrobe change with retirement is the obvious possibility in the next year, but it goes beyond that to not wanting to bother with so much (old) stuff any more.
Yes, I've got the same lens. . . trying to take it easy until I'm a bit more sure what retirement will look like, but I'm keen to send boxes and boxes off to the Sally Ann. . . Simplify, Simplify, that feels like an Imperative!
I hardly ever buy clothes. I've bought a cashmere wrap, end of the season and am hunting for shoes, but otherwise I shop in my closet!! Love that BR vest too!
Oooh, yummy, a cashmere wrap!
Oh wow …thanks for the mention…and for calling me "astonishingly organized" instead of, say, astonishingly anal…which I know I am. But I can't resist the "siren call" of lists, lists, and more lists. I'm a new recruit to J Crew… thanks to your blog and Lisa over at "Privilege." I may invest in a J Crew white jacket…we'll see. Love that vest as well.
Too annoying, though, that J Crew's shipping is risky for us Canadians — it would be such a hassle to have to return things via the broker rather than just march in to the store, as with Gap orders. And that $9.95 US shipping fee seems a bit much. . . good, though, to have some slow-downs in place, right? A white jacket would be so fresh-looking.