Friday, May 16, 2014

FASHION GOALS: Update on spring goals

So, did you make any fashion goals for this season?  I did (see this post), and found that it really simplified my shopping this season.  Instead of randomly browsing at stores or online, I had a specific list of goals and ideas, which actually helped me buy LESS, not more (I was worried that actually being on the lookout for certain items would turn me into a buying machine, which is never my goal).  I thought I'd share how I did so you could see if you want to give it a try.

1.  My first goal:  Nude wedges: Found them!  As I shared in that previous post, I was able to find these on ebay (new without tags) even before that goals post was published.  However, I've noticed I haven't worn them as much as I expected - I think because of the wet weather (I didn't want to stain them, I almost never buy light shoes for that reason) and also because I need to get used to the lower heel.  These really read almost as flats, and I felt a bit dowdy in them.  I'm going to try them out more on cooler days and give them another chance.  



2.  My second goal was navy closed toe wedges.  Found them!  Also on ebay.  I think this is partially why I didn't wear the nude wedges as much - these are a bit higher and make me feel a bit more like me - comfy but a bit dressed up.  However, these wouldn't be "walk all day in the city" shoes, which the nude ones probably would be. These really helped pull some of my outfits together, though.  See how I've already worn them below (links to the original outfit posts for those blogs here and here).  I also wore them with my striped navy maxi skirt (see this post where I really needed these shoes already!), but I must not have taken outfit photos that day.


 


3.  Light colored pants or skirt.  Got these khaki pants from Old Navy (did I mention my weakness for their specials on top of credit card rewards?)  Anyway, at the price, these were worth a try.  I haven't had flattering khaki pants for a while, and thought it might be a good alternative to jeans. I wore them this weekend and loved them (no pics, wish I would have made Mike take some photos), and plan to wear them again.  Just washed and dried them, now I think I will refashion them a bit to "skinnify" the pants in the calf area, they are a bit looser than I wanted.  (Tried to copy a picture from the website here, but can't figure out how.  You'll have to check the link if you want to see them - sorry!)

4. White pants.  Got those, too! Haven't worn them yet, but working on styling an outfit with them soon.  I was shopping at the thrift shop (my usual shopping haunt), and decided to just focus on the white pant section.  Sure enough, I had 4 or 5 pairs to choose from.  I decided to go with this Gap pair (similar) because they were thick enough to not show through, and they were cropped.  They are a bit looser than I was thinking, but that may be less intimidating for me to start with.  And I can always refashion the legs, a la Grace (see her tutorial)

5. Cream or white leather jacket.  Found it!  Ebay to the rescue again!!  This wasn't quite as straightforward, I did order one item from ebay that didn't work out (but it was $10 including shipping, so I'm not too broken up about it), but that was a good reminder of why I shouldn't compromise when bidding.  I was really looking for a cream jacket, not camel, plus I was looking for moto style, but I caved and bought a camel blazer type leather jacket, thinking I could make it work since I didn't happen to see what I was looking for in my price range.  Next time I'll remember to stick to my guns.  Even though my final choice was a little bit more than the original camel blazer mistake (but not much, still under $30 for shipping and everything), I should have just been more patient and kept looking until a listing came up from my wish list, in my price range.  If I had just waited a couple more days, I would have seen my original choice right away and not wasted time and money on the first jacket that wasn't what I wanted anyway.  (See more details on the outfits below in this post and this post.)
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6. I didn't put this in my original post, but I've been looking for a "military" type cargo coat or vest for a while, especially after seeing the great ways J, Merrick and Kendi style theirs, so I finally bit the bullet and got this Old Navy one (you guessed it, on sale and I had credit card rewards - total price was only $9).  I went with the vest because we are heading into summer, so I'll get more wear out of it, plus I already have 2 jackets/blazers in an olive color with a bit of that "military" feel (see this post), so decided I didn't need yet another one.  I totally love this Old Navy vest.  I wore it for a date day with my husband last weekend, with a navy shirt and khaki skinnies in the cool morning, then with black shorts and a white tee in the warm afternoon, and I actually felt stylish all day long.  Usually I feel so frumpy when I shop in Chicago.  And, bonus, the J.Crew saleslady thought I had the J.Crew vest on - so this is apparently a pretty good imitation.  Give it a try!  (Sorry, no pic yet, but will take some outfit photos with this soon, or check out the link.)

SUMMARY: So, although I did buy more pieces than I normally do for a new season, I feel like setting fashion goals was a good exercise for me.  So far, I'm finding that I'm much more motivated to purge my current wardrobe, full of things that don't match and I don't wear (although knowing that I am moving in a week helps with that also), and I've been wearing most of my new pieces regularly.  But really,  I'm happy that I'm FINALLY living up to my statement that I want to buy what I really need and like, not just what I happen to find on sale, with the goal of having less things but more wardrobe options.  So, it remains to be seen if this setting fashion goals idea continues to have that effect, but I'm willing to give it a try! 

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