Clothes Shopping List - Spring 2017

I've posted theses lists twice before, mostly to hold myself accountable.  I first posted last spring with the 7 clothing items to purchase for the spring/summer.  In my follow-up posted in the fall I recapped those items...plus the additional 19 items I bought as well...I did well with buying the items on my list BUT not so well with only buying those things.

This time around I wanted to do much better.  I had another 6 items I wanted to buy and I was determined to buy less than an additional 19 items.  It seriously helped me return some items to keep myself under 19.  Internet accountability works!  I mean, I didn't do much less than 19 but still, baby steps.  Hopefully for this spring/summer I can do much much better.

These lists really do help me shop more intentionally and stay within budget.  I try to identify the holes in my closet and mostly look for those items, either through ThredUp's awesome filters or just when browsing Target and Old Navy (I'm just not going to get away from shopping there anytime soon).  I highly recommend it, even if you don't post it to the internet to be held accountable (although I would definitely read it if you did!).

(note: I'm going to mention ThredUp on here a lot, because I love shopping there and I've gotten, what I consider, some pretty great deals.  Here's my original post about ThredUp.  The love still stands.)

Here are the 6 items I had planned to buy for the fall/winter as listed here:

1. Navy and white cable knit, crew neck sweaters

Bought the ones I planned from L.L. Bean.  Thought these would round out my winter sweaters.  Spoiler: they did not.
  
2. Another pair of booties

I had actually already bought these when I made my list.  Then I thought about returning them but Old Navy changed their return window so I couldn't.  Ended up wearing them more than I planned though so it worked out!  I have these in two colors (the other bought more than a year ago) and get a lot of compliments on them!

3. Nice dress for nephew’s wedding.

A ThredUp purchase.  Not totally what I had in mind but of the three dresses that arrived a few days before the wedding, this is the only one that fit so it won.  And their wedding day was about 80° (in October!) so it worked!  Fall weddings are hard to dress for. 


4. Colored heels (maybe)

Ended up buying these from ThredUp instead and have actually gotten quite a bit of wear out of them!  And they were only $9 and they are a very comfortable heel height.  I've worn these more than I anticipated!

5. Dress for Christmas (maybe)

I wasn't sure I'd buy one dress...and then I kept two (I obviously bought more, thank you, ThredUp).  But we also had multiple Christmas celebrations - the sequins for an adults Christmas party Matt's sister throws every year ("adults" including anyone over 21...since we have multiple nieces and nephews that qualify).  And then the leopard print (from Old Navy) for Christmas Eve celebration and Mass.  The picture comes from my goddaughter's baptism and that's my "I'm trying to look very interested and involved but apparently I just look bored" face.  I swear I wasn't actually bored.    

Totally counting this as ok and that two dresses can count for one item since I'm making the rules around here.

6. Plaid flannel shirt (maybe)    
I bought multiples, one even lived, with tags, in my closet for a few weeks.  And they all ended up going back.  I just never reached for them and didn't like how they looked on me besides with a vest.  I just couldn't do it.  Probably time to hang this up and decide it's something that works well for others but doesn't for me, at least for right now. 


Then the items not on the list (but we're taking away one for the plaid shirt I didn't end up keeping!): 14...plus some home sewn accessories (are we counting those?  Chalking them up to experience?  They were all pretty cheap to make so they barely count (as in, $9 total...).  

Banana Republic crocheted top (ThredUp) | Old Navy frost-free vest | Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit blue lace dress (ThredUp) | Old Navy relaxed textured sweater

Old Navy classic cable-knit sweater (aqua) | Old Navy thermal plaid shirt | Nordstrom leggings (ThredUp) | Target waffle knit infinity scarf

Old Navy classic cable-knit sweater (ThredUp) | Nordstrom tunic sweater

A.N.A. Faux leather knit jacket | Target Weekend Wanderer sweatshirt | Old Navy mid-rise rockstar skinny jeans | Denizen from Levi modern fit skinny jeans

3 clutches I sewed myself (2 of them pictured in that post!)
1 scarf I sewed myself

Remember above when I said I thought I'd be set with sweaters for the winter if I just bought two more?  And then I bought another 4 on top of that.  So...yeah.  I'm not so good at predicting my sweater "needs".

One of those pairs of jeans are a replacement for a pair that is SUPER close to wearing through on the knees.  I feel like replacement items really shouldn't count... And I bought the thermal plaid shirt to sleep in after wearing one of Matt's t-shirts for so long it was getting holes...I feel like early 30s (because 33 is definitely not mid-30s) is old enough not to be sleeping in holey t-shirts.  I could keep justifying every item on this list, I did it in my mind when I kept them all (like the crocheted top from ThredUp, I did some SERIOUS ThredUp stalking to get that back after I let it sit in my cart too long while waiting for return credit to be processed.  I am still super psyched that I actually got it.)

Anyways, the whole point, I bought fewer extra items than the season before and knowing I'd be reporting back here really helped hold me accountable so, thank you, readers and the internet.

As for spring/summer 2017...  We have 3 weddings, one being my little sister, but I think I bought enough dresses last year, and wore them to weddings with different guests, that I should be set for this summer!  I find that exciting but we'll see if I hold to that...

1) 2-3 Tank Tops

I wear these a lot throughout the summer.  Already bought the one above (ThredUp) but counting it as a summer purchase.  Maybe a couple more?  I'm inevitably going to buy a few so might as well put it on the list!

2) 2-3 v or scoop neck t-shirts
What I wear daily until it's tank top weather.  I could use a few more to get me between laundry days (although I recently had the revelation that I could also just do an extra load of laundry so...that's an option too).

3) Navy Wedges

source

I have been looking for these for 3 summers and have yet to find any in my price range (these are $200+ and nearly the exact pair the Duchess of Cambridge has worn to multiple events...we obviously have very different budgets).  I have black wedges that I wear a ton in the summer, to work and church, the occasional non-drive-in date nights and would really like a navy pair.  I'll keep looking but not optimistic.

4) A sundress

I've bought a new one the last few summers, wear them almost weekly to Mass as weather permits.  Could maybe use another?  Although searching dresses on ThredUp might be a dangerous activity...


5) A white crew-neck short sleeved with navy stripes

I have the exact shirt pictured above.  It has black stripes.  I wore it to New York for 18 hours on the Amtrak, including a night of not really sleeping with a 3 year old.  It's super comfy.  (I wore it other times too.)  I would like the same shirt with navy stripes but haven't been able to find anything even close.  I looked all last summer, and not just at Target and Old Navy (I mean, ThredUp too).  Maybe I can cross it off the list this year.

So that's my "this is all I'm buying" but probably not really although I gave myself some leeway with the 2-3 thank tops and t-shirts so...maybe I'll do better?  I have been building up my basics more and have filled in my closet pretty well over the last few years so maybe I can keep buying less.  At least I have the internet and public record to keep me accountable!  Seriously, such a huge help!

Do you keep a list of closet holes?  Just buy what suits your fancy?  I'm a huge fan and convert to the list method, even if I'm not the best at sticking to it...


Spring 2016
Fall 2016