This Closet is Clothed

I read somewhere that the average piece of clothing is worn 7 times before it's thrown away (or donated). This got me thinking about a lot of the clothing I currently own. I actually have several items that I've gotten a lot of wear out of – way more than 7 times. Many are quality brand items I thrifted, others are higher-end dresses and jeans that I paid plenty for. Casual work outfit: Paige jeans from Goodwill, wedge sneakers from Target (c. 2019), and long-sleeve, low-back shirt from Patricia Shoppe (c. 2016). In fact, a majority of these well-worn clothes are  not my fast-fashion pieces. My clothes from Old Navy, Forever 21, Zara, and H&M usually have not lasted me long enough to even wear 7 times! Which is technically the point of those stores. Buy our stuff for cheap, throw it away, come back for more, repeat until you die. Two more weeks have passed by and I still have not purchased ANY clothes. I find myself completely skipping Target and TJ Maxx. I haven

It’s officially March and I’m two months into this little New Years resolution. I’m doing pretty good — not perfect — but damn near close.  I had a slip while I was on vacation in Florida. In my defense, I did not pack properly. I crammed plenty of swim suits and workout clothes in my suitcase, but barely anything to wear to dinner and out at night! No shorts, no jeans, no tops. Wtf?  I had a choice: either wear the same two dresses I brought along all week... or buy something new. My plan was to not buy anything. But as I was wandering around some cute shops, I COULDN’T RESIST. I bought a brand-spanking-new blue sundress.  Funny thing is, I never even ended up wearing it! All sales were final at the shop I purchased it at, so I couldn’t return it. So now it’s hanging in my closet at home patiently waiting for summer.  I didn’t feel too bad about this purchase. It’s a great quality dress and it’s a timeless design that will last me for years to come. My acknowledgment t

When I made this resolution I figured I'm make some slips, some secret purchases that I wouldn't dare tell anyone about. And I haven't... sort of . When I laid out the rules for myself, I told myself no new clothing or shoes, especially cheap stuff (i.e. fast fashion). I would allow myself to buy anything secondhand that I felt I really needed it or the price was right. And, if worse came to worse and I really needed something that I couldn't find in my own closet or a thrift store, that I could buy said item, as long as I was honest and open about it in this blog. Over Christmas, the owners of Sister Bay Athletic Club gifted me a $100 gift card to Twisted Tree , a local clothing store they also own. It's been burning a hole in my wallet for 2 months. I told myself that since I wasn't actually going to spend any actual money, that it would be ok for me to use it and pick something out for myself – a reward for doing so well if you will! My new fl

I did it. I went clothes shopping. That's right, I added 21 new clothing items to my closet. You're probably thinking, she broke down and went a bit crazy. Good news – I still stayed within the parameters of my resolution “rules.” Six weeks into the new year and still no new clothing has been purchased. When I say I went clothes shopping, I really went clothes shopping. My first excursion was on an incredible website called  ThredUp .  It’s all secondhand clothing, beautifully displayed online, and arrives in a gorgeous package. There are designer brands, such as DFV and Gucci, premium brands like J. Crew to Madwell, and less expensive brands such as American Eagle and H&M. You can even narrow your profile down to sizes and styles you're specifically looking for. Some of my ThredUp.com finds! I had a wedding to attend last week and wanted something “new” to wear. I found 9, yes NINE , name-brand dresses (BCBG, Loft, Free People, Rebecca Minkoff, some sti

After my last post, I really had to take a step back and evaluate why I spend the way I spend. As I re-read the last post (I went a little crazy buying new, unnecessary furniture), I realized I not only have a clothes shopping problem — I have a shopping problem. Period. The goal of this resolution was to halt my clothes shopping for a year. Mostly because I was wasting money, but also because fast fashion isn’t great for the environment. I’m still on track with this — awesome. Now it’s turned into the realization that I waste money, not only on clothes shopping, but on  anything . Clothes, furniture, books, makeup, candles, jewelry, FOOD.  (Pecan crusted pork chop from Green Chef. Paleo, gluten free, dairy free, delicious.) Yes, food. Now I’m spending all my money on food. I love food, so this is no surprise. I love to go out to eat. I love to cook. I love grocery shopping. I love finding recipes to try out on Pinterest. I love baking. I love when others cook for me. Fo

Over two weeks have passed and I’m still chugging along with this New Years resolution of mine. No clothes or shoes have been purchased! Ok, I take that back, I bought a few items at the thrift store... but rules are rules! No new clothes or shoes have been purchased. I found myself a never-worn pair of knee-high black riding boots for $8 and an amazing gray fitted dress for $6 (big thanks for whomever donated these things!). I wanted to buy more but settled on these two items and was actually thoughtful about my choices. More baby steps. (Mud room/sitting area inside my front door. That amazing heavy vintage metal mirror on the wall was a score from Old Orchard Antiques for $30. And the floor lamp came with the house when I bought it!) One thing I’ve discovered is that even though I can’t buy clothing, I CAN buy other stuff. And by other stuff, I mean new furniture. My shopping disease has crossed over into a new realm:  wayfair.com.  If you’ve never looked at Wayfair, I re