January & February 2020 Wardrobe Additions
In my quest for transparency, here is my Jan & Feb round up (to read my 2020 intention post, click here).
January 2020
New
- Tradlands Chore Coat, Olive (sale) - $144 (size inclusive: sort of, goes to a 3X)
- Pyne & Smith Dress (sale) - $99 (size inclusive: yes)
Secondhand
- Babaa, no 18 Natural - $160
- Handmade Persephone Pants - no cost, but donated for shipping/fabric
I overspent my budget by about $100, which is not great but I am okay with it. I built in a monthly cushion that I used to balance my budget at the end of the month, and I feel pretty good about these items.
The Babaa sweater I have worn nearly 1-3x per week since I got it and fills a hole in my wardrobe for a white sweater and a cropped sweater.
The Pyne & Smith dress is perhaps my favorite dress I have at the moment. Dresses are one item on my wishlist this year because I don't have very many at the moment that fit me anymore. In September, I donated/sold some dresses that used to fit me when I was smaller and had held onto but it was becoming unhealthy. I love dresses and skirts so much, and finding a dress that I feel good in is really awesome.
An Internet friend (hi @evanleggoe) reached out to me and asked if I was interested in a pair of her handmade Persephone pants because they were a bit too big for her. I graciously said yes and and am so in love. These are the first wide leg pants I have ever owned and really love the silhouette.
Lastly, the Tradlands chore coat is something I had been eyeing for a while and is my first Tradlands purchase. I like it okay, but not sure I would have kept it if it was not final sale. I don't really have any chore coats, so I do like that aspect of it, but overall I am not impressed with the amount of sales Tradlands has each year and the fit in the back/arms feels a bit too tight.
February 2020
New
3. Mollusk Outerwear Quilted Jacket, $84 (size inclusive: no)
4. Me & Arrow Crop Top, $45 (size inclusive: no)
5. 7115nyc, Summer Dress, $92 (size inclusive: no)
Secondhand
3. Red/white gingham button-up, $25
4. Novacas vegan clogs, $55
Once again, overspent my budget by about $100 :( I went to the Palace Store sale in Portland in February, which is where my 3 "new" purchases came from. Such good deals - I was weak! Again, will be using some of my cushion to balance my budget.
Feeling pretty good about all of these purchases though, aside from the fact that none of my new purchases are from size inclusive brands.
I had been looking for a quilted jacket for a while that was ethically made and in a color I liked. This one fit the bill and was a lot more affordable than many I had seen, but still sustainably sourced.
The Me & Arrow crop top I have yet to wear, but I think it will be a good summer piece and can be worn backwards or forwards.
My favorite item of the month is definitely the 7115nyc dress. Again, I have been trying to scoop up dresses that make me feel good in my current size and this one fit the bill. Immediately after I put it on, I knew I had to get it. It's my first piece from this sustainable/ethical brand and I am really impressed.
My red/white button-up was a cool score from a local thrift shop - I rarely find button-up shirts that don't gape around my boobs and I love the gathering on the sleeves.
I have yet to receive the clogs, so I will update you on those later - but I am excited to get a black pair of vegan clogs. (Vegan clogs are hard to come by and my friend happened to be selling a pair in my size!).
Reflections
So far - I honestly feel like I have bought a little too many items. I am up to 9 purchases and that is quite a bit more than I was thinking I would buy. But I do feel pretty excited about all of these items and none have been purchased on my credit card!
One of my primary intentions this year was to just track my clothing additions because I have never done it before and honestly have no idea how much clothing I typically buy in a year. So I am proud of myself for keeping with it and being transparent even when I feel a bit embarrassed.
I also am trying hard not to feel guilty about buying items from brands I like and wanted to try - as well as replenishing some items that I had grown out of over the years because of weight gain (like dresses - I was down to only one dress after getting rid of clothes that no longer fit me).
Overall, I feel like I am proud of myself for buying things I truly love and feel like I will be able to get a lot of wear out of. However, I do want to slow down a bit and do a better job at sticking to my budget.
I have also decided to revise my original intention of only purchasing 12 new items this year - that seems unlikely now and I think I will just let go of restricting myself to a certain amount of items as that does not feel good to me and puts a lot of pressure on myself.
On Instagram, I have been following @dressing_dawn's challenge called #20in2020 which is essentially trying to buy only 20 items in 2020. Super admirable and inspiring to follow even though I was not participating. However, I really appreciate Dawn's conversations on instagram and a couple weeks back she invited people to revisit their goal and revise if necessary. I really appreciated this space for re-evaluating goals and to do so without guilt or shame. I think it's really important if we want to make long-term changes.
I also believe my primarily goal here is about improving, and slow progress is better than no progress in my opinion. And I want to get in the habit of celebrating my wins too.
I am proud of myself for not purchasing fast fashion in many many months and I have maintained my goal of not buying from Amazon since October! I have also avoided Everlane, which has been quite a disappointing company lately.
Trying to be kind and gentle to myself throughout this process and celebrate the successes along the way :)