My Clothing + Shopping Theory: Then & Now

Up until about 9 to 12 months ago I was a bargain shopper. (Ok I still am, but more on that later.) If I saw it on the clearance rack at one of my favorite stores and I liked it well enough and had the cash I would buy it. Or if I had a coupon I would have to purchase something because I didn't want the coupon to go to waste. Looking back 9 times out of 10 I was buying the items more for the thrill of it and not because my closet needed it. After I got married in June and started to move my clothes into my husband's house I began to realize how much bargain items I had. (I admit having a huge walk in closet in my childhood bedroom did not help my cause.) When I started going through my stuff (and I still am!) I started to realize that the stuff I was donating were items I had gotten for a good price. I also had the mindset to "save" clothing/outfits because you never know when you're going to need it. Like the 8 blazers, anyone? I didn't absolutely love every single thing in my closet but still hung on to the stuff because it made me feel "special" to have a closet full of clothes.

Fast forward to October. I'm still going through my closet and donating pieces that I don''t 100% love. For me it's not easy since there is some emotional attachment to it. The 2 questions that I ask myself is "When was the last time I wore it?" & "How does this make me feel?" If it's been a year or more then and/or I didn't feel fabulous in it I donate it.

F21 top

My current mantra is buying pieces that I absolutely love than ones that are so-so and investing in higher quality items on sale. There are exceptions though. I'm discovering that I love pieces with unique detailing. I found a a scalloped lace top from Forever 21 and I knew I would regret it if I did not get it. Now I know Forever 21 is not associated with high quality merchandise but I believe that properly caring for your clothing extends their life by a thousand.

Another example: I have been lusting over the Marc by Marc Jacobs Petal to the Metal clutch wallet for over a year now. Honestly, I couldn't justify the $238 price tag for it. Yesterday I noticed that MJ released a new version of the the wallet, which made me think that the older version (which I like a lot better) would be going on sale. I could not find the black one online except for at MJ.com (at full price) and was ready to purchase it until my husband said to wait and to continue looking. This morning I started looking at piperlime, shopbop, etc. and lo and behold I found it marked down on Nordstrom's website. I ended up saving $80 before taxes.



Looking back, it's not a bargain if it just sits in your closet.  Now I am willing to shop at higher end stores but I wait until the item goes on sale.   This waiting period allows me to asses if I truly want it and if I do it allows me to save some money as well.  Everyone is different, but this is what is working for me. :)