Stealing this idea from Xin who always writes the most thought-provoking and interesting posts, not only on fashion-adjacent topics but also everything from law to personal finance. Go check out her blog (Invincible Summer) now if you haven’t already, then come back and find out how I spent some of my shopping budget in the last 12 months.
Age: 39
How much you spent: $2,617 (August 2018 to July 2019)
How much you spent without accessories (shoes, bags, jewelry): $1,794
A Purchase You Planned – For the most part, I don’t plan specific purchases. The closest I get is having a list of designers to look for (whose aesthetic tends to work for me, based on past experience). Possibly the only recent exception has been Rafael Canada jewelry. After I thrifted my first piece, I started researching the designer and quickly fell in love with his work. I compiled a list of “most coveted” pieces using photos I found online, and then proceeded to haunt eBay, Etsy, and vintage seller sites to see if I could find them. All Rafael pieces are handmade and are, in that sense, unique; however, he used certain designs more than once, so it’s possible to find similar pieces. My approach was planned in the sense that I knew which styles I wanted, but I was open to variations in terms of metal finishes and the colour of glass cabochons used.
The main reason why I had to take a more planned approach was price; I wanted All the Things, but I had to budget. Because Rafael pieces are somewhat rare and collectible, the price points can vary wildly; I’ve been lucky to find a few pieces under $100, but most seem to be around $120-$200, with some listed as high as $400+. In the scheme of things (and considering my overall financial situation), my purchases haven’t been exorbitant, but when you’re used to thrift pricing, they took some mental adjustment. That being said, I adore my Rafael pieces, and I consider them more of a collection than a simple clothing purchase.
An Impulse Buy – Almost everything I purchased in the last year can be characterized as an impulse buy. I see, I buy; that’s how thrifting works. You can’t really “sleep on it” because good stuff moves quickly. That being said, if we look at “impulse buy” as something on which I took a risk, then one of the best was the Zara faux leather crop top. I have been loving leather jackets for a few years now, but this was the item that opened my eyes to the possibilities of incorporating leather into my regular outfits outside of outerwear. It was $12, which at the time seemed ridiculous for a secondhand fast fashion brand (and a crop top, of all things), but it was a bargain considering I have already worn it 9 times and counting. Time and again, it has been that perfect finishing touch to an outfit, adding texture and visual interest and generally elevating my style. The cut makes it a great layering piece, which means it works more or less year-round. As I said, it also made me look at leather pieces in a different light. I now have a few leather skirts, a pair of leather culottes, not to mention my beloved Sarah Pacini leather vest, and I believe that my closet is better for it.
Your Favourite Purchase:This is impossible, you know that, right? Picking one favourite thing? Forget it. I can maaaaybe commit to a top 5 … for today. Ask me tomorrow, and it might be something else. What can I say, I love my whole closet. For what it’s worth, today’s top picks would be:
- Aritzia midi skirt – I wear this every other week, it seems. I just love everything about it, and it’s super comfortable to boot. I paid $13 for it, and the cost per wear is already well under $1. It’s a wardrobe staple for me.
- Dries Van Noten floral dress – If money were no object, I would be a collector of Dries’ beautiful creations. As it is, I feel very fortunate to have been able to find this gorgeous dress on eBay for a reasonable price (not cheap, but it’s all relative). Every time I wear it, it feels like a treat.
- il Sander blazer – I’ve found a ton of awesome blazers in the past year, but this one inches ahead of the rest on quality alone. It’s a wool cashmere blend, and it feels like heaven. It’s also a classic colour and design, so it’s one of those unicorn timeless pieces that fashion magazines always tout; I can see myself wearing this for years to come.
- YSL plaid skirt – This skirt just brings me so much joy whenever I wear it. And I don’t even like plaid that much! Or, at least, I didn’t until I found this skirt. Now, I’m reconsidering my stance. This skirt is the best kind of vintage; it still looks so cool and modern, plus is a bit of fashion history. It was $13 at Value Village and, honestly, I would cry if anything happened to it.
- Cartonnier fur collar coat – I don’t know what it is about this coat, but it makes me feel like such a bada$$ every time I wear it. I am … the opposite of cool and deeply aware of it, so this is quite the sartorial magic, you guys. It’s also the kind of coat that I can slap onto any outfit, and it just works. Like, I said, MAGIC.
Honourable mention to all my Rafael Canada pieces, but I decided to keep them off this list because I already talked about them above.
A Purchase you regret – There are ** items I purchased in the last year which I’ve decided to pass on (sell, donate or swap). That sounds like a lot (and it is) but keep in mind that almost all of these pieces were thrifted and I should be able to recoup a decent portion of my out-of-pocket costs. (In some cases, I already did through the pop-up clothing sale back in March. Will be doing the same event again in September.) So in terms of actual regret, I have little.
A Purchase you regret not making – Nothing comes to mind. Probably not surprising, given how much I buy.
This is an interesting exercise! I started writing down everything I bought monthly in my budgeting spreadsheet, so I took a quick look and came up with my own quick summary from 2018.
Age: 31
Total spent: $1992
Total w/o shoes, bags, jewelry: $997 (I only bought one necklace and one bag last year… shoes are my kryptonite. I bought 31 pairs last year)
– I didn’t plan any purchase unless you count saving up Banana card points to use on Athleta’s website to purchase Birkenstock sandals. So, like you, pretty much everything else was an impulse buy.
– Favorite purchase: I work in a super casual office now, so nothing fancy here – a pair of Sperry taupe/grey flat leather ankle boots. The leather is soft and the look fits most outfits. I’ve worn them at least 20 times already.
– Regret: I bought a dress from Amazon that looked cute online, but had slits on the side that turned out to be completely too high to wear without fear of flashing everyone. It didn’t offer free returns, so I just donated it to Goodwill. I can’t remember anything I regret not purchasing, which makes me think I should be more picky while thrifting. I forget about the things I pass on anyway.
It’s an interesting exercise, for sure. Got me thinking a lot more about my purchases and how I approach shopping in general. Always trying to curb the appetite to keep buying shiny pretty new (to me) things.
I keep coming back to this and wanting to do it but not being in the right time/place. But please keep posting content like it — I love living vicariously through you!
Thank you for the shout-out! I always find it incredibly interesting to see how different people approach shopping.That’s why I loved Franish’s monthly budgets and the linkup so much back in the day.
I’ve really been appreciating Dries van Noten prints (mostly by admiring photos from their runway shows on Pinterest). So beautiful, and really unique.
Re: your Cartonnier fur collar coat, may I ask what size you have? I adore it, too, and am stalking it on consignment sites but it looks like it runs small? Your opinion?