The title of this post is misleading. I don’t believe in New Year Resolutions. If I feel that I need to make changes in my life, want to adopt a new habit, or achieve some specific goal, I will start working on that as soon as I feel I have the resources (emotional, mental, financial) to do so as successfully as possible. Why wait for some arbitrary day? And why January of all times? It’s already such a tough month from a well-being perspective; a better month, in my opinion, for giving yourself a break than pursuing new ambitions.

That being said, I suppose that “new year resolutions” is a handy shorthand for the topic I wanted to chat about today, which is setting intentions for my shopping and wardrobe curation moving forward. These are not rules per se, but rather guidelines to help me make more mindful decisions. They arise from a lot of self-reflection I’ve done over the past year — noticing trends in my purchases and outfits, what I like to wear and how I like to wear it, what things are most meaningful and bring me the most joy, etc. A list began to organically coalesce in my mind towards the end of last year; between you and me, I have already started to put most of them into practice. But I think it’s good to write these things down, to crystallize the intentions and create a greater sense of accountability.

Focus on natural fibers

Going forward, I want to focus on purchasing natural fibers. For certain wardrobe categories like knitwear (tops and sweaters) and blazers, my intention is to look exclusively at natural fibers (linings not included because sigh). For skirts, dresses and pants, I know that some level of compromise may be required, but the ideal would be cotton, linen, and wool. I have a love-hate relationship with silk — I love it, but it hates my propensity to spill on myself — so it’s something I buy only if I feel that I can handle the likely laundering requirements (which can depend on the type of silk, category of garment, etc.).

Think twice thrice about thrift purchases

A good chunk of thrift purchases are impulse buys; that’s the nature of the game — you never know what you’re going to fall in love with until you find it. I’ve talked before about how it’s a great way to build a closet … but, in my case, the closet has been built. It has also been elevated, over and over, so at this point it doesn’t contain many “filler” or “meh” pieces. I have so many fabulous clothes, I often feel guilty for not having time to wear them all enough. I don’t want to add more stuff to the mix unless they are things as good or even better than what I have — things that add true value to my closet. That’s a very high threshold, and I need to exercise an equally high amount of discernment when I make decisions at the thrift store.

Closet future-proofing

My focus at the thrift store will be on good quality basics as future replacements. By “basics” I mean primarily base layer staples, like plain tees, tank tops, turtlenecks, etc. These are important “bricks” in my closet and I enjoy having good quality pieces — hello, natural fibers, again — to work with. Replacing them once the actual need arises can be difficult; retail doesn’t generally offer the quality I want, and thrifting doesn’t deliver things on demand. Plus, I am concerned that, as time goes on, the quality available in thrift stores will also decline as their inventory gets taken over, more and more, by fast fashion. Hedging for my future needs seems like a good strategy at this point, as vintage goods are becoming increasingly scarce. I don’t plan on buying a dozen of the same item (I don’t replace them every week, after all), but having at least one good backup seems wise.

Strategic value purchases

Buying fewer things at the thrift store will mean spending less money on thrifting, which means that I will have more discretionary funds at my disposal with which to make strategic buying decisions. By that I mean buying special pieces that most align with my style values — those pieces that bring me the most joy. These are generally things that aren’t very easy to find at the thrift stores, so acquiring them involves paying a premium on other resale platforms like Poshmark and eBay. I will always try to hunt down the best deal I can, but I like having the margin to stretch the definition of a “good deal” if needed. Many of the items I would consider in this category are currently experiencing a surge in secondhand pricing. For example, a good deal for a vintage Ralph Lauren skirt is not what I would consider a good deal for most other brands’ vintage skirts.

I’m still working to outline an overall plan for my strategic purchases for 2024, but I think my focus will be on, among other things:

• Vintage Ralph Lauren items which, to me, are representative of the brand’s ethos and align with my aesthetic. I like to think of it as having my own capsule collection. My focus will be on the categories that speak to me the most: skirts, blazers, sweaters, and coats.
• Vintage heritage brand leather bags — primarily Coach and Dooney. I have 2 or 3 specific bags in mind that I would like to add to my closet, to complement my current bag line-up.
• Classic jewelry that will eventually become part of a legacy for my daughter. I am not necessarily thinking about fine jewelry, but rather items of unique design that are meaningful to me. Some examples would include Canadian brutalist designers like Rafael Alfandary, Robert Larin, and Guy Vidal; Scandinavian design studios like Lapponia; other mid-century and contemporary designers (e.g. Elsa Peretti).

If you are in the process of setting some style- or shopping-related intentions or goals for 2024, I would love to hear about them!

Details: Oak & Fort turtleneck, Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren vest & skirt, vintage belt, Dooney bag, Laredo boots, Nine West jacket (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This outfit was so bang-on the general direction of my current style heading into 2024. I’m planning a post to update my avatars, but you shouldn’t be surprised to see more of this. This is precisely the kind of layering I’m loving right now — at least while the weather allows — because it gives depth and visual interest to the outfit. The trick is picking the right layers, but this combo of thin, black turtleneck + chambray shirt + knit vest + jacket works really well. I’ve been lucky to have more time to wear my fall jackets than usual this year, though I suppose “lucky” is probably not the right word for it. I’m expecting that January and February will revert to historical norms (we can only hope, we need snow so badly, as weird as that sounds) so I’ll be saying goodbye to this amazing leather jacket for a while. I’ve worn it with some many things already — jeans, dresses, and now skirts — and it has yet to let me down. This skirt is another wardrobe superstar for me, and an all-season one at that.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail), Amaryllis coat, Babaton pants, Fossil belt, ASOS boots, Stella & Max bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Brought back a little (or a lot of) colour into my outfit with this brilliant cobalt blue coat; I started there but didn’t stop. I love pairing blue and yellow, so I threw a few different things into the mix. The scarf and the bag seemed like a good match as well, mirroring the same geometric pattern. And I decided to stick with brown as the grounding neutral here instead of black, as it works so nicely with this shade of navy.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger vest, Gap shirt, Ralph Lauren belt (all secondhand), Banana Republic jeans (retail)

Thoughts: A very simple but satisfying outfit! Remember how I mentioned before that this sleeveless mock-neck sweater (it’s really more like a vest!) is so handy for layering? Here’s another good example. I wanted the velvet shirt to be visible so it had to be the top layer, but I also wanted some textural contrast. Enter the vest, which looks like a sweater but isn’t — so easy to layer under the shirt! Add a good pair of jeans and a belt, and you have yourself an outfit to which Papa Ralph would give the thumbs up (or so I like to think).

Details: vintage cardigan, Marc Cain skirt, Ports International coat, Canadienne boots, Coach bag (all secondhand), Hermes scarf (from mom)

Thoughts: Funny story about this coat: a lady stopped me at the thrift store and told me that I had to buy it because I looked so good in brown. I think Ports is generally good value for the money, and this is a classic duffle-style coat in excellent condition (and 100% wool) so why not? I bought it … but later, on further reflection, I realized that it’s not really my style. I think it looks great with short skirts — as in this outfit — but I don’t wear short skirts very often. This was a reminder that I cannot let my focus slip when I’m thrifting; I need to be intentional and highly selective at all times. Luckily, this purchase wasn’t a total loss, as I have a few friends who are interested in the coat — I’m sure it will work out for one of them. But, lesson learned!

Details: Equipment shirt, Higher State dress, Silverado jacket, Chico’s belt, Laredo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: As I was running out of time to wear warmer weather outfits, I had to sneak in one more “winter prairie” look featuring this wonderful coat that my friend Sherry gifted me. In case you are wondering, the layering here was base tank top + shirt + (long sleeved) dress + coat. Not a walking outfit, for sure, but plenty warm for errand-running in a car. The layering also allowed me to up the visual interest by adding the pop of contrasting pattern at the neck. I kept the colour palette consistent so it wouldn’t be too distracting.

Details: Jacob cardigan, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Line sweater, Oak & Fort jeans (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I guess you could say that I’m still wearing your grandpa’s style, in this case his cardigan. Though, to be fair, this vintage Jacob cardigan is most likely from the 90s, so more like to have belonged to one of your parents … or, if you’re my age, maybe it was, ummm, yours. Ahem. I do wish this cardigan was a bit shorter because I prefer a more cropped silhouette with my high-waisted jeans and skirt, but I loved the overall vibe and couldn’t pass it up at the thrifts when I found it a few weeks ago. Would I still buy it today, if I were to apply my more discriminating lens? I think I would, both for its vibe but also for the nostalgia factor. The silhouette is something I can work on; perhaps it will push me to be a bit more adventurous and try some new styling tricks.

Today, let’s talk about a small, recent closet reorg project. January is supposedly the season of fresh starts, but you know how I feel about that; I actually did this project in December, after watching a YouTube video from Trinny Woodall about her belt collection. I, too, am a big believer in the transformative power of belts, and seeing how she organized hers made me realize that I needed a better system for myself, to make it easier to access and use my belts.

Belts have become one of my favourite categories to thrift in recent years. As I said, I think belts can make a huge impact on how an outfit comes together — at least in the case of my current style. Belts are expensive to buy at retail (I prefer real leather) and unique ones can be hard to find at the mall. At the thrifts, these challenges can be overcome. I’ve accumulated a pretty extensive collection of wonderful belts in the last couple of years, and most of them cost less than $10 a piece. When you consider how much they’ve helped me elevate my outfits, that’s good bang for your buck.

If I had to break down the belts I have into categories or types, they would be:

• Wide belts — these are generally belts that sit at my natural waist (the smallest part of my torso) so I wear them with skirts and dresses. Depending on the width, some can also work with high-waisted jeans or pants if the belt loops are big enough. In my non-scientific methodology, I consider anything wider than 2 inches to be a “wide belt”. Most of my wide belts are 3 inches and up, and include sub-categories like corset belts and wrap belts.

• Thin belts – these are belt less than 2 inches wide, which can sit anywhere from my waist down to my hips, depending on the rise of whatever bottom piece I’m wearing. As there is a significant difference in my waist and hip measurements, this can be tricky and we’ll talk more about it below. Most of my thin belts are either black or some shade of brown, as I find those colours to be most versatile for my closet. I love a fun, statement buckle on a thin belt so I have a lot of those. That being said, I’ve found it’s also it’s important to have some options with plain/simple buckles for outfits where the belt needs to be a supporting character, not a focus.

• Metal/chain belts – I don’t have a lot of these, but they can be a fab accessory — like a replacement for jewelry. I love concha belts for a southwestern flair, but gold chain belts are also super fun and glamorous.

• Fabric belts – I don’t currently wear fabric belts very often, but I do have a few stretchy elastic ones with jeweled buckles that I wear with fancy dresses (or to make dresses look fancier).

My belts come from a variety of different brands, and I don’t have specific brands I look for when I’m thrifting. I chose belts based on quality (as I said, I prefer leather), condition, and overall aesthetic. I will mention that the Canadian brand Brave is worth keeping an eye out for; in my experience, their belts are great quality and they often have interesting and/or unusual designs. Similarly, BCBG makes some pretty unique belts — my beloved white peplum belt, for example — although the quality tends to be a bit more hit-and-miss. Vintage belts also deserve a shoutout, especially if you’re looking for statement pieces.

I used to keep my belts in a large storage box on one of the higher shelves in my closet. Then, as my collection grew, I had to split them into 2 boxes, the second on an even higher shelf. It wasn’t a great system for 2 related reasons. They were out of sight and somewhat difficult to access because the boxes got to be quite heavy and they required me to do an overhead lift to pull them out. Being out of sight (and generally disorganized in the large boxes), I sometimes forgot about them. So I decided to do a small reorg of one of my closet bays. For reference, my closet is made from Pax pieces from IKEA; the nice thing about that is that it allows for relatively easy reconfiguration.

I don’t have a “before” photo taken immediately before — by now, that shouldn’t surprise you, LOL! — but here is a photo from the original version of my closet:

Prior to this most recent reorg, we had already added 2 more shallow drawers (jewelry storage) and a deep one in the middle stack, replacing the pants rack which I never found especially useful. This go-round, we eliminated the large opening with a storage bin full of odds and ends at the bottom, and added two further deep drawers. Like so:

The belts used to be in the 2 boxes at the top, above the wide opening. The top one is now filled with random stationery (from the storage bin that used to be on the bottom). There is also a large bag behind it, one I don’t use very often but takes up a lot of room. The second box is now filled with my scarves, which used to be stored in various other places before (including my belt boxes). Again, because the shelves are so deep, there is a smaller box — also filled with scarves — behind it. I do wish I had another way to store my scarves so I could see them more easily, but I haven’t come up with that idea yet. The good thing is that the scarves are MUCH lighter than my belts so it’s easy to pull down that box when I need it.

The belts are now stored in the 2 lowest drawers in the stack. Above them is a drawer of pants, and then one with underwear. The shallow drawers above are all jewelry. You may have noticed that there is a gap at the very bottom. I had originally planned to add another shallow drawer (and would have reconfigured the order rather than putting it at the very bottom) but IKEA was sold out. For now, I’m planning to repurpose an acrylic organizer tray and stick in down there. My plan is to go through the necklaces hanging elsewhere in my closet, pull out the chunkier ones that I don’t wear as often, and put them in the tray. This will create some “breathing room” on those other jewelry displays so I can more easily see the pieces I wear often.

Remember: a small space + a large wardrobe = constantly playing a kind of closet Jenga. But necessity is the mother of invention. Much to my husband’s chagrin — he’s the one that often has to execute my vision — I come up with new ideas for making the most of my closet all the time.

Anyway, here are the belts, all organized. I got a Skubb set of organizers at IKEA, and split up the belts by category, before putting them into the new drawers.

And here’s how they fit in the drawers — there is lots of room for more belts now!

A few days after everything was in place, I got another idea. I decided to move all my coloured tights — which had been jammed at random in another storage box with my jeans, mostly because I had nowhere else to put them — into one of the belt drawers. Like so:

So much easier to see what I have! It doesn’t leave me a lot of room to grow into this drawer, though … so we will see what other bright ideas I think up in a few years.

One last word on belts. If, like me, your waist-to-hip ratio is significant, you must invest in a belt-hole puncher. I can’t believe how long it took me to get one, and how life-changing it’s been! Ok, maybe not life-changing, but you know what I mean. There is a 7.5 inch difference between my waist and the widest part of my hips; most belts don’t come with enough holes to accommodate that, which means that I would need different belts to wear with different rises. I don’t like that! I want to be able to wear my favourite belts at various rises — which is possible if they’re sized for my hips and I punch additional belt holes. I used to get my husband to do this, but without a specialized tool, it was hard work and could result in a belt being ruined. In her video, Trinny mentioned buying a hole puncher, which made me go “a ha!!” I don’t know why I never thought that such a thing would exist outside of specialized leatherworking. But it does! I got this one from Amazon for under $20:

I picked the cheapest one that had good reviews, and it works great! So easy to use and you don’t even need a huge amount of arm strength to operate, and the holes are nice and clean.

Next to my steam cleaner and my sweater defuzzer, this has been the best money I’ve spent for wardrobe maintenance. Now, my belt collection will be working harder than ever!