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 year, instead of taking the kids to the West Coast again for our family summer vacation, we decided to stay closer to home. At 8 and nearly 6, I feel like they’re old enough now to start appreciating what the Rockies have to offer. The truth is, my kids probably take after me; I have never been a particularly outdoorsy person – my idea of camping is staying at a motel – but I do enjoy hiking and beautiful vistas. I am hoping some of that is going to rub off on the kids. This time around, we managed a few short hikes with minimal complaints (though they were definitely fonder of any opportunity to splash in a body of water, no matter how cold).

Before I talk about what I packed for the trip, here is some picture spam:

Ok, so in terms of clothing, I went with my tried and tested approach for family vacations – keeping things comfortable and simple. Because our weather has been so variable this summer, I paid close attention to the forecast – though, in the end, I underestimated how cold some days would be (luckily, not the ones we spent in the mountains). I packed fairly light and used almost all of the items I brought, save one jacket that didn’t actually work with any of the other things I had (a poor selection on my part too begin with). In total, I had: 3 dresses, 3 pairs of pants, 4 tops, 2 jackets, 1 scarf, 1 hat, and 3 pairs of shoes. Almost everything was linen which, apart from the wrinkling (unavoidable but not a big deal on a trip like this), is perfect – lightweight and comfortable.

I didn’t get a chance to take photos of every outfit, but here are most of them :

This was definitely not the height of fashion by any means … although I received several compliments when I wore my Ungaro linen wrap dress (not pictured) one evening in Canmore. Someone even said that I looked very “Annie Hall”, which was highly flattering (if perhaps not strictly true). But the main thing is that a lot of fun was had, and if style took a back seat to function in service of that, well, I’m okay with the trade off.

Sherry at Save Spend Splurge had an interesting post recently about status symbols, and it took me on a weird tangent, thinking about luxury brand things I used to lust after, but no longer do so. Being a woman who loves lists, I decided to put one together. By the time I was done, my list had moved off on another tangent, but we’ll talk about that when we get there, ‘kay?

Oh, and one other thing: my intent in making this list isn’t to suggest that liking these things is passee. Just because I’m not interested in them anymore doesn’t make them any less of a status symbol, or mean that the people who still like them are wrong to do so. It’s just a reflection of my changing desires/needs/tastes, and I think it’s useful to take stock of that from time to time; doing so reminds me of one of my favourite sayings (actually a U2 lyric) when it comes to material possessions … what you don’t have, you don’t need it now.

Cartier Ballon Bleu Watch

At one point, this was going to be my “present to self” for making partner at my old firm. We all know what happened; I quit and went in-house instead. Have never regretted my decision, and have also come to realize that expensive watches are not really worth it to me. I own and love a few Skagen watches, and I do occasionally wear them, but not enough to justify spending $8,000 for a version with a fancier label attached.

Cartier Love Bracelet

After my husband bought me the Cartier Trinity ring to commemorate a special moment in our lives, I told him that the next big milestone would have to be marked with the Love bracelet. That was 6 or 7 years ago. At some point, I simply stopped thinking about it. With my 40th birthday just around the corner, this would have been the time to revisit this discussion but in all truth, we are probably going to just splurge on our planned trip to Japan and maybe buy ourselves some extra trip souvenirs rather than do any big birthday presents (we’re both turning 40 in the same year).

As a side note, the Trinity ring is still one of my favourite pieces of jewelry. I wear it daily, sometimes even in place of my engagement and wedding rings.

Designer Bags

This is almost unfathomable, because I was a devoted “bag lady” for years and years. I still have all my old designer bags; I’m afraid to part with them (what if I end up regretting it later?), but I rarely use them. Just between you and me, there are times when my daily work commute bag is a fabric tote from Fossil that I thrifted for $5. Old me would have been mortified. For some reason, bags just don’t make my heart pitter-patter like they used. I can appreciate a beautiful design, but I don’t feel that old desire to own the thing.

Valentino Rock Studs

I hunted these shoes for years at the thrift stores, with no luck. Now … meh. I wear the same 3-5 pairs of shoes all the time; most of them are black or some other neutral, and most of them have low heels or are flats. I am much more likely to get excited over a comfortable ankle boot (with sensible heel!) than a fancy pair of pumps. And that goes for Louboutins too.

Hermes Belt

Before the Gucci double-G belt that has taken over certain realms of social media, there was the Hermes H-belt. I think Extra Petite used to have one, back in the day. It looked very chic, and I wanted one badly — probably because I desperately wanted the feeling of being perfectly polished and put together. Never did get one, and my style has evolved in a direction where “polished” means something different than it used to. Also, because of recent health issues, I rarely wear belts (or jeans) anymore.

But thinking of the status symbols that I used to covet, and now don’t, also got me to consider the reverse: things I’ve come to value more now than before. To wit:

Designer Clothing

I used to be of the view that accessories – shoes and bags, primarily – were the real “investment” categories when it comes to clothing. They tend to last longer and be less vulnerable to trends. Clothes, meanwhile, tend to show wear more easily, and are more likely to fall prey to poor maintenance (ahem, inadvertent dryer damage). While I still believe that good quality shoes (and bags, to some extent) are important, I’ve also come to appreciate the value of (some) designer clothes. It’s not even so much about quality, really, as it is about style and vision. There are certain designers who truly capture my own aesthetic aspirations – Dries Van Noten, Marni, Sarah Pacini, Rick Owens, Hayden Ackerman, Issey Miyake, etc. – which transforms their clothes (in my eyes) into wearable art. If money were no object, I would probably collect their clothing in the same way that I collect other art pieces. As it is, I have occasionally splurged a little more than I’d usually spend to pick up a piece or two when a (relative) bargain has come my way.

MaxMara Camel Coat

Ever since I bought my first one, years ago, on a deep discount sale, I have been a convert. I am fanatical about MaxMara coats in the way that some people are about Burberry trenches; they are the best, and will immediately elevate your outfit, no matter how mundane it is. I am dreading the thought of eventually (soon, gah!) having to replace my coat, because I am not sure I will ever find a similar bargain again. The prospect of spending $1,000 or more on one piece of clothing is daunting, but I know from experience that the cost is worth it in the long run.

Smartphone

This might seem like an odd choice, but hear me out. I was a late adopter of smartphones; I got my first one in 2013, and only because my then-employer gave it to me. Before that, I didn’t understand what the fuss was about; I used to make fun of people who posted on mobile apps like Instagram. Oh, the irony. Anyway, even after getting my first phone, for a long time I didn’t really care about having the newest, shiniest version. As long as I could access my apps and take my blog photos on it, it was good enough. Well, that’s all changed now. I have been coveting the iPhone 8 for a while (never mind the X) for the superior camera alone. I can’t quite bring myself to upgrade on my own dime but, boy, do I dream about it!

Your turn: what are some status symbols you used to covet? Or that you’ve only recently started to covet? Or what about ones you’ve never coveted at all? For me, cars are definitely in that last category – if it’s compact, has 4 wheels and moves, I’m happy.