When Wishlisting Works
It's no secret that I have a penchant for the finer things in life; I also, not-so-secretly, have a weakness for cheap thrills - and more and more it's proving to be not worth it, from an inexpensive top I buy at H&M to the candybar I pick up impulsively at the checkout counter when I'm buying paper towels at Duane Reade. While spring cleaning, I've literally filled bags and bags of clothes that I bought impulsively- basic, but inexpensive cardigans that I wore twice and still managed to become ridden with holes, and ill fitting dresses that I justified by their on-sale price... There are literally bags full of things I've just outright forgotten about - pieces that lack a "wow" factor or anything special or distinct about them, as well as cheaply made pieces I bought on a whim that fell apart after a single wear or wash.
Top to Bottom: Sunglasses - Prada, Necklace - Madewell, Top - Alexander McQueen, Skirt - Forever21+, Booties - Evans, Purse - Miu Miu
Okay, I know this isn't a make-up blog (obviously, since I sort of suck at make-up!) - but in the hot, sweaty summer months, this Stila liquid eyeliner ($20, and worth every penny) has been a godsend. I'm obsessed with it. It literally doesn't budge!
Glitter Polish - "Today Was a Fairy Tale" by Deborah Lippmann
Some rules, going forward:
1.) When contemplating a purchase, I'll ask myself, "Am I obsessed with this?"
2.) Contemplate how frequently I could wear a potential piece of clothing, shoes, or an accessory, and calculate the cost per wear. Buying quality for pieces that get the most wear pays off in the long run! Take, for example, my Chanel flats that I wore nearly everyday for several years; the breakdown is just pennies per day.
3.) When shopping sales, ask myself if I would have considered purchasing the item at full price, or if I'm just being manipulated by a sale sticker.
Obviously, this doesn't mean I'm done buying inexpensive things, either; sometimes the H&M or thrift-store find is exactly what I'm looking for. My point is to edit my wardrobe towards things that are memorable and special, and for the pieces I know I'll want to wear to death, aim for the highest quality within my means. I get so much more gratification when I get to own something that I've pined over and saved up for, like the minimal baroque Prada sunglasses, or the McQueen top above (that I finally clicked "buy" on during a second markdown at the Net-a-Porter sale... AFTER IT WAS IN MY CART FOR MONTHS!), or the Miu Miu bag, that I had fallen in love with at-least-half-a-year before purchasing it on sale at Saks (4 years ago! And I still use it all the time!). Often, it helps to know what you're looking for or want before you go shopping - and keeping a running wishlist (formal or mental) can help one you stay focused. Unless you find something you've fallen in love with (and this can happen often, especially while rummaging through sale racks), if you're unsure if you really love something, the answer is probably that you don't! I'm trying, more and more as I grow up and become more confident in my personal style, to buy things that have an interesting or unique factor that distinguish them from the rest. Even a simple peplum ruffle stands out among my closet full of plain, black pencil skirts. I'm gravitating more towards pieces that stand out not only on their own, but among the rest of my wardrobe; things that even though they might be marked as being "so 2011," won't end up forgotten about 6 months down the line.