Anthro-centric OOTD and avoiding closet obsolescence

Two Wheeler Shirtdress

Cartography Cardigan

Miu Miu flats

I wore this outfit to celebrate a belated Mother's Day with my family this weekend. I saw my mother on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend but because my brother was working on May 8th, she decided to postpone things. It was important to her that all the kids could be together. It felt sad that I didn't get to hug her on the actual day but I did get celebrate and hug with Chris's mom and stepmom. Yesterday was pretty chilly but I still decided to go bare legged. Today the high is in the low 50s so bare legs aren't an option.

When I bought the Two Wheeler dress by Porridge I knew about its weird fit issues. If I wanted the dress to hug my waist the sleeves were going to be too tiny to button. It's bizarre but I guess I have meatier limbs than Porridge imagined. haha This means I often wear it layered if I don't choose to use my hair-tie button-extending solution (wherein I take a thin elastic hair tie, loop it around the button, thread through the hole, then hook).

I didn't buy anything this weekend which I consider to be a victory. I was in two malls and a Gabriel Brothers. When I browse the stores I often gravitate toward items that are facsimiles of what I already possess. I suppose this affirms consistency in my tastes. But it also can lead to a lot of superfluous shopping. On multiple occasions, I end up buying duplicates, backups, and/or stuff that foresees an eventual (conscious or subconscious) obsolescence. I already wrote about how I purchase in multiples (which I am trying to avoid because it can get a bit hoarder-y) and dress with monogamy (which is a good thing because it brings down cost per wear). But I will soon compile a list that evidences instances of planned and unplanned obsolescence in my wardrobe. I think it will be a good reminder about how silly it is to buy without purpose.

I have been coveting Kate Spade's Violetta dress for some time now, but its color similarities to the Two Wheeler have stopped me from purchasing. Even with this knowledge, a nagging consumer impulse has lingered. I considered selling the Two Wheeeler to replace it with the Kate Spade until I reasoned that my lifestyle is one where cotton makes more sense than silk. This weekend I pulled out the dress in part to remind myself that I have a perfectly cute blue shirtdress (so I need to stop hypothetically shopping by filling up my cart at katespade.com... that ritual can transition to literal shopping pretty quickly!). In light of my car repairs, the similarities should be plenty fuel to curb any impulses. Layering this with the map printed cardi isn't at all clever or new. I wore it almost the exact same way last September.

Do you have any tricks or tips that gently remind that nagging inner consumer when the things you covet replicate what you already own?

Old clothes feel new again but new clothes are still tempting!

One of the things most frustrating about not shopping is not that you are stuck assembling outfits from an already overflowing closet. That is actually the fun part of the challenge! But what is most difficult is that in the process of sharpening your instinct for innovation, in viewing each garment as a component in an outfit full of possibilities, you come to see those possibilities everywhere. That skill doesn't suddenly shut down once your closet is out of your eyesight. Instead, you become better equipped to imagine the many ways you could style a garment, if it was already at your disposal. This opens the path to rationalization: "But if it will fit in so well, maybe I DO need it?"

I've gone to three weddings this summer, all of which had different crowds (minus my date, Chris) so I wore the same outfit to all three. I also wore a version of this ensemble last year to two other weddings!

After weeks spent shopping your own closet, you've become intimately acquainted with what you already have, so picturing any additional possibilities yielded when you pair that beloved navy cardigan, your favorite drapey scarf, and the contrasting leather bag with a new piece becomes automated. You can't really shut down the part of your brain that authored creative ways to make old things feel new again. Practicing that process infiltrates how you see new new items, also. Suddenly new things start to again strike you as necessary luxuries rather than adding to your already superfluous excess.

These recent outfits feature pieces I pulled from the back of my closet, except for the skirt on the far right (which was an impulse purchase at f21 while shopping with my sister).
The dresses are all at least a year (the middle two are closer to three years old). The top is four years old. The shoes are all a year old.

It becomes even more complicated when the boundaries of your ban become blurred. "This $20 skirt doesn't count! It was only $20." Or, "I have to buy these undergarments. They're on sale and foundation pieces don't count." Or, "Outnet is having a flash sale and I've never seen 3.1 Phillip Lim dresses selling for this cheap!" The comforting thing about a complete shopping ban is that there are no gray areas. You just don't buy it, no matter the circumstance. Slowly, over time I began allowing the space for gray areas. I'll discuss how my ban fell to the wayside in my next post.

The Ban Is Broken

In the name of the Steelers impending trip to the Superbowl, and after weeks and weeks of lamenting how "fans can't see that I'm also a fan when I am wearing my coat on game days," I got a throwback Steeler winter hat.

Now it was only $7 so I could technically still feel like my ban hasn't been broken. A winter hat is a practical item that I will use for years and years to come. But this particular purchase was definitely frivolous. I still intend to not buy anything fancy from now until the trip to New York City. Chris is going for a conference and I am going because I found a cheap flight. I hope to do some shopping and perhaps some wedding attire browsing while we're there.

This ban business sure is easy when there are signs of the economic times everywhere you read/look. It also helps that the great epic sales of 08 have spoiled me from wanting to spend more than 30% retail on any item. I don't really have very many "wants" right now. The few times in the last few weeks that I've filled online shopping carts, I've had little trouble convincing myself to close the browser and say goodbye.

But when brick and mortar stores are closing their local outposts forever, it can't hurt to have one last hurrah! In the future I will post a eulogy for the Homestead Waterfront Filene's Basement, where I acquired a few key, beloved closet staples. They aren't closed just yet so I want to make sure my eulogy is comprehensive and reflects adequately the entire arch of time I've spent there. On Friday I'd will go to Filene's Basement to pillage before they ship our closing store's stock to another location. Maybe the Fall 07 See By Chloe dresses will be under $100!?! It's bittersweet to think about what it means to be a Pittsburgher in this particular moment of history.

Retail Deathwatch

There are lots of local closings announced in my shopping neck of the woods.

Filene's Basement at the Homestead Waterfront is closing in February.
Macys Furniture Store in Century III Mall is closing.
Old Navy in Century III Mall is closing.
And I've heard that many stores at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall are also closing.

The East Liberty Target project is on hold until the company is ready to expand (probably not until the credit crunch alleviates or the economy picks up again).

And while I am only one lonely consumer, I do not think it is a coincidence that so many closings are occurring as I approach nearly 35 days of not buying anything for myself that wasn't food or drink related. I'm certainly not the only person who has curbed their spending amid news of the economic downturn, layoffs, and hiring freezes. I will update soon on some of my current Ebay wants that might lead to ban-breakage. But they are arguably necessities and buying them gently used or highly discounted via ebay is infinitely more frugal than buying brand new or full retail versions.

I want to see if I can go more than two months without buying frivolous things. My mid-February trip to NYC gives me a firm event to look toward.

Another one bites the dust: La Redoute US

Although I've been staying true to my post-holiday shopping ban (hence my silence around the blog), I have been window shopping and occasionally checking ebay for the usual suspects of estalked pieces. I've found nothing but in my browsing, I decided to revisit an inexpensive site that I always enjoyed but rarely shopped from: La Redoute US.

The (at least in today's post-supermodel world) iconic Parisian models they used, the collaborations with fascinating French designers (Christian Lacroix and Manoush, to name a few), and the constant slew of coupon codes kept me coming back. Because of fit issues the few times I placed orders I rarely purchased anything but I liked knowing they were out there.

Sadly, it seems they no longer are. I went to visit their website to see if there were any new designer collaborations or sale items and found this:

Maybe it is old news but I was surprised, nonetheless.

A few quick searches led me to this:

http://www.entrepreneurs-and-co.com/articles/227/1/PPR-To-Reorganize-La-Redoute-HQ-May-Cut-81-Sites---News-by-Entrepreneurs-amp-Co-on-e-Business-Development-in-Europe/Page1.html

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the closing of online or brick and mortar retail establishments in the wake of a global economic crisis. Still, it makes me wish I had bit on a few more orders when I had the chance.

Part 2: REUNITED and it FEELS so GOOD

It seemed as though the universe conspired to ensure that my self-imposed, practical, smart shopping ban was an epic fail. The Saks mystery money thing was a surprise but I didn't falter. The European event at Filene's had surprising potential, but I walked away with my bankbook, unscathed. I continued to casually browse ebay, Fashionism.org's Marketplace, Make Up Alley's fashion swap group, and the Deals and Steals/Marketplace boards in The Purse Forum. Nothing really stood out for me in terms of recent sales. Although the looming recession led to retailers scrambling to turn over stock at the end of the summer season, nothing stood out as being must-haves. It helped that my least favorite fashions are warm-weather friendly. Regardless of the reason, I was staying true to my ban.

Then the bag that got away became available. The bag whose photos I'd linger over any time I logged into my flickr page. The bag that happened to already be what became (soon after losing it) my holy grail color. The bag I had toiled over selling could be mine again!


You see, a few months prior I bought and swiftly sold a Balenciaga City from 2006 in Gris Fonce (aka the perfect gray mid-size bag) in TPF's marketplace . I sold it because I had also purchased a Balenciaga Day in black around that time. I decided the Day suited my needs better than the City, even though the color and size of the City filled important gaps in my handbag collection.

Thanks to TPF marketplace, the MUA fashion swap, and ebay I had plenty of opportunities since that sale to score amazing deals on bags I've long coveted (Marc Jacobs Stam, Anna Corinna City, Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo in Elephant, Chloé Ava, Miu Miu Bow Satchel, etc.). I managed to pass on every deal, and occasionally tortured myself by visiting the Balenciaga subforum on TPF Marketplace. One day last week, the buyer of my bag listed it. I made an offer and she accepted. So now the bag is sitting in its dustbag on my dresser.

But it didn't stop there.

Banned banned banned forever

So a number of things happened since my last post that mean I have to return everything that has tags on it and try to sell what doesn't (of those things I can bear to sell, anyway).

Chris and I were basically evicted from our home. Our landlord made some risky investments that went sour, leading him to put his house on the market without telling us. It sold and his plan is to move back into our house. Because our house is his house. Such is the peril of renting. He technically gave us 30 days but basically coerced us to get out by the end of the month. I don't want to give him another penny in rent anyway. So we are under the gun trying to pack, move, find a place to rent, or possibly buy a home. We have to pinch all our pennies, postpone our future and travel plans, and basically accept that overpriced slums are the only rentals that will fit our budget and permit our dog. Hence, the consideration to buy. But buying means I will be even more cash poor because so much of our money will be poured into cosmetic changes and appliance upgrades. While we might end up spending less on a mortgage, to make any home in our price range liveable, we will have to change a lot of things. They will be good long-term investments, as they will increase the resale value of a home, but in the short term, my quality of life is going to suffer and that makes me really sad. We also got other bad news last week in terms of the health of a loved one. To top it all off, I fell hard onto concrete and scraped up my hands and knees. It was like the universe was conspiring to make my last summer days in Pittsburgh as awful as possible. I am very close to being ABD because I HAVE to finish before I start my fellowship. And I didn't need any additional stress. But I have it in SPADES. :( :( :(