I don’t know about you, but I love reading recap posts from bloggers summing up their year in terms of fitness pursuits, books read, DIY projects tackled or the best yet: clothing purchases. And since I’ve been tracking my spending on clothing for a while now, I feel like I’ve got a grasp on what actually got the best bang for my buck this past year.
So my analytical self went through my monthly clothing budgets and I came up with what I consider to be my best (and worst) purchases from 2015.
Here are my top 10 purchases from 2015:
Old Navy short sleeve v-neck tee from December: I have a number of colors of this tee in my closet. They are cheap, and surprisingly, have lasted quite a while. I wear them to sleep and workout, and find them to be less see-through and more durable than tees from J.Crew Factory or Everlane.
Madewell Skinny Jeans from November: Turns out denim is worth the price tag. Although I found my two pairs on eBay, they are fantastic and if I ever need another pair, I’m investing the money in these.
Zella Live in Leggings from October: Similar story as above. Pricey for leggings, but I wear these for workouts and in “regular” outfits. Not see through, fit well, and they get great user reviews. Workhorse in my current wardrobe, for sure.
Old Navy Fit & Flare Dress from September: I realized I owned a ton of dresses in prints/patterns, but lacked in solids. This one is perfect- can be dressed up or down and is very remixable for those times when I want to look a bit more put together.
Old Navy Compression Crops from September: Old Navy’s capris are built to last. I wear them for daily workouts, races and working from home- you name it. Super cute prints, and very affordable- glad I got this pair since they go with all the solid v-neck tees and tanks I already own.
J.Crew Factory Quilted Puffer Vest from August: Glad I snatched this up before temps got cooler this year. I’ve been reaching for vests a TON and this one is classic and won’t go out of style for a long while.
Athleta Fast Track Long Sleeve from May: Yes, more workout gear. I wear it when I work from home so I can squeeze in a quick workout without having to change, and these tops keep me warm in the basement without overheating me, and are super flattering and don’t ride up since they have a sticky hem.
J.Crew Factory Boardwalk Shorts from May: I grabbed a few pairs of these in the summer after Bryce was born, and they were my saving grace as I was between sizes, trying to lose the baby weight. Yay for shorts with elastic waistbands!
Embellished sandals from April: A neutral, flat sandal with a hint of glitter that went with nearly every summer outfit I put together.
Sorel Tofino Cate boots from February: So glad I decided to invest in these. Functional and fashionable, perfect for playing in the snow with Bryce!
And the worst purchases?
Mossimo Pullover Sweater via Target from November: I bought this as part of a sale. Still love the mustard color, but the quality is bad and it sags and doesn’t hold it’s shape.
Merona Tunic Sweater via Target from October: Same situation as above– poor quality. I thought it was a great deal when it was on sale…and did that thing where I bought it in a couple colors (sucker!), and unfortunately it pills like crazy. I love the longer length and fun detail on the back, but evidently I need to think twice about buying sweaters from Target.
J. Crew Factory linen cotton drawstring pant from July: Got these on clearance, and now I know why they were marked that way. They are practically see through, wrinkle like crazy (it’s linen- I should have known), and just aren’t flattering. I’ll stick to the white jeans I already own, thankyouverymuch.
Old Navy linen-blend boyfriend tee, Old Navy striped ponte knit dress, and Sperry Top-Sider cherubfish mariner stripe shoes from June: The Old Navy purchases were the case of “I have SuperCash and these items are on clearance so why the heck not.” Not worth it and taught me to shop with intention instead of just browsing, because, clearly it gets me into trouble! I already own a pink top, and already I have several dresses (several with stripes). That said, I ended up returning the dress and selling the tee at a consignment store. Similarly, the Sperry shoes were a super deal, but the print and navy color just didn’t gel with my wardrobe. Sold them on eBay and lesson learned: just because it’s a stellar price doesn’t mean it should go in my shopping cart!
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All in all, my best purchases were a lot of neutrals, mostly a mix of activewear and casual pieces that I could remix, with a couple pairs of sensible shoes. Beyond these, I’d say my Sparkly Soul headbands from June and my running shoes from August would make this list, too, but these seem kind of obvious.
Kind of neat to have this visual to come to that conclusion!
Now I think it’s important to note that even though I bought quite a bit of maternity clothes this past year (and some clothing in my “in between” size), I wouldn’t say they were my best or worst purchases. Just practical necessities. And over the course of the year, my work arrangement has changed from a corporate office where I had to dress up, to working from home full-time + my role as Momma. As a result, my purchases are reflecting that more and more, especially as I move into this year with a reduced clothing budget.
So after three years of blogging about my style and my clothing budgets, I’m hoping 2016 will be the year when:
-I really buy with purpose and focus on quality, not quantity. It might mean paying a bit more, but will be worth it in the long run. Of course, I’m a bargain hunter and will always try to find it on eBay, consignment sites/stores, etc. :-)
-curate a closet where I can remix items I already own and use tools like Pinterest to work my closet
-refrain from buying a ton of new items by resisting temptations with sales/deals and avoiding blogger outfit envy
Stay tuned to see how it goes :-)
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I really like those Sperry’s but, yeah, matching them to things might be difficult.
Also, I’m impressed your consignment shop takes Old Navy. The one I use doesn’t at all.
Exactly- that was my problem. If I remember correctly, I ended up make a few bucks on them via eBay because I got them for such a great deal so not a total loss!
My shop is pretty hit or miss. Sometimes they don’t accept some items because of the brand, even though the style is very on trend or classic. Their loss. And then some days I see what is on their racks and thing “really?!” when they don’t accept some of my stuff. I’ll never figure it out…
Great post! Good to know about the compression capris as I need to get a few pairs. And it’s too bad about the Target sweaters! I have been avoiding purchasing things like that at Target recently for that reason though.
Oh, I totally recommend them. Their leggings are fantastic too- compression is great and such fun prints!
Lesson learned on the Target stuff- tough to resist how cute they are but not worth it :-(
I really like these recaps! It’s very interesting to see the visual. And it’s a good reminder for me that even if something is cute, it might not be worth buying because of quality or it might not fit my wardrobe.
I’m also trying to reduce my spending in 2016 so no more going to stores just to browse. Plus I am trying to declutter since we are moving soon! I’m not going to not shop at all but I am trying to be more focused on buying items that either replace a current item or is something I can use a lot!
Isn’t it?! Super helpful to see it in a graphic versus what I think it might be in my head…
Agreed- browsing in stores (or online) is a no no for me! I like that you are being realistic and not banning shopping entirely, but buying with purpose. Good luck– let’s help each other along the way!
What a bummer that your Target sweaters didn’t work out for you! I have two of those exact sweaters and they have held up nicely so far…I’m hoping they don’t get super pilled like yours did!!
Ugh- I must be doing something wrong then…maybe excessive gesturing?! lol It’s under the armpit area mostly. I’m stumped!