PURGING

As part of reforming my habits, I'm making a conscious decision to purge my closets of things I have not worn in over a year.

For me some clothes have a history so it is hard to let go. I have  lovely rose coloured boiled wool jacket that I picked up in Paris at Monoprix about 9 years ago. I was on a 4 month sabbatical from work, hanging out in Paris in early October without enough warm clothes.  I wore that jacket almost non stop for the next two months. It travelled to Bordeaux, San Sebastian, London, Whaley Bridge and finally back home to Canada!

For quite a few years after that  it was also a work wardrobe staple.  I wore it with a  pair of grey plaid Tahari pants that have some pink in them. It also travelled to Amsterdam and back with me. A lot of memories to be sure. 

As I write this post it's already in the pile of clothes to give away and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Should I go and retrieve it?  Will I ever wear it again? Can I down grade it and wear it with my Lulu's on the weekend? Questions abound. But I must stay firm.  My closets are bursting so I must be strong!

I wrote the first part of this blog about 3 months ago and I have to say, I am not feeling any regrets in fact I feel liberation!!  I am actually looking forward to some more purging at the end of the summer!  My dream now is a tightly edited wardrobe of great peices. I want to buy and wear only those things that I truly love.  The wool jacket was a long term relationship but clearly not a marriage!

FALLING OFF THE WAGON

It has been a while since I've posted something and a lot has happened since March! Most importantly I fell off the wagon when visiting San Francisco and Palm Springs in late April.

We already know I love shopping! And when you go to another country, one that supports 350 million plus consumers it is pretty hard to dismiss the selection and choice that is available! So I shopped! I bought!

The purchases were focused.  One of my rules is that you must plan for those key pieces which means having a list.   I do, even if it is not written down.  At the top of the list for some time has been a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress.  There aren't that many places in Canada that have them and the selection is pretty meager.  In San Francisco I went looking for one, found one and bought one.  It's a classic and can be worn all year round! So kudos to me!

 I've also been looking for something to wear with a  Hugo Boss black skirt that has a double row of buttons down the front that was purchased in Amsterdam about 3 years ago.   I was on my way to Union Square by way of Upper Filmore Street when my heart leaped in my chest...  I saw a store sign that said JIGSAW and it called out to me:  "Stop the cab and come in!"

  Jigsaw is one of my all time favourite stores.  It is a UK high street shop and a favourite of the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge ( the former Kate Middleton).  It's become a key destination whenever I go to the UK.

About an hour later I'd purchased a lovely linen sweater vest and an interesting poncho sweater!

In Palm Springs I discovered the joys of Marshalls - discount shopping at its very best.  I bought a beach cover up and a T-shirt.

The one impulse buy was a Banana Republic dress- nothing at Banana except maybe the white jeans, is worth full price and the dress was on sale. It will do perfectly for an August Wedding I am to attend. Even this was not entirely impulse.

 I haven't been in a store since December so some retail therapy was  hard to resist. I also learned something - trying things on is another way to way to assess your level of fitness.  Last August I suffered  a running injury one that left me pretty much unable to exercise for about 8 months. Although I didn't gain any weight things had shifted around.  Retail therapy let me know that some exercise was needed.

The take away?  Retail therapy or retail  exercise as I now call it, is a good way to keep your waistline and your fitness goals on track.  Isn't it great to be able to look in the mirror and know you look great in something even if you don't buy it!

Planning ahead has its rewards...

Last weekend I went skiing for the first time in 25 years!

As you may imagine my wardrobe was a little outdated if  not non existent.  What to do? Well my rules have an exception for sports clothes so of course I used it.

The result several hundred dollars later was a ski suit (Spyder) with hot pink snow pants and a black ski jacket.  The outfit is conservative and represents an investments in the future. All of my nieces and my nephew will be able to beat me down the hill soon but I am looking forward to many years of being able to ski with them and their parents.  So I'm really doing this for reasons other than fashion- family and exercise. 

Happily, after spending at least 12-14 years taking lessons and skiing on weekends the moves came back very quickly.  Just like riding a bike.

And.. I am thinking this might be a whole new way to see Europe!  What could be better than spending a sunny winter's day on the slopes with good friends and family.

The fact that I have not spent any money on clothes this year means I actually had the money to make the investment with no debt.  Did I mention pretty much everything I bought was on sale? This is the other advantage of my rules... Planning ahead means that you save money or set aside funds for the things you need rather than buying on impulse and coming up short handed when you are trying to put an outfit together.

It's March now so the end of ski season is in view, but if I get out next year I may treat myself to a pair of ski boots. Can hardly wait!

Consignment Cash

Consignment!!! Cash$$$$
There are several options for realizing cash for gently used clothes. Two that I am aware of are consignment and selling on-line through a website like e-bay.

I've always given away my clothes, but this time  I decided that some of my clothes had hardly been worn and it did not seem quite right to give them away.  My thinking may also have been coloured by the fact that I was feeling that the items in question had been purchased by mistake so the idea of cash was a way at redemption.  Or so I thought,  as the dollar signs started floating in front of my eyes

The real story is a little different.  This is a true study in supply and demand economics. For this little adventure I decided to go to Second Nature Boutique on Mt Pleasant,  a store that I have passed by for years and always been a bit curious about.  Here is what I learned:
1. Clothes can not be more than two years old
2. Good consignors are extremely picky-they demand the clothes be clean and in good condition
3. The price they are willing to sell the item for will be deeply discounted from the original purchase price
4. You will only get 45% of the final sales price
5. There is no guarantee that the item will get sold and you only get paid if the item is sold
6. You have no control over the price once you hand over the goods-the market decides.

I brought the following items
1. Tory Burch 2009 Spring/ Summer jacket -white with purple and charcoal grey detailing and buttons. Would look great with white pants and a white shirt.  Retailed for about $575.00
2. Missoni Tank top. Purchase in Florida in 2006. Retailed for about $160.
3. Teenflo 3 peice suite purchased in 2007. Retailed for about $700-$800.

Here is what the consignment shop offered for each item:
1. Tory Burch Jacket $200 to start.
2. Missoni Tank Top $65
3. Teenflo suit 3 pieces for $275.  Each piece could also be sold separately.

I''ll get 45% of this if I am lucky, so $200 and change.   From this, I need to subtract the $51 I paid to have the items dry cleaned. All in I'll get about $150. You might be able to get away without the dry cleaning but you'll need to take good care of your clothes.

Since I'd never been to a consignment store before I took some time to look around. Everything was in great condition and nicely displayed. The staff was courteous and professional.  There were some beautiful Prada bags and a pair of 7 year old Miu Miu sandals, that I in fact own! These were priced at   $65.  So when does something become Vintage? When will it go up in value? Good thing I love them even though I've hardly worn them - looks like it will be a while!

Next time I might try e-bay. I'll have more control over the price and I would consider having the purchaser pay the shipping or at least include it in the price.

GIRLS WEEKEND WITH NO SHOPPING

My fabulous friend MA, mother of two and almost married 20 years (!) came for a little R&R this weekend from Ottawa.

In our university days I remember her borrowing a beige Ralph Lauren skirt from time to time. 

As the rules dictate no shopping we were required to explore the world beyond clothes and what a fabulous world it is!!

Friday there was tea and pedis at the Windsor Arms. Naturally the tea include wine a requirement for any Friday evening activity after a long hectic work week.

Saturday we awoke and almost ended up going out dressed alike- jeans, pink sweaters and white T-shirts.  MA is a true frugalista fashionista! She follows the rules. So we wouldn't overwhelm I changed to a grey cashmere sweater with lovely crotched edges and cuffs in shades of pink and purple (circa 2005 purchased in NYC).

Lovely brunch at Live and then to the AGO for the Maharaja exhibit. Cartier jewelry is on display so some window shopping was had.

Then to Bloor and Sephora. Happily even though makeup is not off limits I resisted.

We decided to eat in.  A fantastic feast of Canadian artisan cheeses, rapini and sausage with pasta followed by a fruit place and salt an red chili flavoured chocolate. Divine.

So you see a great girls weekend can be had without clothes shopping. After all it is about the company and conversation however that gets stimulated.

BLACK TROUSER TRAVAILS..

Black pants... The staple of most wardrobes. I've got at least 3 pairs in different styles and weights so I am covered for all seasons.

I am rather tall so I usually have to have the pants taken down to their full length and a false hem put on the bottom.

This week one of my stand by pairs ( Teenflo, circa 2007) sprouted a rip in the front! These are my favourite pair as they are a classic boot cut that goes with everything.  What am I going to do? I wear these at least once every two weeks.  The only option, is to hope that they can be  repaired well enough that I can still wear them to work.  If not I will have to wear the Hugo Boss (circa 2008, purchased in Amsterdam) straight leg pair.  Straight legs are going to limit the footwear options.  Might have to pull out the Roger Vivier flats to wear with them... We'll see. 

Don't feel bad for me, I've still got two pairs of Cambio pants in reserve that I haven't worn in about 3 years that I can use to fill in the gaps - just need to get them taken in a bit.  A trip to the alterationist is in order ... I will make it through this year with no new clothes.

Be Inspired - Mix Up the Mix and Match

Sometimes it is hard to reinvent the clothes in your closet and Mix it Up even if you follow Mix and Match.  That is the beauty of the Mix and Match philosophy but also its downside.  It's easy to fall in a rut, you wake up, it's Thursday,  you're working  11 to 12  hour days, and so you fall back on a tried and true combination. 

One of mine is a pair of Rebecca Taylor black and  white tweed pants (circa 2007) and  a black boiled wool Caractere Jacket (circa 2006, purchased in Amsterdam) .  I usually pair this with a long sleeved white T-shirt and  a Hermes scarf "Faubourg by Night" (circa 2008, purchased in Paris) that has blacks, greys and blues.  Dreary and boring especially on a gray January day. I've  got to come up with a new combo!

Here are two of my favourite links that I hope will inspire you to Mix up the Mix and Match!

Fifi Lapin, the furry fashionista, is a blog spot that I discovered this morning while I was reading the Globe and Mail newspaper.  Although she is an "Har-ess" it is so cute I couldn't resist.  It reminds me of Hello Kitty but Fifi is quite a bit more sophisticated.  More inspirational and aspirational than anything else but then sometimes you need to be inspired to rework what you have.

My other favourite link is The Sartorialist- this is a great site! The man who is behind it takes pictures of real people who he finds fashionable as he wanders the streets of whatever city he's in and he does not discriminate.  Great ideas and a unique perspective not to mention that the last time I went on there were several photos of people from Toronto.