Notes from May + 2023 Shopping Round-up

Random thoughts about a few things I enjoyed last month, and hitting my shopping quota for the year

May was chaos, but there were pockets of sunshine where I could enjoy the little things.

“It was the fantasy of a person totally happy with herself”, ‘The Clueless Closet’, on Articles of Interest. I thought it was going to be a fashion in film type of episode, but it was really about exactly what we want from a “fantasy wardrobe”.

These corduroy trousers. After a week of wearing them, I realised they’re like a better version of a pair of cords I wore to death during my uni years (back in the 2000s). There’s something very gratifying about discovering that your early style choices weren’t always misguided.

The peeping sleeve (above). One thing I’ve found a bit boring about winter layering is that all my cute things are always hidden by the same jumpers and jackets I wear day in day out. So I’ve been enjoying it whenever I’ve got sleeves long enough peep out from under my jacket or jumper cuffs.

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In January, I read about this five-piece shopping challenge, and I thought I would give it a go, even though I was certain I would bust it. The point was that it would make me consider my shopping more carefully, as I’ve been giving myself too much permission to buy things by telling myself I will wear them lots.

The problem of overproduction and overconsumption has been making me feel incredibly… uncomfortable (an understatement), and even though I know my shopping habits alone will not change the world, holding myself more accountable felt like a necessary “get your head out of the sand” move.

Long story short, I have indeed gone over five items. Moving to a new climate meant I needed more cold weather staples than I had thought, while I also checked off some wish-list items when they became too good to pass up.

The year began with three buys:

1. White linen blend shirt, Toteme (January) — 2 wears

2. Navy boiled wool shirt jacket, Tibi (January) — 14 wears

3. White cotton twill shirt jacket, MHL via Vestiaire Collective (November 2022) — 8 wears

And then I sort of went off the rails within a very short time when the days got colder:

4. Cream merino wool long sleeve tee, COS (April) — 7 wears

5. Khaki lightweight wool wide-leg trousers, Dries Van Noten via Vestiaire Collective (April) — 9 wears

6. Olive green knit long skirt, Uniqlo x Mame Kurogouchi (May) — 2 wears

7. Olive green corduroy trousers, Uniqlo U (May) — 3 wears

And then the sales started and this popped up:

8. Dark denim high-waist wide leg jeans, Dries Van Noten (May) — 0 wears

So that’s eight buys for the year, seven if I want to be kind to myself and tell myself that I technically bought the MHL jacket in 2022 (but received in 2023).

Items 4, 6 and 7 are of particular interest to me. They fall squarely within my goals of buying “basics for all seasons”, and they are certainly items I will wear a lot in Melbourne as there are chilly days even in summer.

Yet they were also bought impulsively, in the sense that I bought them right away after trying them on (often I give myself a cooling off period when I want something). I simply got tired of feeling cold and hanging on to pieces too small for me, and I went shopping, snapping up basics from fast fashion brands I knew well instead of patiently trying to tease out secondhand options. All I wanted was: that they be pieces that would be generous if I ever went up or down a size; that they were in colours that would break my black, white and navy winter monotony; and that they would be comfortable for working at home all day, but still presentable if I had to go out for meetings or errands. The items I bought nailed the brief; I started wearing them right away and they feel like they’ve always been a part of my life.

The Dries purchases were wishlist pieces. I had eyed the khaki pair for ages on Vestiaire, but wasn’t sure about the fit; thankfully, advice from Tiia of

Sunday Style Thoughts

gave me the confidence to give them a go, and I found my dream voluminous trousers at a great price. It also really helps that Vestiaire allows you to ask the seller questions, and even though it has higher fees and shipping charges than TRR, I think it is a much better user experience, depending on what you are looking for.

The success of the khaki trousers encouraged me to take the plunge on the denim ones, which went on sale on Net-A-Porter. Again, I may have been influenced by Tiia, but these are too good for me to worry about being original (I’ve never been an original dresser anyway). I’ve been seeking a touch of refinement to my very casual style, and these trousers combine ease (denim fabric) with elegance (tailored cut).

The last three purchases happened nearly consecutively and took me over my five-piece limit so quickly that I never had the time to second-guess myself. Since then, I’ve been tempted many times to give up on the challenge and buy more, telling myself, I’ve already failed the challenge so why pass on some really good buys?

But having the rule at the back of my mind gave me pause; I can’t accept the idea of venturing further down this path. I want to see this challenge to the end even though I’ve busted it; it’s a bit like finishing a marathon even if you’re never going to place and you have to walk to the finishing line.

In the meantime, I’ve also been keeping track on how much wear I’m getting out of my purchases. So far, my most-worn purchase is the Tibi jacket, which makes me happy as it was the most spendy buy of the lot. The COS top is a true workhorse; it’s quite new but I’ve been wearing at least once a week, sometimes twice. I think the Toteme shirt, while lovely, will probably be the least successful buy of the year — I find styling it a challenge and I’ve not had the mental energy to think about how to get more wear out of it.

1. White linen blend shirt, Toteme (January) — 2 wears

2. Navy boiled wool shirt jacket, Tibi (January) — 14 wears

3. White cotton twill shirt jacket, MHL — 8 wears

4. Cream merino wool long sleeve tee, COS (April) — 7 wears

5. Khaki lightweight wool wide-leg trousers, Dries Van Noten (April) — 9 wears

6. Olive green knit long skirt, Uniqlo x Mame Kurogouchi (May) — 2 wears

7. Olive green corduroy trousers, Uniqlo U (May) — 3 wears

8. Dark denim high-waist wide leg jeans, Dries Van Noten (May) — 0 wears

Total spending: AUD1643.80

I’ve no idea what the rest of the year will be like as I’ve never embarked on a serious shopping ban so intentionally. I just hope that saying no gets easier with practice.