Shopping with Discernment
Good Morning Everyone,
I am so ready for sunny weather. It doesn’t even have to be really warm just sunny weather. We have had snow flurries, rain, snow, rain, bitter cold temperatures, and more rain. Goodness! My peonies are starting to come up and I am getting a little worried. I am also ready to wear some of my pretty Amazon sandals! I purchased these in blue and black. I can’t wait to wear them!
Speaking of shopping, in my post today I wanted to talk about how I am trying to shop with more discernment. Remember a few years ago how I was talking about how I did not want to do any “bogus shopping”? I am still working on that, and I must say that I am getting better and better as the years pass.
I was doing some shopping recently and noticed how I take more time to purchase an item. I think about how this would fit into my wardrobe. How I can wear multiple items with it. I think about the colors and if I have colors that go well with it. How is the fit? Is the dress or skirt long enough?
I then begin to ask myself a few serious questions. How long do I think I will have this? Will this item stand the test of time? Will I be able to wear this in 10 years?
I also noticed that when I have my eye on something I dig a little more. I try to find videos on YouTube of someone giving a review. I read the reviews on the website. I am even pulling out a measuring tape trying to gauge how big the item is and where it will land on me. Honestly, I was not doing all these things before.
all photos via Mrs. Shockley
So what has changed? I think all of the “bogus shopping” that I have been doing all of these years finally caught up with me. I noticed how lots of those items ended up in my donation bag or on Poshmark and it really started to bother me! Because once you start to add up how much you are spending and how much is ended up in that donation bag you then realize that you are literally throwing money away! I am trying to hardest at this point in my life to really pay attention to my wardrobe and really get serious about how I want to look and how much I want to spend!
What do you all think? Tell me below what your wardrobe journey has been like? I would love to hear your stories and learn something from all of you. Have a great weekend!
Hello Mrs Shockley. Honey this post was right on time! My wardrobe journey has been a journey. I did switch to an all dress wardrobe. That help to eliminate tons of excess. My mindset was a dress is a complete outfit and I’ll add accessories, shoes and I’m out the door. That absolutely works well for me. I really like the simplicity of that. Here’s the thing I have a lot of dresses and some of them haven’t been worn in over a year. That’s a problem. I’m trying really, really hard not to buy another dress until I’ve worn what’s already in my closet. Plus this economy is forcing me to really stick to a budget. I was given a raise this year (grateful for that) With the rising cost of everything, it’s almost like it didn’t happen. I do look for quality dresses that are easy to care for and will last more than a few washes. I’ve had a few Amazon successes and many failures. I don’t tend to go with many fast fashion trends I buy what I know I’ll like and what suits me well.
Weather has been bonkers on GA. Last week it was in the mid 30s, rainy and today it’s 80. Everything bloomed way too early as Feb was record warmth, then March temps dropped. I hope your peonies will be alright. It is a nice warm sunny day but storms are on the way. The weather patterns seem to be very, very off lately.
Last Saturday was the ballet Don Quixote and it was FANTASTIC! I loved it so much. I was so proud of Atlanta ballet. They nailed that production. People were much more dressed up. Plus it was prom for many local districts. So the kids were there in their prom gowns. Modern tradition the kids go to a show, then dinner, then prom. It’s an all day event for them. We saw several of them at the Cheesecake Factory. That was a nice dining experience. It was my first time dining there. I ordered calamari for appetizer and I had the chicken riesling. It was good. The flavor of the wine was very sharp for me as I’m not a drinker. It was almost like they poured the riesling on the plate and served it. It taste much better the next day. The flavored had mellowed and it was good. My best friend ordered shepherd pie and boy let me tell you, that was the best I ever had. Sooo good. I didn’t get any cheesecake I was overwhelmed by the selection lol. Plus I like plain NY style cheesecake with no crust. I’m funny about my cheesecake lol Really lovely outing. In May we have 1 more ballet in our season package. It has been a glorious experience for myself and my friend who had never been to a ballet. Have a lovely weekend my dear??
So good to hear about your recent “elegant events”. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to hearing about your next ballet. I think my husband got the chicken riesling sometime ago. He really enjoyed it. My favorite dish is the herb crusted salmon! So good!
Hopefully your weather gets better. It’s 60 here today but we will see how long that lasts. I agree with you on the fast fashion. It is hard trying to find clothes that will last but are still affordable. I have that same struggle with the boutique. Everything is so expensive now and it’s hard trying to find dresses that you don’t already see on Amazon! Very frustrating indeed!