September 2018 Shopping Reflections

I had tons of fun on my recent trip to Taiwan and Japan! Although I'd been to Japan before, it was only for a few days, so it was great to have lots more time to explore this time around. I had also never previously been to Kyoto before. I'll write in more detail about the trip later on. We encountered some slight travel delays getting home because of Typhoon Trami, as Kansai International Airport was closed (mostly in an abundance of caution and to prevent travelers from getting stranded) on our scheduled departure date. But I'm back now, and the jet lag hasn't been too bad!

This month wasn't too exciting on the shopping front, with mostly secondhand purchases that I made before I left for my trip. K and I did end up needing to do some unexpected shopping while we were in Japan, though I consider clothing purchases made solely because of the needs or issues that arose during a trip to be part of my travel budget rather than my shopping budget, so I won't list them here. It was all boring/practical items anyway, mostly socks and underthings (which I don't typically document), and all from Uniqlo. It was the first time K had ever shopped there!

As for what I'm expecting from the next few months? I'm really hoping I won't be buying much in the way of clothing or shoes for the rest of this year, except for maybe one really great and luxurious, slightly slouchy or oversized sweater, as described in my most recent "shopping wishlist" post. For the past few months, my savings have been ticking up steadily, right on schedule to facilitate my plans for a certain elective procedure, and I think it's finally starting to hit me that, hey, the way that clothes fit and look on me could change dramatically very soon - maybe it's best not to shop for new clothes? (It's taken a surprisingly long while for that idea to fully settle in.) As for shoes, all my boots and booties are in excellent shape and ready for at least one more winter, probably more, so I'm not expecting any purchases in that area either.

I still am regularly tempted by jewelry, though. One brand that's new to me and that I discovered through a targeted Instagram ad is J. Hannah, a Los Angeles-based brand that makes a few rings that appeal to my current interest in "weighty" gold jewelry, especially their "Form" rings. Oh, and Farfetch is currently stocking a wider range of Alighieri necklaces than usual. (From all my browsing for Alighieri jewelry in recent months, Farfetch generally seem to offer the best combination of price, shipping cost, and Ebates or other cash-back rates). Their selection includes several designs I've been interested in since I first learned about the brand, including the wax seal-looking "Deceptive North Star" and "L'Infinito", and the wonderfully organic and irregular "The Odyssey" pendant on a longer chain (some listings for that one have it on a short chain that I don't think suits it as well). The prices on all the jewelry items I've been admiring should keep them safely in the "window shopping only" and "admire, but not buy" categories though, at least in the near future.

Fashion - (TOTAL: $198.08) 

• J.Crew Juliette Collarless Sweater Blazer, heather gray - $88.80 - Whatever else one might think about J.Crew's quality issues and questionable business strategy decisions in recent years, they make some awesome sweater blazers. Both the "Sophie" open sweater blazer design and this newer collarless design were ones that I ordered just to try, but that I was sure I wouldn't keep because I already had plenty of other sweaters that filled the same general niche, but in the end I couldn't resist either. I took outfit photographs with this Juliette sweater blazer here and here. 
• J.Crew Presentation Dress, black - $32.33* - The rest of my purchases this month were both on the secondhand market. I bought the blue version of this J.Crew Presentation Dress early last year from eBay (after previously rejecting this item when it was originally in stores and on sale around 2016), and it quickly became one of my favorite work dresses. The blue Presentation dress is always one of the first things I reach for after each laundry day. I'd been looking for the black one on eBay for a few months, but never saw it in the right size and at the right price. Finally, I saw this one while browsing ThredUp unsuccessfully for some summer clothing for my Japan trip. This one is a size 8, while the blue is a size 6. Both look about the same on me, at least around the chest and shoulders, though there's more room in the skirt on the size 8. This dress is one of those items that, on paper, shouldn't work that well. It's not a particularly flattering shape on me (it's not unflattering either, just sort of neutral), and the cap-sleeve is a bit restrictive, I can't raise my arms fully. Even so, it's still become something that I greatly enjoy wearing to work. 
• Tory Burch Tie-Front Square Print Dress - $76.95* - This was also a product of my unsuccessfully browsing the secondhand market for clothing for my Japan trip. I got this from TheRealReal, which doesn't currently have any more of this specific dress in stock, though they always have plenty of other Tory Burch clothing in various sizes. This was a bit of an impulsive buy for me. Any TheRealReal purchase is always risky because their shipping and return shipping charges are quite expensive. I thought the print was pretty, and I was reasonably confident that it would fit me and look good. It's made out of a slightly stretchy cotton poplin, a blend of 97% cotton and 3% spandex/elastane. It's also labeled a "dry clean" item, which confuses me a bit, as I think that fabric composition should be fine if machine-washed in cold water and line-dried. I've only worn it once so far and liked it, but am a bit nervous about future wears and laundering it after because I don't know whether to comply with the care instructions label. 

*Indicates that shipping charges were included in the price.

How was your shopping month, and how's the rest of your shopping year looking? Should I take a chance on machine-washing that Tory Burch dress? I get nervous about not following the care instructions with items that were a bit expensive for me (even if I ultimately got a good deal on the item). I also don't have much experience with machine-washing stretchy cotton-spandex blends! 

May Shopping Reflections

This month's shopping was exclusively done secondhand, via eBay and TheRealReal. I haven't been discussing minimalism terribly often recently because it has taken a backseat while work and life have been so hectic, but I continue to believe that using the secondhand market for clothing whenever possible is the least complicated way of being an ethical fashion consumer. There are so many challenges when trying to identify truly ethical brands to buy new, given the lack of transparency in the industry. (Working in law, I have an unusually hard time trusting any company's representations to their customers.)

Please note that this post contains affiliate links that could result in a commission, typically a few cents, for me if you click. Thank you for your support!

My view on secondhand clothing is that, once an item hits the secondhand market, it's already been produced and sold once at retail, to at least one customer who didn't end up particularly wanting it. At that point, if someone is able to buy it and put it to good use, that's better than it going to the landfill. The only morally weird things that I can think of is if retail customers use "well I can always resell" to encourage overconsumption, but I'm skeptical that this is a big problem for most mall brands that I'm in the market for, as those items don't hold their value well.

That's not to say that everyone can feasibly embrace secondhand shopping for all their clothing needs. This thoughtful post by SA touches on the many challenges with that, and I can certainly vouch for how relying overly much on TheRealReal would cause various problems. Particularly when one doesn't have time for or access to good thrifting, shopping entirely secondhand may be a real challenge. "Mistake" purchases generally can't be easily returned, increasing the amount of money one needs for the whole effort. Shipping and return shipping on TheRealReal cost about $18 combined, and their size measurements are super-wonky, so one has to do considerable research or know a brand well to attempt educated purchases, and even then, mistakes will still happen.

With two out of my three secondhand purchases this year, the outcome has been imperfect in terms of sizing and how well the style works for my body. Don't get me wrong, they're both wearable and I've been wearing each problem dress a fair bit, but they're things I would have had to think seriously about returning, had I bought them retail. Still, while I haven't been the most successful with my secondhand purchases, I never truly regret them. All were items that I noticed and was interested in back when they were originally in stock, months or years ago. After they sold out, I'd occasionally search eBay for them. I'd always done my best to research sizing too, and made the most educated guess I could about what sizes I would buy, if the price was right. So they were well thought-out choices on which I knew I was assuming a risk.

This also wasn't the most frugal month, so I'm still quite "over budget" for the year so far, by $219.71 to be precise (($150 x 5) - $555.98 - $154.21 - $94.79 - $35.93 - $128.80 = -$219.71). I'll have to shop carefully for quite a few more months, it seems. As for next month, I'm very likely to try a few things from J.Crew Factory, as I recently mentioned. Also, while wandering around D.C. with my sister this Memorial Day weekend, we stopped by Anthropologie and I was very taken with this opal and rose quartz Rosaline stacking ring set and may be tempted to snag it. (I've wanted a dainty opal ring on and off for years now, but had been thinking it should be fine jewelry instead, though generally never had room in my budget. I'm not sure costume jewelry is the best way to satisfy the urge, particularly when Anthropologie's offerings might not be the highest quality.) Whatever I settle on, hopefully it'll be a bit under my monthly target, so I'll continue making up the current shortfall. 

Fashion - (TOTAL: $128.80)

• Tory Burch T-Shirt Dress - $87.95 - (old, similar styles but dramatically different prints) - I saw this years ago and thought it was pretty, but the price was higher than I could spend. Every so often, I'd search eBay with no luck. I finally saw it on TheRealReal in medium and I decided to go for it. Well, I guessed wrong about my size, as it runs big. It's a 100% pima cotton unlined t-shirt dress, which Tory Burch seems to do in new prints most years, and it's stretchy and meant to fitted and even a bit clingy (it's a thick enough fabric that it should skim the body nicely rather than emphasize things awkwardly). I thought I'd need to size up to accommodate my chest, but a small would have fit and the medium is a little baggy everywhere. I still like wearing this because it's so comfortable, it's machine washable, and it's pretty too. The style is fantastic for business-casual days at work in summer. Franish has one, but I can't find the post!

• Madewell Moontide Dress (old, eBay) - $40.85 - I kept eyeing this in the Madewell sale section back in the day and had ample opportunities to get it then, but never pulled the trigger. This design is relatively common on eBay, but generally not at a price I'm comfortable with, so when it came up in medium at this price, it seemed meant to be. This dress is a cotton-silk blend with a cotton lining, which is a bit of a rarity with Madewell. (They do a lot of silk dresses with a poly lining, ick.) The cotton-silk has no stretch, and this design also runs a tiny bit tighter in the chest than many of their other relaxed fit-looking dresses. It fits right, so I consider this a successful purchase. My one quibble is that the fabric is a touch thicker and heavier than I hoped for a summer dress, but that's probably a good thing to prevent possible wardrobe malfunctions.

Somewhat relatedly, I used to really love Madewell, particularly the dresses and sweaters, but it's now been several seasons since I've seen anything I like there. My last purchases, until now but this month likely doesn't count because it was on eBay, were in October and December of 2015. This silk bell-sleeve dress is the only thing they currently have that I'd even take a second look at. (I don't love bell sleeves, but that one isn't too exaggerated and is balanced out by the simplicity of the rest of the design.) I don't know what happened, or if it's just me being weird and picky! Am I the only former Madewell fan who feels this way?

Linking up with Franish and the Budgeting Bloggers this month, as usual. Please do go check out what everyone else bought this month.

October Shopping Reflections

This month was a somewhat shopping-light month when it came to clothing, though not for lack of trying. I was hoping to add a few more long-sleeved blouses (from Loft) to my work wardrobe, but that didn't pan out. I'm surprised because the floral-printed top I bought last year was one of my "best purchases" of 2015. I particularly wanted to love this paisley lantern sleeve blouse because of the print, but the sleeves were oddly proportioned, the bow is impractical. This collarless henley tunic was also strange: It was practically as long as a dress, but with very high side slits. I also tried on a few sweaters from Loft, and I had better luck there, as I usually do with their low-maintenance synthetic-blend sweaters.

Note: This post contains affiliate links that could result in a few cents commission for me if you click. Thank you for your support!

New additions to my closet-wise, I was also grateful to receive a pair of riding boots as a generous birthday gift from my mom.  It was purchased during the Tory Burch Friends and Family sale quite a few weeks ago, with a 30% discount. A version of one of my birthday gifts last year, a gray 100% wool H&M Premium Quality scarf that has held up wonderfully (and seems to me to be a decent knock-off for those popular Acne scarves), is also back in stock. Note, though, that this year's version appears to be smaller than the one from last year, and less amenable to being used as a blanket-like shawl, one of the ways I use last year's scarf.

I also replaced quite a few items in my skincare routine. I've been using the CosRx BHA Skin Returning A-Sol and BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (Amazon is cheaper) for almost four weeks and three weeks, respectively, and I must say, I'm very impressed with both! Though I was a very old hand at using my former holy grail product, the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid, on top of other fairly harsh treatments like prescription Retin-A Micro 0.1%,  the Paula's Choice still irritated my skin sometimes, causing occasional breakouts. Not so with the CosRx. Although I was previously skeptical about the CosRx hype (there are times when the r/AsianBeauty community seems to over-hype certain trendy products), their BHAs have proven both gentle and effective. My skin still isn't perfect, but these products, used in combination, have yielded fairly quick and noticeable improvements in my acne. They also seem to noticeably improve my skin's overall appearance, which was not a benefit I saw with the Paula's Choice.

Fashion - (TOTAL: $49.50)

• Loft Chevron Sweater - $24.75 - Both of these sweaters run bigger than usual for Loft sizing and are designed to have a slouchy, relaxed fit that is definitely on the casual side of the business casual spectrum.  With this one, the relaxed fit would have been a surprise if I hadn't read the reviews. The picture on the website makes it look more fitted. This sweater is cut rather wide and flares down and out in an almost a-line shape and is wider than a similar design from, say, Madewell, might typically be. I think most people, especially those who are less busty than me, would want to size down, though I got my usual size S for that very "casual business casual" look I favor. 
• Loft Stitched Tunic Sweater - $24.75 - This design isn't cut quite as wide as as the Chevron sweater, but it has more of a a-line shape in back. The overall slouchy and slightly flared out shape is made to look more dramatic because of that side seam detail that curves toward the front. Note that the fabric is quite thin, and most people may think of this as a spring or fall sweater rather than one suitable for winter. (I don't mind that for my office-wear sweaters as I tend to layer my clothing the winter and wouldn't get cold regardless!) 

Off-Budget/Gifts 

• Tory Burch Jolie Riding Boot - This was purchased at 30% off retail during the Tory Burch friends and family sale a few weeks ago, which came around at just the right time to shop for my birthday. As I mentioned last month, I've owned my other pair of Madewell Archive (similar) riding boots for five years now,  and while they're still in great shape (with a few visits to the cobbler for reheeling and once for weatherproofing), I think I'd get much more wear out of a zip-on pair. These also have a sleeker, dressier look than the Archive boots. I do feel a bit sheepish about getting such a generous gift from my mom, and I do wonder if a deeper discount would have been available if I had waited to get these as a late Christmas gift instead.

Beauty and Skincare - (TOTAL: $61.99)

• CosRx BHA Skin Returning A-Sol - $13.45 - Other bloggers describe this, and other skincare products, much better than I ever could, by the way! I use this as the first step after washing and drying my face (often both morning and night, though sometimes just in the morning), before moving on to the BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. The actual concentration of BHA here is supposed to be quite low. The more prominent active ingredient is propolis. (I've previously used two different propolis serums that didn't do anything for my skin, so this is the best propolis product I've tried so far.) The A-Sol is a runny liquid that smells like tea-tree oil, which is also among the active ingredients, but in too low a concentration to be irritating.
• CosRx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (Amazon) - $17.00 - There seem to be at least two formulations out there, one that has a distinct smell and one that doesn't. (Either that, or at least half of users can't pick out the scent. I'm in that group.) Of the two CosRx BHA products I'm using, this one is supposed to be the real "workhorse" and the replacement for the Paula's Choice BHA Liquid. Please do introduce both of these products slowly if your skin is not used to BHA and other potentially harsh skincare products! I patch-tested both of these products for around two days before introducing them, once on my wrist, and then on my neck. I had been testing the A-Sol for a week before I started using this.
• CosRx AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid - $16.00 - I haven't gotten around to trying this product yet, so a review may come in the future. 
• Biore SaraSara UV Perfect Bright Face Milk - $7.30 - This used to be my holy grail sunscreen though, full disclosure, I think this may have been reformulated in the last year or so, or it no longer suits my skin as well. It's still good, but it doesn't absorb quite as quickly as it used to, and it sometimes leaves a white cast that takes 15 minutes or so to fade, which wasn't my experience before. 
• Biore Aqua Rich SaraSara SPF 50+ Gel - $8.24 - This is maybe my third time buying this product, and I use it occasionally, on and off. More people actually prefer this over the Biore face milks because it is a gel that goes on clear, and is easier to apply. I personally prefer opaque liquid "face milk" sunscreens to clear gels, even if it doesn't have a practical basis, but I occasionally go back to this. 

Linking up to Franish and the Budgeting Bloggers this month, as usual. Be sure to go check out wha everyone else bought this month!