Walking into November after a low-spend month, I knew that this month could only unfold in two ways: 1) I would continue to practice contentment with my wardrobe, or 2) I would overindulge. Unfortunately, this month ended up being more of the latter.
————————————————————————————————
– NEW ADDITIONS –
| note: thank you for supporting pleb life with the affiliate links below |
TO MY EVERYDAY CAPSULE WARDROBE:
Perfect T in White ($34) from MeMi Collective ($34 total) bought on 11/01/18 — I’ve been loving the look and feel of white tees lately. The only ones I had in my wardrobe were ones with graphics on them and an old Madewell Whisper Cotton Tee that has been long since demoted to my loungewear capsule. I wanted one that wasn’t see-through and had a good weight to it. This one from MeMi is rightfully called the Perfect T!
Cotton Crop Top Tee in Navy & White Stripe ($13) and Air Cami in Black ($22) from Everlane ($35 total) bought on 11/03/18 — I was eying the crop tee since the Summer so when I saw that it was “on sale,” I jumped on it before it wouldn’t be available anymore. Ever since I figured that I could wear crop tops, I’ve been wanting to collect a few more to wear with my collection of high waisted pants. I loved my Air Oversized Crew Tee so much that I wanted to try out the cami version since LA was still quite warm throughout November. The cami version has been perfect for layering underneath cardigans and sweaters this month.
Cashmere Rib Round Crew Sweater in Heather Grey (gifted) and Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny Ankle Jean in Washed Black (gifted) from Everlane ($0 total) ordered on 11/16/18 — I reached out to Everlane to see if they were open for a collaboration on a whim, thinking that they would say no because of how of a small fish I am. To my surprise, they said yes and agreed to let me try out $200 worth of credit as a new affiliate. I took this opportunity to get ready for the holidays and indulge in a cashmere sweater. I’ve been dying to try out their cashmere for years and their jeans since they’ve released their denim line, so I am so grateful for this opportunity. You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take!
Mien Fortuna Column Dress in Black ($74) bought on 11/21/18 — I love Mien! I practically live in their Lakeside Jumpsuit, and have been eying this dress since it was released a few months ago. When I saw that it was 25% off, I jumped on it and treated myself to yet another black dress because I know I will wear it to death and I will love it just as much as my other black dresses, if not more!
Lou & Grey Stitchy Blouson Cardigan in Khaki ($33) bought on 11/22/18 — My one and only non-ethical purchase from Black Friday! I couldn’t resist a cardigan from Lou & Grey, especially one that was 50% off additional sales! I’ve been wanting a beige chunky cardigan for a while and this one seem to fit the bill! I walked away from one in Joshua Tree and felt such remorse as we drove away.
Madewell Crop Tee ($22) bought on 11/24/18 — I looked high and low for a white crop tee from so many different ethical brands, and I had been eying this particular one as a back up in case I couldn’t find an ethical version. I couldn’t resist picking this up in Madewell’s Black Friday sale this year.
TOTAL MONEY SPENT: $198
TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS: +8 in everyday capsule
TO MY LOUNGEWEAR / GYM WARDROBE:
Pullover in Black ($49), Hooded Dress in Black (gifted), and High Waisted Jogger ($62), from MeMi Collective ($111 total) bought on 11/01/18 — I reached out to MeMi to see if they were open for a collaboration, and I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to try out one of their pieces. However, I couldn’t just walk away with only one piece from them. I was dying to try out so many of them that I used this opportunity as a great excuse to upgrade and replace some pieces in my loungewear capsule that have become pretty ratty over the years.
TOTAL MONEY SPENT: $111
TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS: +3 in loungewear capsule
————————————————————————————————
– WHAT I LET GO –
From Everyday Capsule:
–Rag & Bone Sweater (due to a huge hole on the side)
TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS: -1
From Loungewear Capsule:
–2 long sleeve tops
–1 pair of joggers
TOTAL NUMBER OF ITEMS: -3
————————————————————————————————
– WHAT I LEARNED –
This month has been a rollercoaster for sure, but after all the ups and downs, I really do feel like I walked away from November exhilarated and excited to head into the next month. While I did find myself adding quite a few items into my wardrobe this month, I also found myself really enjoying my wardrobe: I got into a real groove with wearing monochromatic outfits. I found some new uniforms that I’ve been repeating nonstop. I also found myself enjoying creating new outfits. I really do feel that with each passing month, I find myself more sure of what my style is and owning it a little more with each passing day.
In years past, I would use Cyber Week as an excuse to try out new trends and buy things frantically in an attempt to find my style. But this year, I knew what I wanted and I was so much more sure of what my style is that I’ve been able to pass on a lot of things. If you read this post, you’ll know that Cyber Week brought about a whole lot of emotions for me. There were quite a few times this month where I was beating myself up for not being the “perfect minimalist,” but I just have to keep reminding myself that one does not exist and that I am doing the best I can. That I’m making progress each and everyday. That I have a wardrobe that I love. I am definitely walking away from this month with gratitude and pride: gratitude for being able to shop ethically, and pride for how far I’ve come since last July.
If you’re like me, you were a shopaholic in a not-so-past life. I find the new minimalist me and the old shopaholic me at war quite often, and I really thought that the longer I pursued minimalism, the quieter the shopaholic me would be. That the feelings of want and desire would lessen and maybe disappear altogether. And in a way, I have been wanting less this past year, but I’ve also had to practice saying no a lot more this past year. I don’t think my feelings of want will ever go away, but whenever I do find myself wanting a lot, I have found that simply taking a break from social media has done wonders for quieting that burning desire to shop impulsively.
During one such social media breaks this month, I decided to make a list (and check it twice ha) of my wardrobe. I know that I already have a running Closet Inventory here on my blog, but I wanted a more detailed list that included color and the brand of each clothing item. Surprisingly, I was able to recall most of my wardrobe from memory. I then started tracking my wear count. I’ve seen other minimalists and capsule wardrobe-ists do this, and I’ve always been curious on what my wear count would be. I’m excited to start tracking my wear count and gain some insights as to what I actually wear and hopefully can use those insights to make more purposeful purchases and decisions to what I declutter month-to-month.
I think I’m going to relax a little on keeping my item count under a certain number. I do think between 60 and 70 is a good number for me right now–not too much where I’m overwhelmed with choices, and not too little where I feel limited and restricted. I’m still going to keep my item count in mind when making purchases, but I think I’m more interested in wear count now. It would seem to me that looking at your wear count could help prevent impulse buys so I’m excited to see what I’ll learn from that. If you’re interested, you can see my Wear Count Google Doc here. I’ll also keep it listed on my Closet Inventory page.
Cheers to December!
THE PLEB LIFE 