Tag Archives: Closet

Closet and Wardrobe Spring Cleanout Sale of 2013

By thebudgetingtool | Published March 18, 2013

CONTACT ME HERE

As promised!

Selling my stuff. Hopefully for the last time.

Please peruse and contact me if you want to buy anything.

Each image can be clicked on and SHOULD go to their own separate pages.

I spent the last 2 days doing this, so please forgive me if anything seems off or isn’t linking correctly (and let me know!!).

I’m a bit cross-eyed right now.. and very tired.

SHIPPING & OTHER DETAILS

CONTACT ME HERE

  • No returns or exchanges, I’m not a retail store. Final sale.
  • All items are in very good condition or brand new, unless otherwise noted in the photos or description. I take really good care of the things I love.
  • Please ask any and all questions BEFORE purchasing. CONTACT ME HERE
  • I will ship anywhere in the world.
  • I will only charge EXACT shipping, so once you want to buy it, I’ll give you a rough shipping estimate based on where it’s going, and if it costs or more less, I’ll refund you (or request for) any difference above or below $2 in shipping.
  • Therefore if you buy multiple items, shipping WILL be cheaper because I charge exact shipping.
  • Note: Anything heavier than a top like that Mackage jacket, will obviously cost more money to ship. If you are unsure as to how much it might cost, give me your country and I can try to give you an estimate.
  • Generally, I find for SHIPPING in North America, most tops ship for about $5 – $7, jackets are $15 – $30, and shoes are $15 – $25.
  • It will be cheaper to ship to the U.S. than to Canada (I know, crazy right?)
  • Overseas of course will cost more money so please add an extra $10 – $15 in your estimates (or just contact me with everything you want to buy.)
  • All payments will be made in USD using Paypal
  • Coming from a Pet-free, smoke-free, allergy-free home.

ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY!!

 

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Selective Minimalism: What is remaining in my wardrobe that fits into two suitcases!

By thebudgetingtool | Published March 1, 2013

As promised a long while ago, I am going over what I currently have in my closet.

I am what you might call a “Selective Minimalist“, because while I don’t see the value in furniture, decorations (except some art), clutter, and knickknacks, I am really… REALLY into clothes and dressing up.

Style is big for me.

I love wearing clothes, and they change my mood for the better.

I also feel good just looking at them arranged nicely, and they make me happy.

(*gasp* Yes! Stuff can make a minimalist happy!)

That said as a preface, it’s going to prepare you for looking at about 90% of what’s in my wardrobe, the following are not pictures of every single piece I own, but I tried my best.

It took me a while to get everything on hangers, which is why I took so long, and the lack of any natural lighting in my home made it a lot harder to snap nice photos.

I have 2 suitcases because purses and bags do not fit into the same suitcase as my clothes.

  • Suitcase #1 – 32″ (Full-size) – Clothes: Tops, Bottoms, Dresses, Blazers, Jackets, Underwear
  • Suitcase #2 – 22″ (Carryon) – Purses, Shoes, Boots, Accessories, and Jewellery

THE FIRST SUITCASE STARTS NOW…

The first suitcase fits in a 33″ wide closet on about 65 hangers or so, not including the sweaters which would be folded in the suitcase.

THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET SHOT:

All of this, believe it or not, rolled up and tightly packed, fits into a large suitcase, plus all the items not pictured.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Dresses-18

I love closets and looking at pictures of what people have in their closets, so I thought it would be nice to show you what’s in mine.

Please note that about 10-15 items pictured have already been dropped off for consignment, so I’ve taken those numbers into account when doing the actual tally.

TOPS

Wardrobe-Tops-Blouses-T-shirts

  • 7 work blouses
  • 1 casual blouse (read: not appropriate for work)
  • 3 t-shirts (not all pictured, they’re boring old t-shirts; grey t-shirt to the right is shown)
  • 4 tank tops (all of the not pictured, just imagine a red, grey, and blue tank)
  • 3 casual long-sleeved tops
  • 12 collared blouses and shirts (not all pictured above, those are only my tops)

TOPS SPREAD OUT IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET:

You can see my 12 collared blouses to the right of this photo; simple, and standard.

I have a lot of white and ivory tops, but they have different details in the front (ties for instance), and sleeve lengths.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Tops-Long-sleeved-4

DRESSES

Wardrobe-Dresses-White-Ivory-Red

I had so many, that my dresses had to be spread out in two batches because they wouldn’t all fit on the bed together. :|

Wardrobe-Dresses-Blue-Green-Purple-Black

 

Note: One dress above in this photo is on consignment for summer.

  • 6 work dresses
  • 10 casual dresses
  • 7 formal dresses
  • 6 wrap dresses

DRESSES IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET:

I obviously really love dresses to own 29 of them.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Dresses-3

JEANS, PANTS & TROUSERS

All pictured, none missing.

Wardrobe-Pants-Jeans

  • 2 pairs of pants (white wide-leg pants, and cropped Minnie trousers in navy)
  • 4 pairs of casual jeans (3 skinny in black, dark blue and grey and 1 in a bootcut)
  • 5 work trousers (all pictured on the right; a pair of which are pants to a 3-piece formal suit)
  • 2 work trouser jeans at 2 heel lengths (v. nice and comfortable for business casual)

IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET (HANGING TO THE RIGHT):

I place them on 2 hangers, with 4 bars each, with lighter pants overlapping a single bar.

They’re rather heavy, but they’re the simplest way to hang pants considering I have limited space.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Skirt-Pants

SKIRTS

Wardrobe-Skirts

  • 3 casual skirts
  • 3 work skirts
  • 3-piece suit (skirt pictured here, second from the right in a grey tweed)

IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET (HANGING TO THE LEFT):

I place 3 skirts per hanger in the closet.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Skirt-Pants

SWEATERS

I don’t hang these up, I only fold them.

Wardrobe-Tops-Sweaters-Cardigans

  • 1 short-sleeved cashmere sweater
  • 3 cashmere sweaters
  • 4 cardigans (mostly work cardigans)
  • [Not pictured] 1 fleece-y striped sweater

IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET:

As I mentioned, I don’t hang up sweaters, they get this weird shoulder crease all too easily.

JACKETS & BLAZERS

  • [Not pictured] 2 hoodies
  • [Not pictured] 2 spring/autumn coats (you can see them way above in the first photo)
  • [Not pictured] 1 winter wool coat
  • 8 casual blazers
  • 1 leather jacket

JACKETS & BLAZERS IN THE 33″-WIDE CLOSET:

I have a good range of neutral jackets that are great toppers over dresses and tops.

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Blazers-Jackets-Coats

WATCHES

  • 2 watches (one brown, one black)

THE SECOND SUITCASE STARTS NOW…

The following doesn’t fit into the same clothing suitcase above, for obvious reasons (purses and shoes are bulky!), I put it in a second suitcase.

CROSS-BODY & OVER-THE-SHOULDER PURSES

I don’t use many other purses; these pretty much cover any kind of weather, and any kind of event.

I would only need one more purse that would make sense, and it’s a cloth cross-body one (when it rains, I feel hesitant bringing out my leather purse.)

Mochimac-Purses-Wardrobe-Closet-All-Leather-Cloth-Crossbody-Over-Shoulder

  • 3 leather shoulder purses (one for work, one for the market, one for heavy errands)
  • 1 vegan leather shoulder purse (the red Samsara one)
  • 3 cloth shoulder purses (one is super light for errands (pliage), the other 2 are just cute)
  • 2 leather crossbody purses (my Roots in Prince Leather one for traveling is not pictures)

CLUTCHES

Wardrobe-Closet-Clutches-Sequins-Obi-Belt-Japanese-Mat-and-Nat-Silver-Paper

  • 5 clutches – I mostly just find them pretty and fun to use once in a while

BOOTS

I own 3 pairs of boots but I need to add a fourth — rainboots. I just haven’t purchased them yet.

Winter boots are not pictured here, they’re under “Winter-related stuff”.

Mochimac-Boots-Knee-High-Leather-Short-Kitten-Heel-Flat

  • 2 pairs of knee-high boots (one flat, one kitten heeled)
  • 1 pair of short leather boots (looks great for the days when I want to look slouchy and less equestrian)

HEELS

Wardrobe-Closet-Shoes-Manolo-Blahnik-Newcio-Pumps-Steve-Madden-Bronze-Kitten-Heel-2

  • 2 pairs of work heels (I really don’t need any more.. perhaps a black pair if I can find a thrifted pair of Manolo Blahniks or other equally-as-comfortable heels.)

(One of my best finds in a thrift store has been those Manolo Blahniks on the left for $60 in a size 7, and a dark brown work-appropriate leather!)

SHOES

Wardrobe-Closet-Shoes-Ballet-Flats-Collection-Sandals

 

I am on the lookout for a pair of neutral or nude flats now. I used to have silver flats that fit the bill, but at $7, they weren’t worth repairing, so I let them go. I am casually looking for a replacement.

  • 3 pairs of summer heels (kitten, wedge and flat)
  • 5 pairs of ballet flats (2 in neutral browns, 3 in a pattern & bright colours)
  • [Not pictured] 2 pairs of flat Birkenstock sandals (they’re comfy once you get used to them)

WINTER-RELATED STUFF

  • 1 pair of leather (super thin) gloves
  • 2 pairs of leather gloves
  • 1 pair of leather mittens
  • 1 pair of shearling gloves
  • 1 pair of winter boots

SCARVES

Wardrobe-Closet-Mochimac-Clothes-Scarves-Silk

  • 1 winter cashmere wrap pashmina
  • 1 winter cashmere scarf
  • 6 silk scarves (3 thrifted, 3 bought as souvenirs)
  • [Not Pictured] 1 cloth infinity striped scarf

SLEEPWEAR & MISCELLANEOUS

  • 1 bathing suit (Who needs more than one, really? I don’t sunbathe, and I rarely swim)
  • 2 long-sleeved pajama tops
  • 2 pairs of pajama pants
  • 1 workout t-shirt top (goes with the yoga pants)
  • 1 pair of knee-length tight yoga pants (loose pants are not conducive to yoga poses)
  • 1 pair of long, slouchy dance pants (mostly used for traveling; they look crazy but are comfy)
  • 6 pairs of leggings (mostly for sleeping or wearing them underneath a dress during winter)

OTHER NOTES

Looking through my photos…

1. I love dresses and I hate shorts.

I own nearly 30 dresses and 0 shorts.

I feel rather matronly and uncomfortable when forced to wear a pair of shorts. Practical or not, I’d rather wear cropped trousers or a skirt than wear a pair of shorts.

2. Colour palette: Blue, Teal, Red, Magenta, Grey, Black and some Brown (only in leather goods)

I avoid orange, yellow, green and brown like the plague because they simply don’t look good on me.

The only brown I have is in leather. I also avoid having too much black or grey in my wardrobe. (Depressing.)

As a result, everything pretty much goes with each other.

3. Saturated colours are my favourite

You will be hard pressed to find anything in a pastel in my closet. I look downright sickly in pastels.

The closest you can get me into a pastel is making me wear ivory.

4. My clothes are not that fussy or frilly

Clean lines, not a lot of frills, bows, hearts, or any overtly ostentatious glittery or sparkly details.

The frilliest I get is in a dress, or with this particularly ruffled indigo blue top I love.

Otherwise, I like clothes that don’t make you want to gag from an overload of sweetness.

5. Shoes are pretty much the same each time

I don’t think I’m really THAT into shoes, compared to other wardrobes I’ve seen.

I have one of each style required, 2 work heels, but my ballet flats are where I have the most amount of shoes, as I walk a lot and like to be comfortable.

Wardrobe-Closet-Shoes-Ballet-Flats-Collection-Red-Michael-Kors-Frye-Leather-2

I recently picked up a pair of red ballet flats because they were the perfect colour, and the perfect comfort level for me, with a little bit of something different in the shiny toe.

My other ballet flats are similarly different in some way — one in a citron yellow with a rosette on the toecap, a woven blue and yellow ribboned flat, and 2 neutral brown leather flats in a light brown and a dark brown (my equivalent to black.)

I used to have a pair of silver flats, but they became too worn out to keep ($7 from Joe Fresh about 5 years ago, what can you expect?).

I’m on the lookout for a light neutral, nude, light gold, or silver flats now, but not actively searching for them. I could buy them in a Frye flat (plenty of options), but I want something different.

And THAT is what is in my wardrobe. As of today.

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August 2012: What I Bought

By thebudgetingtool | Published September 5, 2012

I decided it would be a good idea to stock up on things that are found much cheaper in the U.S., or buy things I was planning on buying later on, but with free shipping and returns ;)

J. CREW MINNIE PANTS IN NAVY = $89.50

I was very skeptical before buying these. How can they look good on everyone?

First, it’s a side-zip, not a front. This usually gives me pancake butt, but I tried them on anyway

Second, it isn’t mid-rise, it’s their lowest rise — City — which I normally hate.

Third, these things always sag out on me *sigh*

Fourth.. no pockets.

….then I tried them on… and they looked AMAZING.

So I bought them and wore them with the tags still on (yes, I plead guilty), until I WAS SURE they were good pants.

Now, I can’t stop wearing them.

I’m 5’4″, and they fit exactly like on the model above, a few inches above the ankle.

I will note that I always wear a belt with these because they’re low rise, not mid… and my body type (inverted triangle) dictates I need a belt.

They look and feel great!

WHITE AND WARREN TRAVEL WRAP = $250.75 — 15% off!

So this is the travel wrap that was stolen. The exact one. :(

I bought a secondhand Hermes cashmere wrap to wear on the plane and I love it, but it is missing that thick, cashmere softness of a blanket that I can use as a blanket on the plane (for my legs) or in the hotel rooms to stay warm.

So I bought a new one. 15% off. YAY!

I went with the oatmeal colour so that stains don’t show up as easily as on my previous white one.

SONIC CLARISONIC DELICATE BRUSH HEADS = $200

I bought enough to last me a year or more.

I will use this Clarisonic brush for years to come, and the brush heads have to be replaced every 3 months or so, so this is an inevitable cost for me.

Stocking up.

NEW PRODUCTS I AM TRYING & LOVING

I found a lot of Holy Grail products this month. I’m surprised at that!

DR DENNIS GROSS EXTRA STRENGTH ALPHA BETA DAILY FACE PEEL = $15

For $3 per pad (5 in each pack), what do I have to lose?

They got incredible reviews online and I’m game to try at that price point for 5 days.

I use a towelette every 2 weeks on my face, and with my recent SPF-binge, I should be set to make sure my skin gets protected.

The first two times I used the pads, my skin was NOT used to it. Burned slightly, and made my facial hairs stand up and feel fuzzy.

The third time, worked like a charm. I think the method is to use them once a week and no more, especially since I’m already exfoliating with the Clarisonic Mia as well.

So far, I just like how they make my skin look slightly better, but perhaps my skin has gotten so good, I don’t need something like this, like I had before.

SKINCEUTICALS PHYSICAL FUSION UV DEFENSE SPF 50 = $93 (2 bottles)

This has to be THE BEST SPF I’ve ever tried. Hands down. I’m not searching any longer, I’m going to stick to using this forever.

I bought the large 4.2 oz bottle and the travel-size 1.7 oz bottle.

Why? Because it felt nice on my skin, was tinted so they don’t give my face a white cast, and came highly recommended.

I find it to be more liquidy/watery than other SPF sunscreens, but I prefer it like that because it’s easier to spread on, not as thick, and it won’t melt (and burn) into my eyes the way the cheap ($10) and greasy Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 100 did.

It’s slightly tinted, so you won’t see a white mask, but that just means I go light on the foundation, if any at all.

Seriously!

Then I just puff over some Makeup Forever HD Powder to finish and my skin looks matte, and is SPF-50 protected the whole day.

I still use a SPF 15 moisturizer underneath, only because it is too dry to use without a moisturizer.

I am never buying another different SPF again. I’m done.

SKINCEUTICALS PHLORETIN CF ANTIOXIDANT SERUM = $152

OUCH.

I hate, HATE this price tag, but I am too nosy and curious to pass up trying it.

(I almost squealed: NO! TOO EXPENSIVE!!! ..when she scanned the bottle)

Apparently if I wear it in the morning, underneath my SPF, it will help soak in and fend off free radicals, while boosting collagen in my skin to keep it young and plump.

Sold…. at least, to try it. If I hate it or don’t see the point, I will never. EVER. buy it again.

And I will tell everyone how much I hate it.

MAKEUP FOREVER HIGH DEFINITION HD MICROFINISH POWDER = $32

I. Love. This. Powder. I am never buying another translucent powder again.

I got a little sample from Sephora for 100 points.

I’ve been trying powder compacts from Josie Maran (still very nice), and other ways to try and mattify the shine of the SPF on my skin, and this is #1 for me.

A little bit, on a fluffy brush, swept over the shiny-looking areas of my face, and it stays matte the whole day. I haven’t tested it in a work environment, but I think this stuff is incredible.

I won’t bother trying anything else. This stuff works.

The only con is that it turns your face white in photographs if you use it. You will see how weird it looks (kind of like how Bare Minerals makes you look like a shiny alien in photos).

But otherwise, it is transparent, goes on softly, you use very little of it and it mattifies all day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

SMASHBOX CAMERA READY BB CREAM SPF 40 = $32

I’ve tried the Marcelle BB cream, and I thought I loved THAT, until I realized the whole point of a BB cream is to have SPF in it too, which Marcelle doesn’t.

Enter: Smashbox.

I took samples of all the BB creams I could find at Sephora, and ended up liking Smashbox.

I find it thick, VERY thick, but I only use a small dab and I really rub it in over my already-SPF’d face where I have very light discoloration.

YU-BE CREAM (not the lotion) = $12

Again, another Holy Grail of products for my eczema.

On a whim, I picked this up at the Sephora counter, and I am totally loving it.

Note: I buy the CREAM not the lotion, which is watered down.

It stinks a little (camphor), and it goes away, but this glycerin-heavy formula soaks RIGHT INTO my skin. I don’t feel a waxy, sort of strange cover on my skin that rubs or peels off.

It is also NOT PETROLEUM BASED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My eczema-prone skin hates any kind of waxy residue.

This stuff… wow.

My skin is super soft, I don’t feel any kind of waxy residue and it soaks on SO QUICKLY it feels like I haven’t rubbed any lotion on.

Amazing. I think I’ve found my holy grail of lotion for my eczema skin that is not heavily fragranced, or too overladen with chemicals.

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July 2012: What I bought

By thebudgetingtool | Published August 1, 2012

Wait, what did I say again about not wanting to spend much this month?

*weak laugh*

*wipes forehead*

The good news is I didn’t spend $1300 like last month, so … progress is slow but sure.

On the brighter side, I returned a lot of stuff and some of my purchases were replacements, or practical items. It wasn’t ALL fluff.

NORDSTROM JUNE PURCHASES

The Nordstrom stuff was purchased in June, but received in July.

RETURNED

CLASSIQUES ENTIER PEZZA PONTE KNIT BLUE SPECTRUM AND DONIA NEUTRAL SKIRT (Nordstrom) — $255 for both

I thought these two skirts were really cute, but when I received them in a size 4, they were swimming on me, too long and bulky. I sent them back.

It is meant for a taller-than-5’5″-and-much-curvier-in-the-hips-and-butt kind of woman.

In addition, the blue one was cute, but it wasn’t a vivid blue as the picture. It was more of a muted blue and kind of boring.

Disappointing. :(

(My wallet cheered however…)

KEPT

ON SALE — ADA TWO-TONED OBI LEATHER BELTS (Nordstrom) – $115

(Originally $88 each or $176 in total)

I am a straight up sucker for belts. Belts, are my #2 accessory after necklaces.

I especially LOVE obi belts!

These belts are made of a stiffer, thick Argentinean leather, and the two tone is unusual — I have never seen it before.

I am also going to experiment with tying them different ways, as pictured here:

ACTUAL IN-JULY PURCHASES

E-BOOKS

Can you believe I forgot that I bought books in previous months?

Amazon is going to take all my money and laugh all the way to the bank because of my need to read.

They make it way too easy to buy awesome books.

These are the books I got this month:

Last month, it was:

REFILL — DAVID’S TEA CHECKMATE AND VANILLA OOLONG TEA — $20

I demolished my stash of tea in record time and had to replenish my stock.

I repurchased my favourite Vanilla Oolong from David’s Tea.

Discover the power of vanilla and oolong, with a little hint of orange. It’s temptingly rich. We’ve used Pouchong tea leaves, the least oxidized of oolongs, which gives it a lighter, fresher taste. Delicious and totally addictive on its own, we also love blending this with fruit flavoured teas for a touch of creamy sweetness.

Taiwanese pouchong oolong tea, lemon myrtle, marigolds, natural flavouring*.

I also picked up a smaller bag of another tea I am not sure I want to commit a whole tin to yet: Checkmate (also from David’s Tea). It is really delicious, like hot cocoa but in a tea.

When you mix white Bai Mu Dan with black tea, coconut and chamomile flowers, it creates a rich, satisfying, chocolate flavour. You’ll swear you’re drinking a cup of hot cocoa, even though there’s no chocolate in the blend.

Black tea, white tea, coconut, Roman chamomile flowers, artificial flavouring*.

Update: Once I run out I’m going to buy a tin of this Checkmate tea. It really is quite good.

SUNPENTOWN STAINLESS STEEL RICE COOKER — $73

Did you know that Teflon has to be off the shelves by 2015?

We’ve gotten rid of our beloved Teflon rice cooker and bought this lovely gem instead (love!)

It is truly non-stick, stainless steel, and cooks white rice like a charm. For brown or other kinds of rice, you’ll need to buy another kind of device.

I. Love. It.

I do think that it isn’t 1 cup of water to 1 cup of white rice, it’s more like 1.25 cups of water to 1 cup of white rice, unless you like your rice really al dente and dry.

J. CREW NO. 2 PENCIL SKIRT IN GARDENSHADE PRINT – $99.99 ON SALE!

Ever since I saw this Dolce & Gabanna Eggplant Skirt (I am sure that is not the name), I’ve been obsessed with finding something like it.

The eggplants are kind of weird, but they have a very quirky, modern, abstract feel to them which doesn’t scream: VEGGIES!!!

So I wanted the same feel in the print, but not the price.

I ended up finding this J. Crew skirt in GardenShade Floral, ON SALE. IN MY SIZE (0) for $99.99!

(Okay, so $100 isn’t a far drop from its original $128 price tag, but it is still a nice discount).

It looks SO good in person (I saw it on a woman who rocked it with a purple sweater, and ever since I found out the name and the skirt, I’ve been dying to buy it).

The print feels very similar to the D&G, even though the tones/shades are off.

ZAC POSEN Z SPOKE WHITE DRESS – $130

I got rid of my old white summery dress (I realized it made me look really short and dumpy, even though I was going for that beachy, carefree sundress look), and picked up a more figure flattering Z Spoke white modern-tennis-meets-couture kind of dress.

It’s perfect for my inverted triangle shape — balances out my shoulders nicely because the skirt flares out at the hips.

It looks SO WEIRD on the model, but it is very flattering in real life on shorter people. Looks less tennis-y.

J. CREW ALLIE DRESS — $198 — RETURNED

UPDATE: Unfortunately I did return this. The material doesn’t feel nice or soft or huggy to my body (yes, a real term), it was too short even on my 5’4″ frame, and felt cheap.

I may return this. Don’t get too attached to it.

I really like the shape, the flared waist, the colour looks nice… but for $200? I’m keeping the tags on it until I can decide.

It also has pockets, seaming, and looks to be of high quality (haven’t received it yet).

J. CREW NAVY SCHOOLBOY BLAZER — $198

J. Crew got a lot of love this month. This is a blazer I am keeping. Great fit, cut, looks great rolled up or left down, and fits well in my wardrobe.

They went like hot cakes on the rack!

WHITE BLAZER FROM ZARA — $80 and LOVE ADY WHITE BLAZER — $88 — NEVER ARRIVED!

It was a blockbuster month for blazers.

I saw this jersey white blazer from Zara and loved it with my pants, but not my dresses or skirts (hits too low on the hip)…

Update: I kept this blazer

….until I saw another white blazer (Love Ady) with ruched sleeves and a shorter cut which would work out better with skirts/dresses and possibly tops too.

Update: I never even received this blazer. They were totally sold out of it, which is a bit of a blessing because it solved my which-white-blazer to keep dilemma for me ;)

I’m waiting to get both of them before I decide which one to keep.. if I decide keep them both at all.

 

THE CONTAINER STORE IS ALSO THE DEVIL!

I sort of discovered The Container Store online and started filling up my online basket with all this stuff I never knew I needed.

Armed with a 10% off code (CLICK10OFFER) I went nuts and spent around $200, but I ended up returning $150 of it!!!!

*pats self on back*

This is what I kept:

UMBRA TUBO ACRYLIC ORGANIZER = $12

FINALLY. FINALLY!

I was hunting down ideas for my makeup brushes and pencils to take up less room (versus laying them flat).

I also wanted something light, and practical (no glass because it can break and nothing too big because I have to travel with it).

I tossed around ideas like a pencil holder or a cup, but I wanted separated areas and something clear so I could see the colours easily.

The only con with this makeup organizer, is that I can’t put my stubby eye pencils or lip stuff in them. They’re too short. :( I wish they added one section that was super short for these items.

Still, it holds most of everything I need to reach for:

Now I don’t have to hunt to find what I need.

1 PACK OF 10 HUGGABLE SLIM VELVET HANGERS — $7

You know those infomercials where the women gush over how amazing these velvet hangers are, and you think to yourself: OMG who ARE these people!? Who in the world gets excited over hangers!?

That’s me now.

Honestly, I thought I could get away with not ever buying hangers because they take up room and they usually have a few in every hotel I’ve been in.

I think they’re bulky, they take up space, and are kind of annoying to carry around.

Lately however, BF has been hogging all the hangers in the hotels we stay in, so I figured I might as well buy a set.

I originally settled on cheap, plastic hangers until I decided that maybe buying slightly more expensive ones with this so-called magical velvet would make my strappy dresses stay on the hanger better…. so I bought a pack of 10.

They are AMAZING. I can shake my tops and my dresses (just like the TV people) and it DOESN’T FALL OFF the hanger!!!!

I’ve limited myself to just 10 hangers…..

okay, well I originally bought 30 hangers but then BF freaked on me in the store when he saw all of them. :P …..

10 is just enough for the dresses I must iron and hang up. The rest of my clothes are jersey so I don’t need to worry about wrinkles too much.

If you are looking for amazing hangers, these are it!

4 SPECTRUM CLOSET S HOOKS — $8

Such minimalist way to hang your purses!

I hate leaving them scrunched in a corner, or on a shelf.

They’re easy to pack and carry (they’re just S-Hooks), and they are very sturdy with a great curve for my wider-handled purses, without using up my precious hangers.

I hang two purses per hook. See?

(Note: These are not all of my purses in case you are wondering. I still have 2 cross body bags I use when I travel, gym bags and a few clutches)

REPLACEMENT MOLESKINE RULED NOTEBOOK – $18

To replace my old notebook. Boring, but…. geeky fun?

Update: Yes, I love this notebook.

It opens quite nicely (flat), it doesn’t bend the edges because the cover is a hard cardboard, and if you use the elastic, it keeps all the pages together.

It’s also a pleasure to write on — really nice paper — the ink dries very quickly and doesn’t bleed through to the other pages like in cheap paper … well, unless you decide to hold your pen there for a minute to soak the page :P

REPLACEMENT FOSSIL MADDOX ZIP WALLET — $40

(Originally $55)

To replace my beloved Danier leather once-stolen-and-then-returned-by-a-cop wallet of 10 years, I purchased this Fossil Maddox Zip Wallet on sale.

I had to replace my 10-year-old wallet because the leather was getting so stretched, my cards were falling out.

(It also didn’t have a zipper all the way around, so I was afraid I’d pull it out of my bag and then whoosh, my credit cards go flying down the street.)

For the Fossil wallet, I don’t love the leather in terms of how buttery soft I know leather can be, but I do know a slightly stiffer, cheaper leather is usually better for wallets because then the card slots won’t stretch out, and it’ll hold up better.

Plus, it was $40 and not $400.

THE STORY OF THE WALLET HUNT

I was looking at ALL kinds of wallets, up to $400 per wallet (yeah I know, insane right?).

I looked at Tory Burch, Longchamp, Kate Spade, m0851, Tumi, Marc Jacobs….. you name it.

I basically went to every department store and specialty store I could think of that did not have blatant, ugly logos all over the place, but I couldn’t find a wallet that is as practical as the Fossil one.

The zippered section at the back holds my metropass and map, the insides are perfect for separating my bills (they all look the same to me!).

I also stick the receipts in the front section (there’s an open flap).

Overall, it’s a compact, fairly slim wallet.

Other things I bought:

  • Crazy-Glue (one-use tubes) — I use crazy glue so rarely, that it always dries up after I open a tube.
  • This Strap-a-Handle for my dad to use on heavy boxes so he doesn’t hurt himself
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What organizing your closet looks like at the start

By thebudgetingtool | Published May 25, 2012

Yep. Going through and trying to declutter. Can’t. Do. It. Love. It. All!!!

 

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My Wardrobe Count: What I own and how much it all cost

By thebudgetingtool | Published May 14, 2012

Am I crazy? Yes.

Do I like to shop? Yes!

Do I have a lot of free time? I did, when I wrote this post!

Will I keep up with this inventory list? Probably not. Let’s see how lazy I can become, shall we?

Am I going to keep shopping even knowing all of this? Er… can I take the Fifth?

I had been planning on doing a true inventory for a while now, but I wanted to wait until I purged everything before trying to list everything.

I have owned about 30% of these pieces since high school/college years. Yes.. really.

If it still fits, and looks to be in a good condition, I’m keeping it.

It took me 2 hours, 2 full pages, 2 columns-wide, front and back to list almost, and I had to go into the columns a little bit (oops).

This is also a great exercise to make sure I have pictures of everything — I noticed I was missing quite a few pieces.

Hey it isn’t as bad as I thought!

Granted, I had purged 50% of my closet sometime in 2007-2008. I also started selling more stuff in 2011-2012.

Plus, I gave away at least 3-4 full bags of clothing and things.

After all that, I’m at the 136 mark for just clothes which… seems reasonable to me compared to shopaholics with walk-in closets. (Okay, I kid.. I kid!)

I guess I could cut it down to 100 clothing items, but that means cutting into my Dresses, which I am not really keen on.

For some reason, I was imagining my clothes to be around the 250+ mark.. so this is a bit of a relief.

What I have listed so far in the 136-item count:

  • Tops = 45 — $1802
  • Pants = 13 — $1010
  • Skirts = 9 — $451
  • Dresses = 45 — $3516
  • Sweaters = 15 — $1069
  • Blazers = 4 — $190
  • Jackets = 5 — $2181

What these 136-items cost: $10,219!

So you want to know numbers? I had to guesstimate a few of these items, but my wardrobe comes up to around $10,219 before taxes, at retail.

With the taxes (13%) on top of that, we’re looking at $11,547.47.

Now if I were to SELL these items, I could probably get $5000 out of the resale value of what I own.

You will also have to keep in mind this doesn’t include my shoes, purses or jewellery.

What are in all the categories?

TOTAL WARDROBE RETAIL VALUE $ PIE CHART BY CATEGORY

  • Percentages are based on the estimated $ cost of each category, not item count

TOTAL WARDROBE ITEM COUNT PIE CHART BY CATEGORY

  • Percentages are based on the item count of each category, not $ value

Hmm you don’t say!

  • Spent 34% of my money on 33% of my wardrobe — Dresses!!
  • Spent 21% of my budget on 4% of my wardrobe (5 Jackets) because of a single Burberry trenchcoat
  • Tops only cost 18% of my budget, but make up 33% of my wardrobe (bang for your buck category)
  • Sweaters made it out to an even 11% for both item count and % of value
  • Skirts, Pants and Blazers are fairly neglected, as they should be, as I am more of a Dress fiend

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN (VISUAL)

TOPS = 45 ITEMS @ $1802

(11 tops missing above)

I know this looks like a lot, but I am including everything in here.

Broken down, it looks more like this:

  • Work-Appropriate & Fun Blouses = 24
  • Tank Tops = 8
  • Long-Sleeved Shirts = 5
  • T-Shirts (doubles as sleepwear) = 4
  • Collared Button-Up Shirts = 4

My biggest category is obviously Work-Appropriate Blouses, which I would like to say I also wear for fun.

PANTS = 13 ITEMS @ $1010

(3 pairs of pants missing from above)

Broken down it looks like this:

  • Work Trousers = 8
  • Jeans = 2
  • Sweatpants = 3

I rarely wear sweatpants, but some occasions like bumming around the house, call for them.

SKIRTS = 9 ITEMS @ $451

Broken down it looks like this:

  • Work Skirts = 6
  • Fun Skirts = 3

The fun skirts are not miniskirts, but they are still in my eyes, too short to wear to work (few inches above the knee).

DRESSES = 45 ITEMS @ $3516.00

What can I say? I’m REALLY into wearing dresses. It’s like a whole outfit in one go, how can you go wrong?

The only thing I hate is that I can’t wear dresses as often in the winter (too damn cold, even when I double-up on tights), so a lot of my stuff is Summer-Appropriate.

(5 dresses missing from the photo above)

Broken down it looks like this:

  • Work Dresses = 20
  • Summer/Fun Dresses = 21
  • Formal/Event Dresses = 4

If I feel like it, I do wear more dressier dresses out just to get groceries. I find it fun to dress up, and unless the style is really inappropriate (too formal or shiny, cocktail, or flouncy), anything goes in my world.

SWEATERS = 15 ITEMS @ $1069

Love me a good sweater! They’re great as a way to layer on top of lighter things, or to wear as-is.

(3 sweaters missing from the photo above)

Broken down it looks like this:

  • Work Sweaters = 11
  • Casual Sweaters = 4

What I consider “casual” versus “work” sweaters, are either the colour or the style — if it’s too sporty (Lululemon stuff), I don’t wear it to work.

Otherwise, they’re pretty much all work-appropriate sweaters!

BLAZERS = 4 ITEMS @ $190.00

I don’t have much in this department. I only have the basics to throw over top of my other more colourful items.

One of the blazers is part of a grey tweed 3-piece suit, the rest are in navy or black.

JACKETS = 5 ITEMS @ $2181.00

This includes Autumn and Winter jackets.

I have 2 winter jackets — one everyday, one dressy (BF bought it for me).

  • Note: The 2nd black Burberry trench from the left is almost the entire amount at $1600.

I have 2 autumn jackets — one in a bold colour, the other is neutral.

My last jacket is a black biker-style cotton jacket that didn’t fit under “Blazer” or “Sweater”.

Phew!

What I have not yet listed:

  • Bathing Suit — I just have one, so no big list there
  • Underwear (Tights included)
  • Sleepwear — I wear the T-Shirts above, and my 2 leggings
  • Winter Gear (Scarves, Gloves, Other)
  • Purses
  • Shoes
  • Jewellery — I think I’m at 100 pieces of jewellery right now

I am not entirely sure I want to really inventory underwear or sleepwear. For instance, I usually only have one pair of tights in each colour (navy, burgundy, black, brown).

I will however, want to inventory the rest — winter gear, purses, shoes, and jewellery.

I’ll post once I catch my breath and go through those items ;)

How will this change my shopping in the future?

Would you kill me if I said it wouldn’t really?

Lately, I seem to be paying more, for fewer pieces. This goes in line with not wanting to buy quantity, but quality, although if I find a great shirt for $16 that isn’t a duplicate in my wardrobe, I’ll probably buy it.

For instance, I bought a cashmere travel wrap for $300. ONE WRAP. It’s considered ONE sweater. In the past, I never spent more than $30 – $50 on a sweater.

This is 6 sweaters in one pricetag… but far more heavenly.

Cost per use, right? Hello? Anyone?… ANYONE WITH ME?!!?!

*sigh*

Have you done something similar with your closet?

 

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My Current Wardrobe Wants List

By thebudgetingtool | Published April 28, 2012

This was my original list located here: How to shop and organize your wardrobe, and I’ve gotten through the important bits.

I’m also revising it to remove a few things:

Items Pictured Above:

Why I am removing some items

Beige Trenchcoat

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I don’t need it, especially since if the weather calls for it, I’m just going to put on either my red or my khaki green knee-length coat, or wear my new m0851 Perfecto Leather Jacket.

White Drape-y Dress

Do I really need ANOTHER dress?

Black Suede Round Toe Pumps

Am I really going to wear these? Not really. I am more of a flats kind of girl, and even at work, I’ve been getting lazy on the heel-wearing front.

I’d rather have those mid-calf boots instead.

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Organize and shop your own closet to save time and money

By thebudgetingtool | Published April 11, 2012

Whenever I feel like I want to refresh my wardrobe, but I don’t want to (or shouldn’t) spend any money on new things, I do the following:

  • Catalogue my current wardrobe
  • Shop my own closet
  • Make a list of Wardrobe Wants

Catalogue my current wardrobe

I like going through my wardrobe, I like cleaning (purging, de-cluttering) and organizing it, and knowing what I have, so I can dream up of new outfits so I can shop my own closet easily.

Once I started going through and itemizing items and cleaning it out, I realized I had a LOT of grey sweaters. In fact, it was the main colour in my closet as a neutral.

I realized that it was also the reason why I never reached for certain items because I chose my favourite grey sweater every time (‘Only grey sweaters, AGAIN?’).

So my solution was to catalogue my clothes onto my iPod Touch, using Picasa to see it on my desktop by:

  1. Taking stock photos (if I can find them) online
  2. Taking pictures of the clothes themselves
  3. Taking pictures of me, wearing the clothes (ideal, but I’m very lazy)
For example, here are my dresses:

Now that I know what I already own, and I won’t be tempted to buy yet anything similar to what I already own, like another red wrap dress.

I recently did something similar in my mother’s closet, and let me show you the two items she has an overabundance of:

Yellow Cotton Vest Shirts (6)

Pink Collared Shirts (8)

Granted, these items look really nice on her skin tone, but she doesn’t really need yet another pink shirt or yellow vest.

Shop my own closet

It can be hard not to want a new outfit after you see people wear different things, or a certain striped shirt you think would be perfect in your closet.

The truth of the matter is you may already have the components for a similar outfit (or at least, I KNOW I do), and you may just need a small accessory like a red belt to finish it off.

I “shop” my own closet, by going through, organizing it, purging pieces I know have gone unworn for too long, and really scrutinizing if I should keep an item or not.

At the end of the exercise, I usually end up creating new outfits and my desire to buy new things disappears after I realize I can’t really fit any more into my suitcases unless I get rid of other items.

Make a list of Wardrobe Wants

This is an exercise I go through on a regular basis. It can be easy to lust after new items, but are you missing other key essential pieces to tie everything together?

If so, then you might be wasting your money on yet another pair of jeans, but are missing the right pair of business casual herringbone trousers to wear with 50% of your wardrobe.

My Wardrobe Wants:

  • Thin Red Belt — I don’t want to spend a lot of money, and I’m being very picky about the belt
  • White Casual Blazer — Not structured; Thought I found it but the fabric is all wrong
  • Plain Brown Leather Mid-Calf 2″ Heeled Boots — To wear under trousers during Autumn and Winter
  • Men’s Watch — I have a few contenders in mind, but I don’t want to pay a ridiculous amount
  • Thin, Supersoft Leather Jacket — I am waffling between one in an inky blue or a dark brown
  • Beige Trenchcoat — I obviously love the classic, minimalist looking ones, but I want a good price
  • Navy Wide-Striped T-Shirt — I am very picky about the spacing of the lines for this shirt
  • White or Ivory Drape-y Dress — I found one, but the neckline was very lowcut…
  • Brown Flats — Replacements for my worn out Rudsak ones; Am looking at Frye Carson Flats
  • Black Suede Round-Toe Pumps — I think they’d look great with a good chunk of my dresses
  • White Straight-Legged Drape-y Pants — Found at H&M for $40! They’re perfect & the right $$
  • Olive/Khaki Sweater — Found it as a thin wrap sweater last year at Lululemon for $98
  • Striped Dress — Found it! Comrags Brady Style French Striped Dress for $300
  • Red Dress – Found it! Consignment Diane von Furstenberg Red Wool Utility Wrap Dress for $136
  • Olive/Khaki Dress – Found it! Bionic Genia Olive Dress by Mark Foreman, deeply discounted for $50
Items Pictured Above:

How this will all save you time and money

  1. You won’t buy yet ANOTHER grey sweater again
  2. You won’t waste time browsing and looking for things you don’t really need as an Essential Item
  3. You won’t waste less money because you will stick to your list!

Of course, in between looking for these Wardrobe Wants, I found pieces that were not really on my list, but overall, I’ve stopped myself from buying things I know I already have duplicates of in my wardrobe.

Do you do something similar?

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