January Shopping Pause
...spoiler: it's not going great.
I’m currently in a self-imposed shopping hiatus because I have nothing on my calendar for the next 8 weeks, and because I always like to have January be a little spending reset to move back to a more thoughtful and intentional buying approach after a holiday season that involves a lot of gifting!
That said, so many things have already caught my eye (12 days in but who is counting…oh, me. I am!), many of which have also made their way into a shopping cart…oops. So far I have successfully held off via the tried-and-true, “I’ll put it in my cart and come back to it later” trick, along with its trusty partner, “leave my wallet in another room of the house”, and have even resorted to “LITERALLY SITTING ON MY HANDS B/C I SAID I WASN’T BUYING MYSELF ANYTHING IN JANUARY.” Now I’m trying, “write them all down and look at pictures of them in one place,” to see if that helps. Stay tuned.
Anyways, I have a warm(ish) weather getaway on my mind in a couple of months, Valentine’s day, trying to run outside in Massachusetts in the winter and wondering if new clothes are the missing piece in my search for motivation & time, a desire to get dressed every day but also be completely comfortable and an overall feeling of MEH about my entire wardrobe in the back of my mind as I’ve screenshotted these items, casually browsed to their pages over and over again or just left them up in an open safari tab on my phone.
KULE Rainbow Shirt - I love a good striped shirt and this would be so out-of-character for me, but the colors are making me happy. More likely that I will eventually spring for this similar, but more neutral version.
Bootcut Overalls - I had this great pair of jersey overalls that I wore all the time in my last pregnancy, and there was just something about them that made me feel like I pulled an outfit together but I was also comfortable. I’ve been thinking about a pair for non-pregnancy wear since, and I really like the back on these ones. I can picture them with the KULE shirt, with the ballet flats, with the sneakers, with the Chelsea boots. Did I just rationalize this purchase?
Paige Raw Hem Jeans - LUUUURRRVVVEEE a raw hem. These would also look awesome with a striped shirt, and any of the shoes in this collage. Looks like an incredible wash that you can wear with a simple T or a dressier top. These are a straight-leg style but I love how the ankle-length and frayed hem gives them almost a teensy kick-flare which is a look I love.
Veja Leather Sneakers - Like many people, I’ve leaned into the sneaker trend hard over the past couple of years. Non-fussy, comfortable, stylish, and easy to get on and off. I’m really into the idea of a pair with velcro to make them extra, super easy. Also can imagine these paired with most of the dresses I am currently thinking about!
Margaux Boots - I am not yet a proud owner of any of Margaux’s products, but I have heard incredible things and also have a pair of their ballet flats on my wish list (hopefully I will go into an office again someday and there will be less snow on the ground!) But a chic, weatherproof, suede boot. Yes, please.
Alex Mill Juliet Flats - Along the theme of comfortable yet put together and that neverending quest to be effortlessly chic, we find these flats. Something about a chic flat with any pair of jeans is just *chef’s kiss.* Could be a sweatshirt and jeans and these and honestly I could see myself feeling like a million bucks. Also, please note that these can be worn with or without the ribbon. I see myself mostly going ribbon-less, but then can also imagine a lot of these dresses with the ribbon and that just sounds great.
Altitude Tights - Last year I started getting back into running outside as my primary form of cardio and I am loving it. It’s a challenging thing to do through New England winters, but, when dressed appropriately, I’ve found I can handle lower temps than I thought! These tights are highly recommended, and I love the fit of Athleta’s leggings for running, so I am eager to try.
Alosoft Turtleneck - A warm first layer is key to tolerating the cold and a chic one that also provides some neck coverage is checking all the boxes for me!
Rhode Dress - Literally not a single reason to own this dress. No occasion. No annual Christmas fete that I could wear it to year-over-year. No NYE wedding in 2022 that I might be able to dust it off for. Not even a dinner out at a restaurant on the calendar that I could be wildly overdressed for. Also not in my budget. But man, she’s a good one.
Mille White Dress - Mille can truly do no wrong. I love it all. I want it all. I am sitting on my hands to keep from perusing the Spring release because I repeat, I am ON A SHOPPING PAUSE.
Gabriela Dress - I have been eyeing this dress for a while. I have a love-hate relationship with dresses (like this) that require a strapless bra. On the one hand, I adore the spaghetti straps so much and it would look so sweet with a ballet flat (looking at you Juliet flat!) and a little cardigan. On the other, I hate strapless bras and own a lot of dresses that require them, and will often avoid those dresses (despite loving them), just because wearing strapless bras SUCKS. Nevertheless, this dress would be perfect for a beach vacation, a day of sightseeing, dinner out, the list goes on!
Mango Dress - This is such a great silhouette, and would be so easy to just throw on. “Oh, just running to the farmers market!” Or, “sure I can be ready in 2 minutes to hop over to the park!” And at a price point that won’t make me cry when my kids inevitably wipe their hands or faces or noses (or all three) on me.
Bloom Midi Dress - I saw this dress in the window of a store in Boston just before Christmas and it stopped me in my tracks. Of course, turns out it is from my beloved Faithfull the Brand. I see this dress on my body and my body in a rattan chair at a beachside bar drinking the world’s best margarita with a giant sunhat on and bare feet and maybe eating fresh fish for dinner. Sigh.
H&M Set - Because I am not a complete monster, I’ll add that I have also seen some cute clothes for my kids. I buy a lot of their everyday clothes from H&M, and love the little sets! We get a ton of wear out of them and they always have good non-gendered options that can be passed down from big brother to little sister! My daughter has this set in two of the floral patterns, and my son has the dogs. Love the seals, so adorable. This is honestly probably getting purchased!
Well, writing it all down feels good that it’s out of my head, and my phone is a lot less cluttered, but to be determined whether or not it will keep me from buying anything. And I didn’t even get into the skincare products that are now on my radar! Oh well, that’s for next time. Happy shopping and imagining how you would wear all these things!