Hunh, maybe it is EXACTLY like dieting.
Angie at YouLookFab had a great post listing the 4 implicit categories on your shopping list. They were:
1. Wardrobe holes
2. New trends
3. Replenishment items
4. Unexpected delights
This has been very helpful as I have been sorting through what I think I want versus what I need. My birthday is next week, and I am hoping for some gift cards so I can do a little guilt-free shopping. In preparation, I've been doing some online window-shopping, and using these categories has been helping cull away items I added just in the heat of the moment (the "ooh, pretty" impulse items) and winnowing it down to only things that fall into one of these categories.
Sejour roll-sleeve twill jacket. I tried this on at the store, and fell in love. I've really liked my Old Navy lined anorak that I have been wearing like crazy this winter, but the black is kind of faded and dusty and it feels like a lot of coat. This is much trimmer and fitted, and the back flap is longer at the bottom, perfect for sitting and for keeping my butt dry when it rains. I hesitate on the color -- it comes in black, red/orange, olive/khaki and this bright purply-cobalt blue -- but the blue continues to be my top choice. It was the most flattering one when I tried it on, but I usually buy neutral outside jackets because my clothes are so colorful. I think I might have to go for it anyway; it's so pretty and I have a feeling I am going to need a casual coat this spring (I don't have one at all. Sad, right?)
This is a wardrobe hole and a replenishment item, and the color would tip it into the unexpected delights too.
A new spring purse is also on my wishlist. I am bananas about my Longchamp tote bag (I use it for my laptop for work), and I want the small version for a purse; I like the casual look of it, and the nylon means it's easier to carry around when the weather is bad. (I have a weird feeling we are going to be in for a wet spring this year; I don't know why.)
Initially I wanted the dark eggplant "bilberry" color...
...but if I go for the blue anorak, it doesn't work. So I am considering brown or slate. This one I will buy in the store, after I have purchased the jacket. I'll need to put the colors up against each other before I make a final decision.
This would be a wardrobe hole, and an unexpected delight.
The last item on my Nordstrom wishlist is a pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans. I love my boyfriend version, and Kut from the Kloth is just a better brand for my body than NYDJ is (NYDJ is too stretchy.)
Thing is, I don't really need another pair of jeans; my various Dreamers from Old Navy are all still doing fine. I just really want a nice pair of jeans, in a soft, expensive denim.
They're just an impulse purchase, so the only way I will get them is if I have anything left over on a gift card and my Nordstrom bucks. Dang those categories for making me realize where these don't fit! ;-)
I am also looking for a dressy clutch/mini-purse to replace my faux-Chanel. Lucky for me, quilted mini purses are all the rage right now; I just need to find the right one.
This Rebecca Minkoff is a strong possibility. It comes in emerald, tan, mint and a weird red, but I think the black will last me much longer and prove to be far more versatile.
This one is pretty much a nicer duplicate of my old purse, but I don't like the gold studs.
It's a wardrobe hole, but none of these are right yet. The search continues!
A new pair of flats is also on my wishlist, this time at Zappos. I am torn between the pink and the yellow. Mustard is my go-to fun color, but the pink is so unexpected and different for me.
As long as I am showing off my Zappos wishlist, aren't these awesome? Angie linked them the other day.
It is highly unlikely I would ever buy these -- too pricey especially for something in such a short-lived trendy color. But I do love a good heeled Oxford!
The last item on my shopping list are some colored pants. Aside from my blackberry cords, I haven't seen any colored pants that I want; most are too casual in their cut. My ideal pants would be the Gap modern bootcuts in aubergine, mushroom, and maybe a nice ivory, but Gap stubbornly will not fulfill my personal fantasy of giving me real pants I can wear to the office. So I am trying to warm to the existing colored pants trend, as it is. Maybe I can make ankle pants work? They're better than cropped, at least. Gap was having a 30% off sale last week, so I placed an order to try some different options.
If I keep one of these, I will be surprised and impressed. But I figured I might at least TRY them on, right?
The bright skinny pants have all been disastrous on me, so I am hoping a paler look is better. Bless you, these are "straight khakis" not skinnies. I do hope these work out; Vivienne just did a great set of pink jeans options that I loved.
Lots of bloggers have been extolling the virtues of these skimmer pants, and I would like a cropped pair of white pants for summer, so...we shall see.
Sometimes I like to kid myself that my legs are long and slender like this. Reality will show me otherwise when these get here. I am such a sucker for olive.
A coral jacket. C'mon.
That's like a wardrobe basic, for me. Right? Right? :) Fine, file it under Unexpected Delight. It will be mine.
It will be interesting to me to come back to this post in a month or so and see which if any of these I ended up getting. I've looked back at other Stuff I Want posts, and my purchases end up being pretty few. (Except the Blazer post; three of those have become closet staples.)
I vote for the mini-bag. It seems to me the last time you went out you were remarked that yours was falling apart.
ReplyDeleteYep, that one hit the donate pile a couple months back.
DeleteThat said, I found in my clutch bin a perfectly good, very pretty one to use going forward. So I really, really don't need another.
I just want one. SIGH.
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI can relate so much to this post. We still need to eat, we still need to shop. Just need to do it better.
I think you have give purposeful consideration to the items you have posted, trying to make sure every piece fits in with your wardrobe, fills a gap and will be very useable. Its a hard thing to do. I strive to do the same.
BTW....the trendy multi-color oxfords are really adorable...but I'm with you...too trendy to have longevity.
Aren't those oxfords adorable?
DeleteThanks for the encouragement. It's a very different way for me to approach shopping than I have in the past. Still figuring it all out!
I have to say, having a bright winter coat has been such a wonderful 'fun' fashion thing for me! Usually I go with charcoal or black, but this year, I ordered a long wool winter coat in a bright coral-y red and get ENDLESS compliments on it, and it makes me feel stylish even when I'm just wearing it over something basic. I think you'll have the same experience with that gorgeous blue coat-- can't wait to see how it looks on, I may have to go check it out at old navy for myself!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Oooh, a coral winter coat sounds lovely. I can imagine you get tons of compliments!
DeleteI have now tried on the the blue anorak twice, once on my own and once with friends. Their positive reaction was instantaneous; no question I will be getting it this week!
FYI it is from Nordstrom, not Old Navy. I am stepping up! :)