Hello my friends! I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather and blooming flowers as much as I have been. Scooby and I have been getting in some great hikes, I’ve been riding my mountain bike just about weekly, and my garden is looking better than ever – life is good! What have you been up to?
It’s interesting how differently we can all approach clothes shopping. Some of my friends outsource the job and have used services like Stitch Fix with great success, some enjoy the hunt and will check out the latest offerings at places like Nordies, TJMaxx, or Target, while others pretty much exclusively shop second hand. And of course online shopping is more popular than ever with many people nowadays finding inspo on social media or LTK – not to mention good old Amazon. While there’s no one right way to do it, it is important to find what works for you as an individual.
Personally, I used to buy items pretty randomly, with price and fit being my biggest priorities. But I ended up with a random assortment of items that didn’t necessarily go together, were pretty unrealistic considering my lifestyle, and overall didn’t really get worn. While I still love a good deal and can’t really stomach buying things at full pop, I have noticed that if I do not buy purposely the “great deals” I find end up being a waste of money.
So these days I take a different approach. I know the types of things I wear most often (comfy and girlie dresses primarily) and I keep a list in my phone of items that will round out what I currently own so I can maximize what I already have in my closet. That way when I do find myself in a store, doing some online browsing, or have some kind of store credit/reward to utilize I can look for the things on my list, knowing that it will actually have a good chance of being worn.
And since I love girlie dresses so much that I’ll reach for them over just about anything else, I do keep an eye out for certain types of dresses. Namely those that have some kind of waist definition, contain at least some stretch, are in my preferred color palette, aren’t too short, and are made from a fabric that feels good on my skin and is somewhat airy feeling. Once I find a dress online that I feel I’d wear a lot I’ll wait until I can find a killer deal and then take the plunge. Here are the latest winners:
I’m not a huge fan of spaghetti straps due to my plentiful bust, but the cuteness factor of this pretty maxi (size L), the fact that it has some rubber grips in the bodice, and can be worn without a bra won me over. It’s also offered in a solid color version. It makes me want to twirl!
I am obsessed with this one (size L)! It is actually a slightly modified version of the last dress, but it’s even better because it has sleeves! Being “not petite” (lol) allows me to pull off some pretty puffy sleeves, I’ve noticed. They offer it in a couple colors that really caught my eye (hello emerald combo!), but I’m happy with my choice. Sadly, it’s hard to find under $100, but I’ve found that if you wait long enough there will be a flash sale somewhere. By the end of this little lady’s life I bet the cost per wear will be next to nothing. I’m determined to keep whittling my closet down to only winners!
This (sized down to M on this one) is another one that I’ve already worn a ton. It’s the perfect dress for a hot day; breathable, comfy, and flattering! The color I got (oddly called “lavender,” although it’s a sheer blue) is hard to find at this point, but there are plenty of other printed and solid versions if you like the overall style. And Amazon has a great, uber affordable dupe.
I do not really shop at Madewell, but they offer $15 of product for free on your birthday so I was able to get this guy (size XL) for almost nothing since it was on sale. It’s such a classic dress and replaced an extremely similar dress I had that no longer fits from Anthropologie.
ASTR The Label offers a lot of cute dresses, but they tend to be backless (no, thank you!), which drives me crazy. But this one (size XL) actually met all of my parameters! Thanks LTK for the suggestion!
This dress is an older find, but they still have it at Belk for a great price! It actually came with a rope belt, but I prefer it with a stretch belt (unbelted I look pregnant lol) . It’s super comfy and a more wearable yellow color for gals like me who lean more toward cool/neutral than warm.
dress (wearing size XL) I similar dress (pricey) I similar, more affordable dress
How do you feel about your approach to clothes shopping?
XO,
Kate