So -- I'm giving myself 15 minutes to purchase* $1000 worth of merchandise at Boden and will then evaluate whether this is a wardrobe-transforming event.
Okay, here I go:
First up: p&pg shirt. I will later regret that it has LS instead of 3/4 sleeve, but I guess I could have those altered.
Next: Let's get it in white, too, since my existing white t-shirts failed the RS basics test.
This is the most un-me thing but I kind of love it. Can I wear it over jeans?
Yum. Perfect.
SO Michelle O! (I get the haircut and color, too, right??
Fun! (this item is actually called "fun skirt")
DONE! $1000 exactly. 11 items. I should have been on Price is Right.
So - what have I got? 2 t-shirts, five sweaters, 2 skirts, and some jammie pants. I'm not sure any of the sweaters go with the teal & brass skirt. I think they could all go with the dot skirt. I didn't buy any pants. I couldn't really tell what they looked like from the pictures. I definitely felt the urge to buy multiple versions (colors) of shapes I liked. (Uniform?) Assuming one had a decent existing set of nice jeans & cords, this could certainly spruce things up for fall/winter. But transform? Meh.
Is ample cash either necessary or sufficient for stellar wardrobe? Does it maybe actually get in the way? Would I have done noticeably better at a thift store or even upscale resale/consignment? (Can you imagine the $1,000 thrift store pile?) Does blowing a G on nice stuff take you to a new level, or just reinforce bad habits? Would a $1000 worth of great restaurant meals have provided more pleasure? What about $1000 in the kids' college fund? Give this experiment a try at your favorite website or with your favorite catalog and let me know how it goes. N=1 is too small a sample size.
T.O.: Best of the current five pairs of jeans, peacock Gap ls t-shirt (too small), fave poison green cardigan, poison green fleece vest. (still wearing vest inside - it's cold).
*ok, not purchase. I use "place item in online shopping cart" as a proxy for "purchase." A true field test would provide stronger evidence.
Okay, here I go:
First up: p&pg shirt. I will later regret that it has LS instead of 3/4 sleeve, but I guess I could have those altered.
Next: Let's get it in white, too, since my existing white t-shirts failed the RS basics test.
This is a poor use of my wardrobe-transforming $1000, but I can't resist the loungewear.
Yum. Perfect.
And in this color, too, please.
SO Michelle O! (I get the haircut and color, too, right??
This is black, not grey.
I almost bought this one in the wrong shade of green but saved myself at the last minute. I think this is a spring red -- yes? I like the length.
Cute dots.
So - what have I got? 2 t-shirts, five sweaters, 2 skirts, and some jammie pants. I'm not sure any of the sweaters go with the teal & brass skirt. I think they could all go with the dot skirt. I didn't buy any pants. I couldn't really tell what they looked like from the pictures. I definitely felt the urge to buy multiple versions (colors) of shapes I liked. (Uniform?) Assuming one had a decent existing set of nice jeans & cords, this could certainly spruce things up for fall/winter. But transform? Meh.
Is ample cash either necessary or sufficient for stellar wardrobe? Does it maybe actually get in the way? Would I have done noticeably better at a thift store or even upscale resale/consignment? (Can you imagine the $1,000 thrift store pile?) Does blowing a G on nice stuff take you to a new level, or just reinforce bad habits? Would a $1000 worth of great restaurant meals have provided more pleasure? What about $1000 in the kids' college fund? Give this experiment a try at your favorite website or with your favorite catalog and let me know how it goes. N=1 is too small a sample size.
T.O.: Best of the current five pairs of jeans, peacock Gap ls t-shirt (too small), fave poison green cardigan, poison green fleece vest. (still wearing vest inside - it's cold).
*ok, not purchase. I use "place item in online shopping cart" as a proxy for "purchase." A true field test would provide stronger evidence.
I'm totally going to try this! I'm making a date with my computer for Friday night (after the Family Dance at Sycamore) :) I'll be shopping J. Crew. Ah, to dream.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you, Alison, that I paid my first visit to Quality Thrift on Monday. I didn't think it could possibly live up to the hype, but it was amazing!! I got a pair of Gap trouser-style jeans for $3. I have a very similar pair I bought a year ago for almost $60. Crazy! And an Ann Taylor Loft skirt and the cutest green skirt (you'd love it ... very poison green). I spent a total of $16 for five great additions to my wardrobe. So, I'm a QT convert now :)
You know, I don't think it's money so much as time.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like how people erroneously think you can't have a big dog if you live in a small apartment. Big dogs don't need a lot of room, they need time. Time to take them out twice a day for a walk or run.
It's like this with clothes. A great wardrobe does not require tons of money. It requires a lot of time and legwork. And trying things on. And trying more things on. And more. And getting things tailored.
I tried the 15 minute shopping spree at Coldwater Creek and it made me think I ought to try actually going to the store so I can try some things on. I had trouble picking staples like white or black shirts. And no pants...
I also discovered that when shopping online I like to pick clothes for a hip, skinny 28-year-old professional woman who lives in Polynesia despite the fact that I'm actually a vaguely overweight, nerdy 40-year-old who lives in a more northerly clime.
How is one to understand your Boden spree selections in light of the fact that you made them while watching Season 1 Episode 2 of "Slings & Arrows"?
ReplyDeleteYes, how is one to understand them?
ReplyDeleteI was going to take the challenge, but after 5 minutes browsing Eileen Fisher (where everything I picked out was, typically, a version of something I already own) I realized that I have most of the basics I want, except for a few perfect things of which only the Form exists in my mind and has apparently never been realized, like skinny black wool gabardine pants that scrunch around the ankle--can't find these *anywhere*. If I actually had to spend a G on clothes I'd rather get one amazingly fabulous thing at Armani (if I could find anything that inexpensive at Armani!). I don't know that I want to know what this says about me.
I love Slings and Arrows. I notice you like round and scoop necks - do you wear necklaces? Jewelry can be a pretty affordable way to spiff up clothing. I get my jewelry at Claire's which is super cheap and then it doesn't matter if I lose it.
ReplyDeleteTry doing this again, only watching an episode of "Man Men,"
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I will be guest blogging shortly...
Hooray for "Slings and Arrows!"
ReplyDeleteI think money is absolutely NOT a necessity in transforming your wardrobe. In fact, I sometimes think having money is in conflict with having STYLE. You can, with no money, still find unique and bizarre things and combine them in a way that reflects your mood, personality, etc. Sometimes having money means you buy into exactly what everyone else is buying into, thereby negating what I take to be the true meaning of style.
That being said, I recently spent more money that I have ever spent on a pair of winter Frye boots that I hope last a lifetime, and I don't regret it for a moment. There is no way for me to respond to any of these blogs about clothing without immediately contradicting myself...
Renee
I don´t think we have to be bashful about wanting to spend more money on fewer, good-quality pieces that can last years and therefore turn out to be not so expensive after all. I have had one Max Mara pantsuit, bought at NM´s Last Call for about $400, for five years. It will never look dated, it will probably last another five years, and I can get at least five different outfits from it depending on what I wear it with (trousers with jacket, trousers with a V-neck sweater, a turtle-neck, or a white blouse, or the jacket with jeans or a skirt).
ReplyDeleteI must report that my J.Crew shopping spree was a total let-down. For one thing, J.Crew has changed since last I browsed. They used to have these vibrant sweaters in every shade you could imagine. I saw lots of taupe, black and gray this time around. Sigh. Plus the variety of pants and shirts to choose from was overwhelming. I don't think I can shop online, which means I can't shop, since I don't really have time to do it physically.
ReplyDeleteI rearranged the furniture in my living room and dining room this weekend, and the house looks totally refreshed. Maybe I'll just try the same with my wardrobe and give up shopping ... except at Quality Thrift, of course, now that I've discovered it.