Spring 2019 Wardrobe Additions
Madewell drapey paperbag pants (seen here): $59 (originally $85)
Madewell high-rise denim shorts: cutoff edition (seen here): $59 (originally $70)
Madewell popover courier shirtdress in textural rainbow stripe: $66.50 (originally $98)
Madewell Belgrave sunglasses: $53 (originally $65)
ABLE hammered circle earrings (seen here, here, here, and here): $22.50 (originally $30; now $34)
ABLE Iris hoop earrings (seen here and here): $18 (originally $24; now $28)
Everlane authentic stretch high-rise skinny button fly (review here; seen here and here): $82.50
Everlane cotton-linen crewneck sweater (review here; seen here and here): $63.50
J.Crew Factory linen-cotton drawstring pant: $25 (originally $60)
J.Crew Factory block-heel sandals: $38 (originally $80)
Minnie & George oversized circle crossbody bag (no longer available; seen here): $120 (orig. $185)
Uniqlo linen blend sleeveless blouse (seen here): $26
LOFT striped tie waist button front skirt (seen here): $37 (originally $70)
H&M ribbed top (seen here): $12
Earth Chestnut platform sandal c/o (seen here)
Earth Cedarwood convertible sneaker c/o (seen here)
Spring 2019 Total = $500
$500 (quarterly budget) = $682 ($304.50 March + $195 April + $182.50 May) - $100 Madewell gift card - $70 Everlane credit - $12 earned from Poshmark sales
I definitely did some shopping this spring… I added 16 new items to my wardrobe. Eep! I did sell a number of items on Poshmark which just about balanced out everything I added. After not shopping much in January and February, I was itching to freshen up my wardrobe for spring and summer.
In addition to everything in the collage above, I also added a few things that I didn’t count towards my budget. I picked up this insulated rain jacket by The North Face (see all the coats I was considering in this post) and have already worn it a number of times this rainy spring. I didn’t include this in my budget since it’s utilitarian and I knew I would get plenty of wear out of it. I also purchased black high-rise bikini bottoms from Madewell (made from recycled plastic water bottles). I tried three different tops. The first two (sport top and tie-front top) felt too small in a size small, which is a size up from my usual top size but what I usually buy in bikini tops…so I purchased the third (button-front top) in a size medium. It fits fine, but I really wish I had a size small to compare it to. Gah! I usually only purchase one new swimsuit a year (if that), so I don’t include them in my budget posts, but if I start going overboard with more purchases this year I may include them in future budget posts.
What I kept:
Madewell drapey paperbag pants: I love these for work! The length goes right to my ankle, and luckily, I didn’t have issues with static. They fit well in my usual size 0 but I would recommend taking your smaller size if you’re in between sizes.
Madewell high-rise denim shorts: cutoff edition: These shorts fit well in the waist and in the legs. They’re comfortable to sit in all day and will be a staple throughout the summer and hopefully in future summers. I took my usual size 25. The 26s I ordered were too loose.
Madewell popover courier shirtdress in textural rainbow stripe: I fell in love with Madewell’s latest rainbow stripe pattern and ordered this dress in the 20% off sale (I think there was an error with pricing when I ordered this). It fits perfectly loose in the midsection but not tight in the shoulders, so my usual size XS was the right choice. I didn’t notice how visible the pockets were in the product photos, and they’re just as obvious in person which is the only downside. I still love it enough to hold onto it and hopefully the pockets won’t bug me…
Madewell Belgrave sunglasses: I’m building up my sunglasses collection and really like these! I typically prefer oversized sunglasses, and these are a great size for my face.
ABLE hammered circle earrings: Love, love, love. These are perfect earrings! The only thing is that I have to be careful not to get a finger stuck in the hoop, lol.
ABLE Iris hoop earrings: Another great neutral pair of earrings! These are so lightweight that I forget they’re in. The downside to that is I sometimes accidentally push them up against my ear and the lack of weight means they’ll stay crooked until I fix them.
Everlane authentic stretch high-rise skinny button fly: I wasn’t too keen on the washed black color at first, but I decided that I liked that option as an alternative to my solid black denim. These jeans are amazing! They’re softer than my black denim, and the button fly is so fun. I took size 26 in the ankle length and they fit perfectly.
Everlane cotton-linen crewneck sweater: I’ve already worn this sweater so many times! It’s a great neutral for spring and summer, and it’s perfect to throw on in case of air conditioning. I purchased a size XS which was the right choice since it’s stretches out a bit with wear.
J.Crew Factory linen-cotton drawstring pant: These pants will be perfect for work this summer! The darker navy masks both wrinkles and the drawstring waistband. I took my usual size 0.
J.Crew Factory block-heel sandals: These sandals get excellent reviews so I had to give them a try myself! I have a pair of flat gold sandals already, but they’re looking a little beat up after taking them on beach vacations, and I’m glad to have a second, heeled pair to wear for dressier occasions that may arise…or just any random day. ;) I took my usual size 7.
Minnie & George oversized circle crossbody bag (no longer available): This was the handmade bag I ordered at the end of December and had to wait for while it was made. It was quite an ordeal to receive the bag (didn’t hear anything about my order for two months, reached out at the end of March, received shipping confirmation a couple of weeks later, tracking didn’t work for over a week…), but I finally received my bag and I’m very happy with it! I love the shape.
Uniqlo linen blend sleeveless blouse: I fell in love with the color, and the style is perfect for spring and summer, so of course I ordered it! It fits well in my usual XS. There is a lot of room in the torso as expected, but if I had sized down it would be too tight in the shoulders.
LOFT striped tie waist button front skirt: I hadn’t purchased anything from LOFT in forever! I stopped in store to browse and this skirt caught my eye, so I ordered it during the next 50% off sale. The stripes are black and white but I like that the black isn’t stark. It features side pockets and fits true to size (took my usual size 0).
H&M ribbed top: I stopped in store to donate a bag of old, worn out clothes and textiles for recycling and ended up looking around. I’ve been wanting to give the ribbed top trend a try; I hadn’t worn anything ribbed in probably close to two decades and it wasn’t a particular favorite of mine the first time around, haha. I bought this top in a size small since H&M adjusted their sizing recently. I probably should have tried it on in store since it’s a little snug over the bust.
Earth Chestnut platform sandal (c/o): I partnered with Earth again this spring to style a couple of pairs of shoes from their recent collection. I picked these platform sandals in black to replace a different pair of black sandals, and I love them! They’re not difficult to walk in, which is something I was worried about. I took my usual size 7.
Earth Cedarwood convertible sneaker (c/o): Earth is getting more into athleisure, so I picked these sneakers to feature. I love the white/silver colorway, and of course, they’re incredibly comfortable. I got my usual size 7 but I think a 6.5 would have fit better.
What I tried and returned:
LOFT marled tie back sweater: I ordered this sweater in both colors, pink and grey, in my usual size XS, thinking I would keep one…but I was not thrilled by the fit so back they both went.
J.Crew Factory block-heel sandals in saddle: Lots of people rave about these sandals in the saddle color because they’re a great neutral option, but the color didn’t look right on my skin tone so they were returned.
J.Crew Factory linen-cotton drawstring pants in faded moss: I thought I was going to keep this pair over the navy pair, but I ended up liking how the dark navy masked the wrinkles better. I was hoping these would match the green top I bought from Uniqlo but they are just different enough that it didn’t work. (Not surprising, since they’re different brands and all.)
What’s on deck for summer:
Everlane cotton twill shorts: I ordered these shorts in bone along with another pair of the denim shorts (also in bone) to compare them. I really liked these when I tried them on the first time, so I’ll likely hold onto these and return the bone denim shorts. They’ll end up in my summer budget post. I ordered size 0 in these and size 25 in the denim shorts (same size as my other pair).
ABLE Estefani knotted wrap heels: ABLE held their first online sample sale last week. I had been wanting these heels, so I picked up a pair in “paprika” (I think cognac would have been more versatile but they sold out of my size quickly). I placed my order before looking at the reviews, which said they ran small…so fingers crossed I can make them work!
I can’t think of anything specific that I plan to buy in the next couple of months, but I’m trying to keep my wardrobe plan in the back of my head since I was getting a little off track this season. The big Nordstrom sale will be happening in July, which is always tempting…but I may try not ordering anything and seeing if anything makes it to sale in September (because that always seems to happen haha). We’ll see!