Winter 2022 Wardrobe Additions
Winter was the season of denim, apparently! I documented my struggles jeans shopping over on Instagram stories and luckily managed to find a few pairs that I like—and that, most importantly, fit! December tends to be another shopping-heavy month for me because of the sales, but this past winter I was able to not go overboard, which was good because I had a lot of other life expenses (turns out senior cats require REALLY expensive care).
I did end up increasing my clothing budget up slightly from $500/quarter to $600/quarter. Last year, I embarrassingly went over budget quite a bit, and I attributed that mostly to my new pandemic size and partially because I’ve been trying to shop more with smaller brands that have slightly higher price points. I also hadn’t increased my clothing budget since starting my full-time job close to five years ago. We’ll see how this goes, but so far, so good!
Here’s everything I added to my wardrobe this past winter!
READ NEXT: Fall 2021 Wardrobe Additions
Winter 2022 Clothing Budget & Wardrobe Additions
$600 (quarterly budget) = $602.50 ($162.50 December + $313 January + $127 February) - $2.50 earned from Poshmark sales => $0 left over
Items I added to my wardrobe:
Aliya Wanek Tig Sweatshirt (seen here | paid $80 | originally $120)
I’ve had my eyes on this sweatshirt for a few months as a more oversized option, so when it went on sale, I pounced. And I LOVE!!! I ordered sumac in size 1 (corresponding to S/M), and it fits exactly as I was hoping: oversized, long (good with leggings!), and so comfy! I’m wearing it as I write this post.
J.Crew ribbed pom-pom beanies (light caramel seen here and here | paid $20.50 each | originally $45 each)
I now own this beanie in four colors! I love that they go with everything, and I wear them almost daily in the winter. The fit is PERFECT on my small-ish head.
Madewell Curvy Cali Demi-Boot Jeans in Larkspur Wash: TENCEL™ Denim Edition (review here | seen here | paid $60.50 | originally $128)
Couldn’t resist trying a pair of CURVY Cali demi-boot jeans! I have a regular pair of Cali demi-boot jeans, and I definitely prefer the snugger fit around the waist of the curvy style. This dark wash is also gorgeous. The TENCEL denim is thin, stretchy, and much more jegging-like than other denim, but I love the stretch. I took size 26 regular.
Madewell Curvy High-Rise Skinny Jeans in Lanette Wash (seen here | paid $62.50 | originally $128)
I originally ordered this wash in size 26 petite (my new Madewell denim size…for the most part), but they were too tight. I ended up trying a size up and they’re great! They’re maybe a touch snug around the waist, so I don’t wear them on my super bloated days. I love the wash!
Madewell Curvy Roadtripper Supersoft Skinny Jeans in Monroe Wash: Button-Front Edition (paid $58 | originally $80)
I technically added these to my wardrobe last fall but forgot to include them in the collage, oops! I opted for size 26 petite and these fit the best out of all the pairs I tried (jeans shopping has been a struggle lately). I love the button fly!
Madewell Flannel Sunday Shirt in Bromley Plaid (paid $48 | originally $88)
I had a reward burning a hole in my digital pocket, so I used it on a fun flannel shirt! The flannel Sunday shirt is one of my favorites for its thickness and side pockets. This one features a black, cream, and brownish-brass plaid that’s different than anything else in my wardrobe. Size small fits my broad shoulders and long arms, and I hope it doesn’t shrink in the wash.
Madewell Slim Demi-Boot Jeans in Hayford Wash (review here | seen here | paid $73 | originally $128)
Whew, another pair of jeans! I liked that the “slim” demi-boot style look like straight leg jeans; these felt like a good way to try out that trend. I love ‘em! The grey wash is perfect. Size 26 regular (not petite!) fits me well.
Quince Baby Alpaca-Wool Crew (seen here, here, and here | paid $47.50 | originally $50)
This is my first alpaca sweater! I’ve avoided alpaca in the past because of the itch factor and my sensitive skin. The reviews made it seem too good to be true, but I can attest that this is a VERY soft alpaca-wool sweater. I can wear it for hours with no problems! (I always wear a layering tank underneath.) Mine is the charcoal color in size small.
Quince Mongolian Shrunken Cashmere Sweatshirt (paid $52 | originally $60)
I love my regular $50 cashmere sweater by Quince so much that I ordered the sweatshirt version to try in the beautiful desert sage color. It’s a great basic sweater! Mine is a size small.
Universal Standard Moro Pocket Signature Ponte Pants (seen here | paid $79 | originally $88)
My J.Crew Pixie pants are feeling a little tight (and a little too low), so I was thrilled to find these ponte pants at Universal Standard! It was my first purchase, and I definitely plan to shop again. Their size chart is different than your usual size chart (in a good way), so be sure to study it. I took them in a size 3XS (2-4). The length hits below my ankle, and the waist is a little snug but I can still wear them for eight hours with no problem.
Ugg Fluffette Slippers (not included in budget | paid $74 | originally $90)
I purchased these slippers in navy last year and went back for goat this year! The fluff is already getting smooshed down just like with the navy pair, so I’m worried about their longevity (is a couple of years of life normal with slippers you wear daily?). Sizing is TTS.
Items I tried and returned:
I ordered this sweater in ivory, and showed it on Instagram stories thinking it was this sweater…then when I packed it up to return it because it was too sheer, I realized that the bag had “baby alpaca-wool crew” on it!!! They had sent me the wrong sweater on accident. LOL. I will say that it was very soft, just like the (correct) grey sweater I ordered. I haven’t reordered the fisherman sweater…yet.
Universal Standard has so many great dress options, and since their clothes are designed for bodies ranging from size 00 to 40, I figured anything would work with a curvy body…. My problem area is my stomach, and this dress unfortunately hightlighted it in a way I did not like. (Otherwise, size 3XS fit fine.)
What’s on deck for spring:
I had been really wanting a pair of oversized sweatpants. I have lots of pairs of joggers, but all of them are a snug fit, and sometimes I just want to put on a big pair of pants to lounge around the house! These are PERFECT. I ordered the deep blue in size small; the blue is brighter than I was expecting, but they fit exactly as I was hoping!
I’ll be honest: I haven’t really been drawn to these pants…I’m not crazy about the seam down the front. But, they have absolutely rave reviews, and I decided to give ‘em a shot! I ordered forest green because I wanted something different that still worked with most of my wardrobe, and I’m not sure yet if they were the right pick.
I have a bunch of AV gift cards to use and have my eyes on these beautiful wide-leg cropped trousers in fern. They’re made from a tencel, organic cotton, and linen blend that just sounds wonderful to wear in the summer months!
I also really like these ponte pants, but I’m not sure that I want a second pair of black ponte pants… I do like the brownish-burgundy mocha color, but the size small is sold out! I signed up for a restock notification just in case.