A vow to not shop

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My husband pointed out the other day that since I've made my blog public, my shopping has increased.  I've been contemplating a pair of shoes on Amazon for a couple of weeks, and as I clicked, "Place your order," felt incredibly guilty. I decided to go on a shopping fast.  I will not buy any item of clothing for myself for the next month.   A month may not seem like a long time for you, but I'm a serial shopper with a serious addiction.  

This means I will have to dig way deep into the closet and get more creative to come up with power outfits based on what I already have.  I plan to experiment more with unlikely pairs and see what works.  I'll also use my app to see what I haven't worn in a long time and try to rejuvenate those pieces.  I'm able to see what I wore last May and even the May before that to remind me of some oldie-but-goodie outfits.  Sometimes this uncovers some real gems.  Other times I really question what I was thinking in the not-so-long-ago past.  

The weather has been incredibly unpredictable--70 degrees last week, low 50s and rainy this week.  While I'm not pumped about chilly May temperatures, this allows me to revisit some of my colder weather outfits.  As May warms up, I will switch out my closet, packing away the heavy sweaters and bringing out the sleeveless tops and sundresses.  

In writing, it sounds like I have it all planned out, but I know that by week two, I will be going through withdrawal.  My fingers are already itching to stalk my favorite online stores for cute summer items, but that would be the worst tease ever. 

In addition to my recent over-shopping, I read an article inspiring women to wear the one thing in their closet they can't seem to get rid of, but never wear.  I love this idea, and I think my shopping fast makes this the perfect time to try it out.  Enter this loud, brightly colored Hermes scarf.

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My mother in law was gifted this scarf many years ago and really disliked the colors and patterns.  After holding on to it for over a year, she decided she would never wear it and passed it on to me.  It was still in its original box with tags and had a gift receipt, so she encouraged me to return if for something else.  Then it sat in my own closet for another two years.  As I stood in my closet, contemplating an item that I've been holding on to but not wearing, I saw the orange Hermes box and knew it was my piece.

I'm not usually a scarf person, and this one is loud.  I went with a neutral outfit to let the scarf steal the show.  This striped blouse was perfect because of the V-neck, and it made the whole outfit feel a bit Parisian.  I Googled different ways to wear the scarf and must've tried to fold and tie it about five times before it looked decent.  I had one of those "this is either disastrous or totally amazing" moments before committing to it and leaving my apartment for work.  

Throughout the day, I decided it was amazing!  I loved the feeling of the fabric and the way it brightened an otherwise bland outfit.  The pattern didn't bother me, since it was folded and toned down.  By digging deep into my closet I pushed my boundaries with great results.  I now love this scarf and will find additional ways to wear it in the future.

Outfit breakdown:

  • Scarf:  Hermes
  • Striped blouse:  Express (same one for $44.90! It's currently by one, get one 50% off, so check out the other colors)
  • Black cropped blazer:  H&M
  • Skinny jeans:  Banana Republic
  • Slip on shoes:  Via Spiga (same ones for $175! They also come in suede in a bunch of great colors.  I'm loving the magenta pair!)

To ensure you don't miss a single outfit, follow @MagentaBlazer on Instagram and like the Magenta Blazer Facebook page.  

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