What I bought after a month of no shopping

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My month of no shopping is finally over! I would be lying if I said I didn't go through a bit of withdrawal and didn't do any window shopping or internet browsing. However, I'm proud of myself for reaching deeper and getting extra creative to come up with outfits I felt great in without breaking my promise or my closet rules. 

I spent quite a bit of time throughout the month thinking about how I would resume my shopping when the month past. I wanted to have a strategy so I didn't go back to old ways of over-shopping. I focused in on pieces that I thought would really move the closet needle: statement necklaces, power dresses and sandals. 

A statement necklace can make or break an outfit. It's always good to have multiple options to chose from, depending on the rest of the outfit. A necklace can be the pop of color a neutral outfit needs. It can also add a touch of fancy to a more laid back ensemble. I've even used statement necklaces to add cover in a too much skin situation. So many benefits! This recent purchase is so perfect paired with neutrals. It's also a super funky shape that I'm loving. 

I dedicated a lot of my shopping-free month browsing for the perfect power dresses. I came up with a criteria to ensure I was making responsible closet choices:   

  1. A classic style, fit and print. Nothing that is too trendy that would only last a season.
  2. Multi-season wearability. I wanted something that I could wear well into fall, maybe even pair with black tights for winter.
  3. A flattering fit that I feel great in. This is the most important. A dress may check off criteria one and two, but if I don't feel great, I won't wear it. I know I'd feel good in something with a defined waist that doesn't show too much skin anywhere. 

Through all my dress searching, I didn't find much that met all the criteria that I was really excited about. Then I was delivered this beautiful black and white A-line dress that fit me perfect. The material is thick enough to go beyond summer, but also perfect with a summer sandal. I can dress it up or down and always in comfort. That is a true win.

I'm almost always shopping for shoes. They are my number one. If I'm having a bad hair day, feeling like I need to go on a diet, shoes will always look good and take an outfit up a notch. This was a particularly big deal because I just threw out a lot of my sandals from past seasons that have seen better days, and I was feeling sad about it.

I made two purchases here (big surprise). First I found these simple but gorgeous black ankle strap sandals with a shorter heel--dressy but more walkable for day to day.  They go with just about everything, including my new power dress.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing these a bunch this summer. 

My second shoe purchase has an emotional tie. When my grandmother passed away about eight years ago, I inherited an amazing pair of black patent leather Birkenstocks. You see, she was a very fancy lady, but in her later years she had terrible arthritis in her feet making it hard to find shoes she could wear. For eight years I commuted to the office during the warmer months in my cherished, hand-me-down Birkenstocks. Last week as I was walking to the office, I felt a painful poking in the ball of my foot. On closer investigation, I realized the leather foot bed ripped. Sadly, it was the last day I wore them. Immediately following, I ordered a new pair in copper. My grandmother would be very proud. 

Moving forward, I hope to avoid impulse purchases and continue to make responsible buys that I could get really good use out of.  

Month-end purchases:

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

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