Red Week

I chose last week as red week. I almost didn't make it. I ended up having just enough red pieces to fill out the whole week.

Monday -- I was excited to wear a pair of new shoes. More on that later.

A different angle, but I don't know why. I guess because I thought I'd look thinner?

This was Tuesday. I really liked this outfit, but for some reason, it was really, really warm in work. So I wasn't comfortable. 

These boots were part of the black shoe purchase. I had been wanting a pair of gray boots and I know I will get a lot of use out of these. They are suede and not quite over the knee, but have a cute bow in the back. They are very comfortable.

This was Wednesday. This is a sleeveless dress with a sweater over it. It was very comfortable. I've had the boots for about 10 years and have only worn them as many times. I decided that it was time to pull them out of the closet. I'm glad I did. 

Thursday. I got this skirt from H&M back at the end of December because I felt I needed another gray skirt. It's actually pretty good quality and very comfortable.

I've had this jacket for a long time. It's a love/hate thing. It's kind of quilted and I received several compliments,
but I feel it can be frumpy.

Friday. I had to lose a few pounds for these pants to fit comfortably in the waist, and I have. I still have about 5 more pounds to go, but at least my pants aren't killing me anymore. 

So that's the week's rundown. This exercise made me wear clothes that I hadn't put on in awhile. What I should do is get rid of things that I am not truly happy with, but I'm giving myself a few more tries before I put something in the giveaway pile.

As for the shoe purchases, I originally went out to just buy a simple pair of black suede pumps. I only have one pair of black pumps and they are kind of plain. I found this cute pair for $50 and the boots were on sale, as well as a pair of rain boots. I paid for the suede boots and shoes in cash, and then charged the rain boots on a credit card. I see the rain boots as a necessity and didn't feel guilty buying them on credit. 

Spending!!!

I decided that I would keep track of my clothing purchases by month for the year. I'm not only tracking how much they cost, but the brand, the actual item, how it fit, the size, and how many times I wore it. 

I thought I was doing good by not spending too much in January, but after I put it on paper, I realized I was wrong. In fact, I am appalled.

Teal pants -- $36 
Sleeveless patterned top with black ruffle -- $25 
White jeans -- $45 
Gray pencil skirt -- $30 

Black tights -- $13

The teal pants are what I wore in one of the pictures a few posts ago. I ordered them online and they were final sale. They are Kate Spade Saturday so the quality is good, but the fit is bad. Too baggy in the butt and thighs. I decided that since I love the color and quality, it will be worth it to have them altered.

The sleeveless top and the white jeans were also final sale and are Jockey. They quality is very good. The pants don't fit great, but I will see how I can style them. I won't have them altered because it think it will be tricky to alter jeans. I'll wash them first and see what happens. The top fits fine.

The gray pencil skirt and black tights are from H&M. They fit very well and the quality isn't bad. I am pleased with this purchase.

BUT, for someone who has more clothes than days to wear them, I SHOULD NOT BE BUYING CLOTHES. Period. 

I have made mistakes with mail order items and final sales before and I have finally learned my lesson. No matter the reviews or the brand, I cannot risk it. The two items from Jockey I was able to try on (at least the top, and a different style of pants to see if the waist would fit), so that is fine. But never again will I order anything online that is final sale. I don't need a closet of ill fitting clothes, regardless of the quality.

Ugh. 

I plan to buy nothing in February.  

UPDATE: I bought shoes and a T-shirt this month so far. 

Suede black sling backs -- $50
Grey suede boots -- $30 
Black rain boots -- $70
Target gray T-shirt -- $9

I LOVE all three of the shoes. I was going to wait on the boots and get myself a pair of Hunter, but I saw these instead and decided that they'd work. They're Tommy Hilfiger and I got them at a discount store. I did need new boots as the ones I have are falling apart. 

Did I need the shoes? No. I kind of feel like a hypocrite for buying things I don't need, but I'm not really THAT kind of minimalist. 

Still, I do have an awful lot. Probably not as much as your typical shopaholic, but I feel as though I could really make do with a lot less.