Spring Wardrobe Preview – The Fewest Number of Things I Can Buy

You all know by now that I’m kind of obsessed with trying to systemize my life. Getting dressed too stressful? Make a spreadsheet. Not sure what to eat for dinner? Make a spreadsheet. How should I manage all these competing deadlines at work? You guessed it – spreadsheet! The more I can manage the chaos in my life, the more time I can spend on activities that make me happy. And hey, since we’re on the topic of managing chaos, let’s talk about spring wardrobe planning.

One goal I had for this spring was to figure out how to make the maximum impact on my wardrobe with smallest possible number of items.  Living with my 19-item work wardrobe really changed my opinion on what “essentials” are necessary to complete a wardrobe, and I’m better able to distinguish between what I want and what I actually need. (And let me also say: want + need don’t have to be mutually exclusive; when it comes to clothes, I’m fulfilling my needs with things that I love. There’s no room for disappointing clothes in my capsule wardrobe.)  In the spirit of minimalism and learning to appreciate the clothes I already own, I’ve chosen exactly three new pieces to purchase to complete my wardrobe for spring (I guess technically four, since one is a pair of shoes).

Item 1: The Vintage Linen Blazer

I bought this piece early because I wanted to thrift it. I decided at the beginning of this year that I wouldn’t be buying new clothing if it wasn’t responsibly made or previously owned, so when I saw exactly what I was looking for on Poshmark, I knew I needed to act fast. The seller and I haggled a little on the price (online haggling – so much less stressful than face-to-face haggling!), and I ended up getting a great vintage piece at a very reasonable price. It’s a great piece for work and for home, and it adds some texture and structure to my wardrobe that I don’t already have.

Item 2: Everlane Black Skinny Jeans

My current pair of black jeans was purchased at the beginning of 2015 and has served me well since then, but the elastic is all stretched out and they just look…bad. Here’s a tip: when you put on a pair of jeans, frown, and then take them off, it’s time to get rid of those jeans. Trying to thrift a perfectly fitting pair of jeans seemed like an endeavor I wasn’t emotionally prepared for, so I went with a pair from Everlane, darling of the accessible responsible fashion movement. I obsessively read the reviews to find the right size and ordered the pair I thought would fit best, but when they finally arrived I could NOT pull them up over my butt. So, they went back to Everlane , and a (hopefully) better fitting pair is on its way.

Item 3: Nisolo Mariella Mules

It’s my birthday tomorrow and I’m having real treat yo’ self feelings about it. I’ve been saving my money and hoarding cash birthday gifts (thank you, parents) to afford this really beautiful, versatile, responsibly made pair of shoes, and I am so excited to finally buy them. Shoes are one of the hardest items for me to buy responsibly because they get real expensive real fast, and that kind of quality is just not accessible to me right now. But part of minimalism is to buy less, and choose well. If I’m not buying 10 new “must-have” pieces this spring, and if instead I’m choosing just a few special, beautiful things, I can save up that extra money and buy these shoes that are going to be the better investment in the long run. I did just discover, however, they are SOLD OUT in my size (DEVASTATING), but patience is an important part of embracing minimalism and responsible fashion, and I will wait for the restock (dear God please let there be a restock) if I have to.

So that’s it for my spring preview. What are you buying this spring? What are you excited to bring back from last year or keep wearing over and over again year round?

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @goblinshark_ for daily outfits and other fun thoughts!

-gs