How quickly this week has gone by for me. I attribute most of that to all the preparations for Halloween and the party I host for the kids each year. It was a great time for the kids and the moms! To top it off we finally had a beautiful Fall day to walk the kids around the neighborhood collecting candy.
I did do a mini purge of my closet as per last week's Closet Cleanout Challenge. I was able to let go of more than ten items! It seems I can always find something else in there to part with if I try! There were a couple of pieces that were more difficult to let go because they were only purchased within the last year, but I listened to my own advice and followed my instinct. In one case it was a sweater that I don’t wear… although it is a nice sweater and I feel “I should” wear it. I hemmed and hawed over whether to keep it for a few months to see if I’ll choose to wear it…then I said to myself,
“Really? Look at all the sweaters you have. This sweater will be great for someone else. You don’t ever choose to wear it for a reason…even if you can’t fully understand the reason. It may simply be that you like your other choices better.”.
I let it go, and once I did I felt great because I had been struggling over that sweater for a year!
I also rid myself of all those jeans that give me muffin top or that stretch too much after a day of wearing them. I find the newer higher waisted jeans to be more comfortable and flattering on me. I also donated a blazer that I never wore but bought through the “must have” suggestions from a fashion course I once took. Its a cute blazer, but again, not something I would have chosen on my own and therefore I never reached for it.
I didn’t complete my other planned decluttering although I made some progress with my master bathroom. The bedroom is basically done except for a few things that require my husband to go through. He is not as motivated to declutter the stuff as I am! In fact, when looking for tools in the kitchen junk drawer (and not finding them since I moved them to a basket in the closet), he said “What’s the point of having a junk drawer if there’s nothing useful in it?” I may need to return one screwdriver back to that drawer!
This week I opted to view some of my favorite fashion and beauty blogs, but I am happy to say that I watched less than I normally would have, and I also did not feel any shopping urges afterwards. I did exactly what should be done…use them for inspiration and ideas. I also did some shopping this past week, but not because of these bloggers. The shopping was not compulsive, nor was it in reaction to a mood, or an escape. I simply wanted to start looking for a few outfits to wear for the holidays, and I like to do this earlier rather than later so I am not rushing around buying something last minute that I don’t really love. I purchased a few dressier items to mix in with some pieces I already own. I did not buy new expensive shoes or handbags (my real weakness). I felt very good about my purchases and I did not go further into debt to buy them. Could I get through the holidays without any new clothes? Sure, but I enjoy decorating my house and myself for the season.
I do need to mention a recurring shopping tendency that I must change. I actually can’t believe I haven’t discussed this before. This is a fashion aspect of my life that truly needs to be decluttered…My subscription fashion boxes. I love telling a stylist what type of clothing I like and am looking for and then have a package full of fashion surprises arrive at my doorstep. When the box arrives, I enjoy taking out each piece, trying them on, and reading the personal letter the stylist included advising me on how to style the clothing items together. I especially enjoy when the stylist picks something out for me that I normally wouldn’t consider but end up loving. These subscription boxes can be a great shopping tool for people who don’t like or have time to shop, or if you want to change up your style and need some professional help. The fact that I do not fall into any of those categories is a red flag. I belong to these subscriptions simply for the thrill of the surprise and I think it is time to reevaluate whether this makes sense for me anymore.
I subscribe to Stitch Fix, Trendsetter, Material World, Ellie and Fabletics. I don’t always buy clothing from each of these, but getting these fashion surprises can cause me to purchase things I truly don’t need. Let me go into detail with each one.
Stitch Fix
I’ve been using them on and off for a few years and to be honest I don’t know why I still use them. I know many people love Stitch Fix, but truth be told, they never seem to get it right for me. Sure, there have been a few great items I’ve gotten from them (TOM’s wedge sandals to name one), but overall I usually send 90% of it back feeling disappointed (or sometimes relieved). I am signed up to receive a fashion box every three months, but I think it’s time to let this subscription go. The last few boxes I received were more miss than hit, and I only kept one item so I wouldn’t lose the styling fee. Still, that is one more item I likely didn’t need. I’m committed to ending my Stitch Fix subscription.
Trendsetter
I don’t actually have a monthly or seasonal subscription to Trendsetter as my membership is set up to only receive a box If I request one. In the past, I’ve like their styles and the quality of their items. Since, I am only going to receive a style box upon my request, and have been happy with their selections in the past, I will remain a member. However, I will not be requesting a Trendsetter box in the near future.
Material World
Material World is a designer “second hand” subscription fashion box. I signed up with them a few months ago, after I had decided I wanted to shop more sustainably. I will say I’ve received great clothing, shoes and handbags from them. I haven’t kept most of it though. In many cases the fit just wasn’t right or the retail price was still too steep. In fact, I think I only kept two items, a black cardigan and black top. Again, I kept them so I wouldn’t lose the styling fee. Although these items were in great shape and a great price, I didn’t truly need them. I think it is best that I opt out of this subscription box and just shop the luxury consignment stores when I am looking to purchase a designer item.
Ellie & Fabletics
Both of these monthly subscriptions are for sportswear. Sportswear and athleisure are the type of clothing I require the most. I start off each day (except Sundays) in a yoga pants outfit. If I’m shopping for my real life then this is it! I have the option to skip my subscriptions each month and I do this often. With Fabletics, I will sometimes let a few months credits build up so that at the beginning of a season I will have credits to purchase several new items to refreshen this aspect of my wardrobe. I receive emails each month reminding me to decide on whether I want to skip the month or not. Do I need to use both of these sportswear retail subscriptions? That is tough for me to answer. I love the styles they both offer and they are great values. I do skip them on months when I don’t need anything new or I don’t like their current selections. This is the category of my wardrobe that I wear more often and still it is the category I own the least in. But do I need both Ellie & Fabletics? The truth is No. Although Ellie is a better value, Fabletics has more variety. Therefore, I am going to unsubscribe to Ellie.
Although I haven’t gone overboard and shopped too much from these fashion boxes in the last year, I feel that I will hardly notice and benefit more by letting go of Stitch Fix, Material World, and Ellie. Small simple changes that will help me to avoid spending money on clothing I do not need. As much fun as it is to have a stylist pick out clothing and surprise me, it is not really something I need to do every month and certainly not from so many different retailers.
Are you using Subscription Fashion or Beauty boxes? Which ones might you consider letting go of?