I know it’s not Friday, the day I usually try to write about fashion, but it’s that weird limbo between Christmas and New Years when we’re all out of routine and no one seems to know for sure what day it is, so bear with me.
For the past eight years, I’ve kept a list of all my fashion purchases including clothing, accessories, and footwear. Initially, I had three goals in mind. I was interested in finding out more about my spending habits, I wanted to be more intentional about wardrobe development, and I wanted to work on becoming a more ethical shopper. At the end of each year I’ve published a fashion shopping review analyzing my purchases and setting some goals for the next year.
When I started this exercise back in 2018, I bought 35 items. 30 of them were purchased new and the other 5 were thrifted. I spent approximately $1135 CAD. In 2024, I bought only 14 items. 9 of them were new and again, 5 were thrifted. I spent $420.58. This past year, I purchased 14 items again, 11 new and 3 thrifted, and spent a total of just $318.29!
Although buying less is good for both the planet and the pocketbook, I’m not entirely happy with my 2025 clothing purchases. In addition to replacing worn out underwear (I counted a package of 6 as one item) and pyjamas, I bought a pair of warm winter gloves, a few tops, and a jacket. That’s all! I feel like I’ve let my wardrobe slip and I find myself reaching for the same old pieces over and over again. That’s also why I’ve found it hard to maintain the Fashion Friday aspect of the blog with any regularity. After all, who wants to read about my same old, same old boring wardrobe? 😂
I did purchase two accessories this year, but both could also be considered souvenirs. I bought a necklace in a little kiosk in a bus station in Mexico and a pair of silver earrings in an open marketplace in Armenia.
My most expensive wardrobe purchase this year was the one pair of shoes that I bought, a pair of classic leather Clarks with low heels and a patent toe cap that gives them a dressy look. They’re super comfy and can be worn with anything from a fancy dress to jeans. One thing I’ve learned as I’ve aged is that comfortable, quality footwear is always a good investment and I’d been looking for something like these for quite awhile.
As I look ahead to 2026, my main wardrobe shopping goal is quite different from previous years. I actually want to shop more! As a frugal fashionista, I’m not about to go overboard, but my closet definitely needs some updating. At the same time, I fully intend to continue avoiding fast fashion, buying quality pieces that will last, and attempting to shop for ethically sourced garments (which is much easier said than done). I’ll also continue to track my purchases so that I can evaluate again a year from now.
As much as I hate to see summer come to an end, I have to quit denying reality and accept the fact that fall is here! The days are getting shorter, the furnace is coming on in the morning, coloured leaves are falling, and the farmers around us are finishing harvest. I actually love autumn, but it’s a bittersweet season because it means that our long, cold winter is just around the corner.
I was almost finished writing this post when, in spite of saving it several times, it disappeared into thin air! After venting my frustration and calling WordPress a few unmentionable names, I decided to try again. Hopefully I can remember what I was trying to say.
Here on the Canadian prairie, I’ve been wearing my winter clothes for the past five months and as I look out the window at the big dump of snow that fell earlier this week, I know that I’ll probably be wearing them for quite a lot longer. Perhaps it’s the fact that the days are getting longer and we’re all beginning to yearn for spring, but at this time of year I become bored with my winter wardrobe. Staring into my closet each morning and trying to decide what to wear, I find myself feeling very uninspired.
Whether you like to read about travel or fashion, there’s something in today’s post for you. I seldom write “what I wore” posts, but I figured that that was the best way to squeeze in a Fashion Friday post this week!
jab, but that service has been discontinued. Now, I get my monthly injection at my doctor’s office, but I can still easily arrange to have it done anywhere in Canada. Yesterday’s appointment, for injection #110, was at a clinic in West Vancouver.
About this time of year, I begin to get very tired of my winter wardrobe. When you aren’t going shopping and haven’t bought anything new for quite awhile, the only solution to this wardrobe weariness is to try to create some new combinations using items that you already have. That’s what I did this week.
Following Augustine 