Low Buy Year 2025 - May Summary
Monthly Ins/Outs (Clothes, Haircare & Skincare)
I downloaded The Real Real app this past Sunday and spent way too much time scrolling on it and adding items to my favorites before making the decision to delete it again on Monday. I could feel myself slipping back into old behaviors, which has me examining how I’m currently feeling.
Five months have passed since starting this challenge and I’m beginning to feel bored. But I don’t know if that’s a real feeling or if there are other things that are influencing that feeling, such as:
the inescapable talk about sales, accompanied by feelings of FOMO.
the impending summer season, which is my least favorite time of year to get dressed for so I always feel underprepared.
I think the first one might be what’s governing my mood the most right now, but I don’t have a planned purchase at the moment so anything that I buy just because it’s on sale will end up being another impulse purchase that I waste time and money on. It would be a different case if anything from my wish list was on sale - maybe I should go and check 😅.
Then there’s the part of me that feels like I have nothing to wear to a couple of events over the next 2 weekends, which I know deep down is ridiculous and that whatever I wear will end up being fine!
I also think that I’ve been spending too much time online again and that’s impacting how I’m feeling and putting me in a scarcity mindset. Which makes me want to shop.
I recognize now that I’ll never be free of wanting to buy things, and maybe it was unrealistic of me to think that could be possible. But I have gotten better at recognizing my triggers and when I need to block them out. Maybe that’s the freest I’ll ever be when it comes to shopping.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about shopping triggers - specifically, what are yours and how do you resist that urge to shop when it appears?
May Purchases
Purchase #1 - Ballet Flats
When I shared my spring/summer wishlist, I included a pair of ballet flats as a shoe option that I was missing but felt would add a lot of outfit variety to my wardrobe. Initially, I thought that I wanted to add a pair of white/cream ones but the more that I thought about it, the more I started to think that a pair of brown ones would be a better option. Mostly because I have a chocolate brown vintage Coach handbag and I wanted something that would match with it for the warmer months. And also because I have a pair of white slingback shoes so it almost felt repetitive in a way to get a pair of white ballet flats.
I’d been eying a pair of chocolate brown ballet flats at a local department store for a few months before committing to the purchase. I tend to shy away from online shoe purchases because I can’t try them on which is another reason why I ended up going with the shoes that I did. Some other things that helped me decided to get these particular ones - the rich color, the strap across the top that makes them feel like Mary-Janes, and how soft the leather is. Madewell was also running a sale on their website and the store matched it!
And I was so excited to get them home and realize that they are a perfect match for my vintage Coach Lunchbox bag!
I’ve already worn them 6 times in the past 2 weeks and I have had no issues with rubbing or blisters!
Purchase #2 - White Jeans
I’ve been wanting a pair of white jeans for years but I’ve never been able to find the perfect pair. I think one reason for that is I’ve mostly been looking at bright white jeans and another reason was that I was going for the wrong fit (too fitted in the thigh).
For the 11th purchase of my low buy year, I went with a pair of off-white barrel-legged jeans, also from Madewell and acquired during the same shopping trip as the ballet shoes above.
The idea for a pair of barrel-legged jeans came after my daughter did her recent closet declutter. She was getting rid of a pair of barrel-legged jeans and for fun, I tried them on. While they were too tight in the waist to comfortably wear, I really liked the shape of the leg on me. So, when I saw these at the department store, I decided to try them on and I loved them. I love the shape of the leg but also the color, which they call “vintage canvas” and is more of an ecru color. I think it works better with my wardrobe that a pair of bright white would.
However, if you are thinking about adding a pair of barrel-leg jeans to your wardrobe and you like the idea of these, please note that they run big! I had to size down 2 sizes, which is insane!
I noted this in their debut outfit (Outfit Diary #25) but I prefer how these jeans look in real life vs. pictures. I’ve had a really hard time photographing them but sometimes that happens and what really matters is that I like how they look in the mirror (which is odd since I take mirror selfies)!
Mother’s Day Gift - Red Sweater
If you had a read through my SS Wishlist that I linked above, you might have noticed this Babaa No. 64 jumper that I thought would be the perfect red sweater. Well, I can now say that I was right!
When I published my wishlist, Lindsay K. left me the best tip:
When I tell you that I refreshed that website a gazillion times on Monday, just waiting for the moment when she published the code, I’m not joking (well, maybe a little 😉). I had already decided that I would buy it with the discount code and then hold it back for my Mother’s Day gift. It was delivered very quickly and I gave it to my husband to put away without even opening it!
But I finally got to a few week’s ago and I was not disappointed! It is the most perfect shade of red and the v-neck is perfect - not deep at all and adds just the right amount of visual interest. I love the fit which is oversized but like, not!?! I’ve worn it on a few of the cooler days that we’ve had and it’s made me realize how much I love a red/brown color combo!
Thanks again, Lindsay!
This is my second Babaa sweater - I bought the no.18 cardigan in natural when it was really trendy in the 2018-2019 timeframe and I sold it a few years ago. I didn’t really know what I truly liked back then and I was just jumping on the backwagon. This one feels like one that I will enjoy for years and years!
Low Buy Year Total Purchases
So far, I have made 11/25 purchases of my low buy year:
Frye Moto Boots* (Jan)
Glendalough Woolen Mill Wool Sweater* (Feb)
Vintage J.G. Hook Wool Coat* (Feb)
Levi’s 90s Jeans (March)
Land’s End Jeans* (March)
English Factory Maxi Dress* (March)
Sahira silver Earrings (April)
Orejas T-shirt (April)
AMO Tank Top* (April)
Madewell Ballet Flats (May)
Madewell Barrel Leg Jeans (May)
* secondhand item
Overall, I’m pretty happy with these purchases - it feels like I’m building a nice little capsule wardrobe! But there are 2 that I’m not 100% sure about:
English Factory Maxi Dress - I bought this at a local consignment shop when I went in to drop off some clothes. As I was waiting for the owner to look through my items, I had a look around the shop and I found a few things to bring into the dressing room. As I approached, this dress was hanging on a hook next to the door as a display item. I was immediately attracted to it - I could tell it was poplin and I loved the contrasting stitching on the scalloped layer hems. I really liked the fit too and it was only $20, which got even better with the $15 credit that I had at the store, making the dress $5 plus tax! It didn’t matter to me that I haven’t been wearing dresses lately, that I would much prefer to wear pants or jeans. It didn’t matter to me that this more feminine style didn’t really resonate with my more minimalist approach to clothing right now. And you know what??? I haven’t worn this dress and whenever I try it on, I immediately take it off.
AMO Tank Top - are you surprised to see this one on the list? Theoretically, it shouldn’t be. I love everything about the look of it (on the hanger). It definitely aligns with my present style. It’s 100% cotton. But, this last point is actually the problem. It’s so stiff and it bunches up in the body in a way that I don’t like whenever I wear it. I did think it was stiff when I tried it on in the store but I thought it would soften up with a few washes and wears and I’m not finding that to be the case. So I’ll be continuing the hunt for a white tank top, but this time, I’ll be looking for something with a little stretch! If you have a favorite, share it below please!
For the month of June, I’d like to make something. In a recent “Sewing Daydream” newsletter, I discovered a wrap skirt that I’d like to make so I think I’ll order some fabric at the beginning of the month and sew that. I also have a couple of projects that I need to finish up.
One thing that I would purchase if I could find it is a pair of nice khakis in a cool (as in, not warm) beige color, maybe pleated. I’ve been thinking that something like this would look amazing with red and I’ve been looking but haven’t found exactly what I’m looking for yet. This is one of the reasons that I re-downloaded TRR app in the first place.
More Low Buy Updates
Skin/Haircare Ins/Outs
I’ve decided to add in any Skin/Hair/Beauty items that I spend money on each month going forward as a way to keep track of all of my ins and outs, not just clothing, as well as the things that I liked and didn’t like about the items.
Replacements
Ouidad Curl Quencher Shampoo & Conditioner - I first started using these 2 products in 2019 when I started styling my wavy/curly hair naturally (picture 1 in this newsletter). I’ve pretty much bought this shampoo and conditioner pretty exclusively since then. However, for each of these 33.8 oz. bottles, it’s $60. And with my daughter who has very curly hair now using it, I thought I’d experiment with something a little cheaper. So for under $30, I bought a shampoo and conditioner from Alaffia. I really loved the smell but after getting 1/4 of the way through the shampoo and about 1/3 through the conditioner, I decided to stop using it. Unfortunately, I felt like it was drying out my hair and affecting my hair’s ability to hold a curl over multiple days. So I went back to the Ouidad and I’ve learned a very valuable lesson to not mess with the best (for my and my daughter’s hair at least)! I’ll see if anyone in my neighbor friend group wants it.
Shea Moisture Intensive Hydration Hair Mask - I’ve been using this product as long as the Ouidad when I was styling my hair naturally. The smell is amazing and is one of my favorite things about washing my hair. I will use this every other hair wash or more often if my hair is feeling dry.
La Roche Posay Lipkar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Foam Wash - this face wash is actually a creamy white but I’ve included the empty bottle above. I’m on my 3rd bottle of this stuff and I really like it. I use it as a body wash as well. I have tried other face washes in between replacement bottles of this but I keep coming back to this one.
Empties (not replacing)
Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum - I only had a little bit left in this bottle at the beginning of the month, after switching over to another serum, so I used it up on my arms. I actually really like this serum - the smell is amazing and it felt really luxurious putting it on every morning. This was actually my second bottle but I decided to not repurchase it because of the price. Also, I try to keep my skincare routine pretty minimal and a serum is the only thing that I experiment with so I like to change it up a little.
The Ordinary’s Multi-peptide + Copper Peptide 1% serum - I bought this back in April and finished it this month. I liked this, the texture is nice, but there was nothing about it that I absolutely loved. Probably wouldn’t repurchase it.
Purchased to Try
ACURE Brightening 2% Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Serum - I saw this at my local coop and decided to give it a try. I wondered if it would be similar to the Skinceuticals one that I had tried one time before and really liked (but $$$). I struggle with melasma, especially during the summer, and I wanted to see if this would make the spots lighter. I don’t think it did. But it’s a really nice vitamin c serum - very similar in consistency and smell to the Skinceuticals one! I would considering keeping this one in my routine if it plays well with others that I want to try, but at the same time, I don’t want to have too many products so we’ll see!
As always, thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed the post, please leave a 🖤 and maybe consider sharing it 🫶🏻
Hear you about the shopping triggers! One of the biggest things I've had to work on is reorienting myself to stop considering shopping a hobby (and go spend time on my *actual* hobbies).
11 items (and only 2 potential misses) is really amazing! It's so helpful to read the consideration and intention that went into each purchase.
Recently, as I was dwindling away my discretionary budget, I started feeling panicked. There were so many things I wanted! How was I going to fit them all into the budget?! Maybe I needed a bigger budget? And then I just went "wait a minute! I spent almost five months not buying things! I just quit buying things until I have discretionary money again AND until there's actually something that fits into my wardrobe planning." It was almost painfully comic - the answer had been right there all along. My budget is plenty: I can definitely buy things, nice things, just not *everything*. Which is sort of the point (sigh, it's a work in progress).
Re: the stiff cotton tank, maybe a vinegar wash? I couldn’t find the exact Pin I used when I did it to one of my graphic T’s, so please do your own research if you’re interested, but I think this copy pasta captures the gist of it:
For this, take 1 part vinegar and mix with 3 parts water for four to 12 hours. Then wash and dry as usual.
From what I can tell, it loosens the fibers up so the cotton isn’t quite as stiff. It worked for me, anyway 🤷♀️