I love the first wardrobe update of the year, it's such a nice, clean slate! This month my goal was to not spend any money on clothes. I did buy something, but I used a gift card so I technically didn't use my money. There's always a loophole, right?

But, as per usual, I went to DSW with my Mom "just to look" before I went on my trip. I almost made it out alive. I went through clearance in my size only looking for the yellow stickers (aka 80% off) and didn't see any good pairs so I joined my mom to see if I could help her find cute shoes. Then I found these AMAZING Franco Sarto mules and decided to see if they had them in my size too...they did, so I bought them for 50% off plus $5 more off. The color is perfection and they're a really soft suede. They're very reminiscent of the Gucci loafers everyone - including me - have been obsessed with for over a year. I had wanted the slingback version, super cool.




THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. *NEW!* J. Crew 'Harlow' cardigan sweater in star print ($15, $90 retail, used gift card)

Basics:

1. nothing yet

Shoes:

1. *NEW!* Franco Sarto 'Dolly' mule in navy via DSW ($20, $80 retail)

Bags:

1. nothing yet

 
Accessories:

1. nothing yet

Gifted from Brands:

1. nothing yet

Total spent in January: $20

Total spent in 2018:  $20

Don't let the cardigan as a coat fool you. Underneath this outfit I was wearing a bodysuit, tights and socks to keep me toasty warm. And the second photos were done I threw my nice warm gloves back on! These photos were taken after Lydia and I had lunch and before we braved an outdoor shopping area to make some post-holiday returns. I also bought a really cute star print sweater from J.Crew with a gift card I've had for a while. It still has $42 left on it too, score!

We also took a super quick run into Roundabout in Westport since they're in the middle part of their sale. It was only 50% off clothes and accessories so I wasn't planning on buying anything this trip. There was a really pretty Philosophy coat that was down to $61 but since I didn't need it, I resisted. Maybe it will still be there when the go up to 75 or 80% off and then I'll get it. Oddly enough, 4 out of 7 I was wearing this day was from Roundabout! Ha ha. I always get so many deals during their sales, what can I say.

P.S. Taking a blog break until after I get back from Florida. I'm headed down tomorrow for Universal's annual Celebration of Harry Potter (and a quick Disney visit too!) Keep up with me on Instagram!

Duster Cardigan: J.Crew (Roundabout), Striped Cashmere Sweater: Alice + Olivia (Roundabout), Jeans: Everlane "The High-Rise Skinny Jean" in Mid-Blue, Boots: Cordani (Roundabout),  Bag: Emm Kuo 'Calle Bahia' (Roundabout Resale), Hat: bought in London, Sunglasses: Gucci, Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)

I wore this over the weekend to do some shopping with my mom. She had a DSW coupon so I went along "just to look." But of course I found something to buy. I got these Franco Sarto mules for $20 thanks to 50% off clearance and a $5 coupon! Speaking of clearance deals and DSW, I got these boots there for $12 last Spring.

Double V-Neck Cashmere Sweater: Calypso St. Barth 'Gylden' (Gilt), Cardigan: Forever 21, Jeans: J Brand 'Maria' High Rise in Supreme (Gilt Groupe),  Boots: Impo 'Omega' or 'Onnie' (DSW), Necklace: Acanthus 'Gemma', Bag: Dark Purple Chloé Faye (eBay)

Thanks to the snow this week I don't have an outfit post for today, but since it's been quite a while (over 3 years...) since I've done a favorite things post, now's the perfect time! What better piece to feature than my current bag obsession: the dark purple Chloé Faye bag I bought in August! This was the biggest clothing purchase I've made, apart from my Chanel 2.55 purse back in 2012.

My middle name is Faye after my grandmother. She passed away when I was 13 so this bag has added meaning because it will always remind me of her.



Chloé debuted their Faye bag in September 2014 at the Spring/Summer 2015 show. It was tapped to be an it bag for Spring. Admittedly, I forgot about it until I saw it pop up in my thrice weekly "New In" email from Net-a-Porter in Spring. Once I saw it again my shoulder was itching to carry the 70s inspired bag.

The Chloé Faye comes in multiple sizes and in smooth calfskin, smooth & suede calfskin, and embellished versions.  The sturdiness and accordion style is also what drew me in. You can carry it long or short shoulder and cross-body. The ring loop with hook and chain hardware is also a really fun added touch! Another awesome detail is that the hardware is gold AND silver, perfect for my metal mixing ways. It's classic with a twist, just my style!



The Faye was made in so many beautiful colors but I couldn't justify spending $2000 on a bag color I already owned or was just "basic." There was a gorgeous burgundy but I already had that same color in a smaller bag so I resisted.

It wasn't until Fall of 2016 that I absolutely HAD to have the bag. They released a dark purple which, as many of you know, is my favorite color. The day I saw it I decided to start saving up so I could eventually buy it. Unfortunately they didn't make dark purple for very long and after only a few months I couldn't find it anywhere. I knew I would have to resort to eBay and consignment shops when I finally had enough saved up.



I scoured eBay, The Real Real, Luxury Garage Sale, and Vestiaire Collective for at least 8 months. During that time I came across maybe one or two dark purple bags in passable condition. Then I found one NWT on eBay and decided to go for it even though I didn't have enough saved. After a week of debating with myself, I talked the seller down $300 and robbed my (still unplanned) Australia vacation savings account [read about how I handle personal finance] to pay for the rest. So while I splurged it's not a huge deal since I borrowed from a vacation that won't happen for at least another year. I have now successfully built that account back up to where it should be, after only 4 months.



Here are all the outfits it has appeared in on the blog.  I've worn it many more times that haven't been shown, but you get the idea. I'm pretty obsessed with it.

It was a little cold for these shoes I'm wearing in the photos, but you have to make some sacrifices for the sake of fashion, right? (Obviously I wore different shoes when I was really outside, but for 5 minutes of photos I dealt with it) The original pants in this look were from ASOS. I liked them but the quality was poor so eventually I got rid of them. Now I have these purple Banana Republic pants to fill the gap!

Sweater: LAUREN Ralph Lauren (Lord & Taylor), Tee: Cullen (Rue La La), Pants c/o Banana Republic 'Sloan' in purple, Heels: Miu Miu leopard platform sandals (eBay), Necklace: Vanessa Mooney (giveaway), Watch: Michael Kors, Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Ozzie Square Baby Aiden' (Shopbop)


The Original:

I bought this sweater with a gift card in November and it is so soft and comfy! It is a modified version of a sweater from the J.Crew Fall 2017 Ready to Wear collection. I do prefer the larger scale of the embroidery that was in the collection but this sweater is still really cute and the sun, moon and stars hold special meaning for me. I actually bought another cardigan from J.Crew a couple weekends ago (with that same gift card) and it also has stars.

Cosmic Embroidery Cardiagan: J.Crew, Sweater: Everlane, Jeans: Michael Kors, Boots: Audrey Brooke 'Mirie' (DSW), Bag: Louis Vuitton Epi Leather Sac D'Epaule (HauteTrader), Sunglasses: Gucci, Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)