Thirty for Thirty Overall Review

Click here if you want to see my review of the first third of the 30 for 30, and click here if you want to see my review of the middle third of this challenge.

Things that surprised me:

In the final third, my most worn item far and away was my pair of black Naturalizer leather flats, and not my black boots as in the first two thirds of the challenge. Why the shift?

How content I am with my wardrobe now. I feel like every piece has proven its worth and deserves a spot in my closet--if anything, I now feel more attached to each of my 30 items, rather than less attached.

I wear skirts 2/3 of the time...I guess that makes sense.

Apparently I can stand to invest a bit more money in cardigans and blazers, since only ONE DAY OUT OF THE THIRTY did I go without one or the other. (how did this happen?!?!)

I also wore a scarf 47% of the time. Hm. I thought it would be over 50% of the time, but I guess not.

I completely did not realize how seldom I wear each piece in my wardrobe. Out of these thirty items, there were quite a few that I only wore twice over the course of the month. When I only had thirty items to choose from! Think of how seldom I wear an item normally when I can choose out of my entire wardrobe, then factor in my seasonal wardrobe (for example, all of my summer-specific items are put away right for the cold-weather months). I wonder if I have quite a few items that are only worn a handful of times in a season.

How often do you think you wear a given item of clothing in a season? How many times do you think you wear each item before you donate it/toss it/let it sit in your closet for ten years and then donate it?

If you participated in the 30 for 30, what surprised you the most during the challenge?

Thirty out of Thirty

Wow. I can't believe this is it. I made it through this month and it seemed so speedy. There were some outfits that just struggled to be put together, such as this one with the blue tights, but there were other outfits, such as the one for today, that just fell together effortlessly. I knew I wanted to wear something fun for the last day of the challenge and I wanted to incorporate this peach J. Crew sweater, and everything else just fell into place.

The review for the last third of the challenge, plus my overall thoughts, will be up later tonight!


Skirt: Preview Collection via Goodwill
Tights: Gray F21 tights layered over Black Target tights
Shirt: J. Crew via Goodwill
Scarf: Unknown via Goodwill
Sweater: Unknown via Goodwill

Twenty Nine Knuts to a Sickle

This is a backlogged outfit that I wore early last week. I liked how the belt really pulled the outfit together, from defining the waist to balancing the dark legs and feet. As we all have seen, time and time again, I am a chronic belter. What about you guys? To belt or not to belt?


Skirt: I.N.C. via Goodwill
Tights: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Shirt: Loft via Plato's Closet
Cardigan: Unknown via Goodwill
Belt: Unknown via Goodwill

Twenty Eight Days Later

I was disappointed this morning when I noticed I had a run in my stockings! These were from Target and have only been worn twice. Actually, the initial idea I had for this post was to talk about how I rarely wear them even though I bought them to be a basic neutral. Anyways, I was so disappointed! Only two wears, and a run on the heel and ankle? I still wore them for today because I was just running errands, but after this 30 is over I will definitely be going through my tights, tossing the ones with holes or runs and grabbing some new ones. I usually go for Hue, but I have also heard some good things about the Spanx tights (just in terms of durability, quality and warmth--I don't care about slimming down!).

Do you guys have any brands of tights you can recommend, or any brands I should avoid at all costs? What other items do you have that don't last as long as you think they should?





Tights: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Dress: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Long-sleeve shirt (under dress): Gap via Plato's Closet
Cardigan: Unknown via Goodwill
Scarf: Self-made

November: A Month In Review

Despite participating in Kendi's 30 for 30 challenge this month, I still managed to amass several purchases before the challenge started. What can I say, I'm industrious!

Peach J. Crew Knit Sweater: On my way to the fitting rooms at the Goodwill I saw this sweater hanging off the end of a rack. Without slowing down, my hand shot out, picked it up, and for $4 it came home with me. I love this sweater--the peach color is the perfect nude for me. While it's a bit shorter than I would like, I always wear it with a pink camisole (it is a loose-weave) which adds the perfect length.















Black Banana Republic Silk Shirt: This shirt is replacing a few basic black shirts that I have. It is not just a jersey knit, but is instead a silk blend and is luxuriously soft. I love the accordion pleating above the bust and the soft ruffles on the shoulder, and am hoping that it will never pill because of the higher-quality fiber content. It was $4 at the Goodwill (brand new condition too, haha!)

Black and Brown Cardigan: I made this out of a crazy, XL grandpa sweater I found at the Goodwill for $5. While I like the color (a mix of black and brown, emphasis on black), the length, and the overall fit, I wish I had waited for a nicer fiber-content. This is acrylic and is already beginning to pill. It's crazy, the difference between this material and some of my nicer materials. I do wear it all the time, but I am hoping to upgrade it at some point. In the future, good fiber-content will be one of my must-haves when buying a new item. It makes such a difference, with all types of clothing! Even my silk scarves are light years beyond the synthetic ones, in terms of warmth and softness.

Black Rain Boots: These were my most expensive purchase this month. Also from the Goodwill, these were around $20 and brand new. I decided to grab them because of a recent wet-feet-when-it-was-raining-SO-HARD incident, when I swore to myself that the next time I saw a good pair of conservative-looking rainboots for a decent price I would buy them. I literally purchased them the night before the 30 for 30 started, but have already worn them several times and am content with my purchase.






















Conclusion: Despite being on a no-buy for most of this month due to the 30 for 30 challenge, I still managed to grab some nice items before the craziness began! My total this month was $33, which is good. I think my favorite item this month is a toss-up between my peach sweater and my black shirt. I love how they both are made from high quality material, they fit nicely into my wardrobe, and they are a little bit special. My lesson learned this month is that fabric quality is KEY. It is the reason why I love my favorite items, and it is what holds me back from truly loving my new cardigan. In the future, I will definitely be only buying higher quality fabrics, especially keeping an eye out for wool, cashmere, silk and leather.

I think it's also telling that all four of my new items made it into the 30 items for the challenge and remixed effortlessly. This is what I am hoping all of my purchases will be able to do!

How much do you usually spend on clothing in a month? Are you satisfied with that amount, or do you wish you could spend more/less?
What is the most important deal-breaker point you look for when shopping for clothing?

Interested in seeing other Month in Reviews? Here is October's Month in Review, and here is September's Month in Review.

Deuce Seven (Means Twenty Seven)

I love my hair up like this. I was iffy at first, thinking it would make me more milkmaid-in-Switzerland than I would like, but so far it has been a fantastic way to keep my hair out of my face in an unusual but cute way! TIP: If your hair isn't long enough for the braids to go all the way across the top of your head, make the pigtails start higher--you can see that my braided pigtails start above my ears, so they will be long enough to reach over my head. :)

Do you have any ingenious ways to put your hair up?






Jeans: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Shirt: Tricot Jolie via Plato's Closet
Cardigan: Re-fashioned from Goodwill find

Twenty Six Cantons in Switzerland

I really wanted to rush through this week, double posting so I could go shopping right away this weekend...but then I decided that it would go against the spirit of the challenge. I have one backlogged outfit I have to edit the photos of, and that puts me at Monday being my last day of the challenge and Tuesday being my first day of freedom.



What is everyone going to do once the 30 for 30 is over? I am definitely going to grab the basic gray Hue tights I wanted to buy but did not, to replace both of my gray tights with holes in them. Then, it's hello, rest of my wardrobe! Funny enough, however, I am not extremely tired of my 30 items. I miss a few of the items that didn't make the cut, but I will not be avoiding these 30 items after Monday.




I will also be making a massive tour of the thrift shops that have been sorely missed this past month--not necessarily to buy anything (this month has definitely taught me that my wardrobe is sufficient) but just as a way to reacquaint myself with some of my favorite haunts. It's weird, but I feel like the 30 has just begun--it's unbelievable to think that it's been a month!

What are your plans?
Has this month seemed uber-long, or has it just flown by for you?
Are you itching to put on anything that is not one of your 30 items? Or would you be content to continue wearing the same items for awhile longer?


Jeans: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Boots: Steve Madden
Shirt: Tricot Jolie via Plato's Closet layered over Underarmour via Goodwill
Blazer: H&M
Necklace: Spotted Moth via Giveaway