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.