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img 1 - Isabel Marant Etoile grey knit dress, Lover lace 'Christina' dress
img 2 - Karen Walker breton stripe t-shirt, Karen Walker denim skirt, Celine black 'Cabas' tote
img 3 - ASOS grey suede aviator jacket, Karen Walker paperbag waist dress

New purchases for the month of March. As I have probably mentioned a few times, I’ve been making a concerted effort to shop smarter, so that I can both cut down on what can quite often spiral into out of control shopping habits, and also form a wardrobe that is completely wearable for my lifestyle, and full of pieces that I love. This has meant that I’ve started keeping track of all the purchases that I’ve made, and also considering whether I really need something. I tend to get a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to lists, and my desire to keep my wardrobe total under 100 allows me to limit myself somewhat. I suppose this means shopping will eventually become a one-in, one-out process, but thankfully I’m not there yet.

This past month has resulted in eight new purchases (one of which isn’t pictured, as it is currently on its way to me in the post), which is four more than I was expecting. Unfortunately you can’t predict when something you have been hunting for will pop up on sites like eBay, and as my new habits aren’t supposed to be restrictive, I decided to just “roll with it” and not deny myself. My biggest revelation is that only one of the items I bought is new, and that was essentially an item I had ordered a few months back. I’ve been avoiding making purchases in the shops, bar picking up any outstanding laybys, and instead turning to websites like eBay to track down what I think has been missing from my wardrobe, with much success.

I’m still continuously re-evaluating my wardrobe, yet what I’ve found is that I’m coming to a point where there isn’t anything I wish to part with. Over time, I imagine that my tastes will evolve slightly, and I will eventually decide to part with things that today, I wouldn’t imagine getting rid of, but I hope that day doesn’t come too quickly. Getting dressed with ease every morning is something I’ve been relishing!

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Proenza Schouler top; Karen Walker pants & jacket; Givenchy heels; After the Apple clutch

Most days, I'm all about the dresses and skirts, floaty hemlines and such. On others, I just feel like pulling on a pair of pants that are comfortable, yet still don't look out of place in the office. These pants are exactly that, and a great piece to transition into winter. And one thing I can't resist is a bit of sparkle, it's always the perfect antidote to breaking up the monotony of usual every day wear.

I've spent the last few days trying to figure out what I want to bake over the weekend, if my oven decides to cooperate with me for a change. Last weekend I made a delicious no-bake chocolate cake, essentially a chocolate ganache, which was devoured within a few short days. This time I'm thinking a roasted red pepper and parmesan bread may be on the cards. Any favourite recipes online that you care to share? Vegetarian only please!

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img src - MGSM

The beautiful collection that is MGSM pre-Fall 12 is something I stumbled across a wee while back, and am only just getting around to posting. It serves as quite possibly the best inspiration that I have seen lately, with perhaps a mild touch of deja vu, combining the best elements of some lookbooks that have been floating around. The print on prints, bold colours and interesting layering pull the collection together nicely, and are just a couple of the reasons that I would be happy to have each and every piece magically appear hanging in my wardrobe. Thank goodness dreams are free!

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Karen Walker blouse & coat; American Apparel fingerless gloves

What was seeming like a promising start to Autumn quickly transformed into something resembling winter. Wind, rain, and low temps have been plaguing us and I have, as per usual, been struggling to keep warm. I guess it's times like these that I can be grateful for owning an abundance of silk blouses and good quality woolen coats. I'm beginning to think that there may also be some merit in getting high denier tights, as I continue to consider putting on two pairs every morning.

And what I had just the other day considered to be an abundance of coats in my wardrobe (I believe I have 8 or 9 - divided between light/heavy jackets), seems to be somewhat of an asset. I've never been one to want to get rid of coats and tend to wear them for years on end, until they are practically on their last legs. This would probably explain why I seldom seem to purchase them, a sub0conscious effort not to fill my wardrobe up with coats I would later find exceedingly difficult to part with. A girl needs a jacket for every occasion.. am I right?~

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Forever21 jumper; 3.1 by Phillip Lim skirt; Isabel Marant heels; Celine bag

Trying to take advantage of the relatively mild weather that we have been having this past week by avoiding wearing jeans or tights at every opportunity. Not only that, I'm trying to wear my shoes which aren't suitable for rainy weather as much as possible before they end up gathering dust over the winter as I wait patiently for summer to roll around again. I suppose that this is part of my effort to utilise my wardrobe to its maximum capacity, as I tend to reach for the same shoes based on comfort and versatility.

I've also been using my Celine tote on a daily basis to lug everything that doesn't fit in my PS11 to work, or alternating between using it exclusively. It's surprisingly sturdy, and is able to carry far more than I had anticipated with absolutely no worries that the handles may stretch - although this wouldn't be such a bad thing, at least then I could sling it over my shoulder.

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img src #1 & #2
Celine black leather cabas tote (similar here and here)

A simple leather tote bag has been on my wish list for some time now, but it's been one of those things that has been pushed back on the sidelines time and time again as I continuously come across other pieces that I have been keeping my eye out for. While I favour one bag at a time, I generally end up filling a fabric bag with a number of items to take to work that don't fit in my PS11 - which I must say is surprisingly roomy, but nonetheless, does not fit such pleasantries as my lunch, notebooks and miscellaneous items that I have sold on eBay or Trade Me to a new home. Considering that, I question why it's taken me so long to take the plunge and buy one. I had the fortune of coming across a second hand Celine Cabas bag in black, which I shall admit I most certainly jumped at the opportunity to buy it. It epitomizes the ideal of what I was searching for, in terms of design, simplicity and functionality. I foresee this bag becoming a rather regular fixture on my arm.

I must also note that I was honoured to be interviewed over on A Jaded Life. Click the link to check it out :)

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Helmut Lang blazer; Equipment blouse; Lover skirt; Givenchy heels

Considering the number of times that I have worn this Helmut Lang blazer in the last two weeks, you would possibly think that I don't own any other blazers. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's ironic, that a piece I had felt mildly guilty about purchasing while in LA - my first American purchase that wasn't food might I add - has as I anticipated, become a real workhorse in my wardrobe. While I can't say for certain that all pieces that fall on the slightly more expensive end of the purchasing scale are going to fall in the category, I find that timeless pieces like a black blazer or a white silk shirt will generally be regularly worn, unless these particular items don't fall within the confines of your lifestyle or personal taste.

And the shoes. I can't forget the shoes! I purchased these from Net-a-Porter over the Christmas break and for some reason hadn't yet pulled them out until today - although I think that they will be making a regular appearance on my feet from now on. I was drawn to the classic shape of the shoe, but the fun and interesting detail that the gold sequins add, and I was lucky to nab them in the sale. When it's the last pair, and they're in your size.. in the true words of a shopaholic, it's almost as though it's fate right?

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img 1 src

The trend of paring down, and culling one's wardrobes seems to be sweeping the internet. It's as though excessiveness has reached a ceiling point, and resulted in the resolve to pursue style in the opposite direction, in a more minimal fashion. Dead Fleurette and her well thought out and eloquently formed posts possibly had something to do with this, or at least they had an influence on me.

While I am conscious of an innate desire and willingness to shop smarter - which as I note, may not necessarily mean less - there is a voice within me, trying to compel me to shop, which is something that I no longer wish to subscribe to.

I've spent the past week reading, blogs, and books, about forging a more minimalist attitude in regards to shopping, which have changed my views, more so than any past reading had done at least. This now extends far beyond my wardrobe, although these other excessive items appear to be more difficult to let go of, such as: letters from old friends, memento's of trips abroad, recipes I would like to try and little trinkets I have collected over the years. It's interesting that my wish to have a more pared down wardrobe is having a trickle-down effect to the rest of my belongings, but I already feel better for the few things that I have since disposed of. I imagine this will be yet another thing I will slowly chip away at.I guess, like with wardrobes, have too many things can become a cause of stress or anxiety, and in reality a lot of it is unused or long forgotten.

While I'm not trying to espouse a minimal lifestyle, there are particular elements of it that I find intriguing, and would be interesting in adopting similar principles in my own day-to-day life. I like the concept of being able to quickly pack up your belongings and flit away to some interesting or unknown part of the world at the drop of the hat - not that this is ever likely to happen to me.

In this regard, I've been continuously whittling down my wardrobe, which I would think at this point should be close to nil, and have managed to come in at under 100 items, a number that while large to some, I feel suits me and my circumstances rather well. My shoes, number less than 24, although this high a number still concerns me. The problem here lies in the fact that I feel as though this part of my wardrobe is complete, and thus requires no further culling. Perhaps with a bit of resolve I may be able to cut out a further 2-3 pairs, but as my mother pointed out to me, if I love all these shoes, then there really is no need for me to attempt to cut it down any further. I have a feeling that perhaps, as that old saying goes, "mother knows best".