I spent a while reading some of my old blog posts, do you ever do this? I came across a post, written in 2016 about things I thought I couldn't wear. Since then I've tried some of the combinations with varying degrees of success.

I talked about how I couldn't do ankle boots and bare legs, I still can't, I feel a complete idiot. And wearing tights and open toe shoes has never happened in public. I did wear this combination at a wedding dress fitting once, but that really doesn't count (it does give me the opportunity to share a wedding dress photo though - never like to miss an opportunity, even 6 years on).

I mentioned wearing shirts under jumpers, at the time I couldn't make it work but I've obviously figured it out as it's something I do regularly now.

Head scarves still baffle me (I can't get them to stay on), but they are something I'd like to master. I did try neck scarves, and although I love this look on others, I didn't love it on me. I think perhaps the fabric was too stiff and that made it feel uncomfortable.

Others things are tights over shorts, coats worn over shoulders, slouchy beanie hats or berets worn on the back of your head (how do they stay on?), shirts knotted at the waist, and shirts buttoned all the way up. Although I've done the last two more than once since writing my original post, and they were things I though I'd never do.

It just goes to show we never really stop experimenting - and Yay for that!

Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2020. I've been keeping track since 2012, and I've included the figures from previous years for easy comparison. You can see every item I purchased in my previous post.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1,207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18
2019  £400.10
2020  £205.85
I'm delighted that I managed to reduce my spending so much this year, I think being in lockdown might've helped as I didn't step foot in a charity shops for weeks on end!

These yearly totals illustrate the journey I have been on since I started blogging. My spending habits are certainly nearer to what I'd like them to be, when I first started blogging I used to buy mostly new and didn't give much thought to how long I kept something or how many times I wore it, and I rarely purchased second hand.

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71
2019  66
2020  20
Just 20 items in 2020, that's rather neat. I had planned on buying one item per month but I'm still happy with this total. Can I get it lower in 2021?

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69%
2019  87%
2020  80%
Not my highest percentage but still good, however I would like to improve on this in 2021.

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97%
2019  86%
2020  95%
Only one item has been donated back to charity, a pair of men's jeans that proved to be a little bit too snug about the hips.

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17
2019  £29.72
2020  £4.50
And if they'd been a better fit they would've stayed in my wardrobe.

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22%
2019  3%
2020  30%
A swimsuit and a preloved dress remain unworn. I had an inkling that the dress wouldn't get worn but it was so pretty and such a bargain (£9.00) I couldn't resist it. I bought the swimsuit hoping that I'd get to the beach at some point in the summer but I stayed away when we were allowed to return to avoid the crowds. Also not worn were 3 tops and a pair of shorts that were purchased at the end of the summer when the weather gave up and my opportunity to wear them vanished, but they'll be worn as soon as they can be.

What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on an occasion dress
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)
2019  £32.00 ASOS jumpsuit
2020  £70.00 new leather rucksack

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots
2019  £13.00 sequin bag
2020  £9.50  Seasalt dress
It's expensive for a second hand dress in my opinion but as they retail at around £80, and it's good quality and well made, so I was happy to part with the cash. It's still the cheapest of the most expensive items bought over the years, so I'm calling it a win.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
2019  New ASOS boots £9.50 (sale). Pre-loved heart print vest top £1.00 (sale)
2020  New £19.49 New Look floral midi dress. Pre-loved button down camisole top £1.50.

2020 Buyer's Archive Resolutions - how did I do?
My goal for 2020 was simple. To buy, spend, and discard less than 2019, and I succeeded on all counts!

In 2021 I want to buy only what I need. Wish me luck!

Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018  |  2019

Here are all the clothing and accessory purchases I made in 2020, a total of just 20 items. I had planned to buy one item per month and whilst I obviously didn't stick to it, it was successful in curbing my spending more than anything else I've tried.

When I saw an item I liked I would ask myself if I liked it enough for it to be my 'one item', most of the time to answer was 'no', and it went back on the rail.

I don't doubt that being in lockdown had an impact on my spending, even when we were out of lockdown I didn't want to venture out too much, I can probably count the number of times I stepped foot in a charity shop since April on one hand. Which is no bad thing (except for the shops obviously).

My only truly nonsense purchase was a pre-loved Monsoon dress. It's not the sort of thing anyone needs during lockdown but it's just so lovely. I'm sure that at some point the perfect occasion to wear it will present itself, even if I have to wait a while.

The most expensive purchase was the leather rucksack and given that this was purchased a week before we were put in to lockdown for the first time, and the need for a bag vanished overnight, it's actually been used a decent amount. It's the only bag I've used when I've been out since I purchased it. With luck (and mass vaccinations) I'll be able to use it so much more in 2021.

I hope you're well, stay safe, stay inside, and keep smiling!
xx

It's been exactly ten years since I started World of Joy, so I thought it would be fun to look back at my first post, where I introduce myself, to dissect it a little and add a few photos.

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Hello, I'm Hazel (Still true). Also known as Very_Hazel (No longer true). I have been blogging for the Very.co.uk VBlog for the past six months and have enjoyed it so much I have decided to branch out a little (I really enjoyed blogging for Very but it turned a little sour towards the end, they employed a new member of staff to oversee the blog and she made it very clear that they only wanted 'celebrity' bloggers, so I decided to call it a day. I had my own blog by this point and I enjoyed writing for myself much more).

Whilst the VBlog lets me indulge my love of fashion (I did love fashion back then, not that I considered myself to be trendy but I did like to keep up-to-date with what was current and tried to incorporate fashionable elements into my wardrobe) there is more I would like to talk about, discover and share (I wanted to talk about things not connected to Very, to do style experiments of my own and have full control of what I said and published).

I enjoy blogs that post pictures of real people's style (still true). What Katie Wore - one girl's challenge to wear a different outfit everyday - is fabulous, I'm hooked.

The Uniform Project is a splendid idea that takes one LBD and tests the role of accessories to the limit but more importantly raises money at the same time (I can still spend hours looking through all of these outfits). Bright Young Things (no longer live) created the LBD for The Uniform Project and encourages 30 Day Wear-a-thons which I find seriously tempting. One day I will do it... (something I still ponder).

I love style experiments (still true). Recently Grazia magazine challenged writer Francesca Hornak to survive for a month wearing only six pieces of clothing. HOW is that possible?! (Having dabbled with capsule wardrobes I can now see that in the summer, with the right pieces, that it would be entirely possible).

Another interesting experiment, was another monthly challenge, to try something every day that you wouldn't normally consider ie crimped hair, harem pants or glittery mascara. I wondered what would be the things that I would try? (perhaps I should try all the things that I've declared I can't wear?)

But the best one, and maybe the one that launched them all, was Alex Martin's Little Brown Dress, much like the Bright Young Things Wear-a-thons only on a larger scale, she wore one dress for 365 days. Alex finished the Little Brown Dress project some time ago and has gone on to do more which you can also read about on her site (this site isn't live anymore, which I wrote about in back in 2016, it's such a shame that the record of her experiment no longer exists, above are a few photos I managed to find online. I still remember reading about this for the first time, it was an article on the back page of a magazine and I spent ages looking at the small selection of images they'd featured. I tore out the page and kept it for years. I wish I still had it).

I am an advertisers dream, if I'm promised that a product will give longer lashes (they usually don't), shiner hair (debatable), smoother skin I will try it. I promise to share my trials with you and let you know what works and what doesn't. First up will be the new Lash Accelerator from Rimmel. Product tests found 95% of users noticed a lengthening effect on bare lashes in two weeks. Watch this space... (I did write that product review, and many more followed, but it's not something I've done for a while. I'm no longer trying lots of new products. I've found what I like, what works for me and I stick with it.)

My jewellery collection gets ever larger. Unlike my clothes that tend to have a classic, simple style I like my jewellery to be a little out of the ordinary. Chunky rings and bracelets being my preferred pieces at the moment. (I still like jewellery but my taste now runs more to simpler pieces. I love bracelets and have developed a liking for delicate beads, and I'm rarely seen without a Fossil watch - there is something about the styling of these that really appeals to me. I went through a phase of wearing statement necklaces but that waned, I'm now on the verge of exploring earrings a little more, not huge Pat Butcher type things, but something a little more than the studs or small hoops I usually go for.)

Read my VBlog posts to date. (These can no longer be found. Back in 2016 I discovered that all of the posts I'd ever written for the Very blog had been attributed to someone else - a staff member. When I got in touch and questioned this they said that they'd been clearing out the back end of the website, and to create space all of the old bloggers, and their profiles, had been deleted. They offered to delete any posts that I'd written if I could prove that I'd written them. I had all the proof I needed but I let it go, it seemed like a waste of my time for posts that were probably rarely read anymore. You've got to pick your battles, right? Since then the VBlog has been deleted altogether, so I was right not to spend anymore time on it.)

You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook. (I rarely use either of these nowadays, the Facebook page is still there but hidden from public view, the Twitter page just languishes, I visit and post something random once in a while. I've moved over to Instagram instead, it's much prettier and less shouty.)

-----

So, that's me then, and me now.

Some things are very different from when I wrote this first post and the posts that closely followed. My interest in what's fashionable has waned along with my passion for chunky jewellery and finding the latest wonder product.

My fascination with style experiments stays the same, but my consumption of fast fashion has drastically changed - something I attribute to the blogs that I follow, the best ones showed me the treasures that could be found in charity shops, the worst highlighted the needless and constant stream of disposable fast fashion, that endorsed the idea that you shouldn't be seen in the same outfit twice. These are the blogs I stopped following years ago, but I have to admit that they served a purpose, although, for me, it was the opposite of what they were trying to achieve.

Writing this blog and following blogs, both good and bad, shaped my outlook. When I started I didn't think about what it would turn into, or how long I'd do it for, but I don't think I ever believed that I'd still be blogging a decade on. Thanks for being part of the journey.

I'm going to call this Week One, as before this week Corona Virus hadn't really had any impact on my life. I mean, I knew it was going on, obviously, it was a concern but I hadn't felt the effects myself.

I work from home so I hadn't noticed the empty streets and roads, or experienced the ransacked supermarket shelves.

When it was announced that the schools were closing was when I realised shit was about to get real.

Then on the same day I had two appointments cancelled until further notice.

Then, today, I had to go to the supermarket to pick up a few bits and pieces. Normally I get food delivered, but you can't get a delivery slot for love nor money at the moment. Ironically this means that in the time of social distancing I'm going to be leaving the house more than ever!

I went to the biggest of my most local supermarkets and it was OK. I got everything I needed and, with a satisfied sigh, headed back to my car.

Then I remembered I'd forgotten to buy cat food.

Instead of going back inside (and, oh, how I now wish I had),  I drove to my local co-op. I picked up four boxes of cat food - two poultry, two fish. But when I got to the till, I was treated like I'd just spat in the eye of the woman behind the counter. I was bewildered, she was annoyed, and she loudly asked her colleague if I was allowed to buy four boxes, and then, whilst I stood there cringing, she asked the question over the Tannoy, all in front of a growing queue of people.

Apparently there was a two item maximum - although I'm not sure how I was meant to know this as there was no sign or announcement of any sort. Trying to lighten the mood, I joked that they were different flavours, but she was having none of it. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me, I'd apparently, and unwittingly, made a dreadful faux pas, and was being made to feel like I'd done something truly awful. She was unnecessarily rude, but I guess she probably wasn't having a very good day. I certainly wouldn't want to be working in a shop at the moment.

Anyway, I drove to the other end of the high street where there's a second co-op and purchased two further boxes in there. I'm not stockpiling, I'm just trying to feed my fussy cats, whilst trying to keep the number of times I leave the house in a week to an absolute minimum - isn't that what we've all been told to do?

Anyway, Andy and I have plenty of food, the cats however might have to get used to a diet of crunchies if I can't buy enough to feed them the Purina Gourmet pouches they prefer.

I got home and phoned Andy to tell him the story of my social fail, and laughed at it all. It is a serious situation obviously, but laughing and keeping our sense of humour is how we'll all get through it. Finding the funny in uncertain times has always worked for us before.

I wonder what next week will bring? Surely panic buying can't last for long, after all as a nation we're not eating any more than normal, and only have a limited amount of room to store it. Common sense will prevail... won't it?

I hope you're all OK, and managing to stay safe and sane.
xx

Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2019.

I've been keeping track since 2012, and I've included the figures from previous years for easy comparison.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1,207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18
2019  £400.10
Just look at the difference between this and 2012.

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71
2019  66
Whilst I am pleased with this number being one of the lowest, it still means that I purchased more than one item per week, and when looking at it that way, it seems rather a lot!

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69%
2019  87%

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97%
2019  86%
At first I was a little disappointed with this figure but the items that were sold or donated weren't items that I would've gone on to wear. I'm trying not to hang on to things simply because I've bought them, better to donate or sell on to someone that might actually wear them.

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17
2019  £29.72

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22%
2019  3%
Just a swimsuit and a t-shirt remain unworn. The t-shirt will come out in the spring, and as we have a holiday already booked the swimsuit will definitely be worn next year.

What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on a dress worn for my Mum's wedding
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)
2019  £32.00 ASOS jumpsuit
The jumpsuit has only been worn 4 times since I purchased it in April last year, which is much less than I'd envisioned, but I'm hoping that once I've whittled down my wardrobe further I'll be able to wear my favourite items more often.

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots
2019  £13.00 sequin bag
I bought the sequin bag when I got caught up in festival fever but I do use it. It hangs at the front of my wardrobe so I don't forget about it. What's the point in owning something this pretty and not using it? I'm sure it'll be going back to Latitude with me this year.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
2019  New ASOS boots £9.50 (sale). Pre-loved heart print vest top £1.00 (sale).
The boots are a staple, not worn often but good to have for when I need black on the end of my legs. The heart print vest top was purchased in September and only worn a few times but I know it'll be a favourite when the weather warms up again.


2019 Buyer's Archive Resolutions - how did I do?

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall.  The lowest number is 63, and this year I purchased 66, so it's not my lowest number of purchases, but fewer than last year.

I have a shopping challenge for 2020, I'm going to try and buy just one item per month because I don't need any more clothes, but I do love shopping. I have so many lovely items that deserve to be worn more often, so that's what I'm going to do.

Buy more pre-loved clothes than new. I'd hoped to be somewhere above 80% for 2019, and I'm pleased to say that 87% was the final figure. I am pleased that I shop secondhand more these days, but now I need to reduce the number of items I have overall, my wardrobe is stuffed. I probably have more clothes than I can wear in a year (which sounds like another challenge!).

Stick within a £500 budget. Yes! I spent £400.10. As you can imagine I'm really pleased with this. As I plan to buy less this year I'm wondering if I can come in under £200 for 2020?

Alter / mend all items that need it. I mended some but not as many as I ignored.

Sell or donate all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. I sold numerous items on ebay in the summer, so many that I almost became a permanent fixture in my local post office. I donated some items too, but there is still a pile of things to list on ebay. I have a feeling it'll be a pile that I never get to the bottom of, I add to it more often than I remove something from it.


2020 Buyer's Archive Resolutions

My goal this year is simple. To buy, spend, and discard less.


Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018

At the beginning of the last decade Andy and I had been together for 7 months. I was working in a job I didn't particularly enjoy. I was renting a house, living alone except for two young cats - my first pets as an adult - Socks and Tinker.

It's been a period of change and growth, but the last few years of the decade have been tough. We've suffered loss, and I've struggled with the aftermath. But I'm healing and among the crappy memories, the memory of giggling with Andy in our darkest moments is one that still makes me smile, because we survived and we're stronger for it.

In the intervening years we moved in to our forever home and started on a long list of improvements, we got engaged and said our vows 99 days later.

I'm working freelance and don't miss the office politics one little bit. And I'm happy to say my two cats are still with me, waking me up far earlier than I'd like.

This blog was started in September 2010, and has been a place to reflect, share my thoughts and ideas, and I've made some wonderful friends because of it.

I visited Nairobi and fed giraffes, I flew to Zanzibar to watch my best friend get married.

We honeymooned in Zurich and Paris, and I slept under the stars in the Sahara.

I've gone to two college reunions.

I was part of a fundraising group who helped to raise £4.3M for a new cancer unit at our local hospital. And my fundraising continues on a smaller scale.

I was one of a small group of people who organised two world record attempts locally. We didn't become record breakers, but it really didn't matter in the end.

I tried, and failed, many times to get into running, but I have developed a love for yoga that I think will last a lifetime.

After years of drinking tea, strong but with a lot of milk, and no sugar, I've switched almost exclusively to green tea, but still consume several cups a day.

I've started a process of reducing plastic consumption as much as possible, and have changed my spending habits drastically.

I gave up on western medicine and dealt with my allergies using natural methods, ending a struggle with sinusitis that had plagued me for decades.

I discovered a haven in the form of my greenhouse, but have so far been unsuccessful in growing forget-me-nots. Spinach, chives, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce leaves are recurring produce.

And I've finally realised the importance of self care.

I'm hoping that the next decade will be one of growth, excitement and adventures.

Happy New Year everyone!

Here's my complete Buyer's Archive for the year, every item of clothing, every pair of shoes, and every accessory I purchased in 2019.




There are so many purchases that I really like and enjoy wearing from this year. The burgundy boots have barely been off my feet since I bought them. The brown leather bag has been in almost constant use. Both of my check coats have been worn a number of times already, and the floral shorts I purchased in September will be the first to grace my legs next time the temperature allows.



And the jumpers, it's been a good year for jumpers! I purchased 13 in all, with the first and the last both being gorgeous shades of green.



I've found five footwear items in charity shops this year, which is a lot for me as I rarely find footwear I like. Yes, one of those was a hideous pair of Crocs, but they have their place, acting as the perfect garden shoes.

There have been a few items that didn't stay in my wardrobe, for various reasons, but I made a huge effort to list these items on ebay, and made a small profit in some cases.

It feels like a really successful year of shopping. I purchased fewer items than last year, and kept within budget. Also, for the first time ever, I quickly identified the not-so-great purchases and either sold or donated them, instead of keeping them, trying to convince myself that I'd wear them at some point. It freed up valuable space in my wardrobe, which is something I need to continue to do, starting with a wardrobe purge...

And this concludes the fourth year of keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

It also concludes my blogging for 2019, which just leaves me to say 'Happy New Year', and to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2020!

For this set of outfits I decided to wear items that I still owned from 2011, when I did the Wearing It All challenge the first time around.

We'd just moved, everything was chaos, and as I unpacked my clothes I wondered if I really needed so many, that's when the Wearing It All challenge was born.

Below are the first three items, 2019 on the top row, 2011 on the bottom.

The white jeans have recently been rescued from the charity bag. After I read that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of jeans, I vowed to wear all my jeans until they literally fall apart. They're good for summer afternoon BBQs, family gatherings, when you just don't know what else to wear and need something semi smart.
The grey cardigan was from New Look, cheap and cheerful but it's worn really well and is showing little sign of age despite being worn a lot over the years. I took it to Latitude recently, it's always been the perfect thing for layering, and it's great for wearing with dresses as it's waist length.

The grey skirt isn't something that's been worn a lot but I love it. It's a really soft material, and has pockets! I wore it last year, probably for the first time since 2011. A few hours after the photo was taken back then, Andy arrived home and told me that his Grandma had passed away. We hadn't been together many years and I'd only met her a handful of times but she was lovely, and deeply loved by her family. She'd been unwell for some time and we'd been to see her a few days before, and I'm so glad that we did. This skirt always makes me think of her.

Next up I wore some shorts (below) that I never thought would see the light of day again. I really like them, which is probably why I hung onto them for so long, but as I stepped into my late thirties I had a wobble about what I should and shouldn't wear. These shorts seemed too short, but now that I'm in my 40s I just think 'stuff it'.

Perhaps my legs aren't as slender as they once were, they have a few wobbly and dimpled bits, and they're as pale as porcelain but they're strong and part of me, and I don't give a stuff about what others decide is appropriate for 'a woman of my age'. If I like it, I'll wear it, and I like these shorts.

I've had the jeans for a long time, I bought them before I met Andy, which makes them over a decade old. When they were new they were a dark wash, even back in 2011 they'd lost a lot of their colour.

They've been patched many times, the first hole appearing after I accidentally stuck them to my leg with super glue. It wouldn't wash out, it cracked and the first hole of many was created. More are soon to follow as they continue to grow thinner in places, but I'll mend them until they can be mended no more.

I cringed when I noticed the ballet pumps worn with bootleg jeans, I wouldn't do that now, ballet pumps are worn with skirts. It seems I've been subconsciously developing my own rules on what I should and shouldn't wear.

The black shirt dress has been worn occasionally, it's never been a go-to item but it's earned it's keep. In 2011 I was embracing hosiery for the first time in my life. And those boots. I loved those boots, I haven't stopped looking for a similar pair.

It occurs to me now that I should've taken these photos in the same locations as their 2011 counterparts, you'd see a much more organised wardrobe, a new bedroom carpet, the house painted a pale yellow instead of white and a different front door. Oh well... an opportunity missed.

It's been fun to look back over these items. They all hold so many memories, and have stories to tell. Clothes are never really just clothes are they?

Back in January of 2018 I decided that my word for the year would be Thrive.

Thrive. To grow or develop well or vigorously.

I can't say that I succeeded. I wrote that post, decided on that word, when I was still in a state of shock. I hadn't started to grieve, I wasn't even close, the sadness, depression, and loneliness were still a few months away. 

It was chosen before I discovered all the things that went wrong before, during and after my stay in hospital. Before discovering all the ways I had been let down by my healthcare providers. The things that should've been done but weren't, the things that were done, that shouldn't have been. The things I'd been led to believe that weren't true.

These things hurt me, held me back. Some of these things I can't forgive. Some of these things will stay with me until my last breath.

So I didn't thrive, but what I did in 2018 was heal.

Now I look back over it all I wonder how I coped, I wonder how I didn't lose my mind.

I had counseling, which helped me a great deal. I had a few friends that I could turn too, and their love and support blew me away, kept me going. And slowly I began to move forward. But I wasn't thriving, I was healing, day by day, bit by bit. Slowly feeling more like me.

I'll never be who I was before, I'm changed by it, all of it. I'm not sure I can call it growth, but I'm definitely not the same.

I will remember 2018 as the year I stood up and said 'this is not OK', and fought for my right to be heard, whilst grieving, whilst changing. Whilst healing.

Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2018. I've been keeping track since 2012 and for the first time I've included figures from previous years for easy comparison.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18 the lowest yet, something I'm really pleased about

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71 not the lowest, but not bad

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69% Woohoo!

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97% I'm pleased with this, only three items didn't stay in my wardrobe, and one of those was sold on ebay and recouped some money

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17 this is minus the amount I sold one item for on ebay

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22% some of these are in my new capsule wardrobe so this percentage will soon be reduced, and of what hasn't yet been worn I can't see anything that won't be worn at some point soon.


What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on a dress worn for my Mum's wedding
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
I won't be purchasing the flip flops again. Although both years I wore them almost daily, until they fell apart, I know that if I don't pay much for something that someone, somewhere will be paying.


My 2018 Resolutions
My resolutions don't change much year to year. 

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall.
I purchased 12 fewer items than last year, and I really feel like I made good purchases with very few that where discarded.

Buy more pre-loved clothes than new.
This one gets a big fat tick, and it's something I'm pretty happy about. 69% is much closer to where I want to be.

Reduce my overall spend again, I'll try for £600 and see if I can make it this year!
Yes! I came in £53.82 under budget. You can see everything I purchased here.

Alter / mend all items that need it.
The mending pile is smaller but still exists, so I have some work to do here.

Sell all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. Anything not sold by the summer will be donated to charity.
This simply didn't happen. I did sell a few things on ebay during November and December and it has encouraged me to sell more, so maybe 2019 will be the year I get listing and start making some money back?

Reduce the percentage that I buy and then donate / sell / pass on.
Definitely. I still have 97% of the items I purchased this year. I'm really pleased with this, and unless any item is irreparably damaged I don't see anything leaving my wardrobe anytime soon.


My 2019 Resolutions
Pretty much the same as last year but to just keep on improving.

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall. This is simply because I want to wear the clothes I have more often, adding new items, as much as I love doing so, makes it harder for me to really make the most of what I have. The lowest number of items purchased is 63 so I'd like to be below this.

Buy more pre-loved clothes than new. And only buy new if absolutely necessary. I'd love to be somewhere above 80% for 2019.

Stick within a £500 budget. That means spending £46 less than 2018, that's gotta be achievable, right?

Alter / mend all items that need it. Perhaps I can put this on my 'things to do at weekends' list?

Sell or donate all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. Ebay or Instagram sales are beckoning...


Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017

Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is treating you well so far. This post marks the start of a series of 2018 round up posts, I love putting these together and looking back over the year.

Here's my complete Buyer's Archive for 2018, every item of clothing and every accessory I purchased in the past 12 months.

This first image shows purchases up to the end of June. Almost everything here has been worn, the delicious summer we had meant that my summer clothes were worn a lot.


There are a number of items in this image that haven't been worn yet but some of them have only been in my wardrobe for a few weeks, and have yet to appear in a seasonal capsule wardrobe.

I'm really pleased with my purchases this year. I've bought more pre-loved than new and I think I've got fewer duff purchases than ever before. A breakdown post is in the pipeline.

There are so many purchases I made this year that I completely adore.


Red floral skirt. This was my only January sale purchase. I can't believe I've only had this for a year, I feel like I've been wearing it for years. This skirt never fails to make me smile.


Floral maxi dress. I did only wear this once, but I loved it. It's perfect for summer, it's light, airy and easy to wear. I loved the mustard bag too and used it a lot in the weeks after I bought it, but now it needs mending, and you know me and my mend pile...


Orange maxi skirt. I paid a fiver for this and it has pockets.


I have a bit of a soft spot for anything with a blue floral pattern, add a rara skirt into the mix and I'm smitten. This was £6.00 well spent.


Khaki cropped jeans. I had an inking that I'd quite like a pair of cropped jeans, and ebay obliged offering these up for £10.99.


Yellow jumper. Having convinced myself that I couldn't wear yellow and avoided it for years, I thought I'd give it a go. Turns out, I kinda love it.

I also love the knee high boots I purchased in November, and the long winter coat I bought in December, but these have yet to be photographed. All in all it's been a good year of shopping, I've added so many amazing items to my wardrobe this year, that I'm considering drastically reducing my clothing budget for 2019. I know that complete spending bans don't work for me, but I would like to wear the clothes I have more often, and constantly adding items to my wardrobe makes this harder.

What things have you purchased this year that make you smile?

It's that time of year when I look back and conjure up some percentages relating to this year's clothing purchases. In a previous post I shared every item I purchased in 2017, this is the annual breakdown.

Overall I spent £663.03, which is over my £600 budget but it's still eighty quid less than last year, and my lowest spend since I started a tally in 2012. I'm chalking this up as a success, especially when I think about the fact I spent £1,250.86 in 2015, and £1751.00 in 2012!

How many items did I buy?
83 items in total - 40 new and 43 pre-loved. This is my third highest number of purchases, but because I purchased more pre-loved items it's my lowest spend.

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
For the first time I purchased more pre-loved than new - 52%

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
85% which is the same as last year - the highest since records began.

Total of discarded items
£88.14 - this figure makes me all the more determined to sell the items I'll never wear, perhaps I can make a good chunk of this back?

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
19% - this seems a little high but some of the items in this are maternity bits that I didn't get to wear, and some are new purchases that just haven't been worn yet, but most definitely will.


What was the most expensive item?
My green skirt at £25.60, was the most expensive, and definitely my most worn item. I was really surprised by this, this seems like such a small amount, last year my most expensive item was £95.00, followed by a cardigan at £40.00.


What was most expensive pre-loved item?
My bargain £24.99 burgundy boots! This might be my most expensive pre-loved item but it's still a bargain price for leather boots in really good condition.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
New flip flops for 90p, that I wore all summer long, and 99p for a pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay.

I buy a lot of pre-loved items but discard quite a high number of them. This is because I got out of habit of trying things on in charity shops, and made too many ebay purchases that I had no option of returning, so I'm stuck with items that don't fit or I don't like. You don't get this problem with a new purchase, but it won't put me off buying pre-loved.


What were my clothes related resolutions for 2017?

For 2017 I wanted my spending to be lower than 2016, which it was.

I wanted to wear items purchased in 2016 that I hadn't worn.
This had some success. I had eight items on the 'Unworn' list. One item was donated, one still needs altering, three items were added to capsules and worn a number of times, and three items still need to be worn (or donated / sold). Although one of these items is a dress that makes me smile so I'm pretty sure that even if I don't wear it, it'll remain in my wardrobe. I will wear it, one day. Probably.

Have another ban on buying PJs.
I didn't buy any PJ bottoms but I did have the need for a few new vest tops. I bought three and put some old ones, that I'd had for years, in the rag bag.

I need to alter items in a more timely manner
I have altered / mended a few things during 2017, but there are still way too many items needing my attention. I've put 'Mend' on my winter to-do list. Although I'm doubtful that it'll have the desired effect.

Sell the things I no longer want, or that don't fit.
I didn't sell a single thing. I always say I'm going to sell things but it all ends up in a pile in the spare room and gets forgotten.


My 2018 Resolutions (at the risk of sounding like a broken record)

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall
Buy more pre-loved clothes than new
Reduce my overall spend again, I'll try for £600 and see if I can make it this year!
Alter / mend all items that need it
Sell all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. Anything not sold by the summer will be donated to charity.
Reduce the percentage that I buy and then donate / sell / pass on.

I think that having a seasonal capsule wardrobe and taking part in A Buyer's Archive has made me more aware of the amount I spend, and what kind of clothes I like to wear. Over the years I've stopped buying things that I like but don't fit in my wardrobe. If I can't think of three ways to wear something I don't buy it.

Now, if I can just break those other annoying habits...

Do you keep a tally of your spending?

Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016