Shopping again, but to upgrade or replace items this time!

So I have finally hit on the sweet spot for shopping less this year for me.

What works, is allowing myself to shop, but only to replace / upgrade items that are on their last legs.

Trust me, my favourites are definitely on their last legs, especially when seams are starting to rip…. O_o

SIZING UP MY WORK PANT STAPLES

So far, I have picked up a pair of navy blue and white chinos which I wear CONSTANTLY but are in a Size 4 and a little too tight for me now (or my tolerance for tight clothes has gone down), and I bought the exact same pairs at full price in a Size 6 instead.

They look like this:

These things never go on sale at Massimo Dutti, and if they do my size is NEVER on sale. I have resigned myself to buying them at full price.

I used to have a black pair as well in a Size 4, but I don’t wear black pants as often as I think I do in my head, so I am not replacing those in a Size 6.

They cost $79 each pair, but are the most comfortable work pants I have found as they are high-rise, not itchy, thick and not see-through (especially the white pairs) and very simple yet chic.

And they hold up WELL.

I have had these pants for a good 5 years now?

And they still look really good.

(Although I have worn the navy blue ones so often that the pockets started ripping in the back where I put my phone, so I won’t be doing that with my new pairs, and I expect these pants to last me another 5 years.)

BLACK CULOTTES replaced by NAVY BLUE CULOTTES

The other item I have been replacing are my Brucho Walker black culottes.

I bought them, love them, but they are slightly too tight on me now at the waist (it is camel toe obscene), and I’ve noticed that again, I don’t wear black culottes, and would find navy blue far more versatile with my wardrobe.

So I put my black culottes up for sale, and bought navy blue ones instead from Rebecca Taylor (deeply discounted of course), for $35 USD (or $48 CAD)

(You can find the one pair used here too, for $35 USD)!

They look like a skirt, have pockets, but are pants. WIN WIN.

REPLACING MY BELOVED EQUIPMENT SILK SHIRT

I bought and have worn to death my Equipment silk shirt.

It is truly starting to be threadbare, with yellowed armpits (no resale possible here unfortunately), and I need to replace it eventually.

It is also a shirt you DO NOT want to buy secondhand in white. White is NOT a good colour to buy secondhand in shirts due to yellowing and armpit sweat stains.

So.. I found the perfect silk-like shirt in a thicker, more durable fabric from Banana Republic and am replacing it with that, because it FEELS like thick double silk, looks great, and is perfect for wearing under sweaters or just by itself with leggings which I have often done with my silk shirt.

The Parker Tunic shirt is also far cheaper at $75 instead of $300+ to re-buy a new silk shirt. That is a bonus.

So far, this is working out. I just have to stop replacing items so often 😛