What I sold this month, and why
And what I’m considering buying
My husband used to liken our hallway to a postal depot - parcels in and parcels out. I’m happy to say that, these days, it’s mostly parcels out - thanks to these Substack musings and my journey towards more sustainable style. I’m trying to buy less, buy better and seriously hone my wardrobe. This involves a wardrobe ‘edit’ from time to time, usually every few months, with a view to identifying:
What I haven’t worn in a season - the stylist’s 101 ‘reverse hanger trick’ is a good way to track this, where you face the hangers in your wardrobe the wrong direction. Once you have worn the item, turn the hanger around the correct way and by the end of a season, it’ll be easy to tell what clothes you haven’t reached for - simple!
What I have realised doesn’t work for me - this comes back to knowing your shape, style and colours - some tips on this here:
What works but I’d like a better version of it - having recently ‘reviewed’ my knitwear, I have realised that, for me, there would be more versatility and styling opportunities in a classic cashmere or merino wool crew neck jumper, than in some of the bulkier alpaca or mohair pieces I own. More on this later.
I’ve loved reading around the topic of ‘closet edits’ for this post and when I read this nugget of wisdom
, it literally blew my mind!Pay as much attention to what you’re letting go of as you are to what you’re keeping.
Amazing, right?! We can actually learn as much about our style from what we are ‘editing out’ as from what we are adding in - possibly even more! I also REALLY like this take from
seeing it as an opportunity to learn from our ‘mistakes’:It can be hard to say goodbye to clothes sometimes, but a closet edit can provide so much clarity, gently forcing us to be honest with ourselves about who we are, how we like to clothe ourselves, and hopefully how we can avoid making purchase mistakes in the future. And I’ve learned that if I don’t know WHERE the clothes will go, the “donate” pile just keeps getting higher and never goes anywhere 😅
For me, I have to work hard to not be too trigger happy with my ‘editing’, but I get that others might find it hard to prize anything from their wardrobes. We’ve all had different life experiences, and have different sentimentalities about these things. I grew up not having much (no one had much in the 80s, right?!) and I think this is what drives me to seek the BEST versions of items, within what I can afford - and that’s the important bit! This is also one of the reasons I love to shop preloved, as shopping preloved brings pieces which were otherwise unaffordable to me into a more attainable realm. Self awareness, oh yeah! 🤘🏻
And Natalie’s right, your family/ partner/ roomie will thank you for having a plan in place as to where you will sell/ donate these edited items. For me, they invariably end up on my Vinted. Pop in for a snoop if you’re in the UK or Europe - sorry stateside readers!
Speaking of Vinted, I read a really shocking statistic this week, on
. There are currently 53.4 million Zara items listed on Vinted! 😳 Obviously it’s good that they’re being resold but it just shows how much fast fashion ‘through-flow’ there is in all of our wardrobes. Scary.I’m happy to say that my husband did a double take this week when he saw a Zara box in the hallway, as I’m trying to avoid buying from fast fashion high street shops as much as possible. The exception to the rule is if the item has excellent material credentials, like 100% cotton/ linen/ cashmere/ wool, making it more likely to wear well, to last and therefore to be more sustainable. Said Zara box that caused the mild startle contained these, as a ‘buy to try’ in my search for neutral leather flats (more of this later), but they’re heading back from whence they came 🙌🏻
What I’m selling/ have sold this month
I appreciate that what follows is a very personal take on what I’m selling/ have sold and why, and what I’m considering buying. But I wanted to include it to show the ‘why’ and the thought process behind my decisions, with a view to helping you to decide what might not be working as hard as it could be in your wardrobe.
Arket cable knit jumper
You might remember that this Arket jumper and my treasured Loulou Studio cable knit (found on Vestiaire Collective for a steal I might add) arrived, like buses, in the same week so unfortunately one of them had to go. I would 100% recommend this jumper though, love the material credentials (100% wool), the relaxed fit and the best bit and what makes it stand out from the rest, the exaggerated cuffs 😍 Just be careful washing it, as I inadvertently shrank my first iteration of this!
WSLY Rivington tank
I bought this tank top on The OUTNET after reading this article and I have to say, it did not disappoint! The only issue is colour - I actually really like this colour and it’s cool enough to suit my pale colouring, BUT it doesn’t fit with the rest of my wardrobe sadly. I’ll be looking for this exact tank in white, grey or black, as it is as good as ‘they’ say, and who am I to agree with Bella Hadid.
Neous Phoenix bag
This is a big one! The Neous Phoenix bag. I bought this in the Net-a-Porter sale at an extreme discount and on the back of selling some other bags. While I love the colour and the quality is AMAZING, and the style matches the brief of a very good smart look/ work day bag, the size is a little too big for me. It’s a good reminder that just because it’s reduced, it doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you! More on this thought below.
H&M ‘sale rail’ dresses
A few years ago I attended a styling event ran by Donna Taylor (aka Sulky Doll, stylist and Burberry x Conde Nast programme leader) and I remember feeling really shocked by some advice she gave - she said “don’t buy sale items”. Like what, never?! We all like a peruse and a bargain, but her wisdom was around not buying it unless it was already in your basket. I hate to say it, but as I’m moving through this journey, she’s kinda right! Proof in the pudding. I bought these two dresses on the H&M sale rail as I liked them, they were 100% something (merino wool and cotton), and they were well reduced. Yet here we are, they weren’t quite right for me, and are being passed on to someone who hopefully did have them (or similar) on their wish list.
Citizens of Humanity Ayla jeans
I hate to admit it but these were a semi-impulsive buy. I spotted them preloved at a good price and had wanted a wide leg darker wash denim. However I haven’t reached for them as much as my lighter wash ones, which I just love. It makes me happy to think that they’ve gone to another good home and will get the wear they deserve.
With a view to buying…
As well as having a little seasonal wardrobe clear out, I’ve done a little Spring clean on my wish list - which I keep on Indyx. Thanks to removing a few pieces which have sat, stewed and, a few weeks on, lost their lustre (for me), and to making a few wish list purchases (mostly preloved of course, my favourite way), it’s now looking lighter and leaner. This is a good thing. Here’s what I’ve bought or what I’m considering buying.
100% cashmere jumper - preloved
I’ve seen soooo much grey crew neck styling inspiration of late from Anna at The Wardrobe Edit and
who describes her ‘old’ grey sweater as her ‘wardrobe hero’ - I totally get that! It’s often the simple pieces which are the most powerful and do the most leg work in your wardrobe.So anyway, long story short, I bit the bullet and bought this preloved Uniqlo 100% cashmere jumper, which I’d been eyeballing for over a month. And testament to asking questions - this is a size large (not my usual), but when I asked the seller for measurements, it sounded like it would work. And news just in, hot off the press, it literally could not be more perfect!
Two bags inspired by Leanne White!
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know my borderline obsession with finding a ‘textured black bag for summer’ (reader stifles a yawn). But there may be an end in sight. Alienina bags have been on my radar for a while, having seen them on Anna of
and on at the recent LTK gala (honestly her style 👌🏻). So when I saw this bag on Vinted for less than £20, I pounced! These bags are made from organic cotton ropes which would otherwise have been production waste - talk about a sustainable brand! I’m beyond excited for it to arrive.The inspiration for this Arket raffia bag is also from
- she has one of THE best summer wardrobes - and, as a fellow mum of three, understands that hands free is the only way. Honestly, I wear my Cos sling bag every day and this looks like the perfect Spring/ Summer iteration.Jil Sander sling backs
As well as grey crew neck inspiration, and sometimes in tandem (see
dreamy outfit below), I’ve been obsessing over by Spring outfits finished off with a neutral tone pointed flat or low heel. Such a chic look!These Jil Sander knotted slingback beauties have been fast tracked onto my wish list. They look incredible and are 75% off here! Madness! I now need to work hard to slow the urge (lets not forget Donna’s advice on sale purchases within a few paragraphs!) and to make sure they are ones for me. No one said it was gonna be easy! 😆
Here’s just some of the inspiration that I’ve come across for this look.
And a final word on a previous (and very popular) wish list piece - the Citizens of Humanity Marcelle cargos. I mulled over these for quite a while - the sign of a good wish list slow paced purchase - I sold a few items, and hey presto they popped up in the Matches sale in my size and very heavily reduced. I’m planning to wear these day and night (see below). Definitely worth the wait.
So that’s all for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and that it has in some small way inspired you to think about your wardrobe a little differently, and hopefully a little more sustainably. See you next weekend, Jenny x
Those cargos 😍 I saw them on your packing list and thought wow they’re lush!!
Such an interesting post! I really liked the idea of paying attention to what you’re getting rid of x