As the year wraps up, I want to take a moment to think about my purchases and gifted items this year. Some were absolute hits, a few were misses, and others somewhere in between. In a continued effort to keep a manageable and sustainable closet size, I find this exercise helpful and hope you do as well!
Hits
Everlane Perform Leggings (c/o)
I admit, I was initially dubious about Everlane’s entrance into the athletic wear category. In the end, I’ve worn my Perform Leggings (reviewed here) often, particularly for spin classes and have found them to be great lightweight leggings. The only downside is that they show sweat in their lighter colors, if you mind that. Plus: these are currently on sale for $43 (25% off) in their year-end sale!
Everlane Easy Chino Shorts (c/o)
During the summer months, I easily wore these shorts 3 – 4x per week. If I had more than just the one pair, I would have easily worn them 7 days a week. Super comfy with the elastic high waist, yet still put together enough to not feel just like PJs. These are also on sale right now at $33 or 31% off!
Crossbody Straps (Etsy & Amazon) for LV Pochette
This year, I really wanted to try and do more with what I already have. Prior to buying these two bag straps (write-up here) for my 2005 Louis Vuitton Pochette Accessoires, I had used the bag maybe 5 times. Since then, I’ve worn it at least 1-2x per week for groceries and errands. I’m really glad I was able to make it so functional with such a small addition!
Tory Burch Apple Watch Strap
My 40mm Apple Watch originally with a white sport loop that was decidedly… not white anymore. It was pretty gross, so I found myself wearing it less frequently because of that. I ended up buying this Tory Burch strap linked above (brown is sold out, similar color here) that makes me excited to incorporate it into my daily outfits. When I exercise, it’s easy swap it out for a sport band to avoid sweating on the lather.
The Curated Classic Blazer
The most ‘work-like’ purchase on this list, but easily a favorite. This blazer simply feels so luxurious compared to suiting blazers, and is functional as well with its increased warmth. I love how easily this evelates a look, while also having enough room to wear a sweater underneath for these colder months. As you know from my review, I’m Big Fan. It’s also priced very well compared to other similar blazers that are all in the $1,000+ range from Max Mara.
Rellery Mini Double Disk Necklace (c/o)
(Sponsored) review here – I tried three pieces from Rellery, and while all are lovely, this is the necklace I reach for the most. I love how simple and minimal it is. It also adds a nice touch to any outfit and works with a variety of necklines (crew, v, turtleneck etc).
Misses
Elizabeth Suzann Reece Sweater (Example)
I purchased this at the start of the year – I love my heavyweight Cocoon Coat (reviewed here), so a sweater with the lightweight wool sounded great. Unfortunately, the drop-shoulder / crop style just didn’t work for me. I thought it would get less ‘boxy’ on my frame after a few wears, but it never really did. That’s ok though, I ended up rehoming it to someone who will hopefully love it!
Pistola White Jeans
In my quest for jeans-that-won’t-stain-light-colored-handbags, I was looking for a pair of high waisted jeans. I found a secondhand (but new with tags) pair from Pistola, a brand I’ve worn in the past from a Stitch Fix trial, at a pretty cheap price on Poshmark. While the fabric composition was similar to my other pair, the fit had a lot of bunching at the seams. Sadly, this pair will be donated.
Rachel Comey Mars Mule (similar)
These were from one of 260 Sample Sale online sales (oh how I miss in-person sample sales in NY). They were a great price in a beautiful cognac suede and simple mule style. Unfortunately, even though I sized up, they are still too small on me. And because it’s from a sample sale, I can’t exchange / return, so I’m looking to rehome them!
Mansur Gavriel Cloud Clutch
I was smitten by the Bottega Venetta puffy / dumpling clutch trend, and purchased the less expense Mansur Gavriel version. Quality wise, it was great – I handled both the MG and BV versions side by side, and the leather feels very similar between the two.
However, as much as I wanted to be a crook-of-the-arm-cool-clutch-carrying lady, I realized this was very impractical for my Real Life and returned it after two weeks of deliberation. As you know I purchased their mini Protea bag instead, which is much more usable and on sale now for 35% off!
Honorable Mentions
You may notice an absence of one category in the Hits section – shoes. Given that the majority of my outings this year were grocery shopping related, certain styles just didn’t get as much love.
For those acquired this year, my VOTE collection leather Birdies, Everlane ReKnit Boss Boot (reviewed here, also now 50% off!), and Rothy’s Lace-Up (reviewed here) sneakers got the most regular use.
Otherwise, older items like my beige leather Birdies, Allbirds tree loungers and Birkenstocks were in pretty heavy rotation.
Hope you find this list helpful as you’re perusing end-of-year sales and taking inventory of your own closet for the new year.
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was not sponsored by any of the brands listed above. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
