Similar to 2021 and 2020, it’s time for my end of year review post featuring highlights and lowlights of my purchases this past year. This will include purchases from last November through October of this year; it’s a little too early to tell with this year’s November & December purchases.
Hits
So these are from November of last year, but were too new for my 2021 round-up, so I am including them here. These sheets are so so comfortable and have a nice warmth without being too hot. Once the temperatures start dropping, we immediately switch to these. Our other sateen cotton set feel too cool to the touch for winter, especially when our place gets sub-60F degrees overnight.
New Balance 996 & Converse Hi-Top All-Stars
Grouping these two together as they fall into a similar category: classic, comfortable sneakers. I’m glad these styles remain popular today – I find myself reaching for sneakers more often than not, and appreciate that they can be worn in any season.
Zimmermann Prima Belted Mini Dress
In all honesty, this was somewhat of an impulse splurge. I stumbled onto Zimmermann, a popular Australian brand, last year and loved the unique prints and flowy silhouettes. I was able to wear this dress to multiple weddings and some evening events (ex. Broadway show), and will definitely be bringing it out next spring. I love the high-neck style, which reminds me of a traditional qi pao neckline.
Another hit from the Nordstrom shoe section. Love that these can be dressed up or down, and I’ve comfortably walked 10+ city blocks in them, in addition to traipsing up and down stairs to the subway. Similar to the above, I wore these to a bunch of events throughout the spring and summer, and will be doing the same next year.
This was the casual camel shoulder bag I’ve been searching for, at a price point that doesn’t break the bank. It pairs really easily with most of my outfits, and fits enough for a full day out running errands.
Was super thrilled to support Jean of Extra Petite, whose blog I’ve followed for more than 10 years! This belt is nicely made and pairs easily with outfits since it is reversible between black and brown.
Misses
I mentioned this miss in my Polene ultimate round-up. While I love the look of the design, this particular size wasn’t as practical for me, especially compared to the Tonca. The quality and value were excellent, however, in true Polene fashion.
Vintage Tapered Wool Trousers (Similar)
So… this is not technically a miss, as it will eventually become a hit. I purchased these knowing they would require some hemming, which I thought would be easy. Little did I know, altering tapered pants is a bit more complicated than hemming jeans. I set this to the side for a few months, as it requires adjusting the entire pant leg shape. I’ve now planned it all out and will be taking advantage of holiday week downtime to finally hem them!
Pre-Loved Everlane Denim Jacket (Similar)
Unfortunately, this jacket was a bit too oversized and stiff for my liking. Oversized shoulders are tricky for me – I feel like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect fit. I ended up reverting to a more classic denim jacket (found on Thredup!), which I’ve worn much more frequently.
Throwing this one in here because why not. As someone with temperamentally frizzy wavy hair, I enjoy trying out new hair regimens to try and calm my hair down. Prose is the more luxurious option in the custom hair care space, with single bottles priced around $32. I liked that their formulas are cruelty-free and paraben-free by default, and have additional ingredient options beyond those. Unfortunately, I noticed more shedding when I switched, so this was a miss for me.
Made
This section is light this year, as I didn’t sew as many items as I expected. The good news is that I’ve taken a one-in-one-out (or rather, fabric-in-and-immediately-made) approach with the few fabrics I added to my stash. So my overall utilization of my stash is still high. I’m really hoping to pick up knitting again in 2023, I have so much yarn still leftover from 2020 🙈. First on the list is a nice, simple beanie for my dad, which should be a relatively quick knit.
1 + 1 + 1 Wardrobe Goal Reflection
In early January, I set a goal of limiting myself to 36 new clothing items this year or 3 items per month. 1 new, 1 me-made, and 1 pre-loved.
Well… I failed terribly, ha. Admittedly, I was somewhat on track in the first half of the year through May or so, with 12 purchases and one third of them pre-loved. What really knocked me off track: return of travel, events, and starting a new job, all in the second half of the year. Over the past few years, my closet has been very curated around temperate San Francisco Bay Area weather and mainly staying indoors as we WFH. And I had a lot less time to sew this year compared to the last few, which in retrospect, makes sense.
I would say that this year was an unusually busy one for us – so I’d like to set a goal for next year, but want to take some more time for reflection. I’d like to make some adjustments to make it still ambitious, but more balanced at the same time!
