HGF's Wishful Shopping Thoughts

P and I have had, at length, many conversations about lessons learned during her time in Fashion Rehab. One that strongly resonated with me is P's discovery that she often shopped for a life she wished she had instead of the life she does have. What does this mean? Well, it means different things to different people, but for me it means I do not have a closet full of beautiful clutches, soaring high heels and short shorts.

real life vs. wishful thinking

Allow me to expand further, as I too have been guilty of this affliction P has previously written about Wishful Shopping-itis. It usually ends up with me having a collection of stunning dresses hanging in my way-too-small closet that never get to come out and play. I have recently reformed my ways (for the most part...) and now shop according to my every day life, only once in a while treating myself to something I know I will only wear once or twice (like the gold lame Halston dress I scored for $50; I mean, seriously, could you walk away from 80% off?)

I have come to realize there are 3 major factors that dictate my daily wardrobe choices. Now when I shop, I try to make sure that any new garment I am buying fits at least one of the criteria for every day use:

1. I bike. Everywhere. I live in downtown Toronto and do not need a car, nor would I have anywhere to park said car if it existed. Well, thank goodness for cross-body bags! Hands-free, out of the way and perfect for a cyclist. So glad they have seen a resurgence in popularity this past year. I especially love the ones with a removable strap, that way you can have the best of both worlds!

2. I have a job that requires me to be on my feet practically the whole time. This means no sky-high platforms for me. Instead, I opt for a comfortable flat or something with a short 1" heel. When I am not at work and I'm running errands around the city, wedges are perfect. This year I picked up a great pair from the Gap that I know I will be wearing non-stop! Comfort + style!

3. I live in Canada. This means we get lovely warm sunny weather 3-4 months out of the year and the rest of the time it's quite chilly and grey. Normally, you would think this would be a total bummer, but I love a good jacket!Therefore my penchant for collecting jackets is 100% justified. I have about 20 (not counting blazers) and they all get worn often. Recently, I realized I was lacking a good black leather jacket, so I pounced on this baby!

So I put the question to you: have you ever been guilty of wishful shopping like P and I? And how do you manage to stay chic according to your lifestyle?

-Sarah May

Hunt. Gather. Fashion.