Secondhand September: The Haul

Hello, Twenty-Ninth Readers! This is Kari again.

I'm closing out my retail fast this week. I'm really glad I did it. Beyond learning a lot about the fashion industry through reading and a lot about myself by taking a break from the mall, I scored some really great wardrobe pieces. Here's the round up!

I went shopping once a week for four weeks in a row, and the financial grand total for the month was about $45. I found some incredibly satisfying and inspiring pieces (the four dresses below, in particular), and I denied myself nothing. Add to this the feel-good feelings of doing good to a do-good organization and a complete absence of buyers regret, and I had a phenomenal shopping month.

As I close out this series, I want to share a decision I've made with you: I want to stop being a shopper, and rather be a careful curator. This basically means I want to head out strongly committed to a wardrobe vision, just like a gallery curator is committed to showcasing only the best art. I want to be intensely faithful to my personal style and only bring home the pieces that ring true with my creative tone. This might mean I make a heavy investment here and there in things that will really enhance my collection. It might mean I pass up a number of not-quite-perfect things as I wait for perfection to come along. I don't want to do this to be snobby, but rather for the maximum satisfaction and inspiration that comes from loving everything in my closet.  

Whether you shop thrift stores or mall-crawl, you too can have such a closet. It just requires that you know yourself and what you like. However you do it, take the time to hone your personal style and stay true to it. Good luck!

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End note from Casey:

I couldn't agree more -- being a careful curator of your clothes is one of the best ways to ensure that you're staying true to your aesthetic and personal style. Instead of buying things to just to fill your closet, consider your wardrobe and style as a whole, and then thoughtfully add pieces here and there that enhance your entire look. That doesn't mean you can't go shopping for fun! Just have your vision in mind, and shop like a curator.

That concludes Secondhand September! Thanks to Kari for all the time she put into writing up her thoughts and going shopping (although I'm sure that part wasn't hard, haha).