Monday, May 05, 2014

My Monthly Purchases: April 2014 Part 1

Brace yourselves for a lengthy read. I decided to do my monthly budget in two posts, starting with the free stuff. My goal is to spend under $500 per season on clothing/shoes. Each season is three months long.

Birthday money, combined with a trip to Vancouver, made for a busy shopping month.

I'll start off with all of the free stuff. These items do not count towards my budget.

Sneakers: Converse via The Bay
Discounted from $65 to $42
I have been aching for these sneakers since I saw them on-line earlier this year. I ordered these and the rose-gold metallic ones. I told myself I was only allowed to keep one pair and these were the winner. It was actually an easy choice as the rose-gold ones weren't that pretty in real life.



Navy bucket bag: Old Navy (no longer available on-line but they are still in store as of last week)
Discounted from $30 to $17.50
I really wanted a bucket bag, but didn't want to pay a lot for one as I'm saving my "bag budget" for a new black handbag when we go to Vegas. This was a perfect choice to make me feel like I have a new spring bag, without spending a lot. The (fake) leather looks surprisingly supple.

Sneakers: Peter Pilotto for Target
Discounted from $30 to $9
Slip on sneaks are having a moment right now and these are certainly a fun version. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll style them with my chambray dress. I wore these to the mall on the weekend and three people stopped me to ask me where I got them.




Scarves: Gap (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $65 to $12 for both.
I couldn't pass these up. One is a winter snood, powder blue and heavy knit. The other one is an oatmeal infinity scarf with neon orange stripes.

Tee: Smart Set (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $29 to $11
One can never have enough simple black shirts. This one has faux leather sleeves and the material is nice and thick. Worn here.

Tee: Smart Set
Discounted from $25 to $7.50
Cardigan: H&M
Regular price: $18
I love lightweight cardigans, especially at the office. This tee was one of my picks for the Opposites Attract feature I did for Halifax Shopping Centre. Graphic tees are always a favourite of mine as they can be dressed up or down. See how I styled these new buys on the streets of Vancouver recently.

Shirt: Joe Fresh (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $29 to $15
A slightly sheer animal print blouse with various blue shades. I think this will look great with denim or navy dress pants. I'm also excited to see how it looks with the below jeans.

Jeans: Joe Fresh
Discounted from $19 to $10
I've been looking for comfortable white denim for a long time. White denim can be scary if the cut or stretch factor is off, but these were flattering... and ten bucks!



Belt: Joe Fresh (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $25 to $3
Fun animal print belt for a steal!

Top: Joe Fresh
Regular price $19
I love lacy tops in neutral colors. I have a much heavier sweater that is the same shade and I wear it a lot on summer nights.



Top: J Crew
Discounted from $128 to $18
This is a girly shirt with contrasting sporty stripes down the arms, reminiscent of Adidas jackets from days gone by.






I used part of my birthday money on a fabulous experience at the Bay in Vancouver. Topshop at the Bay has a FREE personal shopping service! R and I were in there getting him some new things for the wedding we attended, and I decided to come back the next day for some pampering. My stylist was Kenneth, and he was really fun and very quickly got a sense of my style. He had about eight outfits pulled for me when I arrived, and I had large private dressing area to myself for the appointment. It was really fun to try on the things he chose for me, and I came away with three key pieces that I love! If you're in Toronto or Vancouver, I HIGHLY recommend this service. Topshop can be really overwhelming and it's a great way to zone in. I could have bought so much more - really had to restrain myself.

Pants: Topshop
Regular price $72
I told Kenneth I wanted "dressy track pants" and he knew exactly what I was looking for. These are high-waisted, have a strong waistband that stays put, and I can alter where they hit length-wise with the elastic ankle.



Sandals: Topshop
Regular price: $50
OK, I have a hard time believing these are only $50. They are classy, have a really cute turn-lock closure, and the heel height is perfect for work or play.






Skirt: Topshop
Regular price: $44
I couldn't leave this, it was far too fun. I'm on a hunt for a powder blue top to wear with it, but it looks great with black, white, grey, and pink too.

Not a fan of the shoes they paired this skirt with...


See, I told you this was an extensive read! Watch for part two later this week where I'll share what I spent of my own money... not much more, I promise.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl



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