Style Resolutions.

Annnd Friday! This week flew by. I guess it helped that I had a flight delay on Monday and spent Tuesday in New Jersey with my family… but now I’m just here, wondering where the week went! I hope you have fun weekend plans!

Today I’ve teamed up with thredUP to share some style resolutions. It was funny when they reached out to work on a project together as I was already so familiar with their brand. It’s a consignment site with a ton of amazing brands (think everything from Madewell + Zara to Rebecca Taylor and Joie), and everything is up to 90% off retail.

I’ve long been selling my clothes with them. They make it so easy – sending you a big green thredUP “Clean Out Bag” that you fill to the brim and mail back (it’s all pre-paid postage). I can be so bad about remembering to take things to sell, this takes out all the hard parts. For today’s post, the brand challenged me to do a little shopping. I know, really hard. I ended up finding this Alice & Olivia dress for $95. It would have easily cost $500 or $600 new, and looks brand new. When I shop, I typically shop by brand, and then toggle by size or color. I found so many great pieces from Rebecca Taylor, Theory, and Alice & Olivia + was blown away by how great the prices are!

But I digress… let’s talk style resolutions!

Buy what makes you smile. I have a rule lately, where I won’t buy something unless it makes my heart happy. This is always my litmus test when making a purchase, big or small. Perhaps it’s a neon yellow fringe flapper dress that puts a smile on your face just seeing it in your closet. (I’m not just inventing this dress, I’m thinking of Bradley’s dress here when I say that.) Or maybe the jeans just fit you so d*mn well that you smile putting them on in the morning. This can mean a lot of things, but your fashion choices should always put a smile on your face. Life is too short to wear drab clothing – or deal with a waistband that cuts in, pants that make you trip, and so on and so forth. (A tailor can help with some of these things, too.)

If you truly love it, buy more than one. For me, there are a few things that are so perfect that I have bought them in multiple colors. My favorite Madewell tee (it’s the slub-knit v-neck one), J.Crew’s Pixie Pants, Manolo Blahnik BB pumps, cashmere sweaters from Otte + Grana, and Rebecca Taylor’s drawstring shirt dresses. For those great basics, you just have to do it.

Invest in the classics. You’ll never regret that Burberry Trench or leather bag that just gets better with age. When I do clean out my closet I’m always struck by how much fast fashion I’m getting rid of. Never the classic (though often pricier) pieces.

Really think before hitting purchase. How to afford the Chanel and Burberry? Stop buying all the other stuff. I hit on it above, but my shopping regrets are never the classics… it’s the fast fashion I buy on my lunch break, or the weird tent dress that my girlfriend talked me into buying because it was on sale and seemed like a good idea. By avoiding those impulse purchases, you’ll have more money to spend on classic investment pieces.

Shop secondhand more often! This little secondhand adventure with thredUP really got me thinking as I bought so many things with a $200 credit. This dress was the most expensive thing in the lot, but I also bought a silk top ($43) and sweater ($80) (both from Rebecca Taylor). Both pieces still had the original tags on them. It’s shocking what you can find secondhand at such amazing price points. This is especially great for party dresses and things you only wear every now and again because chances are the previous owner only wore those pieces a few times before selling them.

Dress for your body type. This has probably been the hardest one for me, but it’s something I’m working on every day and getting better at. I can’t help it, I love a good shapeless sack. But I’ve got boobs and a butt, and shapeless looks awful on me. I end up looking big all over. For me, I look best in a tunic and skinny jeans or leather leggings, or a short dress that is nipped in at the waist in some shape or form… usually I’ll either go for a fit + flare silhouette or a dress that has a drawstring at the waist. No more sacks in 2016. Or maybe just one or two sacks, every so often.

Go by how it fits, not the number inside. This is another one I’m actively working on. Why, why, why do numbers matter so much? Inside my closet, I literally own pieces that range from XS to Large. I even own a few plus size t-shirts (another one of my secrets) as they’re oversized and slouchy. I have dresses in my closet that range from size 2-10. But still, I care so much about fitting into my usual size. It’s really, really stupid. Some brands vanity size, some don’t. If you care too much about the number inside, bad things will happen (trust me, I have a few posts I’ve deleted as the clothes I was wearing are just way. too. tight). Now, when trying clothes on, I bring in 3 sizes. I don’t look at the number while I’m trying them on, and I take home the one that fits best. (Crazy girl sidebar: If you really hate whatever number it ends up being, just cut the tag out!)

So, those are my resolutions. How about you? What’s the best piece of shopping advice you ever received?

photography by Tonhya Wysong.