Best and Worst Wardrobe Purchases of 2014

I keep track of what I spend on my wardrobe each year, but I lose track of the items themselves. What were the best deals? What did I pay most for? What were my best buys? What were the worst?

I hope to start an annual tradition of listing my top five cheapest, most expensive, best, and worst purchases of the year.

Cheap

These were all (surprise!) second-hand finds.

1. Tilt denim skirt $0.74 (thrifted)
2. Anne Klein red envelope purse, $1 (garage sale)
3. Floral blouse, $1.48 (thrifted and already returned to the thrift pool due to it’s fiber content)
4. Dana Pierce wool tweed shorts, $2.33 (thrifted and not listed under my “worst” buys although some may beg to differ!)
5. Turquoise open-weave sweater, $2.50


Expensive

The most expensive items are shoes and/or made from leather or silk.

1. Ariat Dahlia Dainty boots in Brown, $199.00.
2. Ella Moss Marigold Print Silk Dress, $158.90.
3. Joe’s “Abby” cutout leather bootie, $132.90
4. Brynn Marina shoe, $109.00
5. Zara leather biker jacket, $99.99.


Worst

Of everything I purchased in 2014, I most regret these:

1. Zara leather biker jacket, $99.99. Not only was this one of the most expensive items I bought, it’s also one of the crappiest. First of all, it’s too small. I’m not a big person and I can barely zip this size medium jacket. Second, the hems are finished with something that feels like wire, so the bottom edges and lapels and cuffs are stiff and emerge from my closet in odd contortions. I’ll give the jacket a few more tries, but I’m pretty disappointed in it.
2. Kelly and Katie leopard slippers, $59.95. The irony is that I went to DSW specifically to buy these shoes after I hurt my ankle. I’ve worn the other two pairs of “sensible” shoes I purchased on that DSW trip far more than this slipper style shoe. I may like them better in the spring, with bare legs and skirts. We shall see.
3. Zara Combined leather high heeled court shoe, $39.99. These are utterly useless. Despite inserts, they fall off my feet with every step. I gave up and sent these to the thrift store. Have I mentioned that nothing I have ever bought from Zara has worked out?
4. Willi Smith ikat trousers, $29.99. Like nearly every other pair of pants I own, these “grow” over the course of the day. They go from slightly slouchy in the morning to super saggy in the afternoon. I continue to hate pants.
5. Leggings Queen ankle zip faux leather leggings, $24.95. I am regret spending a $20 Amazon gift card on these leggings (bringing my cost down to $4.95). The zippered ankle makes them painful to wear with boots, so the only shoe they look right with is a pump. But I’m not a fan of leggings and pumps. These leggings could NEVER be worn as pants because the effect above my thighs is obscene. Trust me.


Best

Spoiler alert: classics in neutral colors are my best buys. I love statement pieces, but it’s the well-made basics that I wear to death.

1. Joe’s “Abby” cutout leather bootie, $132.90. These were one of my most expensive, but also best, purchases. I’d been searching for a black bootie with special details for months when these showed up on a Nordstrom sale. The double zipper and cut out makes them special. The chunky heel makes them practical. I debuted them in October and have already worn them 8 times. They have become a wardrobe staple.
2. Lauren Ralph Lauren Bethan Tall Dress Boot in black, $89.99. I only paid $39.99 for these, thanks to a $50 gift card, but I would have paid full price for these beautiful and versatile boots. I bought these in February and wore them 17 times in 2014.
3. Black and white Merona purse, $34.99. This isn’t real leather and it is a knock-off of some designer, but I carry it all the time. Over 32 times. (I carried it so often that I stopped including it in every outfit photo, so I don’t have an exact count of the number of days I used this bag.)
4. Audrey Brooke boots, $25.00. This isn’t a super fancy brand (I think it is a DSW house brand) and I bought them at a consignment shop. I would have paid much more than $25 for these buttery boots in rich cognac with warm gold-tone accents. I bought them in February and wore them 10 times. I have a pair of dark brown Nine West boots and thought a second pair of brown boots would be redundant. Instead, I discovered that the difference in sheen, tone, and heel and toe shape make these quite distinct from my other brown boots.
5. Under Skies Dress, $21.99. This was another consignment purchase. I think Under Skies is a crappy junior’s brand, but this dress is mostly cotton, so I forgive the juvenile label and lack of lining. I love the black and white pattern, fit and flare shape, pleather details, cut-outs, and suitability for layering. I’ve worn it nine times since I bought it in July. This post reminds me of all the ways I have yet to wear it!


Over to you: what were your best deals? What did you spend the most on? What did you regret buying? What has turned out to be a wardrobe staple?