In the words of Marli, the first brave soul to complete the Mini Challenge

Shop my closet 365 mini challenge: March

When I signed up for the month-long challenge to wear a different outfit every day, I thought it would be a breeze. I have closets full of beautiful clothes and while I also fall into the trap of wearing favourites over and over again, I generally try to give every beloved item a turn now and then.

The no-spending part of the challenge didn’t scare me in the least. In 2009 I went six months without spending one cent on any clothing, accessories or make-up – nothing!

So there I was, mid-March (the height of summer in Cape Town) going full steam with my mini-challenge, wearing a different little summery dress every day, not buying a thing. Like Liezl, I really do find dressing easier in the summer. I love dresses, always have, and it’s just too easy to drop a simple, a feminine, a sexy or a serious dress over my head, put on shoes and I’m done!

Then, slap-bang in the middle of my Shopmycloset mini-challenge, my biggest shopping excitement and challenge downfall landed straight in my lap: a ten day trip to London! The whole reason my previous shopping hiatus lasted six months and not a year, as intended, was a trip to Europe.

I cannot resist shopping, and shopping A LOT, when I find myself in foreign countries! The trends are a season ahead in the Northern hemisphere, I can shop at the Meccas of affordability (Primark, H&M and Zara are my top-temptations) AND be sure that no-one else will be wearing the same things… It’s just too much for a girl to resist.

So to add to my outfit challenge, and no-shopping challenge I now also faced a packing challenge and a change of season challenge! I had to go from dresses and flip-flops to chilly spring in Europe within 12 hours. I wanted to pack super light, as I always end up wearing the same favourites over and over, and besides, lighter luggage means more space for new purchases! Yes it’s true, I wasn’t even going to attempt not shopping, and I mailed Liezl to let her know, I’d been defeated.

Once in London I was spending a lot of time on my own, just me and the shops, just the way I like it, so a couple of days flew by without me taking my daily outfit picture! Another failure, but I solemnly swear that I didn’t once repeat an outfit from head to toe. They do all look very similar to me in the end, as I’d only taken one pair of flat boots and two outerwear items (a knit coat and a leather-look jacket). It was so chilly that I was inevitably wearing one or the other at all times!

　　

　

So what did I learn from my March mini challenge?

• Summer dressing IS easier: I think I have enough summer dresses to wear a different one each day for months!
• It’s too easy to wear your favourites all the time: giving another option a chance helps you make the most of your wardrobe and potentially shop less.
• Packing as light as possible is completely worth it: I shopped to my hearts’ content without worrying about weight allowances and I never missed one item I didn’t pack.
• If you’re going on a shopping holiday: pack the day before, and on travel day, remove five more items. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to wear new purchases straight away so you need less of your ‘old’ wardrobe.
• A spending ban heightens my awareness of value: When I ‘m not meant to be shopping, I really have to need and/or love something to allow it.
• I recall at least two occasions before my trip where I momentarily forgot about the challenge and almost bought something cheap and cheerful.
• The one was a cute winter dress in a synthetic fabric. Looking back, I really won’t miss that dress in my wardrobe and the sweaty fabric would probably have meant me hardly ever wearing it. Maybe I should always shop as if I’m mid-challenge!

　Day 71 - Outfit 71

Once again - this photo looked better in real life. I'm going to have to have a talk with my one legged photographer. Black sweater, jean shirt dress, leggings and blinky flats