This time around I've combined two months because amazingly, apart from the necklace (which would have made a paltry Buyer's Archive post), I didn't buy anything clothes-wise in October. We won't mention all the other stuff - gig tickets, CDs, meals out, Christmas presents and train tickets - that I spent my money on.
November was less successful, spending wise. I sold a pile of clothes on eBay at the start of the month, making almost £200. My plan had been to save that and cut my spending to the bone in preparation for the drastic reduction in salary coming up in the new year.
But it didn't really work out like that.
I found myself, instead, spending quite a bit on both things I needed and things I didn't, with the justification that I'd better spend money while I still have it! I never have got the hang of saving...
First, the items that have been on my shopping list:
Black cocoon coat, ASOS £46.40 (thanks to a 20% off code)
I've been in dire need of a smart-ish winter coat for almost two years now. I have a navy duffle coat which is warm and cosy but also has a broken zip and holes in. But could I find a coat I liked? Could I hell. I've spent the past two winters trying on coat after coat, without finding anything I really wanted. Even this one, I'm unsure about. Bulky winter coats don't flatter the huge-boobed, and this one is designed to be quite loose-fitting (the fact it's a size 12 and still has room to spare shows you just how loose-fitting it is). So I'm not totally sure it's the most flattering coat ever but hey, I'm trying to embrace the 'fuck flattering' mantra.
Black lace dress, H&M £18.74 (with 25% off)
I've wanted a black lace dress for a couple of years and H&M do one pretty much every winter but I invariably can't squeeze my chest into their size 16s. Luckily, they go up to size 18 online and I just happened to have a 25% off code burning a hole in my pocket when this came back into stock briefly, so I pounced on it. Although it's still really tight around the waist, it fits perfectly everywhere else so I'm hanging onto it in the hope it'll stretch out a bit.
Statement necklace, John Lewis £16
Did I really need this? Possibly not. But I've been looking for a gold-coloured, simple, non-blingy statement necklace since at least this time last year, and without any luck whatsoever. So it was very much on my list of things to buy and I was thrilled to find one I liked so much.
Dark green cardigan, H&M £19.99
Ok, so my cardigan collection is ridiculous - up to about 30 at last count - but what I was lacking was both a green cardigan and a longer-line cardigan, so this super-soft H&M number was perfect.
Topshop Leigh jeans, £34.20 (with 10% student discount)
The other essential was a new pair of black skinny jeans: my current pair being now baggy of arse and holey of thigh. I was holding out for a Topshop discount code, but they're pretty rare, and in the end I gave in and ordered a new pair using Thomas's still-working student discount.
Black Peter Pan collar dress, Modcloth $41.24/£27 (with 20% discount code)
I'm more excited about this dress than one should reasonably be about an item of clothing. I've been eyeing it up on Modcloth for months - I mean let's face it, with that collar it's pretty much the perfect Janet dress - but I wasn't sure which size to go for and was wary about the prospect of hefty customs charges. But when an alert landed in my inbox about a 20% discount code, and when I opened the app to be told that it was back in stock that day, I figured it might be fate. And when it appeared on my doormat, with no customs charge, and turned out to fit perfectly, well... it's definitely fate. Me and this dress, together forever.
Peter Pan collar jumper, charity shop £3
I always need jumpers as I find it pretty difficult to find ones that don't give me a boob shelf of doom. so to pick up this M&S jumper in perfect condition, for only £3, was a stroke of luck. It'll be perfect for work now it's colder.
Navy & cream striped top, charity shop £4
I do find that buying variations on my favourite styles is never a bad thing: it means that whatever I buy ends up getting worn, rather than languishing at the back of my wardrobe. So that's my excuse for buying yet another striped top (well, that and I ruined my new-ish H&M top on Friday by spilling a tomato-based stew down the front, leading to a stain not even Vanish could, err, banish).
Which brings my total to... £169.33. I know I say this every month, but I honestly don't think that's too bad for two wardrobe staples plus the other bits, all of which genuinely fill a hole in my wardrobe (shhh, I definitely had a collared dress-shaped hole, I promise).
Finally, sorry for the rubbish quality photographs; it's that time of year when there's never enough natural light, and even when there is, I'm not at home to take advantage of it in photographs!
