they came home with me, october edition

So it's been a while since my last shopping inventory, and enough things have piled up so that I could just go through all this at once in the form of an outfit post.

My most recent buy is also my favourite buy: a repeat of something I bought in January - the Cali lace-ups from Dieppa Restrepo. They were on sale on My Chameleon and I happened upon them when the website offered a discount code with extra 20% off. Since I was thrilled with my camel ones - they're looking remarkably well after eight months of frequent and none-too-gentle wear (I get caught in the rain a lot) - I figured a second pair in a classic shade with a healthy discount was a good buy.

The Steven Alan Lilly purse scratches two itches: a) a small travel purse in burgundy that didn't break the bank and b) my desire for the Celine Trio in...burgundy. It's a good way to test out how much use I get out of a small casual purse and I do in fact need a small nondescript purse for holidays so that I can go wallet-free and keep my belongings handy but secure.I got it at a very good price from Eileen, a big thanks to her!

The most irrational buy of the lot is the navy skirt from J Crew. I have never been much of a skirt girl, but I've always liked things that evoked a school uniform so when I saw this skirt online, on sale and further discounted with a coupon code, I decided to experiment. So far, I am enjoying it but I wish the skirt attracted less lint.

I was less thrilled with the navy J Crew trousers - my last experience with a pair of hand-me-down café capris were awesome, but the fabric of these navy linen ones I ordered online seemed to have deteriorated after a couple of washes, and bizarrely, they seemed to have gotten baggier. One more reason why I should not buy trousers online. Perhaps I can still wring some use out of them with a trip to the tailor.

I was thrilled when I found the navy linen dress in August because that meant I could finally let go of an old dress I had hung on to, irrationally, although it was far too sheer to wear out anymore. At the same time, I found an oatmeal linen knit, which isn't a replacement for anything but good linen knits are hard to pass up.

January

• Red cotton jeans from M&S
• Camel leather lace-ups from Dieppa Restrepo

March

• Glasses from Tom Ford

April

• Navy and off-white cotton gingham short-sleeve blouse from Muji

June

• Grey chambray cap-sleeve dress from A.P.C.
• Chambray boyfriend shorts from Esprit
• Palm leaf hat from Crazy Crow Trading Post

August

• Navy linen cropped trousers from J Crew
• Navy linen short-sleeve dress from Muji
• Oatmeal linen knit pullover from Muji

September

• Navy cotton skirt from J Crew
• Seafoam bikini from Seafolly

October

• Burgundy leather Lilly purse from Steven Alan
• White leather lace-ups from Dieppa Restrepo

Bit by bit, I've been clearing out things from my wardrobe, either to a successful second life, or just to the recycling bin. Some worn out old cotton dresses I've cut up into plain tops for sleeping in. Some worn-out tops, like a white t-shirt that's become blobby after years of wear, became beach cover-ups. Shoes that have sprung holes I can't fix I've thrown out. And I gave away a few items that I have accepted I will never wear again, because well, tastes change.

I like to write about the things I loved and still love, because I love the idea that some things will always look beautiful to me and will become imbued with great memories, making them priceless. I've also written about the joy of rediscovering things I've left to fallow for a while, delighting in their relevance, which sometimes only become apparent when I've taken a break from them.

But many things are not "forever", because our tastes, are influenced by the times, and our lifestyles change to. And I enjoy being open to possibility. So the skirt is a new bit of "possibility" that I'm embracing, style-wise.