Well WHO KNEW, I actually survived cheated only once during No Shop February and embraced a Winter Capsule Wardrobe for six five weeks.* I imagine this is how people who successfully stick to a diet feel but I wouldn’t know pass the truffle fries.

It was a lesson in restraint, but not as bad as I expected. The worst part had to be the give-or-take 12 birthday-month coupons gone to waste. Travesty.

I could go on with my survival handbook, but my fearless #NoShopFeb leaders Danielle and Natalie are far more insightful than me. KUDOS to them and the 30+ other local ladies who killed this game!

How does a Winter Capsule Wardrobe challenge tie in? I wanted to see how much use I could get out of even just a fraction of my current closet, without adding anything new to it. Newsflash: A lot. If nothing else, February pushed me to do one huuuuuge closet cleanout. There were so many pieces I didn’t miss or forgot I had, so, bye gurl. The Epilepsy Foundation can be expecting a hefty drop-off from me next week.**

Would I do it again? Maybe with more than like, 10 minutes of planning and research next time. You’re so lucky you have me – here are my tips for creating a short-term capsule wardrobe::

Avoid dry-clean only // By Day 18, six of my pieces were sitting around waiting to be taken in. Dependable Cleaners is now home to all of the money I saved by not shopping.
Plan around a color scheme // I admittedly snuck in a couple too many out-there pieces I loved, instead of those that would contribute to more outfit options. Think about fabrics and textures too.
Prints will likely limit you // This ain’t gonna work for me come printed-shift season.
Be prepared for unpredictable weather // Unseasonably warm or cold, that is (hiiiiii 70-degree February day).
Consider weekend wear // Def spent a Sunday or two in pajamas on account of not wanting to change into any of these. Wait, does that mean I cheated?
Keep capsule items separate // I used a temporary rolling rack – makes for much easier outfit planning.
Accessorize // I’m not going to pretend it didn’t get a little monotonous after week 2, so I turned to spunky jewelry and a couple different hair accessories to mix things up.

I created a Pinnable version of my winter capsule wardrobe above, and here are links to shop! You’re so welcome.

White Tee | Black Tee | Flutter Sleeve Tee | White Ruffle Hem Top
Blue Pullover Sweater | White Tassel Hem Sweater | Velvet Tank | Chambray Shirt
Chunky Knit Cardigan | Camel Cardigan | Black Cardigan | Oversized Cable Knit Pullover
Black Pants | Dark Denim | White Jeans | Black Flounce Dress
Cream T-Shirt Dress | Olive Skirt
White Tennis Shoes | Brown Booties | Black Booties | Camel Flats

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*Yeah yeah fact checkers, I did claim six weeks initially. In my defense, I didn’t know at the time that week #6 was going to be spent in a different climate. V sorry.
**You too? Yay! There are drop off bins all over New England and beyond, or you can schedule a free home pickup!

White Peplum Top | Velvet Hair Bow | Sugarfix Ball Drop Earrings c/o

Thanks to my very ambitious friend Danielle, I’m about six days into my personal hell a No Shop February challenge.

It is PUH-thetic how hard this is going to be, and I’m pretty mortified and alarmed by that. My major hope here is that it kills my impulsive online shopping habit beyond the month. For 28 days lol she picked the shortest month it’s no buying clothes, shoes, accessories, unnecessary home goods, beauty products, frivolous coffee table books {weakness}, $15 notepads, oh-but-it’s-on-sale dinnerware, and ESPECIALLY no Amazon or Target purchases. A lot of the ladies participating are cutting out coffee and takeout as well, but I am a monster without my Dunks love and rely on my morning routine too much. More power to them though, eh? Maybe I’ll try giving up lunch delivery for more than 3 days next.

And I’ll be real up front:: I’m giving myself ONE cheat item, because President’s Day Sales I know it will come up and I’d rather not resist lie to you.

Phase 2:: I’m also using this as an opportunity to try out, yet again, a capsule wardrobe. Six weeks, 21 pieces of clothing and shoes. Sounds like plenty until you try it. Accessories and jewelry are fair game, and I’m not counting snow boots, coats, or my birthday outfit. Far too much color required.

God am I even doing this challenge?

W/E, I’m going to try. Why? Idk Danielle made me I want to give this whole minimalism thing a chance and see if I can do it. Here’s a snippet of the 21 pieces I pulled out for my mid-winter capsule wardrobe and God willing will carry me through until March!

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White Tee | Ruffle Sleeve Tee | Pullover Sweater | Oversized Cardigan | Flounce Top
Black Tee | Velvet Camisole | Blue Pullover Sweater | Chambray Button Down
Camel Cardigan | Camel Tassel Sweater
Olive Green Skirt | Black Flounce Dress | Cream T-Shirt Dress
Black Jeans | Dark Blue Skinny Jeans | White Jeans
Camel Flats | Brown Booties | Black Booties | White Sneakers

Over under on how long I last?

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PS. If you want in on #NoShopFeb, LMK!