And a new month is upon us. I was really ready for December this year. It has been so winter-like, and I’m truly ready to hunker down and have the calendar match my mood better. Plus, this fall was brutal for my budget, so closing out “too much spending” after November 30th feels good. A fresh start for a fresh month, and while it won’t be officially winter until the 21st, yesterday was also the start of Advent and the new church year, so I’m feeling newness where I need it most!

November Review.

Budget.
I would love to offer that I made up a good bit of ground, because my closing statement as of December 2 is $2,372.70 (down $150.34 from November 2’s $2,523.04), but I bought a very nice dinner for girlfriends on Friday and it isn’t showing up yet. That said, I paid a good $50 or so more today toward the balance than I spent on dinner, so the net impact should be closer to $2,300 than $2,800 – and that does feel like a bit of victory.  I have minimal additional Christmas shopping to do, and I have put off Stitch Fix until December 29, though I’m seriously considering moving to quarterly fixes or hitting pause until my card balance is eliminated. This is helped by the fact that while I am not 100% satisfied with my closet, and am working with some old and quite-worn pieces, I am happy enough with what I have and can’t think of what I’d want from Stitch Fix or Trunk Club, so it makes sense to hold and not be tempted by things I don’t need. I feel like my sweaters are now adequate (that ecru addition from earlier this fall has been a great option and I’d still wear it every day and happily), my denim is under control, the basics are functional enough, and the work wardrobe is robust enough to handle the range of “dressiness” I need for different events.  I’m still digging out from financial decisions I made when I was feeling “entitled”, but I’m making progress and that will be good enough for now. Kindness counts, too.

Closet Additions. In November, I purchased:
Everlane Cigarette Ankle Stretch Jeans in mid-blue ($50)
Everlane Alpaca Sweater in Heather Black ($95)
Target/Universal Thread Duster Cardigan in Gray ($32.57)
Lotta from Stockholm Clogs ($43.71 shipped via eBay/NWT)
Target/C9 by Champion capri exercise leggings ($26.62)
Target/Gilligan & O’Malley Holiday Pajamas ($33)

TOTAL:  $280.90 ($180.90 over budget)

You can see why I am embracing a clothing spending freeze…

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Wear Counts/Review.
The real stars here were footwear and outerwear, as drastically-chillier temps drove me to warm and covering options! It was, however, a nice reminder of why it’s worth spending a little more on these items. They are solidly ignored during “sockless” weather, but absolutely worn to death when temps dip to and below freezing.

TOP FIVE:
Sinuous Sweater Jacket (12 times).  This has been my go-to outdoor layer any time it’s above freezing. It is formal enough for work and casual enough for play and comfortable due to the stretch. I wore it nearly half the month.
Lands End Down Parka (10 times). This is my go-to for really cold days. It’s not as warm as I remember, though, and I’d prefer it was a bit longer (at least down to the back of my knees — another 4-6″). It is also a bit small on me at my current weight, but not problematically so. My friend wore a mid-calf length down parka while visiting this weekend and it struck me that this would make more sense.  LL Bean has an attractive option ($289) that isn’t terribly bulky.  I like that Everlane is offering recycled-plastic puffers ($175), but I am looking for something as sleek as possible so that I can wear it to work and court when the weather is especially unruly and these are both voluminous and not any longer than my current coat, which I bought in 2013 or so (maybe earlier).
Nisolo Dari Boot (8 times). These boots have been the first I’ve reached for most work and church days. They have absolutely proved their worth, especially on sale. I’m down to under $15 per wear from $163 shipped (normally $248). I’d buy full price without hesitation and will buy Nisolo in the future. They are gorgeous, well-made, and comfortable shoes.
LL Bean Boots // Lotta From Stockholm Clogs // Everlane Stretch Cig Jean (Three way tie at 6 wears each). These are all solid offerings. That I’ve worn the Everlane Jeans so much already is a really good sign they are going to work well and stay in my wardrobe a long time. I wouldn’t cry if Everlane offered a rise that was 1-2″ higher, though (they don’t quite cover my belly button, but I have a very long torso), and I’d love a straight jean option in a suitable length. They don’t stretch/lose shape while wearing much, which is great. 

Other strong contenders (3+ wearings in November)
Long sleeve fleck black tee from Target 
Target Duster cardi
Frye Dorado tall boot
Superga Glitter hi-top
J Crew Funnel-neck coat (needs button repairs)
Banana Republic Suiting pant
Gap Wide-leg trouser
Stitch Fix/Dear John jeans

Biggest Surprise:
I only wore the RD Style (ecru) sweater once. It was laundered, and I got quite behind on laundry, so that was definitely part of it. But I wonder if I worry I will want to wear it so much, and so try not to? Seems silly to avoid things you love. 

Current Numbers:
Total wardrobe items: 177
Total items worn to date: 136 (77%)
Items yet to be worn (through week 10 of 26): 41 (23%)

I’ve worn three-quarters of my wardrobe, but not all of it often. I would like to see what got multiple wearings, and try to set aside anything that is a 0/1 (unless special-use or new-to-me some other reason it hasn’t been worn multiple times) at the end of the challenge – that will rule out things I grabbed simply to “test” them, I think. A few may work their way into my warm-weather test capsule for March 21, just to see if I reach for them more when I’m not so damned cold. 

Outfits 11/22-12/3/2018.

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Thursday Nov 22 (Thanksgiving) No pic. I wore my gray duster with my Everlane stretch denim, tall boots, and a white Everlane tee. I changed the boots for clogs at my in-laws, because they are mostly shoe-free inside and running in and out with the kids and corgi made the clogs much easier. Sinuous sweater coat.
Friday Nov 23 No pic. I wore a striped u-neck tee and alpaca sweater from Everlane, Dear John stretch straight jeans, and clogs. Sinuous sweater coat.
Saturday, Nov 24 (pic below). I wore my burgundy cashmere over a black Everlane u-neck tee and stretch jeans with Frye boots for informal family photos and clogs for the drive home. 
Sunday Nov 25 (top left). It was mild, but growing cold and we were running errands and decorating. I decided to try the J Crew mens plaid top with stretch jeans, a puffer vest, and Bean boots, which worked well for the day. The cut of the shirt isn’t the most flattering, but I appreciate it from a utilitarian standpoint, and as it was $7 on Poshmark, it’s a good work option because if it is damaged or stained, I won’t mind. It’s soft, too, from wear.
Monday Nov 26 (top middle). Bitter cold found us (in the teens and 20s after 40s/50s/60s over the holiday weekend) and I dressed accordingly. Target duster and tee, Gap pants, Nisolo boots, Lands End down.
Tuesday Nov 27 (top right, left photo). I mostly wanted to try the purple Latched Mama nursing tops. They feel too small and largely unnecessary at this point. I do still nurse just a bit (morning and at night), so I’ll hang on to them, but neither is a first choice at this weight. Dear John denim and Superga high tops for errands and momming. Lands End parka.
Wednesday Nov 28 (top right, two right photos). For court, I wore a sweatshirt-like jacket over a white tee, black suiting pants, and Nisolo boots. It was fine, but the crop of the jacket and tee made me wish the suiting pants were higher rise. I think I’ll add a new suit to the early 2019 shopping list so I can start researching. Lands End parka.
Thursday Nov 29 (bottom left/left). The H&M Henley is so cute, but so shapeless. Over an Everlane tee, with Gap jeans and Superga sneakers. We’ll see how the top fares by March. Lands End parka.
Friday Nov 30 (bottom left/two right). I used a milder temp day to wear my new silk, and paired it with Olive ankle pants and my gray 1.State booties with no socks. I wore this to work and dinner out. Sinuous sweater coat.
Saturday Dec 1 (bottom middle). It was in the 60s and lovely! I wore my Eileen Fisher cashmere with a gray Everlane tee, Everlane stretch denim, and old Dansko Mary Janes. These are a size 40 but still feel small after kids, and I’m not sure they are the most flattering. The arch and heel support is nice, though. TBD on the shoes.
Sunday Dec 2 (bottom right). I started with my chambray shirt over a black (Gap maternity) tee, tucked into my Gap wide leg pants and my Nisolo boots. I wore a pretty scarf to add color. I changed into leggings and ditched the scarf once home. I love the chambray shirt, but it’s a bit small at this point. May be time to consider a replacement, but I really have a hard time getting fit right with these shirts.
Monday Dec 3 (today/bottom-bottom). Lolo woke up after I was dressing, so I picked a nursing-friendly shirt. It’s back in the 30s today and chilly, so I wore my Lands End parka and paired taller (but not tall) boots with my olive ankle pants. The pants are very comfortable, but not terribly flattering (they show every lump and bump) and I wore something so similar on Friday (navy/olive/boots), which was the main reason for picking the Nisolos over taller Frye boots (worn Friday). I like the boots okay with these pants, though I think the hem/top is a bit cluttered looking.

I keep finding myself wishing Everlane would make a full-length wide leg trouser again. Something like the WLC or utility crop in full length (28/28.5″). Just to note. They did have a cashmere or wool high-rise WL trouser a while back, and I wish I’d picked it up. I’m also considering their work pant and Brass ponte pants down the road. My work pant game is just “off” and frustrating as heck right now, but I’m not sure what I want well enough to want to spend the money when my debt goals are feeling precarious (this is also because I’ll be upping joint budget contributions in 2019 without more expected income, which will further limit my ability to contribute to debt reduction as quickly as I’d like).