Buy only what you love

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must buy a new top, skirt or dress for summer, scouring the shops to find something and then buying a new item of clothing just for the sake of it. It's even easier to do so when you shop on-line! How many of you have bought something from a website on the basis that you can always return it if it isn't a good fit or doesn't really suit you?  Have you ever returned an ill-fitting item or, assuming that it fits well, something that isn't quite what you expected?  If not, maybe that's why your wardrobe contains too many clothes! Don't worry, I've been guilty of this too.

I believe that I'm slowly improving.  I popped into a local clothes shop on the way home a few days ago and tried on two tops: they looked ok, they fitted me - but I didn't really love them.  I left the shop empty-handed. My new shopping mantra is: 99% isn't good enough. Through doing Project 333, I now have a wardrobe full of clothes that I enjoy wearing. Obviously they won't last for ever, particularly the cheaper clothes, but I'm not in any rush to replace them or to acquire lots of new ones.

I liked the look of some of People Tree's tops, which I spotted on their website while researching fair trade fashion for my previous post.

Regular readers will know that I do love stripes, and I could do with a new navy striped top to replace my existing one. I hesitated over the top shown above but decided against ordering it, as I suspect it will look a bit boxy on someone as short as I am. Of course I could return it, but living in Spain I would need to pay the postage, so I might end up keeping it even if was less than 100%.

The following top, which I featured in my day to evening collage, is still tempting me though.

It looks as if it would be a flattering fit on me, the colour is one of my best colours, plus it would be a versatile addition to my wardrobe. Should I log into their website and order it right now?

Before I make a decision, I am going to check out another local shop that had some blue tops in their window to see if there is anything that I love 100%. I have two reasons for doing so. The first is that I won't know whether I really love this blue top until I try it on, and it might not have the wow factor for me.  The second reason is that I feel it is important to support local businesses whenever possible. I still have to buy clothes on-line at times as I'm a petite size - unfortunately I can only find petite sizes if I go to El Corte Ingles department store in Murcia city. However I'm looking for a short-sleeved summer top in blue, so I may very well be able to find one locally. Wish me luck in my search!