December 22, 2015 by Debbie Roes

My Style Evolution: 2000 – 2015

As we close out 2015 and the third year of “Recovering Shopaholic,” I thought it would be fun to reflect on how my personal style has evolved over the past decade plus. This is a post I’ve been meaning to do for a while after I had seen another blogger do it, but now seems like a good time since I feel I’ve made a lot of positive changes to my style this past year.

This will be a very photo-heavy post with not as much writing as usual. There is an old saying, “A picture speaks a thousand words.” Well, that is definitely true when it comes to what we wear, but I will also add some commentary throughout to shed some light on what you’re seeing. Some of my older photos are a bit embarrassing for me to post, but I’m sure many of you aren’t exactly thrilled with your outfits from days gone by. It’s all part of the journey, right? It’s important to note that I liked a lot of these outfits while I was wearing them, but there were definitely times when I felt insecure and uncomfortable in my ensembles. Again, that’s probably something most of us could say.

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December 15, 2015 by Debbie Roes

November 2015 Accountability Update

Just like with last month, I’m getting this accountability update up a little late. I actually considered combining my November and December updates since I don’t have a whole lot to share this month. However, I ultimately opted to write this post now and I will do a big year-end wrap-up (like this one I did last year) in a few weeks.

For those who are new to the blog, these monthly reports are where I share what came into and left my closet and how I did with my shopping budget. Sharing what I bought, what I culled, and how much I spent helps me to stay honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping. It also contributes toward my being more deliberate, which is my theme for 2015.

How honest are you with yourself and others about your shopping?

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December 8, 2015 by Debbie Roes

How Minimalism Helped Me Find My Authentic Style

The following is a guest post from Megan, who agreed to share her “story of recovery” with all of you. Megan is a member of my private Facebook group, where shared comments about her wardrobe and style evolution that I thought would be inspiring for all readers of “Recovering Shopaholic.” I asked her if she’d be willing to expand upon her story so we could all learn from her experience, and this post is the result.

If you would like to be profiled in the “Stories of Recovery” series (you can be anonymous if desired), or if you have an idea for another type of guest post on “Recovering Shopaholic,” please connect with me to share your thoughts.

“I Hate Everything in My Closet!”

This wasn’t what my closet looked like when I started my journey!

My story started with a prolonged mental state of “I hate everything in my closet!” I remember that I was running late all the time because it took me forever to get dressed, and I still felt unhappy when I finally did get out the door. I melted down in the middle of great vacation trips because I was not wearing appropriate clothes. I was constantly in the “shopping cycle” but had no good outfits to show for it.

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December 1, 2015 by Debbie Roes

Successful Alterations – Skirts and Dresses

Last week, I kicked off a new blog series that will include a number of posts on the topic of alterations. The first installment included thoughts from my private Facebook group on the pros and cons of having our clothes tailored. The group also shared their experiences with altering their own clothes, as well as some tailoring success and failure stories.

Skirt and Dress Alterations

In the upcoming posts in this series, I will highlight some of my own alteration successes and failures. Since I like to start things out on a high note, today’s installment will feature some of my successful tailoring efforts. Please note that I don’t do any of my tailoring myself. About seven or eight years ago, I found a lovely alterations lady not far from when I live who does a great job and charges reasonable prices. I’ve been taking all of my tailoring projects to her ever since. She’s very good at what she does, but occasionally I proceed with alterations against her best advice. But that is a topic for the next post in this series… We’re sticking with the positive today!

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November 27, 2015 by Debbie Roes

November “Grab Bag” of Useful Links

To my readers in the United States, I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving and were able to enjoy happy times and good food with family and friends. For everyone else, I hope your weekend is off to a great start. The holidays are now officially under way whether we’re ready for them or not! They always seem to sneak up on me, probably because we enjoy warm weather in my neck of the woods into November. Although my friends down under are used to hot and sunny holidays, I still haven’t gotten used to it. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon one’s perspective), the cooler weather has finally arrived here, so I’m ready to feel a bit more festive.

It’s almost the end of November, so it’s time for me to share my latest “grab bag” of useful links (see previous editions here). Included below are links to articles I think you’ll enjoy on the subjects of shopping and shopping psychology, wardrobe management, style, and personal development. I’m also sharing a few previous “Recovering Shopaholic” posts that you may have missed the first time around (or may choose to revisit now).