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How to Tell if a Garment is Well-Made

The following is a guest post from Dottie, a daily reader of this blog, who is sharing her insights on how to spot quality in fabric and construction of women’s clothing. Dottie learned to sew as a teenager and has used her knowledge of clothing construction to look for well-made clothing, preferably on sale. She lives in a 4-season climate, so some of her tips may resonate less with people in warm climates. Dottie welcomes feedback from “Recovering Shopaholic” readers, especially those of you who have additional tips for – or tales of – finding quality clothing.

You spot it from across the store – the perfect dress in “your” color, in the style that flatters your body, at a price that won’t bankrupt you. A quick dash into the fitting room – and you decide it’s perfect!

Or is it? Before you head to the sales desk, take a few minutes to really examine the dress (blouse, pants, jacket, sweater, etc.), preferably in good light. This may require you to leave the more dimly lit dressing room for natural light or even the more brightly lit check-out area.

Determining Clothing Quality

It’s the “perfect” dress, but is it well-made?

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December Accountability Update

It’s time for my final monthly accountability update for 2013.  As long-term readers know, I’ve committed to posting regular accountability updates as a way of keeping myself honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals.  Included within these posts are what came into and left my closet during a given month, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and rules.

Honesty and Accountability

Soon I will be posting a more comprehensive report for 2013 as a whole, but today’s post covers just the month of December.  I plan to continue these accountability updates during 2014 and for as long as I need them.  I’ve definitely found it helpful to share the good, the bad, and the ugly truth with you as I progress along my recovering shopaholic journey. I don’t always look forward to writing these posts, especially when I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, but what’s good for us isn’t always pleasant and can even be painful at times. Continue reading →

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Project 333 – Round Two

I have decided to dip my toe back into the Project 333 pool beginning this month.  For those of you who are new to my blog, I took on the Project 333 minimalist wardrobe challenge back in April through June of 2013.  I did this in order to cultivate more appreciation for what I had in my closet, as well as to assist me in further paring down my wardrobe.   I also hoped to spend less time thinking about what I wore and shopping for new clothing.  I achieved those benefits and more (see “My Top 8 Lessons from Project 333”) and hope to learn and grow even more the second time around!

Project 333

You can learn more about the challenge here, but here’s how it works in a nutshell…  For three months, you get dressed using only 33 items.  Project 333 “purists” include shoes, accessories, and outerwear among their 33 items, but I chose to include only my standard clothing pieces, as that was more than enough of a challenge for me at the time.   The creator of Project 333, Courtney Carver, clearly states that it’s not a project in suffering and that it’s perfectly okay to modify the rules to suit your needs, so long as you’re stretching yourself in the process. Continue reading →

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Closing Out 2013: Reflections on Wardrobe, Shopping, and Style

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season and that 2014 is off to a good start for you.  As I mentioned in my last post, I’m going to be doing a series of 2013 “wrap-up” posts in order to close out the year and powerfully start on the next leg of my recovering shopaholic journey.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing my reflections on the past year in regards to my wardrobe, shopping habits, and personal style.  I will recount the ways in which I’ve grown and changed and open up about the challenges I still face.  In an upcoming post, I will write about my goals for 2014, many of which will be similar to those I stated upon starting this blog in January 2013.

Reflections on 2013

Let’s Pause a Moment to Reflect on 2013…

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The Best of Recovering Shopaholic 2013

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a full year from when I started this blog on January 2, 2013.  Since that time, there have been 122 posts (including some fabulous guest posts!) and countless comments and emails from my wonderful readers.

I’ve grown and learned a great deal during the past year and will be sharing some of my insights in my upcoming yearly “wrap-up” posts.  But for today – the last post of the year – it’s time to look at “the best of 2013.”  Below I highlight the most popular posts of the year, as well as some of my personal favorites. I also revisit my most clicked outgoing links and share a few timely links you’ll want to check out as the year draws to a close.

The Best of 2013

A lot of people do top 10 lists at the end of the year, but I decided to buck with tradition and do top 12 lists instead.  After all, it’s a nice round number that corresponds to the months in the year, so I’m going with it! Continue reading →