August kept me busy, which was good for my goal of curbing shopping. I simply didn’t have the time and bought just one item.
I mentioned in last month’s shopping diary that I’ve been wearing my black Everlane Easy Chinos on repeat — so much so that I wanted another pair. (My review of them is here.) But the color I was after, the ochre, was sold out and wouldn’t be restocked until December. Well, one popped up in my size on Poshmark, so I made the seller an offer. It was new, too. Score!
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By buying it secondhand, I saved about $20. Arguably, it’s more sustainable to shop secondhand than purchase something new. You’re extending the life of an item that already exists (though one could say that new things also already exist when you buy them, but at least you’re not contributing to their demand?)
But because sellers generally don’t accept returns on platforms like Poshmark, I shop conservatively. Most of my online secondhand buys tend to be of the same nature as these pants: trying to find something specific that I already own in another color or have tried on in person. But, that also means it’s more likely I’ll keep it.
Uncharacteristically wearing all earth tones. Does this make me a legit ethical fashion blogger now? 😆 // Oak + Fort blouse [sold out, but similar ethical option here] // Everlane Chinos // Sandals handmade by a small local cobbler in Puerto Vallarta // Necklace made by me.
In the shoe department, the purging continues. I mentioned back in June that my right foot has been bothering me. Well, it’s been getting worse and I finally saw a podiatrist. It turns out my sesamoid area might be inflamed. The sesamoids are two small roundish bones in the ball of your foot at the base of your big toe. They support your body weight and the tendons wrapped around them can become inflamed, a condition known as sesamoiditis. Dancers and those with high arches are prone to it. (Though, I fit neither description.)
The podiatrist told me to look into custom orthotics (big heavy sigh). She also told me that I should wear shoes with arch support and cushioning. And to avoid shoes that are too thin or very flexible as they can cause you to put too much pressure on the balls of your feet when you walk. She specifically said no ballet flats. (This vindicates my existing dislike of them.) And of course, I think it goes without saying: no high heels. She recommended a brand called Hoka One One, but immediately warned me that they were ugly.
The weird thing is that I already have shoes that seem to fit these requirements, like my beloved Hopp Studios wedges. But even with their ample cushioning, they’ve been bothering me a lot lately. Heck, even stabilizing shoes like my Everlane trainers bother me a little. Ugh. Everything hurts.
I’ve always had problems finding shoes that fit comfortably — it’s been an effort to build my collection — so I’m sad about purging shoes in a way that I’m not with other parts of my wardrobe. (I know this is all very silly and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. There are way crappier things happening in my life and in the world, but allow me a moment to mourn.)
Even if my feet calm down, there’s no point in keeping shoes that put too much pressure on the balls of my feet, so it’s time to say goodbye to many shoes. Goodbye polka dot wedges from Target I loved so much that I even took them to a cobbler for repair even though they probably only cost me $15 in the first place. The soles are too thin. Goodbye vintage heels and sandals, which also lack cushioning. Goodbye to the pink and orange heels with the silver stiletto heel that I bought in Hong Kong and wore maybe twice.
Goodbye to these shoes.
In truth, I haven’t worn these shoes that much lately anyway. But these are just the obvious shoes to let go of. There are other ones I wear more often that need evaluation.
I am a bit worried about the ankle boots I just bought during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which are marked down even more now! Note to self: things at Nordstrom get marked down a month after the sale ends) . Do they have enough arch support for me? Ironically, I bought them to replace some Vionic boots (a brand started by a podiatrist) which did have good arch support but were too small in the toe box for me.
Welcome Objects 2019 Wardrobe Count To Date
Additions: 1 this month = 9 items total for the year
Subtractions: pairs of shoes this month = 33 items removed from my closet so far this year
