Thank you for all your input– it really helped clarify a few things for me and helped me stick to The Budget.
As for the big reveal?
- Of the colorful flats, I kept the SE Boutique reptile-prints. I was sorely tempted to keep the red Barney’s flats as well, but I knew I wouldn’t wear them to walk to work, which meant I wouldn’t wear them all that often. (If I really regret that decision, I may have a chance to redeem myself, as I’ve also seen them for sale at Loehmann’s.) Instead, I exchanged the Aerosoles “Horoscope” wedges for the same shoes in a bright red. Score!
- Just seeing the Gap belts in photos was enough for me to be totally disillusioned with them both. Of the two other yellow belts, I kept the Betsey Johnson, and I’m glad I did… though I apparently should have purchased it in a size smaller, as I’m on the last hole. I’ll try and see if I can exchange it, even though I’ve already worn it. Or I’ll come up with some belt-shortening solution and share it here.
- From the H&M run, I kept the A-line skirt and the ridiculous dress. If not for my budget, I might have kept everything, but I’m going to rely on my sewing skills to whip up some similar skirts of probably-better quality.
- And I returned the stripper shoes, as comfortable as they were initially (and as much as my husband liked them). Depending on time of month and time of day, they weren’t so comfortable. This is the problem with wide feet– the 7s were too long and the 6.5s weren’t really wide enough (thanks, nausicaa).
Total:
- SE Boutique Flats (Store Credit)
- Aerosoles Red “Horoscope” Wedges (Store Credit) + $5 + Tax = $5.29
- Betsey Johnson Belt (Store Credit)
- H&M Dress + A-Line Skirt + Tax = $31.51
= $36.80
Pretty Year Budget– $250 – $20.71 (January) = $229.29 – $5.10 (March) = $224.19 – $36.80 (April) = $187.39 left to spend in 2009.
Oh, and since I returned so much, a little Filene’s Basement credit, plus the gift card from my parents. I can do this! With your help, of course.
Related posts:
- Should It Stay or Should It Go: How’s That For an Earworm?
- It's Time for Another Round of… Should It Stay or Should It Go?
- 160 of 250
- 159 of 250
- Michelle’s Pretty Year: Just For the Record
[...] Michelle’s Pretty Year Challenge ← Should It Stay or Should It Go: Keepers [...]
Ooh, I’ve got an answer for this one! If you can’t switch out the belt at the store (which would obviously be preferable), the best solution I’ve found involves finding a thinnish nail, about the same diameter as your beltloop holes, and tapping it through the belt VERY GENTLY with a hammer. VERY. GENTLY. And very straightly, or the hole is gonna be all crooked-looking. (And, duh, not on a surface you care about or one you’re gonna have to pry the nail and attached belt out of. The sidewalk works for me; lay a piece of scrap cloth like a dish towel over it if you’re worried about mussing the back of the belt.) If it’s one solid layer of leather, it’ll work fabulously, and if not, it’ll still work pretty well. The only thing it really *doesn’t* work on is super-cheaply constructed belts. You know, the ones that involve a cardboard-like layer somewhere along the line. I’m guessing a Betsey Johnson belt is somewhat nicer than that, though.
PS–Your blog is one of my favorite fashion things on the internet.
Oop! I forgot, if you’re really nervous about the whole “hammering at your belt” thing, you can also use a pin to poke through the belt where you want the hole, and enlarge it with the belt prong. But this way you’ll have the stretchy bits from where you’ve created the hole going toward the *front* of the belt, where people can see them, as opposed to hammering the nail through from the front, so the stretchy rough bits (if there are any) go to the back.
I know this is all probably common sense stuff, but I’ve tried a few other things (rivet-punchers and such), and the hammer and nail have always been the most precise and yielded the best results for me.
Brenna, that’s the kind of common sense we can all use! The only thing I’m still concerned about is the issue I am having here. The end of the belt already sticks out so far that it’s… awkward. My best friend (with whom I was out to dinner that night) suggested I use some velcro to make it behave. But I wonder if there’s a not-horribly-amateurish-looking way of actually shortening it?
[...] don’t know if my new! yellow! belt! has me especially attuned to lemons and sunshine, or if our collective fashion brain has been [...]
To keep the belt end from sticking out – get some of those very small clear elastic ponytail holders (or dental elastic bands like braces wearers use) and slide in on the belt to about where then end will wind up and just slip the free end into it. If you look you might even find a hairband close in color to the belt if you’d prefer.
[...] last we left our budget, we had $187.39 left to spend. And spend, we did! (Sensibly, of course.) We’ve already worn [...]