wartime wardrobe challenge: january review

Today I bought the most expensive pair of shoes I have ever owned. And they have been worn by someone else before me. £160 down on two bits of leather that have had someone else’s stinky (ok, maybe not stinky) feet inside them. And I am beyond pleased to have them.

I like to think I’m quite logically minded and ‘brand-resistant’ when it comes to clothes shopping – I see straight past the name and head for the care label to see where and how the item was made. It’s a quality over status ruling. There are some instances where knowledge of the brand specifically keeps me away from a product (e.g. if I know they use sweatshops or fob off cheap, environmentally damaging fabrics as ‘luxury’).

However, when it comes to beautiful, lovely, wonderful shoes I turn into a cross between Carrie Bradshaw’s better-fed twin and a magpie. My second-hand shoes are the magical work of the coveted…

…Christian Louboutin.

Those glossy red soles just send me all a-shiver with delight. I feel like a queen in them (even if they are a little big – nothing a gel pad won’t solve). They’re for the wedding, of course. Because if you can’t have a pair of Louboutin’s for your wedding, then when can you have some?

Scores on the doors

Once again, I seem to have eluded the Wartime Wardrobe Challenge Coupon Value Chart by buying second-hand, which means that at the end of January my total coupon use stands at a whopping:

= 0

Nothing. Zilch. Nada. I should be pleased, I guess – I was worried I may struggle to keep within the 66 coupon limit for the year. But in a way I feel a bit embarrassed, because I do feel like the hand-me-downs I got earlier in the month and the shoes I’ve just bought make me a bit of, well, a coupon cheat. Which is a bit ridiculous, and as I’m sure to reverse the trend in the coming months I don’t really know what I’m getting pink in the cheeks for.

How the other participants are getting along

We seem to have quite an army of bloggers participating in the Wartime Wardrobe Challenge now, and all for their own unique reasons, which is great! Here is a round up of each participant and their WWC-related posts from January:

 The Double Life of Mrs M – this month Meg has been knee-deep in making do and mending! She has pondered the dilemmas and trade-offs of her beloved cashmere cardigan and debated the ethical footwear dilemmas whilst darning her time-worn socks. What a trooper she is – ending the month having spent only two coupons on some woolly tights to keep her toasty through the winter.

jeanofalltrades introduced herself to the challenge with this post, as she aims to become more mindful of her purchases in 2013.  

Everlasting Nothing has inspired me by being our only high-school participant (that I know of)! She introduced herself to the challenge here and has spent January well, by evaluating her existing shoe and necklace collections. She also touched on some of the issues we will come up against in the challenge – such as whether we should count gifts in our coupon allowance.

jesse.anne.o is bringing a vegan angle to the WWC and she two has evaded using any of her coupon allowance in January by embracing second-hand/vintage purchases.

Oranges & Apples is a yummy new mummy, who has been inspired to limit her clothing consumption as a result of learning to live on a limited pregnancy wardrobe. She regularly posts her outfits and very cute snaps of her little one.

Proverbs 21:5 is participating in the challenge and has roped her husband along for the ride. This month she gave a frank account of their efforts to restrict their coupon spend whilst on holiday – a notoriously easy time to get carried away with spending.

I think that’s everyone! If I’ve missed anybody I apologise profusely… please do feel free to add links to any of your relevant posts in the comments section. You are all doing so amazingly well – keep up the good work!