3 by 3—3 new purchases, 9 different outfits

My rationale behind each purchase + a bonus outfit

Lots of photos, so please read in your browser if it cuts off. This week includes paid content. Remember that I’m open to mutual memberships if you’re a fellow writer, art or goods exchange, or if you’re struggling financially and the $5/month is too much, just message me.

Two tiny annoying things: 1. My entrance has an automatic sensor light, which I can’t turn off, and even though I took all of these photos trying to let in as much natural light as possible, they still skew warm. 2. I steamed all my clothes the night before because I knew I had to rush to the pottery studio afterwards, but some items got wrinkly (I kept them gently folded on the sofa, poor decision?)

Recently, I’ve made somewhat impulsive clothing purchases. Nothing was wholly unintentional, but I am the kind of person who thinks about buying things for a long time before making the leap. So these felt more impulsive than usual, especially since I’ve been thrifting a lot more. It’s also partially because there’s a lot on sale right now (unfortunately sometimes due to closing down).

Sales can be difficult for me to navigate because, on one hand, I know many of us are struggling with money, and it can help lighten the financial impact of adding new things. However, at the same time, it can be hard to really get to the why behind a purchase—is the fact that it’s on discount making you think you like it more or is it something you genuinely want to add to your wardrobe?

This is what I ended up buying in the sales last year and my feelings pre- and post-purchase:

Boxy Tee in Bubble Pink, Wear Franc (now closed) — 6920 JPY/ 45USD

Wearing a block-printed cotton apron dress on top (bought on a whim from a market)

There are few size-diverse, Canadian-made brands, so Wear Franc has been on my radar for a long time. But while researching winter layers for a future issue, I found out they were closing. I was scrolling late at night; I knew I needed to start preparing for the intense summer this year, and I have a distinct lack of nice-but-casual tees, so I bought it.

When it arrived, I was surprised.