The Buyer's Archive: September

Since February last year, inspired by Elise's Buyer's Archive project, I've been keeping a record of all my clothing purchases in an effort to track what works and what doesn't and - in theory - cut down on my spending. Check out the #buyersarchive hashtag on Twitter/Instagram to see posts from everyone taking part, which usually includes Elise, Hazel, Kezzie, Donna, Lucy and Charlotte.

Last September, I bought four items for a total of just over £70. Of those four, I only regularly wear the boots; the denim skirt and collared top, meanwhile, have already gone to the great charity shop bag in the sky. This year, thanks to the unseasonably warm September skewing my shopping habits, I've managed to acquire practically an entire wardrobe of summer clothes... just when I need them least.

Grey crew neck t-shirt, ASOS £6
I actually bought this tee in August, I think, and then forgot about it in a drawer when I came to do last month's Buyer's Archive post. Oops. Anyway, there's not much to say: it's a grey t-shirt, I wear it a lot tucked into skirts. The end.

Polka dot midi skirt, vintage shop in Brighton £25
This is FAR more than I would ever usually spend on something secondhand and not true vintage, but come on... it's a polka dot midi skirt, could it be any more Janet? I've already worn it at least ten times, thanks to the unseasonably lovely September we had, so at price-per-wear it's turning into a bargain.

Fight Like A Grrrl t-shirt, Etsy £11.83
Because I am utterly crap at properly measuring myself and guessing what size I'll need, this t-shirt arrived from America FAR too big for me. This tutorial came to my rescue; a few minutes with the sewing machine later and it fits me far better.

Button front denim skirt, originally New Look but from a charity shop £2.99

I've been looking for a skirt like this for over two years now, so I pounced when I spotted it on a trip to Nottingham. It's just a tad too big at the waist for me, but I figure I can belt it.

Dark grey t-shirt, H&M £7.99
Like the ASOS tee, this is one I actually bought a month or two ago and then forgot to blog. As you can see from the photo, this t-shirt has already stretched out of shape quite a bit, which is annoying, as it'd been a handy top to throw on with skinny jeans on cooler days this summer.

Ditsy floral print midi skirt, originally Bon Marche but from a charity shop £2.99
Because I can no more resist a midi skirt in a charity shop than I can a glass of wine on a Friday night.

Chunky t-bar shoes, Deichmann £19.99
I ended up donating my previous pair of chunky T-bars because, even after two years of wear, they were still so painful. I'm hoping this pair are quicker to break in, because a chunky Mary Jane is my go-to shoe in winter.

Book print skirt, Cath Kidston £36 (with 10% student discount)
And finally, I eventually caved and bought this little beauty. I've been eyeing up this skirt since it first went on sale, and after my size sold out online I thought I'd have to forgo my dream. Imagine, then, my delight when I popped into the Nottingham store and they had one solitary size L left, and we discovered Thomas had a mere 3 days left on his NUS card with which to gain student discount.

All of which gives me a total for September of £112.76 for eight items. However, £13.99 of that was actually last month's spend, so the true total for is £98.77. Plus, I made £100 selling old clothes on eBay and Depop this past month, so I've actually ended up in credit to the tune of a whole £1.33.