I am finally on a semi-vacation (I am actually working but enjoying the view of my hometown Lucca, Italy). I will be posting randomly for the next 4 weeks. You should follow my Instagram account and follow me through the wonders of Europe. In the meantime enjoy this photo from Mallory Brooks when we collaborated with Curio. Actually if you are in Tallahassee don't miss out on Curio's Fall Sale. You could score some really awesome vintage clothing like this one I am wearing.

It is a habit we all are guilty of - buy clothes because they are trendy but that we never wear. These clothes end up in the back of our closet still with a tag on. We refuse to return them and tell ourselves that we will wear them on that special occasion that never comes. How do we stop buying clothes we never wear? How do we stop buying clothes we don't need? I will discuss in this post only how to stop from buying at the store, but in reality a good look at your closet will benefit from understanding what you really need to buy.

1. Consider your lifestyle:
Who are you and how do you dress everyday? What is easy for you to put on as you wake up in the morning and stumble inside your wardrobe? Are you leaning to comfortable shoes even though those stiletto shoes look really good? What is your job? Do you stay on your feet all day? Those are some of the questions to consider when facing the many fashion choices at the store. Think about whether you would want to walk out that store wearing the item and if you can match whatever you are buying with what is already in your closet.

2. Is this clothing item just a passing trend?
There is nothing wrong with buying some trendy pieces that you will only wear one season, but don't make your entire wardrobe with one-time fashion trends. Invest in timeless items even if they cost more and get few trendy items from cheaper stores like Forever 21 or HM. Think in terms of how many times you could wear a particular piece beyond a season.

3. Don't buy just because it is on sale: This is something I struggle with. I like good deals and bargains and if I see something for $10 I need to buy it even though I would have never bought it for full price. Stop buying clothes just because they have a red tag. Repeat with me: "I will not buying something just because it is on sale even for $10."  Understand why you grasped a particular t-shirt or  pants. Was it the ad on the store? Was it the price?

4. Can I mix and match with what I already own?  When you walk into a store and try clothes on ask yourself whether what you are trying on could work with what you already have in your closet. If it is a top, would it look good with dress pants or just your casual jeans? Could you dress up or down an outfit with this particulate piece? This is going to help you avoid buying clothes that need to be matched with more new clothes.

5. It is not love at first sight: If you have doubts from the beginning ditch it. Don't convince yourself that the dress you are trying on will look good if you lose 5 pounds, or with the right shoes, or if you had make up on. If you need to find excuses to buy a clothing item it means that you will never wear it.

Those are for me the top tips on how to stop from buying clothes I never wear. There could be more rules but I like to stick to few and test them out next time I am shopping. And if you subscribe to my blog you will learn how to clean your wardrobe to help you even further on how to stop buying clothes you never wear. If you have other tips please leave a comment and share with our readers.

***Photo by Mallory Brooks. Clothes by Curio Goods Vintage Clothing Store in Tallahassee, Florida.

Vintage Skirt by Curio Goods in Tallahassee

I used to love vintage clothes. My favorite decade is the 70s with big sunglasses, high waisted jeans and flare. I stopped wearing vintage when I moved to Tallahassee because there were just not authentic vintage stores. On my seldom trips to Europe I would indulge in vintage shopping to pick some key fashion items to add to my wardrobe. Things have changed since then. Vintage shopping in Tallahassee has changed since 2014 when Curio Goods opened its doors to vintage lovers. Jackie Skelding fresh out of college had a mission driven by her passion for history and fashion - to open a vintage store in Tallahassee with hand-selected and in pristine condition vintage clothing items. The inventory ranges from 1920s to 1980s with few replicas accessories like the oversize shades I am wearing in this photoshoot. Those are a big seller at the store as well as on Etsy. For the next weeks or so I will dedicate a post to this vintage gem in Tallahassee wearing some of Curio's vintage pieces (on sale at the store). I hope you will have fun going through these pictures like I did and get yourself to visit the store located at 1046 Railroad Square, in Tally. When you go mention my name to Jecki and she can help you identify few pieces based on you fashion decade you like. And get the details on this dress at the bottom of this article.

*** Photos by Mallory Brooks. I am wearing a Vintage purple floral dress from the 1970's. Size M/L $42. I usually wear a size small but this fits me as I like comfy dresses for the summer. You can also wear it with a belt if you want more definition. And if you are pregnant it is the best stylish dress.

Photo by The Street Muse Blog

What is trendy in fashion? Let's look at the latest fashion trends, the trendy clothing items that we keep seeing on Pinterest, Instagram and popular sites like Refinery29. I will also provide my blatant opinion as usual on what to keep and what to trash.

Furla Stacy Bucket bag

1. BUCKET BAGS: My KEEP's feed has been populated with bucket bags of any texture and color. As I put this item as a fashion trend to keep my friend who works in the fashion industry in New York told me the bucket bag will fade away. Will that prevent me from thinking that those are cute and indispensable? No. I still find them to be functional and cute, but if you want to be the IT girl, you will have to pack yours away or accessorize the hell out it.

Monserat De Lucca 

2. BAG ACCESSORIES: According to my friend, bag accessories will be the 'cool thing' to add to bags, shoes, you name it. Coming in all shape and color from leather tassels to fur pom poms these accessories will define your fashionista score. I am still deciding whether I like this trend or not. I think it can add personality but if overdone it will be a disaster. This is one of the items that will be replicated so many times on Etsy or from any Chinese stores that we will be soon nauseated. And don't expect to pay little money. One of these cuty accessories comes with a price tag of over $1,000.

Louis Vuitton Fur Bag Accessory

Louis Vuitton Pink Fur Bag Accessory

3. MINI BAGS: Not quite a trend.  Louis Vuitton had mini bags as they used to be the cheapest item to buy when we were 16 years old. However, Fendi is who re-launched mini purses this year with their Peekaboo Micro Handbag. And it is so cute, everyone should buy it for their daughters and themselves. This is a genius idea. I stopped buying purses since it was popular to carry gigantic bags full of nothing. You could never find your wallet or key and you looked like a homeless person. I ended up carrying with me a simple coach credit cards holder or a Furla leather wallet which served as a cell phone holder with its outside packet. That is still how I go out everywhere, because I hate carrying things unless I travel. Redesigning purses to fit more functionally with our lives is very exciting and I can't wait to see what other designers will come up with. 

Peekabook Mini Bag Fendi

Mini Kelly Hermes Bag

5. FLARE JEANS: Not a surprise here. We have seen the dead of the skinny jeans coming for years first with designers launching the bf fit (failure) and now flare jeans. I love this look and always did. It has a slimming effect for women with big thighs or shorts legs. Madewell (see below picture) has a nice collection of different colors.