Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

I wrote this post for Sugar & Spice back in 2011 and focused on using a few key items from my own existing wardrobe to create a plethora of holiday outfits. What is fascinating to me is that here we are, five years later, and this is still extremely relevant. I'm sure you have similar staple items in your wardrobe that you could mix together so create your own holiday capsule wardrobe for "go-to: outfits so you don't have to worry about what to wear at the last minute. Check it out for some inspiration!

Hi Everyone, I’m Iris from 260 Days, No Repeats! I have challenged myself to wear remixed outfits from my closet… It started out as a one-year thing but, has since evolved and kept on going. During this experience, I have learned that you don’t need all new items of clothes to have a fresh new look. I am constantly finding ways to take the things I wear every day and pair them with completely different items! There are no limits... With the holidays on the horizon, I’m sure everyone’s social calendars are filling up. While you might feel like there is nothing in your closet that is going to work you can take a few key pieces and put together a plethora of fabulous outfits! I chose a great dress, sparkly sweater, sparkly t-shirt, classic pencil skirt, and pinstripe blazer and mixed them into 12 different holiday ready ensembles. What pieces would you pick? How would you put them together?

Lace Yoke Sleeveless Dress – LOFT

Red Embellished Sweater – RED via Loehmanns

Green Sequins Embellished T-shirt – Ellen Tracey via TJ Maxx

Black Pencil Skirt – Old Navy

Black Pinstripe Blazer – Calvin Klein via SYMS

1

1+5

1+2

1+2+5

1+3

1+3+5

1+4

1+4+5

2+4

2+4+5

3+4

3+4+5

Mixed Metal Earrings – ModCloth
Belle Fleur Ring – Stella & Dot
Rhinestone Earrings – New York & Company
Gold/Silver Teardrop Earrings – V’ta Jewelry

Black Pumps – Candies via Kohl’s

Black Belt – Adrienne Vitadinni

Can you see yourself utilizing similar pieces from your own wardrobe in similar fashions? What would you do differently? It doesn’t have to be exact; You could throw a pair of pants or jeans in the mix for more casual gatherings and you are covered for every situation!

Holiday Shopping

In honor of Black Friday I want to talk to you about holiday shopping and what my (best) practices are.The reason that I put so much thought and effort into holiday (and birthday) shopping is because there are lots of people on my list  to shop for which means it can be costly in terms of money but, also in terms of my time. I also take it to the "next level" (yes there is a spreadsheet) because I want to make sure that I give the people in my life that I care most about gifts that they will actually appreciate and enjoy. By making a plan about shopping in advance and implementing these practices I have been able to tackle holiday shopping without getting very stressed or maxing out my credit cards. To be honest, most of the time, I don't even participate in the craziness that is Black Friday or Cyber Monday because they are so protracted beyond what they used to be that you can find savings starting at the beginning of November (OMG, you've already missed out) and those very limited "door buster" deals are not worth the aggravation and time they would potentially cost me. While everyone might not feel the same way, I have found that with planning I am able to tackle holiday shopping without going crazy.

• Budget - Take a look at how many people you feel obligated to need/want to buy gifts for. There might be some people who pop up closer to the holiday but, for the most part, you know who your main beneficiaries are and you can ballpark how much money you want to dedicate towards their gifts. I'm not saying that you need to stick with this to the last penny for everyone but, having an idea of what you can spend overall helps from overspending on your favorite person or cheaping out on someone that you wanted to get a swell gift.  
• Shop all year - This is not for every person on your list (ahem, children) but, sometimes when you are out you might see something that would be perfect for your Mom, BFF, gardener, etc. that you know they will love to matter what time of year you give it to them. This helps in terms of limiting the amount of time you will spend shopping during the holiday season and hopefully ensure that you will avoid shopping at crunch time (Ex: Christmas Eve) completely. 

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Dec 20, 2012 at 9:36am PST

• Save all year - Take a look at your budget and see what the total is, then divide that by 52 which would equal how much money you have to save each week. This is the most rudimentary budget but, it totally works for Hubby and I. We take money each pay period and set it aside for holiday and other gifts and when December November comes we don't have to think twice about where the money is coming from. It goes into a separate gift specific checking account so we don't mix that money with funds for everyday purchases... next level maneuvers. 
• Re-Gift - Not everyone does this, or thinks it is acceptable to do but, I do, under the right circumstances. I am a difficult person to shop for an often find myself with lovely things that I am never going to use and have no option of returning for credit to purchase something else that I might like better. I also get things for free sometimes (event life, yay) or as part of monthly subscription boxes that are not a good fit for me. In those situations, I would rather give those nice things, that are not my speed, to someone else who would enjoy them. 

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Dec 13, 2014 at 11:30am PST

• Get Crafty - If you are the type of person who is able to use paper maché and popsicle sticks to make cool things you should totally do that for your family and then open an Etsy shop. In all seriousness, sometimes the best  gifts are heartfelt and personal so if can make something as opposed to buying it that might be the way to go in terms of making someone smile and possibly keeping yourself on budget.

Happy Thanksgiving

From: Iris

To: You

Vacation Time

Is your office closed for Rosh Hashanah? No? Well mine is so I've tacked a few extra vacation days on to that and have a nice little break. There will be fun activities and relaxation going on over here but, don't think that means you wont be hearing from me either. I will be updating social media on happenings and some recommendations of fun reads from the archives that you might not have come across yet. I will be back to regularly scheduled outfit posting on September 21. Have a great week!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Father's Day

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Thanksgiving!!

To: You

From: Me

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $50 Shabby Apple gift card! 

Happy Birthday to Me!

To: Me
From: Me

Image courtesy of baystatebrumby.blogspot.com

Happy Mother's Day!!

To: You

From: Iris

Happy New Year

From: Iris
To: You

Guest Post: Iris @ Sugar & Spice

I hope everyone is enjoying there long weekend so far! I just wanted to let you all know about a guest appearance I am making today... on the internet again. Over at Sugar & Spice I am showing giving some examples of how to make the most out of your closet during the demanding holiday social season. I remixed the five pieces below into twelve party ready outfits! Check it out for some inspiration...

Don't forget to enter to win the Spanish Steps dress from Shabby Apple!

eShakti Holiday Newbies

I know we've talked about this already but,remember that awesome eShakti.com coupon code that I had given you guys a little while back? Well, the deals are still going strong! You can get $20 off of a purchases of $20 or more with code: 260DAYS0811 until 12/31/11! That's enough time to have all your upcoming special occasions covered or even finding gifts for the loved ones! It is not valid on overstocks but, that's ok most of the good stuff is brand new anyway. One of the things that I love about eShakti.com is that they are constantly making new new items available and there are always fresh picks! You can stylishly navigate all the social engagments that you will have on our plates and be the perfect stylin' guest or lovely gracious hostess!

Office Holiday Party

Cherry Blossoms Illusion Bodice Dress

La Dolce Vita Dress

Hanukkah

Pretty Woman Dress

Grecian Drape Dress

Christmas

Dzilla Brass Rings Dress

Butterscotch Dress



Kwanzaa

Frost Lit Drape Dress

Graphic Satin Print Dress

New Years Eve

Silk Soiree Sheath Dress

Scalloped Sequin Shift Dress

Happy Thanksgiving!

From: Iris 

To: You 

eShakti Picks for the Holidays

Remember that awesome eShakti.com coupon code that I had given you guys a little while back? Well, the deals are back on! You can still get $20 off of a purchase of $20 or more with code: 260DAYS0811 until 12/31/11! Tha's enough time to have all your upcoming special occasions covered. It is not valid on overstocks but, that's ok most of the good stuff is brand new anyway...

Since the holiday season is fast approaching here are my picks for the many social engagments that we alll will have on our plates. eShaki.com is really a one stop shop (including accessories and shoes sandals) and you could put together a whole outfit to be the perfect stylin' guest or lovely gracious hostess!

Thanksgiving



Ambergris Dress



Art Gallery Opening Dress

Office Holiday Party

Embellished Neckline Herringbone Tweed Dress

Bow Tie Neck Dress


ChristmaHanuKwanzaakah

Dzilla Brass Rings Dress



Cotton Rosette Trim Dress



New Years Eve

Ruffle Skirt Strapless Dress

Beaded Neck Shift Dress

Happy Halloween!

To: You

From: Iris



Happy Fourth of July!

From: Iris 

To: You 

Happy Father's Day

From: Iris
To: You

Easter Sunday 2011

Did you do anything fun for Easter/Passover? I spent time with my family and had dinner with one of my close friend and her family. It was a great day with my favorite people! Since I shared my Easter outfit with you last year I thought it would only be fair to do the same thing this year. So here it is...

• Top: pastel colored dress, axcess for Kohl's via Unique Thrift Store with a tank top underneath for the modesty
• Shoes & Accessories: nude patent leather pumps, Apt. 9 via Kohl's; silver/gold teardrop earrings, V'ta Jewelry; gray and black purse, Pietro Alessandro