I think I did pretty good in May. I shopped a lot but didn’t buy a lot. It’s good to be picky. I’m known for buying and regretting.

I don’t regret these new black pants at all. I love a good pair of black trousers. I thought these were going to be my go-to, but I never wore them. The cut just wasn’t right. I got this new pair at Old Navy (which has been wowing me lately) and they are just perfect: retro, slim, cropped and very comfy/stretchy.

This month I also got some much needed new running shoes, a basic black tee and a new spring/summer handbag.

MAY $153

Asics Gel Contender $55

Old Navy Mid-Rise Ankle Chinos in black $13

Banana Republic Boatneck T-shirt in black $14

Madewell Medium Transport Tote $71 on Poshmark

I’ve been clearing things out as needed. I’ve got some things for sale on Poshmark, if you’re interested.

And as always, I use Pinterest in order to keep track of things I want and also to delay purchases. You can check out things I might buy in the future on my Spring wish list.

Hi, and welcome to my secret world of obsession and indecision. I’ve been looking for a new handbag and although I think I know what I want, I decided to go through what I have to help me make a decision. Here’s what I have:

1. Black Banana Republic Top Handle Bag (similar): This is my go-to everyday bag. It has multiple pockets and zippered compartments, a top handle and a shoulder strap. It’s a bit heavy though and quite boxy/structured.
2. Black Liz Claiborne Shoulder Bag (similar): I love this bag. It’s made with a really great quality leather and has a relaxed shape. It used to be my number one bag but now I don’t use it much. It is a great bag…
3. Brown Madewell Transport Tote: I was thrilled to get this as a Christmas present a few years ago. I love the look of it, but it’s heavy and much too big for what I need to carry most days.
4. J. Crew Straw Tote (similar): This is my tried-and-true go-to summer bag. I choose it over the others most of the time. So good.
5. Multi-color Le SportSac Nylon Tote (similar): I don’t know when or why I bought this. I’ve seemingly had it forever. It is really good as a beach tote or if I’m going shopping. It’s lighter weight than the brown leather one and it’s a great choice if it’s rainy. I really like it, but it’s not very chic.
6. Black and Tan Element Backpack (similar): Why is this even included in my handbag collection? I mean who uses a kid’s school backpack anyway? But, I think it’s good. I actually bought it at Disney World. It’s pretty indispensable for traveling. It carries a lot comfortably. I took it to California last month and I was really glad I did.
7. David Bowie Ziggy Stardust Canvas Tote: This bag sort of checks off all the boxes. The perfect size. Kind of goes with everything. Not pretentious. It’s the sort of bag Rita would have as her handbag. It was $15 at Target. It’s cool but not very grown-up.
8. Black Canvas Barney’s COOP Tote: This was the bag I got when I bought a pair of J Brand jeans at the COOP. It was free but I liked it so much I kept it. I often use it to carry my laptop (in neoprene sleeve that fits in the tote perfectly.)
9. Hawaiian Print Tote: I got this on my honeymoon in Kauai so it’s pretty sentimental. It’s funky and on the small size but good for summer and goes with black better than my straw tote.
10. Brown Lucky Crossbody Bag: I bought this a couple years ago because I became convinced I needed a bag this color and shape. It’s nice but very stiff and the flap closure kind of annoys me. Also, it’s a little too small for an everyday bag.
11. Black Banana Republic Crossbody Bag (similar): I like the look of this bag. I like that it’s black and has the gold chain. It’s quite small and not practical for everyday.
12. Light Blue Coach Crossbody Bag (similar): So cute but so small. I almost never use it and wonder what I was thinking when I bought it. However, I did take it on my last trip and it worked out quite well.
13. Black J. Crew Clutch (similar): One has to have at least one clutch, so I have this.

My conclusions:

• I could choose to keep one or the other of my two black bags (or find one that I love.)
• The Madewell transport and straw tote are both keepers…
• …as are the nylon tote and backpack. Very functional.
• I could probably do with just one cute, casual canvas tote.
• I really only need maybe two crossbody bags – one black and one not black (and the brown one isn’t really working for me.)
• I really want a Spring/Summer bag that is leather, light colored, medium sized, that’s not too structured and makes me feel like a grown up.

I’m considered one of these:

Everlane $235

Madewell $158

Mark & Graham $199

Cuyana $375

Banana Republic $178

I decided in the end to purchase the Madewell medium tote (in “Linen”). I bought it through Poshmark so I got a great deal.

What’s your go to bag style? Do you change them every season?

Okay Madewell, you win. I was doing really well on not going over budget and then the weather got warm and life got stressful and Leigh went to Madewell. I don’t regret it. I pick out 4 items I absolutely LOVE and had been wanting for a long time. Here’s what I added in April:

APRIL $428

Madewell High-Rise Slim Boyjean $135

Madewell Cali Demi-Boot Jeans $128

Madewell Rigid Denim A-Line Mini Skirt $50

Madewell Eyelet Keyhole Peplum Top $70

Athleta Salutation Stash Pocket Capri $45

I love to organize. I especially love to organize my clothes. I’ve done so many closet clean outs. I would get rid of things that didn’t fit or I never wore. But then three years ago I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. #konmari #sparkjoy I went through all my clothes, category by category and asked myself if they “sparked joy”. I was able to let go of items that didn’t spark joy even if they were gifts or expensive, or “might come back in style one day”. The whole process was so good! And I followed her advice about folding and arranging things so I could see it all easily. I stopped packing away off season items. All of it worked for me and I have kept it up over the years since.

This is my small walk-in closet. Items are arranged left to right: dresses, skirts, trousers/chinos, jackets, sweatshirts, long sleeve tees, button downs, tees, tank tops. I hang a lot of my clothes. Then, items go left to right: long to short, dark to light, heavy to thin… And I can see all of it at once.

I fold my sweaters and place them on a top shelf, organized by color. Thinner ones tend to go on top but then I get lazy so it’s favorites on top.

In my top dresser drawer are tights & socks, then bras and underwear.

Next is an extra deep drawer with my obsessively curated collection of jeans, followed by shorts.

Drawer three is: pjs tops, pj bottoms, pj shorts, swim suits and finally (summer) scarves.

The bottom drawer is all workout clothes: jackets/long sleeve tops, tanks and sports bras, shorts and capris, and then long leggings. There are some towels tucked in the back…

I have about a dozen bags hung up, including totes, a backpack, handbags and crossbody bags. Then I have my collection of belts and necklaces. I can’t say I ever really wear any of them but I’ve narrowed them down to what I think are essential. I also have a small selection of jewelry on top of my dresser along with some sunglasses and perfumes.

Shoes! I love to see all my shoes, and even though they get a little dusty, I like them lined up on shelves, not in boxes or bins. I made these shelves myself — just plain boards like the one up top for my sweaters. They are long enough to fit 11 pairs across, so my total shoe collection is 33 pairs…not including athletic shoes, or rain & snow boots which are kept elsewhere, along with outerwear, hats, gloves and scarves.

So that’s it! Thanks for reading.

I love these new jeans. I was at Nordstrom Rack with a friend and she said, “Here, try these on.” I did and they were perfect. It was supernatural. Also, they were the same exact jeans I had put on my wish list after a few bloggers had recommended them. I did not need another pair of jeans but I don’t know how I ever lived before I got these.

I fell in love with the leopard shoes from J. Crew after seeing them on Natalie Borton. I’ve gotten so many complements on them and they are so unique. This was definitely a solid addition.

Lastly, I added these white sneaks which were probably a mistake. I haven’t worn them much. I’m starting to think that my feet are getting smaller. I’ve always been an 8.5 but think I may be an 8 now. Weird. I think I might have to give them to my daughter who is the same size as me (She’s 10 years old!) but still growing.

MARCH $203

AG Farrah High-Rise Skinny Jeans $90

J.Crew Leopard flats $48

Nike Court Royale Sneakers $65

This is an account of how my sense of style came to be. When I wonder why I’m so preoccupied with clothing, I only have to look back on my childhood and it’s pretty clear I how I grew up to be obsessed.

When I was very small, my mother dressed me, as I like to joke, “like a character in a Truffaut film.” She scoured yard sales and the like for simple, understated items she considered cool. I didn’t think much about it at the time. I just wore whatever she picked. I do have one early memory where I insisted on picking out my own outfit and I’m pretty sure it was a checked top and stripped pants and she said it did not look good, that I couldn’t wear two patterns at once. We got into a heated debate about it which ended with her saying, “Well it doesn’t matter what you think you look like, it’s what others think because they’re looking at you!” Other than that, my early childhood was a blissful time filled with shopping together, handmade dresses from Marimekko fabric and the seasonal tradition of taking clothes out of the attic and making me try every single thing on to see if it still fit.

My stepmother made an effort to intervene in the clothing department, insisting to my father that “Girls need pretty things.” She was an accomplished seamstress and would occasionally let me pick out patterns and fabric and then she would sew things for me. One item that I remember distinctly was a full length wrap skirt made out of baby blue satin. One Christmas she bought me a book of Japanese fashion and I fell in love with Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto. I know, right?

It wasn’t until I had my first jobs, at Subway, then Baskin-Robbins, that I had the money and the power to buy what I wanted. I feel like I bought a pair of Jordache jeans with my own money. I distinctly remember trying them on and thinking I looked amazing. I don’t have any photos of me in them so maybe I just imagined it. I didn’t have much to spend in high school so I mostly shopped at thrift stores. Or wore my friend’s clothes. In these days my peers were wearing Polo and Izod shirts, Tretorns and Bass shoes. Some of them were Goth, but mostly just very plain and somewhat anti-fashion, dubbed our style “the no-style style.”

In 2007, I got to fulfill a lifetime dream of visiting Paris. I always imagined how I’d look like a native and feel like a character in a Camus novel, or again, a Truffaut film. It didn’t really work out that way. Still struggling with what to wear and still on a budget.

After Paris came a long-awaited and very joyful pregnancy and birth of twins. From then on, there weren’t many photos taken of me. Just me taking thousands of pix of the kids. And really I didn’t think a lot about clothes. I just wanted to get back in shape and maybe have a full night’s sleep.

It was 2011 that I took my first mirror selfie. I had started looking at stuff online about putting together outfits. I followed J’s Everyday Style, Kendi Everyday and Unfancy to name a few.

In January of 2012 I started the blog “Women’s Work”, originally as a place to discuss the challenges of balancing work, childcare, etc. but it was really just a place to explore random thoughts and teach myself WordPress and blogging in addition to working as a Graphic Designer and being a mom of twins. Later I renamed it LeighFeather and committed to focusing on my three favorite things: Fitness, Fashion & Food, posting sporadically. And now it’s seven years later! I feel like I’m just starting to know my style and like what I wear. And it’s funny, I’ve probably known it all along. It’s simple and understated, sort of vintage/retro and a little masculine. It’s jeans and t-shirts and a good amount of black. And I feel good.