La Fin du Ban

42 days later and my Lenten shopping ban is finally over. Of course, Easter Sunday is just about the only day in the UK where pretty much all of the shops are closed — the ones that might sell me some clothes, anyway. I did make it through to the end without breaking any of my rules. The only things I bought were a pair of purple earrings to match my bridesmaid's dress and the much coveted pinkish plum bag (AKA the Never a Dull Moment bag), both of which were allowed. Thanks to my parents' trip to NYC, I also acquired a few things from J. Crew and a turquoise wristlet.

Some parts of the ban were easier than others but in general, this was a lot easier than giving up chocolate, partly because I was out of London and away from the temptations of Anthro et al. for more than half of the weekends during Lent. I don't think I'd give up shopping for Lent again but I'd definitely consider doing one-month bans instead — these would mean I could cut down on my impulse purchases without missing out because I wanted to be good and wait for a beloved Anthro product to go on sale. I'm also going to try to wait at least two weeks after seeing an item before buying it, unless it's a basic, or if it's on sale and/or the store is already running out of my size. This is especially true in Anthro, where many things are eventually sold for half price. Patience is apparently a virtue. Tomorrow, of course, doesn't count, although I don't intend to go wild.

Meanwhile, thanks to the ban, I've also noticed a few gaps in my wardrobe over the past six weeks and so I'll be on the lookout for a three-quarter-length sleeve navy blazer, a basic white or off-white vest top, and a non-patterned skirt or two, preferably in a royal blue or purple.