OOTD: Wait For It

Tan cutout zip-up sandals - DIY high waisted light wash distressed denim from H&M - powder blue ruffle bell sleeve top - red bandana from Old Navy - silver and turquoise chandelier earrings from Forever 21 - DIY gemstone sunglasses

I can't tell you how excited I am about this outfit. Two of the items I'm wearing are actually brand new, and I've been wanting to buy them for what feels like forever. I recently mentioned that I've been looking for the perfect bell sleeve top for nearly a year, and I finally found it! Whenever I identify a specific trend I want to own, I go on Poshmark and save my favorite pieces to buy whenever I have the money. I've had this top on my saved items for a couple months and was waiting for them to restock in my size. They happened to restock toward the end of my fiscal quarter when I had a surplus in my shopping budget (I'm as surprised as you), so I pounced. I've also been looking for a cute bandana to wear this spring. I pass by the Old Navy window display every day on my way to and from work, and I've seen this exact bandana on the mannequins for weeks now. After continuing to pine after it, I decided to go in one day and buy it.

There are so many different approaches to shopping to create the perfect wardrobe. One of my biggest pieces of advice is to wait for the perfect piece when you're looking for something specific. I knew exactly what I wanted in a bell sleeve top and bandana, so I waited until I found just that. I found a couple similar items earlier on in my search that would have been more convenient to buy, but I'm so glad I decided to wait until I found exactly what I was looking for. I don't have any regrets and haven't found myself actively shopping for a better version of this piece, which I do when I buy something that I like but that I don't love.

This method isn't always necessary. These shoes, for instance, were a cheap pair of sandals that I bought when I needed a pair of sandals simply because it was a convenient purchase. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so it didn't matter whether or not I waited to find just what I was looking for. In the case of this top and this bandana, though, I'm glad I waited.