This is everything I bought since my last budget post on April 23! It's an average of 7 items and $257 per month. Overall I'm really happy with the items in this round up. I branched out and purchased two pairs of wide leg cropped pants (a new shape for me), which I wore more than anything else. I invested in a white blazer that will be in my closet forever, scored a Mara Hoffman dream dress, and bought a ruffle sleeve stripe top from J.Crew I'll never tire of, just to name a few. I've had the same clothing budget since 2007, but the way I spend it has changed a lot. I still enjoy the occasional inexpensive impulse item, but I'd rather spend more on one item now, to get something that is higher quality, that I love exponentially more, and that will last in my closet a lot longer (ideally forever). I also do almost all my shopping online and rarely shop in person these days.

Items on my wish list for next time include: a denim jacket, mules, colorful flats, and flared or cropped denim. What's on your shopping wish list for end of summer and early fall?

ROW 1
1. Zara top, $36
2. H&M top, $40
3. Shopbop top, $44
4. Zara top, $26
ROW 2
5. LOFT hoodie, $22
6. LOFT top, $22
7. LOFT skirt, $14
8. H&M belt, $5
9. H&M turtleneck, $10
10. WHBM blazer, $90
ROW 3
11. Limited dress, $65
12. LOFT pants, $26
13. H&M top, $6
14. Banana pants, $58 (similar)
15. Mara Hoffman dress, $98
16. Macy's bracelets, $12
17. H&M wedges, $20
ROW 4
18. J.Crew top, $60
19. Limited sweater, $55
20. Ann Taylor, $28
21. Rachel Roy, $35

Total = $772

The finer details: My clothing budget is $250 per month. I treat my budget like an allowance and at the start of each month I deposit $250 into an "account" and then spend as I go (graph above to see progress for the year so far). As always, my budget posts do not include:

- Stella & Dot items. I'm a 1099 employee and earn products and discounts.
- Items I returned. (None during this time period.)
- Any free items I get from working in the fashion industry. I return items from sponsors whenever possible, see Disclosure for more info.

The items in this post are solely things that I purchased myself, that fall into the "clothing" category of my budget. The idea isn't necessarily to show or recommend what you should buy (that really depends on your job, climate, and lifestyle) but rather an example of setting and sticking to a clothing budget, and being conscious of how you spend it! I've had the same budget since 2007. I originally set this budget to help me spend more money on the clothes that I desperately needed for work. Now my budget helps me make better purchasing decisions, and gives me peace of mind while pursuing creative expression through fashion by knowing I'm staying well within my overall finances and personal values. For more details, check out "How to Set a Clothing Budget."