As I talked about in this post, I feel like some of my wardrobe is stuck in pre-pandemic times. This is a result of working from home for a year and a half, only wearing t-shirts and leggings, and not going anywhere. But now that I’m back at work and going places again, I’m finding myself being a bit disappointed in my current wardrobe.

Pre-pandemic, I was buying clothes a bit more often, not all the time, but a lot more than I am now. And after my body carrying me through the past two years of a global pandemic, it doesn’t quite feel the same as it did before. I don’t want to force myself into clothes that don’t quite fit anymore if I don’t have to, so that’s why I’m starting to replace certain items.

One of the things I absolutely hate buying are pants, whether jeans or shorts. I haven’t bought new ones of either in a very long time—like years—so I knew if I wanted to get new shorts, I’d have to go try them on in person since I wasn’t 100% sure what size I would be. So that meant a Target trip since I’m a baller on a budget here, folks.

I looked online prior to going to the store and tried on a few I had looked at, and it wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. I got two pairs of these denim shorts (one in a medium wash and another in a darker wash) and one pair of these linen shorts; if I wanted to get another pair, I’d just order them online since I know what size I am now.

I used an Old Navy/Gap gift card to buy a bunch of new underwear from Gap (in addition to a blue/white striped shirt). I’m really bad at buying/replacing undergarments, but I figured I was due for new ones. The unfortunate thing is that all six pairs shipped separately, so I had to keep texting my mom to let her know another Gap package had been delivered to the house.

Then I realized I hadn’t bought new sandals since college. Once it gets warm out, I automatically switch to wearing dresses to work—so I don’t have to try to match a shirt and pants—and that means also wearing sandals. The two pairs I wear the most, one white and one black, I’ve had for over 6 years and had seen better days. I looked online at DSW for new ones and stopped by the store in town to see if they had them/anything similar to try on, but I didn’t find anything I liked so I ended up ordering these online in white and black. They came in last week, and they’re actually pretty comfy.

Next up on my list of things to buy is a pair of casual sneakers for my upcoming trips this summer. The sneakers I own are either Converse or athletic/running sneakers, so I want to get a pair of comfortable sneakers but also cute ones to wear on my trips. I’ve got my eye on a pair like this, but I think I’ll go to DSW to try them on in person. And maybe some new socks; you can never have enough socks.

How often do you replace or re-build the essentials in your wardrobe?