Interesting. I think I could do it. Clothing just recently became a priority to me, so the amount of clothes shopping I’ve done over the last few months is probably more than I’ve done over the last few years. I’m almost at the point where I’m shopped out–both financially and emotionally. I do enjoy shopping though, and finding the rare unexpected perfect item is always a thrill. But I could definately survive on what I have for a year, and I could most likely distract myself from shopping. Especially if someone were to actually challenge me…I rarely turn down a challenge.

I read an article very similar, about a woman who gave up style for a year. She wore a brown sheath dress every day. I’ll see if I can find it.

He he, this is the right article for me, since I have way to many things, the only departments I’m lacking in are socks and bras (the latter due to the fact that I only recently got fitted and learned that I was wearing the wrong size for years)! Could
I actually wear what I have for a year and have no real need for new clothes? Abolutely, my body has not changed for the past 15 years! Now would I be able to actually resist buying new stuff – probably not! Fashion is my passion as well and I can’t resist updating my wardrobe.
I have tried something similar in the past (without a time limit, just to see how much I can last) and sadly after 6 weeks of being good broke down and bought way more things at once than I would normally have for the entire 2 months if it weren’t for the ban!

I couldn’t do it because I’m overhauling my wardrobe, but you know that Angie. I have plenty of winter tops that fit, but I need just about everything else in order to get rid of the rest of the things that aren’t quite right. Maya and Tanya could do it thought, if only for 6 months.

One year is too long for me. I’m doing a month-long break now. It’s been only two weeks and I already felt the urge to break it, especially when seeing my favorite pieces on sale. However I do think it’s a good thing to do once a while like fasting once a week. You can re-discover what you already have in your closet, remember you fell in love with them when you bought them? Being a more discerning consumer is definitely my goal too.

I could probably do it, but I would be itching to get more shoes once the ban was over! I can see how it would help you be more discerning, as you would have a greater appreciation for fashion and beauty after not being able to indulge yourself on a whim for one whole year.

My wardrobe could handle it except I’m sure my summer tops would be in sad condition by the end. Emotionally, I could definitely do it, but I would have to remove all temptation– no shopping, no online browsing, no more catalog browsing… and no more reading this blog!

I could do it. I have done it (in college)–and it would be a lot easier now because I have more clothes.

However, I have the opposite problem of not admitting to myself that some of my favorite clothes are no longer acceptable and should be replaced. (Just because it still fits doesn’t mean this thing from two decades ago doesn’t leave a bad impression. Just because there aren’t any holes doesn’t mean it’s not practically see-through. Just because most of it still looks new doesn’t mean it’s okay that the hem is shredded.)

Still, I like the idea of altering what I have to make it better, cleaning and polishing my shoes on a regular basis, and other ideas like that which minimize having to shop.

i could do it. while i like to look good – one year is only 12 months and i could go that long without shopping. i think that it is a good challenge, esp. for people who have to shop to feel better about themselves. to look good with what we have would be a great challenge for us Americans who are so over indulged in most areas ( at least i am ). and thinking about it – i HAVE done this…in college and for a few years after i didn’t buy anything….this is good food for thought.

I could do it if necessary, but it would take a lot determination and support to change my “need” to find a new item for a season, occasion, or to replace an ill-fitting item. I am in my first job out of college, and it has taken some effort and funds to start to turn my wardrobe into what it needs to be for my lifestyle now. I feel like my wardrobe isn’t complete yet, so my biggest temptation would be justifying what I needed vs. what I wanted.

This would be a great challenge. I am in the process of trying to lose the last few pounds so my body is still changing. Plus with our plans to move from San Diego to Seattle in the summer will definitely involve some different type clothes added to my wardrobe. So I’m not sure that I could pull this off successfully at this point. But I would love to try it out once I get settled in my new size and locale!

If I got a few more wardrobe basics, I could definately do this. I’ve gone months without buying clothes before, (It’s simple – don’t go to stores!) but I think that I do have too few clothes to go an entire year.

What a great idea. I could do it for buying ready-made items (except maybe shoes) – but I am sure I would shrivel up and DIE if I could not buy fabric to sew for a year. Despite the fact that my stash is rather large (OK – HUGE), and I could sew for an entire year and not run out, I am pretty sure I could not resist buying fabric for 12 months. Like organizing my closet, I have been organizing my fabric collection and going to it BEFORE going to the fabric store these days. But still…..some fabrics just call out to me!

Maris

Wow, this comes at a very good time for me. I love to shop!! I am in the process of buying a home and saving for a down payment and this is one area that I can save A LOT of money. It’s going to be tough but this article gives me hope for the challenge I’m about to endeavor.

Hmmm. I could do it, but I’d certainly have to stop visiting YLF! I would be way too tempted by all the exciting things others are buying. I’d also have to stop looking at magazines and would somehow have to ban all those coupons I get in the mail.

Another issue I have is that I am currently going through some sort of image transformation. Since my baby was born 5 years ago, I have been in the same rut of drab, baggy clothes. My problem is that my wardrobe is mostly basics. It’s only the past couple months I have been transforming my wardrobe … searching for a style. I’ve made some serious bloopers through this experimentation! But with the guidance of Angie and all you gals, I am clicking on a formula that seems to express my sense of self.

This idea of not shopping for a year is very much on trend with the latest simple-living idea. Streamlining your lifestyle so that you use what you have and decrease the amount of over consumerism that is so prevelant in our society. Reducing clutter in your home, pantry etc.

Maris: I have that same problem with my bead stash! I LOVE to make jewelry and go to the gem faires…and how can I resist some of those beautiful, shiny beads! My stash is pretty darn huge now. My plan is to promise to myself to use what I have before I get more. I don’t think I could not shop for beads for a full year. My name is Marlene and I am a bead-aholic.

I’d double check to make sure I’ve got enough socks, underwear, and bras..and then I could totally do it! Shopping is not my favorite pass time, and Angie has helped me get my wardrobe in ship shape. If I received an invite to a very formal white tie event, I might be in a bit of a bind, though–but perhaps I could rent a gown.

I think it is interesting to compare a shopping lust for fabrics or beads, to a shopping lust for clothes. I hadn’t thought of it that way before but I do also have a fabric jones!

No way- it would be the worst year of my life!

Wow, what would that be like? I could probably do it…but would I want to? It would be interesting! Synchronistic you posted this today, Angie, because I’ve noticed kind of a shift for me in that I am shopping much less. It comes in kind of fits and starts, and I’m at a bit of a plateau at the moment…very happy with the fewer but nicer and better fitting items that have come my way recently.

Nicole, is this the “little brown dress” woman you mentioned?… http://www.littlebrowndress.com/

A whole year? Dunno – but I find myself definitely looking around at all the clothes I have and thinking that I don’t have to go shopping for a long while for anything I NEED. I have stocked up on bras, etc. (They had my favorite sort at the 99 Cents store- Hanes, can you imagine? So I bought a dozen) – but my socks don’t match anymore! Been trying to wear the unmatched socks at home to get more wear out of them (they are all white). So if I found a good deal on THEM….. Have to weed through my stuff again. I keep on doing it – but still end up with a wardrobe too big for my urban apt.!

Hey, I’m near the end of doing it right now! In September it will have been one year. Guess what? I’ve actually gotten rid of sooo much and am really longing for a more minimalistic wardrobe. It’s helped me better evaluate trends… I’m constantly asking, “Will I like this a year from now, when I’d be allowed to buy it?” and I can see if it’s really “me”.

Another thing I’m determined to do come September, is make sure what I buy is *exactly* what I want, of high quality, and will last a few years (both in quality and style). I’m almost exclusively a thrift shopper, so this would be a big change for me. I had too much in my closet that was a bargain but didn’t really work for me.

I have actually bought a few things I needed, mainly workout clothes. But otherwise, it’s been so freeing to not think about clothes so much!!

If I wasn’t exposed to all the fashion magizines and TV I think I could do it, the only challenge would be to stay the same size for that time frame. I like simple classics so it wouldn’t be that hard. I love buying things for my daughter so I could get my “Fashion fix” through her.

I’m doing just that right now. I’m actually about to buy some stuff on 6pm.com, and that’s going to be my final purchase for a long time (I most likely won’t be keeping everything I bought anyway). I actually tried to do this once before and I held up pretty well until I realized there were things I genuinely needed, and then need turned to want, and I kind of forgot about it.

There are a lot of reasons for clamping down in my case. First, I myself am not in good shape financially, so it’s simply not a priority now. I have other things on my mind. I know a lot of people on the forum buy whole new outfits every week, but that is simply impossible for me. Even buying one new thing is an indulgence when you’re out of a job.

Third, I think vintage and thrift shopping suits my style and personality better than shopping at chain stores…as long as I’m discriminating enough. Unfortunately by the time I was enlightened enough to realize this, it was time to up and leave NYC. Fortunately there’s a very swanky rich area of NJ nearby where you can find what would have been very expensive clothes for $5 apiece. As soon as I’m working again, I’m going there with a friend.

Finally, shopping doesn’t make me happy anymore. It stresses me out and frustrates me. If there’s no joy in it, then there’s really no point. I think once I’m in a stable financial position I’ll feel better. In fact sometimes I feel like I talk myself into thinking that I look bad in something simply because I can’t bring myself to spend the money. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until today.

I’m going to try and shop more within my own closet. It will be hard because I can think of at least a dozen things I need/want, but it might force me into being more creative than I might have otherwise been.

Last time it was just a matter of deleting all my favorite shopping websites from my bookmarks. I no longer browsed them when I got bored. I stopped reading all my fashion blogs because they would make me want things that I never would have otherwise wanted. This time around I’ll probably do the same, but of course I have to make YLF an exception because there’s personal value here, and in fact the community here might actually help since everyone is so supportive and encouraging.

That said, I went shopping with my mom today at the most gigantic mall I have ever been to (the Garden State Plaza mall) and I found the Ann Taylor pearls there. I couldn’t afford them and my mom knew I wanted them, so when she went to check out she picked them up for me. Very sweet. Not as pretty as the Majorica ones I saw at Nordies, but good enough That one purchase alone can change an entire outfit.

Finally, I like to enjoy different pieces in my closet and give everything a lot of use. I like to mix and match things in different ways. That’s pretty hard to do when you have too many clothes. I don’t think I could ever really appreciate each individual piece of clothing that I own if I had so much stuff.

So in short, yes, I could probably do it!

No way! J. Crew might go out of business if I stopped shopping for a year!

Maya, I’m glad you finally got your pearls! Your mom is a doll.

I actually was not much of a shopper in the late 90s and did not have a lot of clothes. Since 2005 I’ve found that the styles have been changing so quickly that I feel I really must “keep up” in a way that I didn’t before. My wardrobe at the moment is based on mostly recent purchases and not on things that I’ve had forever. I’m fine with this as I’ve tended to move frequently and toss things out without a second thought. I’m stocking up at the moment because in the near future I will not be shopping due a rhinoplasty revision I will be having. I’ll wear what I’ve got and make the best of it. and if I feel really bad, I’ll do what I love most and just stay home!!

Maybe later. I still need to rebuild my wardrobe after recovering from anorexia!

Since I’ve gained weight and I don’t like the current fashions I have reduced purchases. In the last several months all I’ve purchased are 2 jeans (due to weight increase), 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 dress, 3 sandals, 1 jacket, 3 purses. Ya know, now that I read this list that could be considered a lot by some people’s measure. I don’t think I could completely not shop for a year. I love to look around, have lunch and maybe find that perfect treasure. It can be a relaxing past time for me. The hunt can be fun and the acquisition rewarding. I love new things–whether new adventures or new clothes. I feel so smart wearing darling clothes. It boosts my confidence knowing I look good. I do tend to get bored wearing the same old thing week after week. In an odd way fashion helps me enjoy the seasons more too. Since fashion comes out before the season, I anticipate what is coming and when the season comes it feels longer because I’ve already “been there”. Not sure I am adequately describing the effect, but suffice to say being conscious of fashion has done a lot for me. Since I enjoy it, I wouldn’t want to deprive myself of it. Two years ago, I desperatly needed an update. Enter Angie. I had so much catching up to do I went crazy purchasing clothes. Now that I’ve made some mistakes, I’ve become more savvy. Having a solid basics now frees me up to focus on picking cherries. A shift from quantity to quality is taking place. Discernment does take skill and discipline. It has also lead to fewer purchases–but I don’t think will ever lead to a complete ban. Thank you for the topic–has triggered a lot of thought.

I have to agree with Nicole. I have done more shopping lately trying to revamp my worn out closet than I have done in years. Certain items I hate to shop for since I find it hard to fit. (Shoes, bras, jeans, coats). So, I am finding it fun to shop now but it is getting costly to do it all at once. Love your tips Angie!

Renee,

Best wishes to you and I think you’ve earned a pass on this challenge. Go buy yourself some pretty things, you deserve it! Glad you are still with us!

no you dont know me but I wanted to send you some support! Go shine on your fabulous self.

peace and love, biscuitx

I’m thinking about it esp since I”ve been shopping a lot lately. But I’m graduating in about a year and will be interviewing throughout this academic year so the idea of not buying anything at all will be hard. Also, I KNOW I will need a new pair of workout shoes (soon!) sigh. but maybe I should try?

[...] I read this entry on You Look Fab! about Anna Shepherd of British Vogue who imposed a one year shopping ban for [...]

If you need to pick up something new (to you) for your wardrobe and lack the funds, I highly recommend trying the thrift stores. In my area the Goodwill stores tend to keep what is donated at that store, so it pays to go to the Goodwill shops in more wealthy neighborhoods for many of the brands I see on this site. This weekend I bought several Ann Taylor items, including a velvet skirt for 99 cents with its matching top. Often things haven’t been worn at all. I bought two new pairs of summer wedge sandals for $3.59 and last summer’s Eileen Fisher linen duster for $4.99.
If you want vintage, go to the thrift shops near where more older people live.
It takes lots of looking, but that’s the fun of the hunt. Just make sure there are no holes, stains, etc. At most places there are fitting rooms to try things on. Goodwill lets you make returns with receipt for a week. They take credit cards.
I have gone a year purposefully not buying anything new. I like the idea of allowing purchase of used clothing. Wearing the same brown dress everyday sounds really hard. Wearing black pants everyday might be an interesting challenge.

You know, if we’re keeping by the author’s rules, I could easily do it, as I do most of my shopping at used clothing stores. But if it was no new clothing purchases, period, I couldn’t do it right now. I’ve recently lost some weight, and I’m slowly rebuilding some of my basics–I only have one pair of pants that really fit me. Maybe in a month or two, I’ll set a shorter deadline for myself, and see if I can pull it off.

With the exception of undies, I probably could go for a year without buying any new clothes at all. I’m on a diet and exercise regimen right now to lose some weight, but even if my figure changes significantly most of my things will still fit because I wear a lot of knits with some stretch in them. And I’m pretty handy with needle and thread so I can alter or repair the items that need it.

Funny, I just kind of challenged myself not to shop all summer. Clothing swaps and trips to the seamstress are great ideas that I hadn’t thought of. They just might help me reach my goal.

I used to be a bit of a hoarder (maybe I can wear it for a fancy dress party! If I lose 15lb!), but I got really aggressive last year and donated at least half a dozen heavy-duty trash bags’ worth of stuff I didn’t need. At the moment my daytime wardrobe is 4 black dresses, 4 colored dresses, a couple of cardigans and scarves, 2 handbags, a pair of ballet flats, a coat, 4 knee-length skirts (2 jersey, 2 silk) and 2 plain t-shirts (plus a cocktail dress and evening bag). I put on a bit of weight recently (stressful job, no time to eat healthy food) so really, only about half of it fits me! But it is nice to look into my wardrobe and know that everything is classic and stylish and matches. I only need to shop if something wears out (I go through black cardigans all the time – they always pill on one side because of the way I hold by handbag! And I learnt the hard way not to buy expensive shoes because I walk EVERYWHERE and wear them out in a month or two) and hopefully, now that I’m working from home and eating better, I’ll be able to fit into everything soon! I love looking at fashion magazines and shop windows, but realistically I know most of the stuff (anoraks/shapeless tunics/leggings) do nothing for my figure and should be left to 15-year-olds with gazelle legs. I love your practical tips on wardrobe organization! It is so true that a well-edited collection of timeless clothes makes life much less stressful.

This is actually easier than most people would think. I can’t say I don’t shop AT ALL but I almost never buy any NEW items. Just ones that are new to me. I can safely say that I know every thrift store in a 60 mile radius and I know where I’ll find things I like and where I will be wasting my time. It takes time to learn this. I am in my early 30’s and have been doing this since I was 15. The thing that I really love is when I find a really great buy that looks great on me. If you know your thrift stores you will know where people with money to burn donate their stuff. When I was in highschool it started out of necessity. I mean really what highschool kid has a ton of money to spend on clothes (well not this one)? I found that I could find great jeans easily and then I could justify splurging on a really great top. Besides it is fun to buy $200 jeans for less than $10 (I love 7 for all mankind!). Here is what really sealed the deal for me on this way of shopping…when I started college I took an economics class where we learned about utility. This is the amount of satisfaction you get from an item versus what you paid for it. So basically if you pay $100 for shoes that you love but only wear 4 times (maybe because they hurt your feet?)…you have paid $25 per wearing…how do you feel about that? I personally would be sick. If you buy a pair of shoes that you love at a thrift store for $6 and wear them 4 times it has only cost you $1.50 per wearing…much more palatable. Now take those same shoes and wear them 20 times…$5 per for the expensive shoes, and 30 cents per for the thrift store shoes. Ok so maybe in a way I am cheap…And I admit that I probably am. Now that I have a son and daycare to pay this is once again a necessity. I really will not pay store prices for anything except socks underwear and bras. And those things I try to buy on sale. But it really streches my budget and if I find something that I really can’t live without, usually a great accessory, I can justify buying it. I am sort of in the same place as Jayne right now. I too have “cleaned house”. I spent the last year with the great majority of my belongings (clothes, household, everything) in storage due to a housing adventure. I discovered that there were about 4 items that I really missed and wished I could wear. Anything I didn’t remember I had I sent to a thrift store I don’t shop at. I agree it is great to look in the closet and know that I wear EVERYTHING in there. I am very proud of the fact that I have downsized from 70+ pairs of shoes to less than 30. I know it is still alot but hey that is a HUGE step! Maybe you can’t do it for a year but try it for a month. Maybe you will learn some things about your shopping habits and in this time of economic crisis learning to cut corners may not be such a bad thing.