I've been wanting to write a post like this for awhile; I apologise with how long it ended up being! Definitely one that calls for a freshly brewed cuppa. I'd love to hear everyone else's experiences with

When I got back from my trip home in early January, I decided not to buy any more clothes for at least three months. I'm sure this was partly in reaction to my Texan thrifting adventures (did I mention I got a navy wool/linen Theory suit for $4? and a couple bags full of other beautiful things too) and some sartorial Christmas gifts, which have resulted in absolutely no free hangers or hanging space left in my generous closet and a similar abundance in my drawers. But it was also about trying to divorce my love for clothes from a consumer mindset.

For those who aren't aware, my 'frivolous' clothing budget (aka not shoes or underwear) is $20-$25 a month, and I shop exclusively secondhand for these items, which has been true for years, so I was already outside of the mainstream consumer society. I also don't work outside the home, so I have no external dress codes to meet. Historically, thrifting has been one of my hobbies: when I lived in Texas, I would go at least twice a month, and looked forward to browsing the racks and stumbling upon a treasure. I liked walking into Goodwill knowing that anything I found, I could afford to leave with, I liked the tactile experience of sorting through all of those fabrics, the potential history of finding a vintage piece, and I liked having a reason to leave the house/get a bit of exercise (think about how much you walk in a long shopping afternoon!). I was in Texas for reasons outside of my control, and not particularly thrilled to be there, so thrifting was a coping mechanism. And it resulted in a large wardrobe (150-200 clothing pieces, excluding shoes, hosiery & undies), although never one that exceeded the available storage space, because I almost always found at least one thing to bring home with me.

I don't regret my thrifting habit; in fact, I'm in such an easy sartorial place now because of it. But I've since moved to an area I want to live in, and that allows me to lead a different kind of lifestyle, so physical thrifting has fallen by the wayside. Since my move in September, I decided to spend my thrifting budget pursuing some specific 'wish list' items on Ebay, whose higher prices usually result in my only getting one piece for my money (vs 3-5 while thrifting, more if I hit the right sale). I found this to be a wonderful trade off, and I added a few items I've been looking for for ages, but had never come across in a b&m thrift store.

And yet, come January, I'd noticed that this approach also led me to focus on what my closet *didn't* have: after all, each month I got to pick a 'hole' to fill. This disturbed me; rather than revelling in all of my beautiful clothes, that had been so exciting to find & bring home, I was thinking about what piece to add next. From both a pragmatic view and a more sartorially inspired one, my wardrobe is plenty full: when you own 200 favourite items of clothing, all in your preferred colours and styles and fabrics, the potential for mixing and matching is almost limitless. So I decided to declare a moratorium on new clothing items, other than ones I make myself (I knit, although not particularly quickly, and I'm hoping to learn to sew this year, but I already own yarn & fabric, so I'm not shopping for clothing supplies either!). I was a little hazy about the end date, so I decided that 3 months would be a good start.

It was challenging at first; I found myself popping over to Ebay just to check or daydreaming about favourite colours I'd love to wear that aren't represented in my closet. But within a couple of weeks, my brain had gotten the message, & I found myself more and more in love with my current wardrobe. I also find that I'm craving less variety in my outfits; historically, I've always been a remixer, rarely wearing even beloved combinations more than once or twice. But over the past month, I find myself turning to previous favourites, instead of always reinventing the wheel.

Today I was sorting through my photos, which of course had me look back over the outfit pictures I've taken since joining the forum in late 2013. I was surprised at how many neat outfits, that I remember getting forum approval for, I'd never worn again. To be honest, it saddened me; why had my focus mainly been on the novelty of a new combination or newly thrifted piece? There are so many ways to love clothes & style, and although I enjoy caring for my clothes (mending, laundering, mildly altering, etc.), I just don't wear any one item terribly frequently, due to closet arithmetic.

I'm not going to do a dramatic closet cull, as I'm happy to have a variety of options, and don't see the point of banishing nice pieces that I enjoy wearing just to suddenly become a minimalist. I'm minimal enough in the other areas of my life to balance out my wardrobe; after all I live in a studio apartment that fits all of my stuff & still feels spacious and calm, with some storage spaces empty. But I'm surprised by how much my mindset has changed in just one month of knowing I won't buy anything new: I feel far more satisfied with and grateful for my current wardrobe. And I can't see wanting to expand it any time soon; I just want to play in it.

This is not to say that I've suddenly banished my consumer mindset completely! I've noticed that I've been thinking more about apartment decor since my clothes shopping ban. (Mainly the 2 blank walls, and my plans primarily involve me actually hanging the items I already have, and adding some prints of photos I've taken, instead of buying a bunch of new stuff at least!) And there's that new camera lens I might treat myself to and a potential spring trip to Europe...I clearly haven't opted out of the consumption process entirely (and even most of the minimalist blogs I've read don't advocate not buying anything; they just suggest shifting your consumption from material things to experiences).

But as this is a style forum, I thought I'd mention my experiment, shifting from a small/limited monthly clothing budget, to nothing at all for awhile. I've found it to be freeing and inspiring: I look at my wardrobe through grateful eyes, seeing all of the potential it contains, instead of 'holes' that need to be filled. Obviously, I wouldn't feel like this if I hadn't already built a wardrobe filled with high quality clothing that I love, so your mileage may vary. And personalities are different too! But calling a complete halt to clothing acquisition has shifted something in my brain, and I feel happier with my closet than ever before. I've managed to separate shopping & getting dressed/personal style, so that I can enjoy one without the other. Which is certainly a good thing.

In the long term, I'm not sure how I'll manage necessary wardrobe upgrades with preferring the peace that comes with the certainty that I will *not* be buying X. But with how many pieces I have, that problem is a long way off. I even finally managed to update my undies drawer, after searching for affordable fair trade organic cotton underwear for over a year without success, so I'm comfortable that my closet stores will last until I find a solution.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on balancing a genuine interest in clothes/dressing with a desire to avoid the 'buying makes me happy' mindset that advertising firms so effectively promote. Or any experiences you've had with shopping bans/becoming happier with your closet/etc! Basically, any response to this post is more than welcome. And I'd hope it goes without saying, but just in case, when I'm talking about my goals & ethics & shopping habits, that doesn't mean that I'm not judging anyone else's! All thoughts and worries and joys are welcome on this thread; you better believe I enjoyed the rush I got when I found that pristine Theory suit (the pockets were still sewn down). So people who enjoy shopping & find it adds something to their lives should mention that; I certainly deeply valued thrifting when I lived in Texas. It improved my mood & mental health, and I was grateful for that.