I have everything I need: declaring my shopping ban - YouLookFab Forum

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I have everything I need: declaring my shopping ban

Kate

Veteran

I have been slowly working my way towards the realization that my fashion shopping habits are no in line with my values. I have bigger financial priorities (mostly paying off my undergrad student loans) and more important ethical concerns (human rights, labor rights, environmental sustainability, and conscious consumerism). I do have style goals that have become important to me, such as: looking and feeling my best, finding and living my personal style, never thinking that I have nothing to wear, and having fun! But the truth is that I can continue to pursue these style goals without shopping, and I can better realize my other values by stopping my cycle of consumption. Even if I’m never able to be completely happy with where my clothes come from, I can make an effort to truly cherish and fully use what I have.

So, I did my last shopping of the year yesterday, June 30, and I will not buy any more clothes, accessories, jewelry, or shoes until 2012. I am allowing for two exceptions: 1) a little plum dress and 2) a cropped tan/cognac blazer/jacket. If I manage to find the perfect blazer and/or dress, I’ll be limited to using the roughly $100 I have left in my shopping budget for the year (I know, I’ve been bad) and any money I make from selling clothes on ebay or at buffalo exchange.

I’m counting on all of you lovely ladies to help hold me accountable! All advice is welcome!

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from Polly (thunalata)

DressLover

Veteran

Well wishes as you begin your shopping ban, Kate! This certainly can't be an easy task and I admire you for setting such a clearly defined goal. I know you can do it!

KeepTheKey

(website)

Best of luck to you! I understand where you're coming from, and it's very admirable

Sparky

Veteran

I think you have set very reasonable and well thought out goals, so you are in a very good position to reach them. The YLF community will help hold you to them too!

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I didn't shop at all for a very long time. When the floodgates opened, I had a lot of catching up to do style wise. I'm sure you'll be in good shape with only a six month ban. Keep posting your fab outfits. I love to see your unique style.

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Totally hear you- very solid plan. We support you!

rosee

Veteran

You sound like you have a defined plan and the right motivation, so I think you will be successful. Definitely supporting you along the way!!!

I'm pretty close to doing the same thing -- I want to have a shopping ban /SYC for 1 year starting at the end of July (my b-day). The only exceptions are necessities like underwear /socks /tights and less-frequent visits to thrift stores where the proceeds go to charity (it is recycling after all). If I can't find it at Value Village or Women in Need stores, I can live without. It's going to be a bit tricky too b/c in that year I want to lose the 60+ pounds that I have gained fairly recently, but I should have enough clothes to go through this period with only occasional updates at the thrift store.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Good for you! Rooting alongside you all the way. I want to, but in my heart of hearts I know there are still things that need overhauling and I won't be able to stick with it. But my budget this year has helped control/curtail things to 'appropriate' levels at least lol.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

YAY! Good for you; it sounds like you have a very reasonable and structured plan. We will cheer you on

Freckles

Veteran

Good luck!

Queen Mum

Veteran

welcome aboard! I'm on 2 weeks of shopping sobriety now. Funny though how I still manage to get my fix. I went to HomeGoods yesterday to find a picture frame and spent $100.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I admire you Kate. Please post WIWs to share your inspiration with the rest of us.

On a separate note, you expressed an interest in labor rights. IMO, there are no labor rights if people don't have jobs. When you buy things, you employ many people -- the sewers in less developed countries, the designers, the accountants, the people who make the raw materials, the shippers, and the sales people. I especially like to support clothing manufacturers like Karen Kane because they employ many people in the state (CA) where I live. Does that make any sense to you? I am not trying to break your shopping ban mindset. I just think sometimes that consumerism is the natural outcome of a huge world population. Another alternative -- a world at war -- would be another way to stimulate economic activity but with very negative consequences.

anne

Veteran

Well done Kate! I have had thoughts of doing this myself - I could easily go a year without anything new if I made an exception for footwear, and I also have gone without for 6 months from time to time though partly as a result of not having many shops nearby.

I can't quite bring myself to do it, though I stick to a relatively strict budget by YLF standards - and not solely for budgetary reasons. I will be really interested to see how you go!

Lisa

Veteran

Good luck with your shopping ban!

Kate

Veteran

CocoLion, I completely get that argument. I appreciate your comment, and so long as I'm employed I plan to continue to buy goods and services that keep other people employed - I have no aspirations to go "off the grid". I just need to take a big step back and do some thinking before I return to buying clothes.

I actually study development issues, organizations, stratification, human rights, and activism, so I know how absurdly complex the results of our consumption can be. And while my academic focus isn't on environmentalism and sustainability, they weigh heavily in my decisions too. The way that Americans consume is completely unsustainable - if everyone consumed at the rate that Americans do, we would need 5 earths to provide all of the resources. As our world population continues to grow rapidly, Americans are going to need to limit their consumption so that there are resources available for people in developing countries. I'm very conscious of my consumption and have tried to limit my impact in almost every way other than my wardrobe. At the end of the day, the US economy and global economy need a whole lot more to recover and be "fixed" than what I can possibly do, whether I'm shopping or not. So at this point, on my graduate assistant salary, I'm more focused on my own financial well being and living true to my principles (no matter how limited the effect) than stimulating the economy.

I'm hoping that maybe in the coming months I can use some of the time I would spend shopping doing some research so that I can better decide if there are any countries or companies that I really don't ever want to support (right now the only one on my list is Forever 21), and what kind of companies, projects, and countries I want to go to first when I'm shopping. I love the idea of the IOU project http://iouproject.com/, but most of their clothes don't appeal to me. I'm interested in supporting companies that are based in the USA, but some (American Apparel comes to mind) have other practices that I'm not fond of. I could try to buy more second-hand, but there's a very limited selection where I live so I never seem to find anything good.

As you can see, I've been thinking about this quite a bit, and still have a LOT more to think about in the coming months so that I can hopefully find some kind of balance when I return to shopping.

rosee

Veteran

Ok... I have to... (you will likely already be aware of this source or similar ones).

http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/

Maquila Solidarity Network used to publish a list of companies that are being investigated for labor abuse issues, but I can't find anything like that on their site right now. It made shopping somewhat easy for awhile b/c I was boycotting so many companies, so I wouldn't even look at their stuff. (Buying these labels thrifted didn't count though as these have already been purchased at retail cost and now were being recycled. Mind you, I would often avoid certain labels at thrift stores too, just out of principle).

I used to work for an outdoor retailer in university (http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp), where socially conscious production of the gear was very important and employees were encouraged to learn about these issues. I was much better versed in it years ago, but I know the field is much more complicated now, as there is a lot of company subcontracting, ending up with lower and lower wages for the workers. Third-party inspections (by a neutral organization) are also harder to come by than in the past -- this according to a friend doing his PhD on the subject. So things definitely need work.

I do encourage you on your efforts and think your values will be your guiding motivation during this project.

Anonymous

Good luck! Thanks for sharing your reasons; you've given me good food for thought.

Some of the brands I look for because of their ethics:

ecoSkin dresses (made in LA, environmentally friendly, demanding labor standards, and I can find them on eBay!)

Gypsy 05 (made in LA, eco-friendly)

Three Dots (made in USA)

Stop Staring dresses (made in USA)

Trina Turk (a lot, but not all, of her stuff is made in California)

Of course I have tons of questionable clothing too, but I'm trying to get a little more conscious. . .

rosee

Veteran

@Alicat: those do sound like good suggestions, and I don't want to be negative, but are you sure about those companies' labor practices?

Sweatshops do exist in the USA and Canada too -- as the main company often gives the contract to a company for producing the garment and this second company can subcontract out to piece workers who are often given ridiculously low pay for the time spent producing the garment. A ski wear manufacturer was busted for this in Canada a few years back, and they proudly claimed "Made in Canada" for their products. (Happened in my city actually). Sadly, unless the workers are often unionized, abuses exist in manufacturing in our developed nations too.

Apparel that is eco-conscious is not always produced in a socially conscious way, although in practice it is more likely the company embraces both values. But one does not guarantee the other.

Also, some apparel produced in Asia, is produced to good ILO (International Labor Organization) standards. They don't receive wages comparable to North Americans, but they do receive a "living wage" (able to reasonably support their families, etc.). IMO, the ILO standards need to be increased (but that is a very long subject), but a living wage is reasonable in comparison to the economies in which people live. It is a step in the right direction.

I don't want to be a downer, but it is something that I have become aware of in recent years. And I do think producers of ethically responsible garments should be given much more attention than they get.

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Kudos to you Kate, and sending you good thoughts!! your goals sound very close to mine, i will be very interested in what you find out in your research. Thank you as well to rosee and Alicat for posting your information as well!! steph

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Kate, hat down to you. I've always admired your sensible approach to things in general and it's wonderful to read about your decision and how you came about it. I am looking forward to following your journey. Personally, I have my own list of shops and brands I avoid for various reasons and I hope it will grow over time.

I love the title of your thread - I have everything I need. Simply fantastic!

Isis

Veteran

Kate, Good for you! Both your reasons are so sound. Getting out of debt is a great idea, and thinking about consumerism is also admirable.

I always enjoy reading your analytical posts. I love the way you have quantified your wardrobe (amounts, frequency worn, etc!).

Keep posting! I look forward to what you find out about how our clothes are made. I will also be curious to find out if curtailing shopping means that you expand other creative outlets!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Good for you, Kate- you have a great wardrobe and your eye is set on larger goals.
I'm back to shopping my budget, and already having a tough time of it.

Kyle

Veteran

I applaud your commitment. I'm completing a month-long period of no buying and found it to be a worthwhile and eye opening experience that has already changed my mindset in some important ways. Keep us apprised, please.

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

Good for you to follow through on your values and thoughts.