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A serious question

avebabe

I’ve wanted to cut back on clothing purchases, mostly because it doesn’t feel right to buy when so many are struggling. I made a list of purchases this fall and winter, and it’s clear that I have failed. Many purchases were because I’m bored with my clothes. I asked a friend to help create new outfits, which helped. Am interested in other people’s experiences and hearing about your strategies to avoid new purchases.

Thank you in advance and Happy Holidays!

PS I do donate generously with money and time

Shopping

22 replies

Latest reply was from karen23

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Complicated question avebabe. I personally believe that your donations of time and money go much further to help those in need than your abstaining from new purchases. But if you do want to cut back on your new purchases for any reason rethinking your style and/or creating new outfits is a great way to go. Or creating challenges for yourself to find new ways to wear certain items or to wear little worn items. Or practice one in, one out, where the out goes directly to a charity that needs that sort of clothing, or charity shop that supports a cause you like. Hope that helps!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jaime answered your question so perfectly, avebabe!

I also believe that donations of your time and money go a heck of a lot further than abstaining from new purchases. Awesome that you donate your time and money already!

That said, it's always great to be thoughtful about your wardrobe purchases

Set a monthly or seasonal budget. Assess where you are most bored with your style - tops or bottoms? Dresses? Shoes and accessories? Outerwear? Do you need new eyewear and a hairstyle refresh? Zone in on where the wardrobe holes are, or where you prefer the most style variety. Focus your shopping.

Set yourself a weekly dressing theme. Challenge yourself to wear unworn items. Dress up!

Have a clothing swap with friends and family.

Focus your attention on hobbies and activities that are NOT fashion and style related.

If I had time and stronger shoulders, I'd take up karate.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

One thing that has helped me is to get a core wardrobe of essentials (for me) in place -- this allows me to be more discerning about what I add and subtract. Knowing your own style very well is a good foundation.

cat2

Veteran

Giving myself a budget has worked; it gets me to think through what I really need to make existing pieces work. This year I didn’t set one because I was just stocking up on basics before the tariffs hit, and that hasn’t been very expensive. Not sure on my plan for next year.

Carla

Veteran

I have a budget and adhere to it. I try to buy fewer but better quality items, however I also thrift - so can stretch my budget. For 5 years I’ve been tracking how many times I wear the items in my closet - with 30 ‘wears’ being an arbitrary goal. When I consider a garment these days, I mentally consider if I could see myself getting it into circulation - and wearing it 30 times over the next 3-5 years before I tire of it, or if it is so fabulous and timeless - that I’ll be wearing it 10+ years from now - even if it just comes out to play a couple of times a year.

Most of the garments and footwear in my closet are 3 yo or less. A dozen+ items are 5 yo+ (mostly hats, and bags, but some garments). I edit out 20-25 items per year, and acquire the same amount in any given year.

The clothing in my closet and creating outfits to wear and messing around with style challenges is one of my creative ‘hobbies’ (for lack of a better word) and brings me a great deal of pleasure. I’m not going to fuss about the money - or time I spend on it.

avebabe

Thank you everyone…I love all of your suggestions! From the one in/one out, assessing where I’m bored, creating a weekly theme, tracking how many times items are worn…all are super helpful.

Runcarla-am wondering how you track how many times you wear an item?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I don’t have a budget but have tried for nearly 9 years now to be more responsible with my purchases than I was for the several years before that (mainly because I was struggling in those several years with weight gain and other life events- bullying…) and I was also earning more at that time than previously.
But my wardrobe began to overflow all my closets! So I started tracking my wears in May 2016. I have got heaps better at choosing and at wearing my clothes #30 wears. I also have a few more dressy items I wear less but really try to choose those with longevity in mind. If I can’t think what to wear sometimes I use the lists of less worn items to help me decide to wear some of those and up their numbers! Some people wouldn’t enjoy this but I do.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Oh and I track my wears on paper. Many use an Excel spreadsheet or a digital format.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Tracking wears tends to show me what I already have at a glance and thus avoiding duplicating and over buying in a particular area. I have a list in my laptop of my wardrobe items and update it daily, although I don't track Dec to end February. I know my deep winter pattern well enough. Also nailing down a preferred colour palette for the season. This particularly helps me as a shopper of second hand. Practising '1 in 1 out' ensures I only buy if I have an item I am ready to let go. Up until last year it was '1 in 2 out' as I was trying to reduce my wardrobe. I agree with SUZ that getting to know your style helps with more targeted purchases too. This circles back to tracking wears. I got quite a shock as to what I really wear compared to what I think I wear. Now I purchase mostly what I REALLY wear, ie. more neutrals than I ever imagined.

sabimct

I am holding on to one line from Angie's response:

"Challenge yourself to wear unworn items."

When I do this - it is a really fun way to invigorate my style and make getting ready for the day more fun!

RobinF

Veteran

I love this question and the so useful answers! I have been unhappy and bored with my closet the last few years and these are some great ideas for focusing better and making good decisions.

I am also curious how those who track do so. A spreadsheet? Pictures?

Sisi

Veteran

You have already received a lot of excellent advice here.
My yearly expenditure for clothing has diminshed dramatically (in 2024 and 2025 I spent approximately 30% of what was the average of the past 10 years) since when I decided to buy fewer things but only of high quality, that I really like, that are my style. No more place-holders, meh items, things bought out of boredom and such. This requires a strong self-discipline but it pays in the long run. I do not mind repeating outfits if the pieces make me feel fab every time. But to do this you must be ok with the idea of a small curated wardrobe. I am. If you need a larger wardrobe and more variety, then you can thrift or swap. Happy Holidays to you!

Dee

Veteran

I wholeheartedly agree with the wonderful suggestions others have provided. You are not alone, this is something I've often struggled with and this year was particularly bad. I had great plans to do a "no buy"or "low buy" year, and I completely failed on both counts. I now feel that I was using clothing purchases as a way to avoid dealing with other issues that I had going on in my life.

Since retiring my wardrobe needs have drastically changed but my interest in fashion hasn't. I was often shopping for a fantasy lifestyle. Its been a struggle trying to get real with what I really need and wear wardrobe wise.

I'd also often shop when I was bored or stressed. Loved the dopamine hit it gave me. I'd come up with reasons why I thought I suddenly needed something new in my wardrobe and then promptly go out and hunt it down. It gave me purpose and fed my creative needs in some way.

Although I've always enjoyed fashion I finally had to set up these boundaries for myself:

I now have a strict colour palette and 3 style words that I adhere to.

Any new item must mix and match with most of my wardrobe and it should be be a quality item that will stand the test of time.

I must absolutely LOVE IT on me. No more "its good enough"

I also have a DO NOT BUY list

My creativity needs to come from finding new ways to wear and style what I already have, not always buying something new.

And I also had to find different ways, hobbies or activities to deal with any boredom and stress.

Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but this is my plan forward to a responsible and sustainable wardrobe that I'll actually wear and enjoy.

judy

Veteran

I don't track my wears, but I do track (on paper) what I purchase, when, where and how much. It has made me much more aware of my clothing expenditures, and even though it's only me that sees it, somehow more accountable. I still buy things that end up not being quite the great thing I thought they would be, but there is definitely less useless spending overall.

When I get the "bored with my clothes" feeling, I enjoy playing in my closet, trying this with that and it helps me appreciate what's there rather than believe some new thing is what I need. But of course, I do that too! (thrifting has been good for this) I've really tried to go for quality. How some clothes age, say raw denim, can be fascinating, so clothes I already own are better than new for me in this respect.

Also helpful has been being curiously realistic...like how many sweaters can I really wear??...and finding the sweet spot where exercising some conscious restraint feels satisfying rather than punishing.

LJP

Veteran

I hear you, and also struggle with this issue. I'm not wealthy by any means, but do have enough money to buy clothes when I want to . I am never lacking ,and I am very aware of that . I also find excess (of anything, really ) a real turn-off and for myself, morally repulsive. I am not a good shopper, and don't make great choices a lot of the time. I do find though that having less time to browse and shop has meant I have less stuff, and I like it that way. I also support the idea that having other things to do other than think about clothing is a healthy way to keep excess spending and accumulation in check . I listen to a woman I work with carry on about shopping and clothing to the point where it's sad - she seems to have nothing else on her mind or in her life.

Roberta

Veteran

My number one rule is that I don't buy anything right away. I have to think about it for at least a few days. Sometimes the impulse will fade completely, or I will realize I already own something very similar (or exactly the same!). And I feel no shame about sitting with something for a while and then returning it.

I focused on thrifting this year and got that percentage up to 45% of total purchases. This has gotten easier as new clothing quality has diminished. Boo.

I don't track wears, but I do have an Excel spreadsheet of my wardrobe, by color and then by garment type. I also keep a spreadsheet of purchases, to help keep me honest. I can see how much I've spent in past years and where my money tends to go. Online shopping has made the process way too easy - like sports betting - so I try to enjoy the hunting and gathering part without actually clicking the ORDER button.

ophelia

Veteran

I am someone who has struggled and is struggling financially, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness, grace and awareness beyond my ability to describe.

avebabe

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions, thoughts and ideas. Glad to know others have struggled with this issue and have developed strategies to manage.
Ophelia-I hope next year is a better year for you.
Roberta-love the idea of thinking about a purchase before buying
LJP-words to live by
Judy-will follow your idea of playing in the closet
Dee-such great insights into why we buy!
Sisi-no more placeholders, no more placeholders, no more placeholders

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I meant to add that, like others, I have occasionally tracked wears. I usually do it on paper but once I just ticked off each time I wore somethinng using notes section of the Finds feature on this site, because almost all my wardrobe is in Finds.

Tracking is useful in a variety of ways, depending...the first time I did it, the thing I realized is how often I wear certain items (favourite jeans, a particular coat or pair of boots) and how therefore, it makes sense to put my money in those items vs. in the items I wear less often.

I also put all my purchases in the "Finds" function here and I keep a capsule for my edits too. This helps to keep me aware of what I have bought and let go of and the reasons.

My wardrobe is larger than Runcarla's but I tend to cycle in and out approximately the same number of items each year (somewhere between 25 and 35). Watching my own patterns over the decades has showed me this. I donate the items that are not completely worn out. And purchase some items via thrift.

Jules

Veteran

I’ve found it helpful to write year-end posts here where I take a hard look at what I bought and set some goals for the following year. The goals often include keeping both DON’T and DO buy lists that help keep me focused on what I actually need. I also post most of my new purchases here, to keep myself honest. Finds are useful for tracking purchases because my small closet and drawers are stuffed so it’s easy to lose track of what I own. I cut way down on online orders from mass market stores and spend more time carefully perusing higher quality, often Canadian made, items. On the other hand I feel no guilt ‘indulging’ in things like vintage and small maker jewelry, or locally made cashmere blend socks that are amazingly comfortable. It took a while to develop and stick with these habits and similar to what Suz said, having a good wardrobe already in place helps a lot. And to get there did take some shopping

Carol

(website)

Veteran

I have totally become a therapy shopper this past year. But luckily I am also sensible, and only snatch things on sale. Of course, that is not the best strategy, because you can end up with random stuff.

If I wanted to cut down on shopping, I might just be a bit more picky about what I accept. Make the item check all the boxes before buying.

karen23

I don't really have a budget, because shoes that fit me are hard to find and shopping in general is kind of difficult sometimes.

I generally ask myself if this item makes sense in my wardrobe, if I'd really wear it, if it would go with things that I have or could easily get.

I am picky about quality, but not into status type labels.

And if I am making a day trip to the Chicago area to go shopping (which sounds crazy, but if I need shoes or sneakers it's worth it) I make a shopping list and try to be organized about it all.