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

8 hours ago

Shopping

9 replies

Latest reply was from Star (Lise)

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!

8 hours ago

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.

7 hours ago

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.

7 hours ago

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.

7 hours ago

Runcarla

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.

6 hours ago

avebabe

Active Member

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?

5 hours ago

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.

5 hours ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

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

4 hours ago

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.

4 hours ago

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