I’ve been looking for some time for ways to change how I approach shopping. My small to medium size wardrobe grew in the last 24 months at the pace I found disturbing. My total count, including shoes, bags and scarves but not lounge wear is now 234 items and this is the biggest wardrobe I’ve ever had. Yes, I do acknowledge the reasons: not wearing out some of my clothes, comfort shopping, boredom. Even so, I must change my ways, the large wardrobe has never been my goal.
I’m not going to cull much of my perfectly suitable clothes and shoes unless due to fit issues I find it unwearable. I’m not looking to edit the wardrobe to smaller size or to impose a shopping ban but to find a way to satisfy my love of clothes and fashion while maintaining a slower pace of growth. I want to take great care and be very selective on what I might add.
Some forum members have been a great inspiration to me as I decided on the shopping rules that would work for me.
For now, I want to purchase two categories:
- direct replacement of a worn out item. I expect to buy one or none per month.
- enhancement items. I don’t call them “statements “, although they can be that but also some wardrobe holes. No more than one per month.
And no duplicates of any kind.

I don’t exactly include in this count shoes and accessories. My shoe collection is moderate sized, I have extremely fussy feet and can’t predict when I might stumble upon shoes that fit. And I don’t purchase accessories often, a few in a year. But they must either enhance or replace an item in my wardrobe.