There comes a point in life sometimes where you have to say 'Enough, I have enough.' and for me, that point came yesterday as I was tidying my flat and wondering where to put everything... namely clothes and shoes.
While I'm not one of those people with wardrobes packed full of things I've never worn, I am one of those people that likes to keep my wardrobe up to date, I like wearing what's in fashion – for example, coloured jeans – but I'm not always very good at stopping at the one pair.
My wardrobe isn't dripping with designer items either. I'll TKMaxx it for labels and happily buy everything else when I see it, wherever that may be and preferably as cheap as possible.
But it's become clear, I have enough.
Further more, the fashions seem to have become cyclical. Anything seems to go. Boots can still be tucked into jeans eight years on, blazers have been happily existing since the early 2000s and the only sad thing in my book is that platform trainers are not fashionable anymore – they're excellent for keeping flares out the rain.
Yesterday I bought a pair of pinky/red skinny jeans which were DKNY, £124.99 and exactly what I'd been looking for. Ouchy yes but I got them for £19.99 in TKMaxx. However, it was as I was cutting four inches off the bottom and hemming them, that I decided that was enough. The coloured jean obsession ended here. The shopping ended here. I was going to enjoy the clothes I had. If there was something I wasn't keen on, it would go to charity and anything that could be altered, updated, mended or recycled would be.
For six months.
Starting tomorrow.
Included in the ban is all clothes – except bras (I'm still searching for the ultimate T-shirt one) – and beauty products. I want to wear, enjoy and use every last thing in my cupboards. To help me in my challenge I am banned from buying magazines – although I will still snaffle the free ones – and have unsubscribed from every single shopping email that comes into my inbox.
What excites me the most about this challenge is the positive impact it's bound to have on my finances. I am not concerned that I will run out of things to wear or stuff to put upon my hair, because thanks to being a Superdrug blogger for two years, for the latter I have rather a lot in reserve.
I am also excited about the space it's going to create. Last night, I collected a load of stuff for charity by asking myself this question, 'Would I choose this over everything else in my wardrobe?' If the answer was no, then it was bagged up.
That's the thing you see, and I'm sure it's the same for many others, I have fashion favourites. When packing for a weekend at the moment it's all about the blue blazer, Gap cotton jumpers and green jeans. I'm neglecting a ton of stuff that's in fashion and right there in my wardrobe because it's easier to grab the stuff on the back of my bedroom chair.
Well, not anymore. From now on, I'm going to try and put together a new outfit every day. I'm going to find things I never knew went well together and I'm going to remind myself that I look good in them...
That's the other thing you see, things that once looked great, stop looking great because of the constant evolution of fashion. I have dresses I know looked great when I got them, but right now, I'm not sure about them because of the length of the hem, the sleeves, the neckline…
The same with shoes – remember the chunky heel trend of 1999 or the stiletto moment of the mid 2000s?
Thankfully, I've always been a fairly classic shopper so haven't got too many Edina from Ab Fab items lurking, but oh, to have to her confidence at carrying off anything.
And I think that's the final thing I'm hoping to achieve in this six-month challenge. A confidence boost. A reminder that I look nice in the clothes I already own, not the ones I have yet to buy.
I'm hoping with the money I don't spend, I can start to collect savings again. Stop proclaiming my poorness when really all I needed to do was shop less.
And will I write about it? For sure, but not here on the DG homepage... You can find my challenge journey here.
2 comments:
When I took on a flatmate, I had to give up one of my two wardrobes, after being spoilt for space for many years. It was the best thing and made me clear out an entire wardrobe's worth of of clothes I hadn't worn. Now if I want a new item, I have to consider where it's going to go. It's a great spending deterrent!
That is unless it's a top or underwear, which go in drawers, but I still maintain you can't have too many of either.. x
Way to go DG! Do you remember a few years ago when we went vintage and charity shopping in London? I had come across the compact – a bunch of San Francisco hippies who had decided to stop buying any new items for an entire year, except for underwear and shoes! I loved the idea of recycling, buying from charity shops and of course wearing what I have – I had to be very selective and the little I bought I was proud of. But the best part was the fact that since I had decided not to buy, I automatically stopped looking at shop windows and entering shops… My mind was free to do a lot of other stuff and I never missed shopping. Even after my “compact year” it took me a long time to start looking at windows and entering shops again. Your post makes me realize it may be time for another “compact year” so thanks from Paris :-)
Curious to know how your shopping ban goes!
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