Shopping for clothes can be a fun hobby, wether you prefer new or thrifted. It’s always so exciting to find something cute to add to your wardrobe. For me, however, it was always more about the shopping than the styling. I loved looking at clothes, and buying them, but when it came to wearing them, I kept going back to the same styles over and over again. More than half my wardrobe was rarely worn.
I used to be obsessed with curating my closet to be perfect. I was so excited to get a good deal on something high quality like Anthropologie or Madewell, and I thrifted way more than I should have. I wanted to find unique clothes that really spoke to me, but I struggled with consistency and budget. I would buy new things, but continue to wear mostly things I already owned. Every now and then, a new piece would come along and become a new favorite, but for most of what I bought in the past three years, it ended up being sold again or donated. All that money I “saved” thrifting went right down the drain anyways.
I feel into the trap of a shopping addiction, and starting a No Buy Challenge this year was the best decision I could make. It is helping me calm the hectic, impulsive shopping habits and learn to appreciate what I already have. Over the past few months, I restricted myself to not buying any new clothes and challenged myself to reimagine my clothes in new ways. This challenge has already taught me in the short span of a few months that there is so much more to life than just the outfit you walk out the door in.
Decluttering for the Closet, Cleansing for the Mind
Since I couldn’t buy new clothes this year, I had to fill the shopping void with something else fashion-related. I decided to start by decluttering my closet. I wanted to revisit all those items I’d bought and try to figure out why I wasn’t wanting to wear them. This decluttering project involved going through not only my closet of daily wear, but also the spare closet in our apartment that housed an ever-growing pile of Poshmark listings, some of which had been listed on there for almost a full year. I’d sold a few items, but the pile continued to grow, because I continued to shop and get tired of items after a few months. Seeing that pile every time I sat down at my desk to work left me feeling anxious and stressed out. All that anxiety, coupled with the plan of finally moving into a new home this year (and not wanting to lug Poshmark orders along), inspired me to just get rid of it all ASAP.
You can check out my previous posts about decluttering my closet here.
Since most of these clothes were still in like-new condition, I decided to see if I could sell them a little faster than online. I called up some local consignment shops to see what types of items they were looking for, and sorted my clothes into categories based on each shop. Maybe the clothes would sell there, and maybe not, but at least they would be out of the house. I wouldn’t be temped to buy something “better” every time I saw it sitting there. Everything that wasn’t taken by the shops went into a Thredup donation bag that I’ve had sitting in the closet since November. I also threw some pieces in there that were beyond repair. Thredup claims to responsibly recycle anything they can’t sell, so those items will stay out of the landfill.
In total, I donated/sold 104 pieces of clothing, shoes, and accessories this year. Seeing the final total was shocking. Seeing how much was left in my closet also shocked me. To me, clothes are supposed to be a fun way for you to express yourself. How was I supposed to express myself if I can’t even wear everything I’d bought to express myself? I had no excuse to continue shopping for clothes, because there was no way I’d have time to wear it all.
Decluttering is time-consuming, and it’s tiring. I don’t want to spend my time sorting through clothes I don’t even like anymore so I can get rid of them. I want to spend my time doing things I enjoy, while wearing the clothes I truly love most.
Going through this process every year, only to find that the numbers in each category of clothing aren’t dwindling (and some are increasing) is not helpful. It’s not a sustainable way to live–not for the planet, not for me and my mentality, and definitely not for my wallet. I’ve proven I’m only hurting myself by adding so much to my closet each year. The more I learn to love what I already own, the less I’ll be tempted to give in to impulse buys.
Moving Forward and Finding my Style–for Real this Time
I thought that in order to discover my style, I had to buy more pieces. In reality, I discovered it by getting rid of things.
My No-Buy Challenge couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I just bought a house and not only have a mortgage, but also some improvement projects to fund. I have so many items of clothing that it would take me most of the year to try to wear all of it once. I definitely don’t need to waste time shopping for clothes when I’ve got a garden that needs weeding, a bathroom that needs to be painted, pictures that need to be hung, a housewarming party to plan, etc.
There is something freeing in the act of getting rid of things, and seeing your closet pared down to just the things you actually enjoy wearing.
Instead of shopping, I’m now focusing my energy on having more fun with my clothes. I started by organizing my closet by season instead of item/length/color. I threw all my summer/warm weather items in the back of the closet at the beginning of the year, where it’s hard to see them. I limited myself to only having to choose outfits from my cold weather wardrobe. Can you guess what happened? I experienced the same thing almost everyone else who has ever tried a capsule wardrobe experienced: I never had to struggle to choose an outfit. There was never an instance where I thought to myself, “I have nothing to wear.” I could put together an outfit in less than two minutes. I also discovered a few new, fun ways to wear some of my clothes in combinations I’d never tried before.
Part of the reason I always felt the urge to buy clothes is because I’d draw inspiration from Pinterest. I’d see a cute outfit, then try to recreate it by buying things that looked like it. However, since I’m doing a no buy year, I took a different angle, and decided to recreate outfits using only clothes I already owned. You can read more about that in this post.
The Pinterest challenge taught me a few things. If I see an outfit I like, I should use it as inspiration, not a shopping list. There’s a good chance I already have a piece of clothing that functions in the same exact way and am already consistency wearing. There’s also a good chance I won’t like how that combination will look on me. There were a few combinations I tried out that I ended up disappointed about, but it made me grateful that I didn’t go out and try to buy new pieces for them. I still liked the pieces on their own, but the combinations in some outfits didn’t do them justice.
I also learned a little more about my personal style. Judging by the outfits I picked out, I’d say I lean towards a minimal style, maybe even into a French/Parisian or Italian street style. I used to love things like floral patterns, polka dots, ruffles, or big, billowy sleeves, but now I lean more towards tailored and classic looks, and maybe a stripe if I’m looking for a pattern. Now that I have a more clear label for what my style is, I can search more easily for outfit inspiration, especially since I already know I have the pieces to recreate it. I don’t have to go out and find that “missing piece” for my wardrobe. There’s a good chance I’m doing just fine without it.
Eventually, I will need to go out and get clothes, wether it be to replace something worn out or to replace something that doesn’t fit anymore. I’ve figured out my personal style, and I don’t need to waste time floundering around online or in a store just to see what might work. One thing I definitely learned: I can never say I have nothing to wear anymore!
Words From the Riverbed 