Not buying any clothes 2017

t14cy_t

just returned from said jumble sale....total spent £7.40, 12 items for grandsons, 10 items for me, 8 items to sell on, 4 soaps, a yardley shower gel, 3 partly used fragrant candles and a hanging basket for dh garage to put his rags in!!! tomorrow i will sort my wardrobe out as its one in one out! have to be strict!! best items of the day were a betty barclay summer dress and a merry christmas jumper which will be used later in the year...forward planning!!xx

GreyQueen

This is a lovely blog, all her posts are superb, but this one specifically relates to the subject of this thread: http://www.frugalwoods.com/2016/05/16/why-i-havent-purchased-any-clothes-in-2-5-years-and-counting/

Lindlou

Looks like more great reading...thanks for the link.:beer:

Caterina

I have un-miminised a jumper that was going to be on its way out and a waterproof jacket, the jumper will come handy in the cold weather and the jacket will be left in the car as an emergency.

Purple_kitten

I have been giving through to this thread and would like to join in.

I have a daft amount of clothes, and have already talked myself out of purchasing a top this year.

This may be a toughie for me but I want to give it a try.:beer:

maryb

Interesting blog. I had seen it before but hadn't really got into it for some reason. She had quite a lot of clothes to start with judging by some of the photos so easier to do for a while than if you had a sparse wardrobe.

Something she said (and I can't remember what it was) sparked one of those moments of realisation. I actually used to find it much easier to not buy clothes for myself than I do now. Because whenever I went shopping I would end up getting something for my DDs rather than myself because they looked so gorgeous in just about anything and I - didn't:D

Now I am far from suggesting that I have suddenly undergone a gorgeousness transplant:rotfl: But I had got into the habit of getting a lift from buying clothes and now that they have their own money (though they are very happy to go out for a day with my credit card:rotfl:) I don't buy for them on a regular basis. So I have been buying more clothes for me than I used to and I don't need them because I don't actually wear anything different from my uniform of many years, tee shirt jumper jeans and comfy walking shoes. And I feel guilty for spending the money. So self awareness is the first stage to mindful buying

GreyQueen

Liz (aka Mrs Frugalwoods) was always a bit of a clothes horse but it was thrift-store (i.e. chazzer stuff) and she and her hubby make no bones about having retrieved some of their apparel, as well as quite a few of their furnishings and household goods, from piles of stuff left by other householders as the kerb (or curb, as they would say over there).

It's perfectly possible to dress nicely from secondhand stores and other people's cast-offs but it's also very possible to over-supply oneself with clothing as it's so cheap/ free.

But the costs of something aren't just the pounds and pence to acquire them, there are on-costs which are often expressed in the aggravation of struggling with the physical manifestation of too many clothes and also the emotional aggravation of too many choices.

ETA; OK, what moves MSE Old Style moves the whole ecomony. Think we might have achieved Peak Duds? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/article-4120416/Last-minute-Christmas-rush-t-save-falling-clothes-sales-experts-says-cause-concern.html

maryb

Streamlining choices takes the hassle out of life. I do occasionally feel a bit drab but if I wait a few days the can't be arrissed feeling resumes normal service. I've found I can stop myself buying clothes by spending a few days taking extra care of hair/putting on makeup. All that upkeep gets old very quickly and I happily go back to being a grey woman (literally)

It's when I get out of my routine that I get anxious about whether I have the right clothes for a situation. I don't have such a dazzling social life that I need a vast evening wardrobe and I have three nice outfits that I can ring the changes with for dressy occasions.

It's the dress up a bit but not too much occasions that cause angst and send me shopping. But now I have a really nice outfit that works for all sorts of occasions like that - black trousers and a white jersey blazer. Can be dressed up or down and you can put any top under it. Striped tee shirt for a nautical look or a silky top for a drinks party. I even wore it to a wedding with a big red flower on the lapel and a red top underneath.

It's so nice not to have to think about what to wear

VfM4meplse

^^ Mark Zuckerberg takes this to the extreme, hence his self-selected grey T-shirt and hoodie "uniform":



For me clothes can be more than functional, they can make a huge difference to how we feel. Not that I need any more, I just need to use up what I've got.

dolly84

Wildernessgirl wrote: »

I would like to join in on this if that is okay, there are several reasons.
1. I am getting increasingly tired of the level of consumerism in this country and the way we are all made to feel like we "have to" buy things.

2. The dubious way in which most of the clothes on the UK high street are produced...

3. To save money (I have just moved and my rent has almost doubled)

4. Just to see if I can.

The only exceptions I make are shoes, socks and underwear and will hopefully not need to buy too many of those items.

Looking forward to exchanging ideas/thoughts with you all maybe we can keep up morale by posting links to relevant blogs/articles as I see some already have done.

To our clothes free 2017! (purchasing that is lol) :beer:

I agree with the consumerism issue. We need to think about what we are buying, the ethics and sustainability behind it. Slow fashion is the way forward for me - think the polar opposite to Primark - that is slow fashion. I love the ethical retailers such as People Tree and buying only when you need to replace an item.

Maybe so this thread actually has input people could post with the clothes they have been wearing and how they have been shopping in their own wardrobe??