I Have Nothing to Wear... Or Do I?
Then on December 28, 2017, as I placed an order for a couple of dresses to replace dresses I'd recently removed my closet, I kept thinking about the challenge. Did I really need those dresses? I mean really? I had a closet full of clothes. I wanted to be more mindful about my shopping moving forward. I wanted to have a closet with clothes I not only loved but wore.
Later that day as I stood in front of my overflowing closet freaking out that I wouldn't have anything to wear if I embarked on this challenge, I took a deep breath. Then I looked at all those clothes I hadn't worn for months, years, or ever - some I still haven't. I felt a pull inside and push from somewhere urging me to take the challenge. After all, no one had to know but me.
As I looked around I decided to include shoes, undergarments, accessories, and hair accessories in my challenge. I took another deep breath and wondered why my decision felt so incredibly scary. But it did...
Still, as I stood there thinking about what was in my closet, my palms felt sweaty, my heart began to race, and my breath caught in my throat. I shook my head. I started to make excuses. I could buy clothes that I really loved and THEN start the challenge. Then I whispered to myself "Bargaining, really?"
That did it. I was doing this challenge.
As I looked around I decided to include shoes, undergarments, accessories, and hair accessories in my challenge. I took another deep breath and wondered why my decision felt so incredibly scary. But it did...
Still, as I stood there thinking about what was in my closet, my palms felt sweaty, my heart began to race, and my breath caught in my throat. I shook my head. I started to make excuses. I could buy clothes that I really loved and THEN start the challenge. Then I whispered to myself "Bargaining, really?"
That did it. I was doing this challenge.
Later that day I sat at my desk and deleted a slew of shopping emails without even opening them with a bit of glee. This as the right decision.
This was going to be easy. I just knew it. I had a closet full of clothes. I was sick of the bombardment of emails trying to sell me clothes. I'd been creative with pairing clothes in the past. They were just clothes. Besides, I'd challenged myself to shorter challenges before that worked - once a two month challenge even turned into three months without me even trying!
But... I decided to tell no one. I feared I wouldn't be able to do it, so I didn't want anyone to know just in case I failed.
Over the next few months, I let it slip to a few friends and my husband in the course of casual conversation. They questioned why I would want to do the challenge. At first, I struggled to really articulate the answer. I shrugged it off to some degree with a "I just want to see if I can do it."
Over the year, there were several times I came out of the bedroom and my husband was sure I'd bought something new because I was wearing something I hadn't worn for so long.
I noticed that when something no longer fit and I got rid of it, I felt different than when I got rid of something knowing I would just replace it within days. The first few times I felt slightly panicked. What if none of my clothes fit me anymore by the end of the year or heaven forbid the end of the season!?
Even now, I have several items in my closet I know don't fit, but I haven't removed because I might need them. Not that I could wear them if I did. Eventually, I started to enjoy the empty hangers, the ease of looking through my closet, and the creativity it required to pull together outfits that didn't look like what I'd just worn it as well as the ability to shrug it off when I just didn't feel like putting in that kind of effort.
There have been times in my life when I've prided myself on not wearing the same outfit to the same place twice in a month or more. How superficial is that?
When I told my parents in May that I'd decided not to buy any clothes for a year, they both expressed disbelief. My Dad even teased me a little bit.
Let me be clear here. No one thought I could go a full year without buying new clothes. Not even me. I don't blame anyone for this lack of faith in me because the truth is I love clothes. I love finding new clothes and playing with ways to put together outfits including shoes.
But somehow each of these "You? Not buy clothes? For a whole year?" types of comments bolstered my resolve somehow. I needed to prove to myself that I could do this. I was also surprised to see how other people perceived my buying habits.
The interesting thing for me was the panic I felt when my socks starting getting holes. I'm really rough on socks. As I thought about how in the past I would've perceived those holes as indicative of a lack and gone and bought a large pack of new socks, I felt a bit sick to my stomach. How much had I wasted over the years?
I took a deep breath and remembered my resolve. These weren't even socks I wore out of the house. I would survive if I had to dip into the basket of "ugly" socks. (and I did - both survive and dip into that basket of ugly socks.)
So, does this mean no new clothes have come into my closet this year? No, it doesn't. My niece sent me a cute long sleeved t-shirt she decorated for me with a cat on the back and the words "Cat Mama" on the front. My husband was tossing a sweatshirt that was too small on him that I decided to keep. My friend, Lori, sent me a pair of leggings that are fun and adorable just because.
As the year progressed, I noticed something that surprised me... My productivity increased. Granted, I had also pulled away from social media, but even before that my productivity increased. I noticed that when I couldn't use online "window" shopping as a crutch or a reward, I focused more on my work. Those five minutes to check on "one thing I need" didn't turn into 30 minutes of browsing through one of my favorite clothing shopping sites like Prana or Pact or even Amazon and adding numerous things to my Wishlist/Cart.
I found not shopping for clothes for an entire year a mixed experience.
On the one hand, it was liberating. I stopped thinking so much about clothes and what I wore and what other people would think if they saw me wearing the same thing I wore the last time they saw me... Oh, the horror...
I started concentrating more on my interactions with other people even though I wouldn't have thought that area deficient before.
I spent less time browsing online and focused more on the task at hand.
Yet, I hated it when something no longer fit me and I had to wait to replace it.
I got a few items altered that I had been procrastinating getting fixed.
I loved the money I saved. I also realized how much money I typically spend on clothing in a year... Now, there's a real horror...
I still have a closet full of clothes. Now, I feel like I can finish cleaning out those items that no longer fit even though keeping them made no sense. It wasn't like I could wear them anyway.
I will be doing some shopping to replace some of the items I have removed and will be removing from my closet.
I intend to be more mindful about shopping moving forward. I don't want to buy out of boredom or a need to impress people I don't even know and never will or some misguided feeling of inadequacy. I want to own clothing that serves my needs regardless of what other people think.
My self-worth improved as did my self-confidence even though I hadn't realized they needed improvement as I stopped depending on clothes to make an impression for me and started paying more attention to how I interact in the world. I don't have to look "perfect" or even "stylish" to put forth my best self. I can do all that just by being me.
Through this challenge, I've found a deeper sense of gratitude for the clothing I own as well as a realization of how often I take for granted the ability to add to my wardrobe whenever I choose to do so.
I've long thought of myself as a frugal shopper but the abundance of little worn clothing in my closet proves how wasteful I've been. I'd always looked for ways to save money on my clothes using coupons, sales, and rebate sites like TopCashback and Ebates, but not buying clothing saved so much more.
I no longer want to buy stuff I don't need just because it's pretty and I might want to wear it someday.
Shopping for clothing and even deciding what to keep in my closet should be as mindfully done as anything else in my life. The more mindful and deliberate I am, the more the things I choose to bring into my life will serve me instead of me serving them.
We might live in a fast fashion, throwaway kind of society where everything is obsolete as soon as you buy it, but I don't have to embrace that lifestyle. I can and do choose to turn away from that thinking and embrace a lifestyle that, while perhaps not quite minimalist, is better for me, for those around me, and the planet I inhabit by being mindful and deliberate and thoughtful and, yes, frugal.
But... I decided to tell no one. I feared I wouldn't be able to do it, so I didn't want anyone to know just in case I failed.
Over the next few months, I let it slip to a few friends and my husband in the course of casual conversation. They questioned why I would want to do the challenge. At first, I struggled to really articulate the answer. I shrugged it off to some degree with a "I just want to see if I can do it."
Over the year, there were several times I came out of the bedroom and my husband was sure I'd bought something new because I was wearing something I hadn't worn for so long.
I noticed that when something no longer fit and I got rid of it, I felt different than when I got rid of something knowing I would just replace it within days. The first few times I felt slightly panicked. What if none of my clothes fit me anymore by the end of the year or heaven forbid the end of the season!?
Even now, I have several items in my closet I know don't fit, but I haven't removed because I might need them. Not that I could wear them if I did. Eventually, I started to enjoy the empty hangers, the ease of looking through my closet, and the creativity it required to pull together outfits that didn't look like what I'd just worn it as well as the ability to shrug it off when I just didn't feel like putting in that kind of effort.
There have been times in my life when I've prided myself on not wearing the same outfit to the same place twice in a month or more. How superficial is that?
When I told my parents in May that I'd decided not to buy any clothes for a year, they both expressed disbelief. My Dad even teased me a little bit.
Let me be clear here. No one thought I could go a full year without buying new clothes. Not even me. I don't blame anyone for this lack of faith in me because the truth is I love clothes. I love finding new clothes and playing with ways to put together outfits including shoes.
But somehow each of these "You? Not buy clothes? For a whole year?" types of comments bolstered my resolve somehow. I needed to prove to myself that I could do this. I was also surprised to see how other people perceived my buying habits.
I took a deep breath and remembered my resolve. These weren't even socks I wore out of the house. I would survive if I had to dip into the basket of "ugly" socks. (and I did - both survive and dip into that basket of ugly socks.)
So, does this mean no new clothes have come into my closet this year? No, it doesn't. My niece sent me a cute long sleeved t-shirt she decorated for me with a cat on the back and the words "Cat Mama" on the front. My husband was tossing a sweatshirt that was too small on him that I decided to keep. My friend, Lori, sent me a pair of leggings that are fun and adorable just because.As the year progressed, I noticed something that surprised me... My productivity increased. Granted, I had also pulled away from social media, but even before that my productivity increased. I noticed that when I couldn't use online "window" shopping as a crutch or a reward, I focused more on my work. Those five minutes to check on "one thing I need" didn't turn into 30 minutes of browsing through one of my favorite clothing shopping sites like Prana or Pact or even Amazon and adding numerous things to my Wishlist/Cart.
I found not shopping for clothes for an entire year a mixed experience.
On the one hand, it was liberating. I stopped thinking so much about clothes and what I wore and what other people would think if they saw me wearing the same thing I wore the last time they saw me... Oh, the horror...
I started concentrating more on my interactions with other people even though I wouldn't have thought that area deficient before.
I spent less time browsing online and focused more on the task at hand.
Yet, I hated it when something no longer fit me and I had to wait to replace it.
I got a few items altered that I had been procrastinating getting fixed.
I loved the money I saved. I also realized how much money I typically spend on clothing in a year... Now, there's a real horror...
I still have a closet full of clothes. Now, I feel like I can finish cleaning out those items that no longer fit even though keeping them made no sense. It wasn't like I could wear them anyway.
I will be doing some shopping to replace some of the items I have removed and will be removing from my closet.
I intend to be more mindful about shopping moving forward. I don't want to buy out of boredom or a need to impress people I don't even know and never will or some misguided feeling of inadequacy. I want to own clothing that serves my needs regardless of what other people think.
My self-worth improved as did my self-confidence even though I hadn't realized they needed improvement as I stopped depending on clothes to make an impression for me and started paying more attention to how I interact in the world. I don't have to look "perfect" or even "stylish" to put forth my best self. I can do all that just by being me.
Through this challenge, I've found a deeper sense of gratitude for the clothing I own as well as a realization of how often I take for granted the ability to add to my wardrobe whenever I choose to do so.
I've long thought of myself as a frugal shopper but the abundance of little worn clothing in my closet proves how wasteful I've been. I'd always looked for ways to save money on my clothes using coupons, sales, and rebate sites like TopCashback and Ebates, but not buying clothing saved so much more.
I no longer want to buy stuff I don't need just because it's pretty and I might want to wear it someday.
Shopping for clothing and even deciding what to keep in my closet should be as mindfully done as anything else in my life. The more mindful and deliberate I am, the more the things I choose to bring into my life will serve me instead of me serving them.
We might live in a fast fashion, throwaway kind of society where everything is obsolete as soon as you buy it, but I don't have to embrace that lifestyle. I can and do choose to turn away from that thinking and embrace a lifestyle that, while perhaps not quite minimalist, is better for me, for those around me, and the planet I inhabit by being mindful and deliberate and thoughtful and, yes, frugal.
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