Leigh Feather

I don’t know exactly what day in January I officially committed to doing the “Low Buy Challenge” but here we are, one week into February and I feel like I’ve done well so far.

In my last post I talked about why I was doing it, who inspired me, and what clothes I currently have in my Fall/Winter closet. (Spring/Summer items are packed away.) I think the next step is to discuss the rules I’ve created around when and if I add something.

1. Wait. That’s right. Try it on in store or look at it on line, but don’t buy it today. Pin it on my Pinterest “Wish List” board. If I still really like it in a week or a month, I can get it.
2. Ask myself if I need it (will it fill a hole in my wardrobe/I don’t already have something similar), Is it truly my style, will it get a lot of wear. Is it on my list?
3. Try to buy second hand or get it from a friend.
4. Shop sustainable brands. Consider spending a little bit more to support more responsible manufacturers, and invest in a quality item that will last longer.
5. Don’t shop to avoid uncomfortable feelings or boredom. Find an alternative outlet.

Setting this goal for myself has been surprisingly freeing. I thought it would be harder. Some of the things I’ve done have made it easier. For one, at the beginning of the year I did massive email clean out. I unsubscribed from all unnecessary emails, especially clothing stores. I threw away coupons and sales flyers and any other enticement to buy stuff when I don’t need stuff! Another thing that helped is resisting the urge to get rid of a ton clothing I don’t wear. I know now that this can create a vacuum that makes me want to run out and get new stuff. If I think I should get rid of it, I put it away in my off season bins. If I still feel the same in the Spring, I’ll donate it. The third thing I did was spend less time looking at fashion blogs and social media in general. If I read posts, it’s from people who encourage slow fashion. This growing online community is like a support group and it really helps! Check out #2020wehaveplenty and #useless_lowbuy2020

The longer I go without buying clothes the more I feel like I don’t need to. I like the clothes I have. I don’t need new ones. Besides, I like knowing I have a stash of allowance money that keeps getting bigger. The more I have, the less I want to spend it.

a new challenge
I’ve decided to make an effort to buy as few clothing items as possible this year. These last two years I did “A year of Shopping Responsibly” and then “New Wardrobe Additions” posts to help me be more accountable about what I purchase and to motivate me to be more selective about what I buy. It was a good exercise, and it really revealed that I shop too much. I recently watched the documentary, “The True Cost” and had to face some ugly truths. And how I was contributing to a big problem. Overconsumption is causing serious damage to the planet and the people who make our clothes. There are a lot of reasons to participate in “slow fashion” and it may seem like a real kill joy at first, but just like any form of minimalism, you get to decide how to do it and how much feels right for you. Any amount of change helps!

my inspiration 
My biggest motivator has been Signe from uselesswardrobe.dk. She introduced her “low buy” concept at the beginning of the year and I decided to jump on board. I’ve been following a lot of bloggers over the years who promote minimalism and capsule wardrobes—which I was attracted to because their beautiful simplicity—but am now embracing due to their social consciousness. Recently, I found myself following the Instagram stories of Jaana, from thismomsgonnasnap.com , on shopping addiction. I love that she had the guts to share her journey, and to call it what it is. There are so many others and I encourage you to check them out.

step one
I decided that the best place to start was to appreciate what I have. Above you’ll see a video of every item currently in my closet. Why did I try on all my clothes and take mirror selfies of them? Because I saw Signe do it and I wanted a record of everything I currently have. I knew it would really show me that I don’t need any more clothes. And, when and if I look for a new item, I won’t buy something I already have and I won’t buy things that don’t fit my style or my lifestyle. Signe also inspired me recently to try packing up all my off season clothing so what you see there is only Fall/Winter. And keep in mind, I’ve been through countless decluttering sessions including The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Curated Closet. I regularly inventory my clothes and only have what I truly love and wear. I now know that I have, available to me, the following clothing:

PANTS/SKIRTS – 14
TEE-SHIRTS – 24
SHIRTS – 9
SWEATERS – 13
JACKETS, ETC. – 3
SPECIAL OCCASION – 19
SHOES – 19

That’s a lot! (God, that really is an enormous amount of items.) And it doesn’t include off-season clothes and it doesn’t include what I’ve donated. I’ve spent the last 10 or so years trying to ‘build the perfect wardrobe’ LOL. And now, and at my mature-ish age, I’ve amassed a collection. I’m fortunate that my size has stayed fairly consistent and that I have a certain allowance for clothes. I try to take good care of my garments. Going through the video I can see some things that I could let go of. I’m going to see what I wear as I go forward.

Well, thanks for indulging me in this exercise. I do it only to convince myself: I have enough. I am enough. I’m looking forward to exploring this subject in further depth. Topics like: sustainable brands, buying second hand, putting outfits together with what I have, avoiding impulsive purchases, shopping from a list, etc. I hope you’ll join me!