The seasons are changing, and the temperature is dropping, so that means its time to buy a whole new wardrobe, right? Wrong!
In a world where overconsumption and insane consumerism is the norm, it can be hard to say no to buying the next thing that everyone seems to have.
However, this rapid cycle of trends has fast fashion companies churning new products out every day, leading to pollution and new landfills as well as the exploitation of workers in the name of selling the hottest product for the cheapest price.
Now I’m not saying that you’re committing a heinous crime for falling victim to the beauty and fashion trends of today. I have too. Even the more “sustainable” thrift shoppers, who purchase a big bag of clothes from the thrift store because it’s cheap, are playing into the trap of consumerism.
Also, chances are, when you see someone giving their “haul” on TikTok, the majority of their clothes will either be worn once or twice then thrown away, or they’ll resell it online for twice the price!
It’s time for us to break out of subscribing to all these trend cycles and buy only what we know we want, not what we think we should want.
This isn’t easy, believe me. I’ve been trying to break out of this cycle forever. I still am, but I can tell I’m getting better.
I remember, after I first started getting money from my first job, whenever I would go to the mall, I felt obligated to buy something. Or when I would go on a trip somewhere, I felt that I needed to buy a souvenir T-Shirt.
After a spree at the mall, it was always the worst feeling when I would impulse buy something, then get home and find that I immediately hate it and never wear it. It was a waste of money and space in my small closet.
Now, more often than not, I find myself walking into a store and not getting anything.
A need for a whole new wardrobe is common during this time of year when the seasons change, especially with fall. You don’t need to though.
Clothes are meant to be worn, over and over and over. You might think to yourself, “I always wear the same few outfits,” but that’s good! That means you like those things that you are wearing.
For me, some clothes I wear constantly have been with me for years. One dress in particular I have been wearing since middle school.
I know people’s bodies change over time, and not everything will fit from a year or two ago, but try to find those staple pieces from years past and think about how they will fit into the way you want to dress this year.
Think about those clothing items you keep bringing back, year after year. Look for things that resemble it. Don’t walk into a store without a plan of what you want, or else you’ll end up buying what you’ll never wear.
Recently, my process for buying something new has been to list it, envision it, and wait it out.
For example: say you’re scrolling on Pinterest, like one does to find outfit inspo, and you come across something you REALLY like. Don’t immediately jump online to find it, write it down on your list of things you would want or save it to a board of things you want.
Mull it over for a bit and envision yourself wearing it. Do you have things in your closet already that you can wear with it? Or would you need to buy a few more things to make it work? If it’s the latter, it’s probably not going to work out, but keep it on your list, just in case.
Now you wait, could be a few weeks, could be a few months, sometimes a year. (I usually wait a long time if what I want to buy is expensive) If after all that time, however, you’re still pining after it, you can allow yourself to buy it.
I remember before I bought my first pair of Doc Martin’s, I waited over a year to finally get them because I didn’t want to commit to such a big purchase. However, I would often put together an outfit and find myself thinking, “those shoes would go so well with this outfit.” So I caved and bought them, and I don’t regret my purchase at all. I love my Doc’s and know I’ll love them for a long time, even if I don’t always wear them.
This fall, you can buy a new sweater or two, but don’t reinvent your whole closet. Chances are you already have what you need. It’s just time to discover new ways to style your clothes. And always make sure to allow time to do its work in deciding what you really want as a part of your wardrobe, not the ads and Instagram models on your screen.