shopping ban
Showing posts with label shopping ban. Show all posts
Shopping Hiatus 2.0/ Remix
Which leads me to:
I have have decided to try another shopping hiatus. Now I've picked a very very tough time to do that, I am being bombarded with "black friday sale" emails and everyone getting in the holiday mood by shopping nonstop all the time. I started this second hiatus at the very end of October and for sure just broke it this weekend. BAD JENNA. I found an incredibly soft sweater and after dreaming about it for five days I couldn't help myself. I find even just putting it out there that I'm doing this I'm way more likely to stay on course.
The only exception with the ban this time is I'm buying a dress for my brothers wedding during this month just in case I can find a sale and also there's way more selection this time of year for formal dresses. SO here I am vowing to the internet that I am not going to spend another dime on clothing for myself until January 15th. It was supposed to be the 1st but since I had this slip up, I just earned another 2 weeks of shopping ban.
So I challenge you all this crazy season of shopping craziness to reach into your closet and try to re style some pieces you already own instead of going crazy and spending lots of money on new items! Your bank account will thank me :) What I've Learned From Not Shopping
3 long months ago I embarked on a journey, a journey to not shop! I decided to set the end date at my birthday August 20th, and the only time I wavered in that three months was to find a more appropriate one piece for family vacation. I have to admit I am proud of myself, as someone who was constantly buying, spending, getting something new.
Some lesson's I've learned over these past 3 months:
I have a lot of clothes.
I know most of you are thinking Duuuuuh, but the amount of times I've opened my closet and lamented about not having anything to wear before this was constant. It's probably because I wanted something new each time I delved into the depths of my closet. Not being able to get anything new forced me to reasses, and rewear all my pieces.
I saved a lot of money!!!
Again, this kind of seems like a no brainer. I even forgot to put it in this post. But yes cutting back on shopping helped me save which I often need help with. I definitely have cut back on any kind of mindless spending not just clothes related but even small things for the house, dog stuff and groceries. If I don’t really need it, I put it backI can be quite creative
I guess I had forgotten how I could mix and match and rewear one thing in so many different ways over the past few years. This has been a great lesson, give me one good piece and I'm gonna wear that baby to death!
Neutrals and basics are vital
I, not unlike a magpie, am easily distracted by shiny things, things with patterns, bold colours, feathers! This can lead to a closet full of very pretty things, but none of them go together or are able to be worn in many ways. So investing in basics, finding things that are good quality, that fit well and all go well together is going to be important to me.
Find the holes in your closet
Not literal holes, but items that will tie everything together. A little black dress for example, or the perfect cable knit cozy sweater, a pair of high waisted pants. Even a fun piece like a bright coat can be the perfect addition! For me what I'm looking for this fall: the perfect grey cozy sweater dress, a red tartan coat/sweater (which I think I've found)
I think a shopping ban is something I am going to be doing regularly, I am determined to try to buy thrift, second hand, vintage, and ethically made clothing. I think kicking my need for "new! Now!" is crucial to keep me on this bath too.
Spending Hiatus
I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my clothes as of late.
I know what you’re thinking, what else is new lady, you run a “fashion, fitness
and food” blog, it’s in the name!! So more specifically I’ve been thinking of
where my clothes are made, who makes my clothes, how sustainable are they, how
much money am I throwing away on new items each season, how often am I shopping.
See, I’ve been thinking about my clothing A LOT lately. I find myself looking
through my heavy closet and deeming “I have nothing to wear” when in reality I
having nothing new to wear. I, like many others find myself falling into the
trap of wanting something new, something trendy, something I just saw on Instagram...
I have to say as someone who thinks about health a lot of
the time, I can’t see how this frame of mind is healthy. Seeing how and where
some of these pieces are made really opens up how unhealthy our obsession with
consumerism really is. I read a book a few months back, a work of fiction,
about a girl in a forced labour camp making cheap clothes for American. Walking
into a mall has given me a feeling of claustrophobia since. But I still have
walked into those malls, why? Because of an insane urge to buy something, to
feel put together, to look good, to have something new to post. That’s made me
feel pretty gross. So here I am going first off on a 2-month shopping ban, and from
there reassessing my spending habits.
On my recent New York trip nearly 100% of the items I bought
were second hand, consignment or vintage pieces and I actually feel really good
about that. This is where I’m at going forward, I am going to spend the next
few months getting to know my closet, stretching my creativity to make what I
already own work and from there only adding vintage, consignment or ethically
made pieces into the mix. Not saying I’m going to be perfect, I like any addict
will fall, I will keep on trying though. I hope you’re all there to follow my
journey.
Outfit: Skirt-Second Hand (Beacon's closet), Shoes-Winners, Purse-F21, Bodysuit-Thrift, Jacket-F21 (2 years old) Sunnies-Bamboo Ballroom
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