The Shopping Ban / Frugal Fashion Thread

[FrugalFashionista]

Tentatively dipping my toes in here ---
Do you love clothes, shoes, accessories, and beauty products - perhaps a bit too much?
Have you self-prescribed a shopping ban, are you on a strict budget, or are you trying to learn to shop more mindfully for other reasons? Are you a budding recessionista, thriftionista, frugal fashionista - or would you like to become one?
Would you like to do this with like-minded people, still looking stylish and up to date?

This thread could be a place for mutual support, inspiration and creative tweaks (planning outfits from what you already have; charity shopping, swaps, repurposing).

My personal goal: no more clothes, shoe or beauty purchases in March.

I'll tell you more about why I am here in true 12-step tradition, but we need a few like-minded people first

My anti-pasty vote goes for dove everyday gradual tanner. I get lots of people asking of I've been on holiday, from which I deduce it must look pretty natural, and it's cheap - and can often be found on offer at boots/sainsbos

I've done a bad thing.
I just ordered these shoes : www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B009RNNPLC

However, I got them for just £20, so I feel I had to!

Another vote for dove. Very gradual but subtle and natural looking.

I always buy more in autumn/winter......still manage to buy a fair bit in SS though!!!!!
Ove/Johnsons gradual tan in fair....best for me, takes the glare off!

Top tip ......don't pick up a basket in Boots. I go in for cotton wool and end up spending £40 on various 'essentials'.

Agree.....also make a shopping list and stick to it.

Garnier summer body or Dove here too.
Also in winter stuff covered up by coats/scarves etc,in summer more on show.

DH is helping me be frugal as I have missed out on two bargains at the outnet sale due to him

Now its frugal (I have store Credit) but missed the iris & Ink cashmere and I could have got it for nothing! But I asked DH and he took so long telling me to save money and did i actually need it etc etc, it sold out!

Anyway, have managed to upload some things to the MN Swapboard

If I can find the battery charger, I will take some more pics and upload tomorrow.

I have bags of unworn clothes ready for ebay but will pin some of them and see if anyone wants a swap.

ideally I would like a boyfriend style jeans or a nice dressy top - I seem to spend my days in cotton basics and im getting bored

I will try Dove! Thank you. I think it's just that I need the confidence to show my legs when they're not covered in lovely woolly opaque tights!

Chablis - for boyfriend jeans, get down to the nearest charity shop, find a pair of straight-leg jeans in your size (there will be loads) and customise/roll/distress at will.

Shouldn't set you back more than a fiver (and it's for charidee).

Cheers Cointreau

But had a thought last night and have gone through my jeans and think I might use existing old pair and have googled distressing jeans

Even more frugal but charity loses out.

I've been thinking about the willpower thing.
There have been quite a few temptations about was an online sale frenzy yesterday (Day 5 of shopping ban) and have been to two big parties with a sumptuous bar over the last few days (3rd week of alcohol-free month). No slips yet
For me, the total ban seems to work better than shades of gray rules. Why? Because it facilitates decision-making. My knee-jerk response is "no". No cognitive processes involved, it's simple. If I can spend "some", I have to think through every decision and that's very hard.

Mothermirth you and many others on this thread are inspiring me because by setting an example you show it can be done
And Chablis for DIY boyfriends and Georgina for giving old items a new life (and Cointreau for helping out]. And Violet and everyone else for new swapboard pins. (I was too busy yesterday but will try to sort out my pending swaps today.)
Also appreciate the anti-pasty leg tips, to everyone who contributed

Ginge I often try to avoid picking up baskets and carts when I'm shopping. Learned this in the States - shops like Target and Walmart there have ginormous shopping carts and people have a tendency to fill them up to the brim Did you know that food psychologists have found out that we don't have built-in portion control in our system (and supermarket designers use the same principle - my nearby market just introduced bigger baskets). We think/eat/consume in units - a plate of something, a glass of something, or by the basket /cartload This is why in many shops SAs offer you a basket or offer to free your hands so that continue to shop.

Oh and if you didn't bag bargain cashmere, don't feel too bad I've been in the process of phasing cashmere out of my wardrobe because I find it devilishly difficult to maintain. Unless it's very high grade, it bobbles easily. Worst case scenario: after a week of wear, you have something that looks like the cat's blanket

Sorry about the overly long and garbled post - should learn to proof and preview

skaen I realised something similar whilst on the minimalist threads. A disproportionate amount of my clothes are summer ones, but warm summer evenings and days on the beach type stuff.

Mulling it over, I think it's because I'm happy on summer holidays (we normally go away to Southern Europe, I need sun and warmth) and want more of my life to be like that. I spent several years in my twenties overseas, Asia, Africa type stuff where the climate was hot and they were also happy times in my life.

Since I've put all this together, I've found it much easier to let go of some of the excess clothes that I was wearing barely once a year. I'm now spending more time and money on choosing really nice clothes more suitable for the British climate. Recently that's been mainly cashmere and thermals...

Frugal - I am the same as you, an all or nothing kind of gal. Last year I gave up all sugar and alcohol and got through 3 months with no problem - by the end I wasn't bothered at all by it (it came to an end on an all-in holiday!)
Now, I struggle to not drink every night and have a treat every day and now my clothes are all tight - really don't want an excuse to buy more!
I have decided to try for a weekend only drinking thing and no sugar - I'll see how I get on with those strict boundaries.
Now, the spending - I am on a ban and have been since the start of the year. I had a spend on an outfit for my (ahem) 40th birthday party, but think that was allowed - and slipped up last week with a pair of leopard print jeans, which I've wanted for aaaaaages and got on ebay for 99p.

TiC excellent advice! I'm over cashmere because I'm a serial non-returner I also resent having to do the quality control and vote with my wallet I actually blacklist certain fibers (acrylic, most polyester - okay in coats and travel clothes, not okay in tops; viscose, linen, cashmere - too faffy for me to maintain) to simplify my life. Many other people can make these fibers work really well I'm just too lazy.

Skaen summer is my season of choice. I love colorful dresses and bare legs and light footwear. My summer wardrobe is bigger than my winter wardrobe and I love the ease and simplicity of summer dressing. I really struggle with winter.

The shopping ban came at a good time for me. Transitioning from winter to summer is usually tricky, but this year I've discovered old items that are perfect "bridge" pieces. This formula here. And a new one based on a cream poly/viscose semisheer loose-knit sweater (a mistake purchase, worn over white H&M vest, too sweaty otherwise) and a pair of gray skinnies. If I add a nude feather gilet (it was slightly tatty, but I spent an hour on Sunday repairing it and now it's like new), a mock-silver chain bracelet and grey suede ankle boots, it's a great casual outfit. If I add a white blazer and a colorful scarf (a coral melé or a blue-green-yellow 2nd hand Missoni) and either the suede boots or gray studded ballerinas, it's a perfect smart but laid-back work or restaurant outfit. And if I add a white evening coat, a cocktail ring and silver python boots, I'm all set up for a fancy party. All items from my existing wardrobe and most of them "mistake" purchases that I haven't worn much. Plus a few death row survivors

Can i join?.I am normally pretty frugal after overcoming high spending habits when younger.However a terrible temptation has opened in our nearest town-a big new TK Maxx.I just love silk and cashmere and i have already bought several bits.I really don't want to clutter up my carefully edited wardrobe with lots of clothes i won't wear.I need someone to tell me to step away,now.
I still do have gaps in my wardrobe though.I need some boyfriend jeans-i love the faded distressed ones and i am looking for a good quality jersey maxi in a petite length plus maybe a ruched skirt.

Penfold sending you positive and affirming vibes!
And I think that 99p slip is forgiven - enjoy those lovely bargain jeans!
Black/ white is not for everyone - but it's right for people with certain personality traits Changing behavior patterns is a learning process and if you are rewiring your brain, the first month is the most crucial. What seems to work me is strict focus for a certain period No idea whether I'll make it, but have decided to give it a try.

Morning Frugal swap board going great just a lurker on the moment have lots to swap but am a complete technophobe however Dd is back from uni the weekend so shall ask for a tutorial !!!

Has anybody got any thoughts on my deathrow blazer or are its crimes against fashion so huge that I should be rustling up its last meal ???? To recap it is dark tan still fits !!!! and is actually much better quality than my more recently purchased and worn to death biker, has anybody else noticed that after digging through their older stuff that it actually seem made of better materials than their newer stuff ?

After fab styling tips on the leather skirt hoping you lot may be able to do the same for my poor jacket.

Teta welcome! I have to start working now, but outlets, discounter chains and overstock e-tailers have been my biggest source of grief mistake purchases. Wasted money, time, wardrobe space. Wasted life.

Sending you a wrist slap emoticon right now
A carefully chosen streamlined wardrobe sounds fantastic. Many people here are really keen on simplifying and editing - can you tell us more about how to get there?

Limoncello do a "leather blazer" search on Pinterest?
Is tan a good color for you? If yes, I'd plan some fresh looks around it using your existing items (Pin and Polyvore excellent for this) and maybe test one of them out on the street. Death sentence/ amnesty after the trial
If tan is not a good color for you, I'd sell/swap/donate it.
I've enjoyed my reformulated looks immensely...

Off to work now, BBL. Others, any ideas for Limoncello?

If the tan blazer is a good fit and still a modern shape i would keep it.Even though the colour may not be entirely you,it can still be worn with a scarf.I have several leather/suede jackets that i bought when i lived in Asia.The only ones i discard are the obviously dated shapes and the faded ones[lighting fades suede].I also echo the Pininterest search for ideas.
Frugal the only way i've been able to rationalise my wardrobe is by colour.At the moment its mainly charcoal,navy and nude/blush.Pretty much everything goes with everything else[i am blonde so these are my best neutrals].I have a huge selection of cashmere scarves to add some colour.I do have a spring rail of peach,blue,green cashmere sweaters and blue maxi skirts waiting in the wings though.