Under-buyers - reveal yourselves!

[Asitgoes]

Are you an under-buyer too? I have very little in my wardrobe and for eg. only ever own one pair of trainers at a time.
I was having a charity shop clear out this morning (not just clothes) and realised if I got rid of the stuff I want to I'd literally have nothing left to wear.

It's not that I don't like clothes, just struggle with finding things I like. Skint in the primary school years, then hit hard by the menopause. I've changed shape and lost my mojo.

S&B is really helping me think about what style I want to achieve and different places to shop. I've now got some great resources to check out.

I don't want to become a rampant consumer, but really could do with a wardrobe shake-up. Any tips?

Me too, I literally have four things to wear.

It's bit rubbish really Mrs isn't it. Work must be sick of seeing me in the same things on constant rotation.
I've seen some great looking trainers on another thread and am going to make a start on developing my repertoire!

Go for it, with the trainers. I think my problem is I'm actually quite fussy. I also hate sweaty synthetics but natural fibres are now hard to come by and really expensive.

Here, me too! I just moved into a new flat, before that I was living out of a rucksack for 18 months (through choice, no horrible back story, tho!) so now I'm facing a wardrobe with an echo every morning.
I actually quite like it that way and am very, very careful about what to buy. Not so much because of money worries, thankfully, but I'd like to make sure that I absolutely love every single thing I own. So far I bought a new jumper and a mini skirt and am delighted to find out it actually goes with all of the the few other things I own.

Me three. Menopausal means I don’t have stuff that suits me and kidding myself I’ll loses stone means I won’t spend money on clothes.

Gah, posted too soon.

I think your thinking is great, asitgoes. Rampant comsumerism certainly isn't a good thing, so just take it slowly. Is there any style/look you particularly like?

I am an under buyer because of finances! The sad thing is, I probably look the best it’s ever going to get at the moment (not saying great, but it will get worse!!) yet I can’t afford to dress it all up!! I wear the same outfit on the rare occasion I go out and the same few things everyday! It’s depressing.
Have you thought about booking a personal shopper at one of the big malls (bluewater etc)? It might open your eyes and they are usually free and no pressure to buy.

I try very hard to only buy natural fibres. I find them more comfortable to wear, they wear well in terms of durability generally too.
They are getting more expensive though, so my tip is stalk the sales. Use non sale time to find things you like then sign up for email alerts so that when there are discounts to be had, you get in quickly!
I have several shops I routinely check at sale time as I know my size, the fit and styles. I can then buy on line with a fair amount of confidence so I don’t have to brave the crowded messy shops.

How do you make yourself clear out the crud? The stuff that will never fit and didn’t look good tostart with !

My wardrobe is full but I wear maybe 10% of it

I could do with this problem. I’m a massive over shopper and trying to stop!

I think half a day dedicated to a massive trying on session in John Lewis and Selfridges may be the way forward to clarify what it is I want (&now suit).
Agree Blue about weight, probably why I'm thinking footwear
I'm an now chubby hourglass with auburn hair and a lot of shops just don't cater for my shape and colouring.
This isn't a whinge, just an observation. I remember Gretchen Rubin writing about this years ago and it stuck with me.

Blue I'm just one of those people who doesn't find it difficult to get rid (altho' my loft suggests otherwise! )

I'm like that, partly due to a lack of storage space, and because I work from home. But I tend to wear and wear stuff until it wears out, and then I buy something new. I definitely get value for money in terms of cost per wear!

I think I am also quite fussy and find a lot of stuff around at the moment makes you look pregnant. And I don't like dresses, most of them are hideous (with apologies to my work colleagues who wear them).

I don't think there's anything wrong with it to be honest. I'm short and tubby and I've found my groove and stick to it.
Unless I change shape radically I'm happy with the leggings I like best, the t shirts and jumpers.

I mean, I have a few of them each and I love scarves, jewellery and shoes to mix things up a bit but I'm actually trying to get to the place where I have only a couple of pairs of shoes on rotation ( not talking about 'party' type shoes).

I've mini Kondo'd my wardrobe ( couldn't hack the full on shenanigans) and feel all the better for it.

Me. It's since I got fat. I used to love buying clothes. It all seems a waste of money now as I still look fat! Must go on a diet🙄

Me!

I really struggle to buy clothes. It’s a combination of fussiness and until recently having no money so I could only ever look but not buy. I’ve also been hoping to be buying maternity clothes ‘soon’ for the last three years, but that’s not going to happen so I have to move on.

I reached crisis point at Christmas when I had two pairs of old jeans and four ratty old jumpers to wear to my quite senior job.

I bit the bullet, and had two massive all day sessions shopping, trying everything I liked in a few shops until I found an item I wanted (1 in maybe 8 garments). It’s a bloody relief to open the wardrobe and have clothes to wear. Overbuying is definitely a problem, but so is underbuying to the point you feel awful in your crappy rags.

(Love Gretchen Rubin!)

Me too. I'm 6ft so can hardly find anything to fit... and when I do, it's always the plain basic stuff so just looks the same as all the other stuff I own. I rotate 4 outfits for work and if I have to go in on the 5th day... panic!

I've just given up and only buy toast/seasalt now. It all matches and lasts a long time so I don't have to buy more than one or two items a year to replace stuff that has worn out.

Eggs Is Seasalt really that long lasting? When I do buy, I want something to last me a good few years, so that sounds really good. I live abroad and there's only one shop near me selling Seasalt, and the shop assistants are absolute idiots (they sneered at my well behaved DC for nicely sitting in the shop while I was having a browse ), so I vowed never to go in there again. But then, if the quality realls IS that good... I might just have to leave the DC standing in the rain outside then

This is me. I have too minimal a wardrobe and when I am forced to buy something because I really don’t have enough clothes I end up settling for something cheap that I don’t like much.

I just find it impossible to find clothes that look nice, are comfortable and fit/are actually flattering. I hate shopping because I inevitably end up feeling like I must be freakishly proportioned because nothing fits properly or looks in any way decent. Waists are never in the right place (I have longish legs and a shortish body and still they’re too bloody high). Necklines make my chest look matronly (I wear a 28G bra). If something fits my chest, it’s too big for my shoulders/hips (I’m a 10-12). Dresses are cut to make me look pregnant. Skirts are often too long and make me look dumpy (I’m 5’4). Women’s trousers/jeans are invariably uncomfortable. And so on.

It’s very irritating.