Toying with the idea of not buying any new clothes/shoes/accessories in 2021

[TableNiner]

I spend a lot of my time looking for new clothes, ordering clothes and returning clothes. I have more than enough to last a year and wonder if I should challenge myself, just feels very daunting. I would save a lot of time, money and environmental impact. Has anyone done this or do you think you could?

Hopping on to the thread very late in the game if that's ok!

I am giving up buying new clothes for Lent...and beyond. Hoping to achieve 6 months eventually, but Lent is my starting point.

Hi all I’m joining with a giving up for lent. I have done this before for the whole of 2018 but having recently lost weight I have significantly overspent telling myself I need a new smaller wardrobe. Most is in worn as I am embarrassed to have others comment on how much new stuff I have so is hidden in already overflowing wardrobe. When I did it befit freed up so much headspace but importantly I stopped browsing on line and in stores. I enjoyed putting together outfits from what I had and used an app called Stylebook to categorise and record my wardrobe.

I think understanding why you buy the stuff and dealing with that is important. For me it is like an addiction. So 1 item per month doesn’t work. Looking forward to saving lots of money and time!

I’m going to join here in a hope to stay on track in my commitment to be a more thoughtful and ethical consumer. I’ve had a huge clear out and sold lots on EBay and logged my wardrobe on an app to make outfits. I’ve spent a lot of time working over what suits me and the last year buying good quality and ethical basics and not fast fashion. I have a very lovely capsule wardrobe for winter, autumn and spring. I don’t see any gaps in my wardrobe until the summer so my target (apart from some underwear) is not to buy initially until July now, and when I buy it will be from retailers I have researched that are ethical. But I’m a constant browser so need some help staying on track! I’ve deleted all my shopping apps...so here goes!!

I think I can also get to summer and the only thing I need after that is vest tops...which are sort of underwear. So, I think I'll aim for June as a start and then will buy vest tops and see if that will do me till August, which would be six months. Also need to break the habit really! So think six months will help.

Welcome new people, the more the merrier!
Online browsing is still my biggest problem, I block some shopping sites then I find something else to blook at. Still decluttering and selling things online, it's been fun.

*look at

I still haven't bought any clothes, I've just ordered a nip and fab facial cleanser. Not something I would normally do but my face where the mask sits all day is breaking out in hundreds of tiny blackheads. And I dont like them. So hoping this will fix the problem somewhat.

Just checking in as we reach the end of February!

To be honest two months has felt surprisingly easy but am worried about the season change. Having said that I took a peek at some of the new ranges eg Hush and nothing was very exciting, quite samey - I think Covid and possibly Brexit may have made retailers quite cautious both with design and size of range. I’m not a fan of loungewear, there’s a lot of that around.

I bought two second hand leopard print shirts on eBay, one of which I am cutting up to make one of those fake collars you wear under jumpers to avoid adding bulk.

It’s been my birthday this month but I haven’t even used that to get hold of new clothing unless you count a neon cycling jacket.

How is everyone else getting on?

No new clothes here, but 2 x new bras! Think they were necessary. I've done a big wardrobe clearout and have lots to sell and donate.

Feeling fine about it all so far, but it is very early days for me obviously!

I stayed strong until today when I ordered a light green trench coat - influenced by another thread! - and some trousers. I am starting to feel the need for some lighter fresher clothes. But in general it's been great not buying for two months - it will find my car repairs at least. So I'm going to continue with a much more mindful and low buy approach. Anything not 100% right will go back.

End of February and I’ve bought far less than I ever would have normally! A ski jacket bargain on eBay (would previously have bought new and this one is like new), a belt and black trousers after much research on ethical retailers from Baukjen and white bra from M&S! Last three items were essential due to back to school coming next week and return to workwear! I am now all sorted for Spring and need nothing at all...feeling pretty good about it all! I am still in credit in my PayPal from my eBay sales too! ☺️ Hope everyone else is feeling like they are doing well.

Other than underwear I did this in 2019 when reducing my hours at work and so not needing as large a work wardrobe. I'd recommend others try it and not be fashionistas.

I just bought some new spring clothes on Ebay. Perhaps not entirely needed, but I'm happy that I haven't bought anything unneccesary these last 3 months until now. It's a huge improvement.
Good job everyone else who have reduced their purchases!

@SarBear1980 have you found eBay a good place for selling clothes? I've been using Facebook without much luck, great for other things just not clothes, although I have sold a few.

@TableNiner I've not done so well really. Spent less than I usually would to start with, then had a mass spend this month. Suppose some of it was necessary, replacing tights that have worn out and have holes in.

I started shaking things up this past year. Usually I feel a bit guilty for buying things, continuing to wear the old things whilst my new stuff sits around until it doesn't feel new any more, then gradually including them into outfits made with my old stuff. This time I decided to wear exclusively the new stuff. For almost 3 months I've worn a different outfit every day made from the new stuff. It felt like a game and has been a distraction from lockdown boredom. Now I'm missing my old stuff and looking forward to wearing it again. I've also thrown out some tatty stuff and anything where the fastenings have broken. I've found I don't feel bad about it or miss those things.

The things I've bought this week are better, more expensive and more carefully chosen than usual. It's strange because I've spent so much on so little. £345 on 3 dresses (1sleeveless, 1 short sleeve, 1 long sleeve), a hoodie and shorts lounge wear set, a t-shirt, a long sleeve top and a jumper. I don't feel bad or wasteful because I totally love each piece, everything is completely different to what I already have and I feel better that I'm bringing less into an already pretty full up home. I made a conscious effort not to buy anything similar to what I already had.

I'm considering another experiment for March. To set aside everything except the stuff I've failed to sell and wear that. It means I'll have to get creative with alterations to make things fit, and make do with some things that no longer feel like the clothes my current lockdown self wants to wear. But I must have loved something about all these things at the time of purchase, maybe it'll help me change my mindset about shopping to rediscover that. If nothing else it'll tell me which brands survive being washed over and over and which don't last. That's not something you notice when you have a lot of clothes and can't keep track of how often you've worn something.

I'm going to try really hard not to buy a single thing except food during March, I can imagine doing this, it feels achievable.

I havent read through yet, but no new clothes bought for me or my daughters this year.

There's been times I've been tempted but I've avoided it!

My sister did buy me a pair of tartan run and fly dungarees as I fell in love but couldn't justify them. I am going to find 2 things in my wardrobe to sell on though.

I've been selling lots on ebay and Facebook trying to keep my scrolling and window shopping habits at bay! Spending time researching how much to sell things for seems more worthwhile use of my time, plus its decluttering my house!! Ive downloaded vinted but haven't used it yet tempting though as theres no fees!

Oh and I need to start eating better and go running again, my clothes are all getting quite fitted (I prefer loose fit) so unless I shift about a stone none of my summer stuff will fit me and don't want to buy stuff when I have loads of clothes I love and want to wear. The shift in temperature is making me feel more motivated to stop the late night snacking and crap dinner cycle...

I'm not doing too badly. As I've been losing weight I'm finding that more things are fitting so I've been shopping out of my own wardrobe (as my friend puts it). I've added a couple of cheap bags to the charity shop pile, and am intending to sell a Kate Spade bag and Mulberry pouch - I'm on a couple of groups on FB that do this and they are just not being used so there's no point in keeping them.

I did crack and buy a maxi dress in the Aspiga sale which I'd had my eye on.

Well done everyone so far!! I feels good to make conscious and ethical choices rather than impulse buys and fast fashion...

I’m loving unpacking my spring work clothes which didn’t get worn at all last Spring (as a teacher I was at home then but going back now 😁) and that’s felt like a huge delivery of lovely things all at once!!

@AmberItsACertainty I have had success I am happy with selling on EBay - a lot of the things I sold were hardly worn items I bought thinking I loved but in reality didn’t suit me and my style! More higher end high street stuff sells well and so does ‘named’ stuff. I’ve set bids low and am happy with my overall total - some bits sold for less and some for a lot more so evens itself out. I’ve done it all in batches to finish at same time so it’s only one post office run though which is easier!!

No clothes, a new mascara (Wilko's, so not a fortune) and Fidji perfume thanks to the 'retro beauty products' thread here.

And some plants. But spent way less than I normally would have.

Managed to buy nothing. Quite pleased with myself about it.
My savings is creeping up slowly.

I haven't bought any clothes for myself but I have bought some accessories (which I'm ok with because for me it's about seeing how long I can go without buying clothes) I have been tempted at times. I have bought clothes for my DCs because they needed them, I've spent a fortune on new uniform for my eldest! I've bought a few house bits that we've needed for a while.

I signed up to eco-age emails a few weeks or so back and they have some very interesting and thought provoking articles about the fashion industry that have spurred me on. I think I need these regular reminds about why I'm doing this.

2 months in and I have bought no clothes . Avoiding looking at any websites which is tough.

I have spent £11 on a sample size of Olaplex 3 to try . I justified the spend as I will be missing 2 haircuts 💇‍♀️ because of this lockdown , so saving £100 there .

I had £5 in my ‘kitty’ after selling a top and buying some leggings, so I’m £6 down for the year so far .

Ok, I'm hanging in there. I've bought two belts and two footless tights/leggings to wear under dresses to add to my 3 necklaces, 2 handbags and 1 coat. It's a battle. Its funny that I seem to be buying accessories the moment I try to stop making clothing purchases. But I'm hopeful that I'm getting there. I keep seeing clothes I'd like to buy and walking away. And the purchases I have made

Oops.

... were prompted by organising my existing wardrobe and working out why I don't wear an item and thinking it's because it needs a belt or necklace or leggings!

I had to buy new undercrackers. And some socks. A whole 22 pounds in Asda did enough. Lucky it was open and had decent stock in, as I just found out asda living is shut til whenever this lockdown ends. I'll be ok now for 6 months or more. Amazed I've bought nothing else, not even tempted yet.