Not buying clothes 2024

[Nonewclothes2024]

I need to stop buying clothes.
I have far too many.
I feel overwhelmed deciding what to wear every day.
I wear a uniform to work.
I have deleted all shopping apps.
I am unsubscribing from shop e mails.

Anyone else ?

Still not doing too badly. I had a bit of a sort out this week and identified the need for a couple of lighter coloured sweatshirts/casual tops for spring. Went into the charity shop and got two brand new M&S lightweight sweatshirts for £4.50 each, one of which I had been looking at in our local M&S. Also picked up a Cyberjammies modal short set in TK Maxx today which I will put away for my holiday later this year.

I'm trying to do a low buy rather than no buy and have become far more disciplined in sending things back that don't suit me.

I've done pretty well this month.
Waiting for extra £ off sale prices meant my size was oos by the time I looked again.

I think I posted here earlier. Haven’t bought much yet. Avoided online sales and boutiques/vintage shops. Got some thermals from Tu but were needed (socks and a long sleeved thermal top). Trying to avoid Style and Beauty.

My weakness is buying to support a local boutique because I feel sorry for them (yet some of the clothes were hardly worn) or buying for family (DNephew, 5, I did get him a Star Wars eBay jumper and a gold feather belt for me, EBay). The pleasure and joy of getting proper clothes when I was younger, saving and making a special journey to buy something, this isn’t what I do now. And it’s a bit sad.

I bought clothes in January, but then again I'm doing a low-buy instead of a no buy. A PP said that they found January the easiest month to not spend - I find it the hardest because of the discounts on everything. I lost a bit of weight so I bought 2 pairs of trousers, both in the sale - a wool pair for winter, and a cotton pair for spring. I also replaced a v-neck black tee from COS which I somehow managed to lose last autumn. I loved it and it was a basic, so it was pretty much a no-brainer to replace it. I also bought a fleece, which is something I'd been thinking about for a bit - we spend time outdoors and it's also handy for cold WFH days. The last two items were a pair of shorts, to replace worn out ones, so again I something I actually need - I spend most of the summer in shorts. The only impulse buy was a cute t-shirt which I strictly did not need but added to one of the orders. There's always a danger of that.

I've sold 10 items on Vinted in January so the overall amount is reducing which I am happy about. Everything I bought was discounted between 20-60%

I was planning on a Clothes Swapping evening with friends to get rid of the clothes I never wear but then realised I'd be replacing them with other clothes so wardrobe would be exactly the same.....

Going to donate them to the charity shop.

Still haven't bought a thing!!

@BaconAndAvocado I'm not buying books either. I even returned a 99p Kindle purchase after feeling guilty.

I've replaced my book buying with copious reservations at the library and audiobook borrowing from BorrowBox. Have you tried that to get your fix? Loads of brand new titles if you're prepared to wait a bit.

Well done, that's amazing! I haven't bought anything at all for myself in 2024, not just clothes. I'm not earning anything at the moment so don't feel right doing so, but to be honest I'm not interested, I don't want to accumulate stuff. I gave up my freelance work last autumn to do a full time government funded skills bootcamp for career returners, which I've just finished and was amazing. So my focus has been on learning and developing my skills, which is actually much more interesting than buying clothes.

I went browsing in the shops yesterday and it was pretty eye-opening that everything I picked up I felt like I already had a version of. The only exception was a lovely brown wool/cotton knit, but I took a photo of it, and it's gone on my wishlist.

All I bought was a mascara, as my old one is totally dried now and I definitely needed a new one, and a birthday gift to a good friend. I'm trying to use replacements where I can, but the job of a mascara can really only be done by a mascara.

I do have £200 of Liberty credit from the beauty drop, which I will eventually need to use, so I guess that is spending. I'm going to use that for a new perfume when my current ones run out (soon) and a birthday gift for my mom in May.

@Pigtailsandall interesting you say that about mascaras. My eyes are prone to dryness so need tubing ones and have ones on rotation I use.

I was in Sainsbury’s on Wednesday and picked up 2 long pleated skirts with geo prints. I might return them but one was very flattering. I went round the clothes section and nothing else grabbed me which was good.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain Yes, I feel like to me, mascara and an eyebrow pen are essentials and I usually only have one, maybe at most two, on the go at once because the mascaras dry up quick. I'm very fair so my eyebrows and eyelashes are near invisible if I don't wear any makeup. They will always be the exception to any no-buy.

I have about 5 things on my wishlist for this year: leather loafers, the brown-toned wool jumper, new swimsuit, a very very lightweight summer dress in cotton, and possibly new ankle boots this autumn. My goal is to sell enough on Vinted that the items would essentially be free, but that might not happen as the shoes are pricey.

I'm doing pretty well, just the belt I already declared. I do find this time of year easier as it's same old, same old and even if you see spring stuff coming in, you can only wear it in your head and I learned long ago that if I buy things I can't/don't wear immediately then they never work.

I also think all my rules are giving me enough sense that I could buy something considered of I wanted to but keeping me in check. Maybe I'll finally crack it this year!

I think you are right

I have bought some new things with vouchers then worn them to work, got compliments and then they are not stuck in your wardrobe for "best" which doesn't happen much

I’m trying to do the same as you, curating my closet.

But I love prints and dresses and not that keen on plain classics! I blame DM as when I was a teenager (13 onwards) she dressed me and controlled most of my clothes spending so I was in navy and black as she thought that was classic and slimming and I had a very dark navy almost black sailor type dress (French schoolgirl looking) which I wore with a white Top Shop polo neck and other clothes along that line. So I tend to veer the other way from plain colours!

If my budget was huge I’d buy classics and I had some lovely Joseph and other designer classics years ago but sold or don’t fit into most of them now. 😢 The quality isn’t the same either now unless you spend a lot. Maybe better in Germany and Netherlands where stepdad used to bring us wonderful clothes from markets when he went on business trips there which was quite a lot. The cut and fabric was stunning (80s and 90s). Wonder if it’s the same now there?

Found the thread again 😊
February 9th and still nothing purchased. This is an absolute record for me.

Think I'm zero spends for myself this year so far!
Have ordered a couple of pairs of PJ's though which I haven't received yet my favourite PJ's have developed holes so it's time to find replacements!

Gonnaget can I ask what tubing mascaras you use? I have very dry eyes too and have had to stop wearing mascara totally, would love to know what works for your dry eyes without irritating.

Oh I’ve tried loads! Let me look at my makeup bag tomorrow and get back to you!

I did get a Lancôme Monsieur Big non tubing one for Christmas and also Dior hologlam blush and a Fenty gloss bomb from SIL and brother for Christmas, asked for these and use them.

Oooh I've got dry eyes! What do mascaras do to them? I never heard about this before.

The best mascara for me is No7 in the gold colour tube, it gives me lovely long lashes doesn't smudge and comes off easily.

@IndianSummer78 basically if you have dry eyes they’re oiler too because of age, so peri menopause etc and normal mascara slides off.

That’s why waterproof and tubing mascaras are better as they stay on better than normal mascaras.

A few of these you can’t get anymore or online only eBay etc:-

• L’Oréal lash paradise waterproof (good)
• Rimmel 100% waterproof (ok)
• L’Oréal double extend beauty tubes
• Estée Lauder double wear (tubing) very good
• apparently hourglass tubing is great not tried
• Maybelline snapscara ok
• Al’Iver tubing great would buy again amazing false lash effect.
• glossier ok
• Clinique lash power fairly good

I would get more expensive ones but they dry out and only use mascara for 3 months they say then bin.

The tubing wraps tubes around lashes so mascara stays on better. Waterproof just as good as it stays on. But I find most waterproofs to me don’t give a good finish.

Thanks. Tried it but not keen. To be honest I’m not that keen on No 7 products eg makeup full stop but in my 20s (90s/00s) we loved their blue looking bi phase eye makeup remover and a shower oil! The eye makeup remover was a dupe for a more expensive Lancôme one.

I must admit I don't use any other No7 products I find the creams too greasy, but the mascara for me is great, I tried a different one from them but i wasn't impressed.

I'm not sure if I've already joined this thread 😁

I've bought a pair of Baukjen trousers in khaki in the sale. I have them in navy and they were my favourite buy last year. I also put a sleeveless roll neck in the basket to avoid paying postage and loved it when it arrived so that was an unnecessary purchase.

I don't need anything else at the minute. Still hankering after a slouchy black jumper but haven't seen one that I love. And we're moving into better weather so I won't need it.

Same here!

I’m still going for coffees with friends but I guess that’s helping local businesses.....

I’ve caved and bought the most amazing polka dot blouse and black and white embroidered zip blouse. From a local boutique modern classics. I think I’ll keep both for a while. I really thought about both. One I knew I had to size down in. And my hair which is usually down and long was slicked back after deep conditioning and damp drying and tied in a low ponytail and I felt kinda chic and in need of a smarter more trendy look.