No/low buy 2025 shop from wardrobe

[Netcam]

A new thread to share 'shopping from our wardrobes' so we realise we already have nice things to wear and don't need to buy anything else.

I must confess to have bought a few summer things, but they are out of permitted spending.

However, I need that money for other things over the next few months so I can't buy anymore.

I bought a short, sleeveless linen dress from Boden, 2 long sleeved linen shirts from Poetry (last year's sale stock) and an indigo canvas jacket from Community Clothing.

These are all things I was looking for last summer and couldn't find that I liked.

The linen shirts are a kind of textured material that won't need ironing which is good for me, since I don't iron. They are also a good fit on my petite frame, are not too oversized and the sleeves are not too long. I like wearing a shirt over sleeveless tops to keep the sun off me when I go outside, so linen should be nice and cool and I don't actually have a linen shirt.

The linen dress is a simple shape that seems to suit me, in a colour/pattern I like and fits since it is a petite size, which is frequently not the case when it comes to me and dresses.

And the jacket, well, I just liked it and it I a slightly smarter alternative to a cardigan or hoodie, which I have lots of. But it's not as smart as a blazer, which I don't own a single one of as they just don't suit my style, even though I think they look nice on other people.

There's my summer shopping confession. I did order other things that went back, this is what I've kept from it all. Now I'm back on the wagon! Help me stay focused.

Here to support @Netcam ! I do feel slightly accountable to all of you on this thread even though I don't know you, and it's definitely stopping me from making rash purchases 😁

@Netcam I have also failed the last 2 weeks. But I'm trying to see it as I've been doing well so far, I just had a blow out weekend, send back the stuff that I'm not a resounding 'yes!' for, and move on. We're human, and I don't know about you, but I'm doing about 80% better than last year 😁

Thanks, glad I'm not the only one. I feel like if I tell everyone here it makes it more real and I will try harder from now on. I have way more clothes than I need and absolutely no more space to store anything else.

I think it was the warm weather an the thought of what I might want to wear in the summer. I just need to look on the Whering App and there are so many summer clothes there to shop my wardrobe from!

What did you decide to keep?

Thank you for the support and it helps to know the thread is helping you.

Spring items here. Black linen long sleeve shirt and a pair of cropped jeans (wore both yesterday and felt good, Indyx pic below), and a white and black striped thick t-shirt from H&M.
On the 'want to keep' pile are the same cropped jeans in cream, long leopard jeans from Tu, and a red peacoat from the sale.
Oh, and a red Arket maxi dress from Vinted, that I haven't opened yet as just collected.

There's more going back than keeping, and I'm going to have a proper try on of both cream and leopard jeans tomorrow, to see what outfits I can make that I'm happy to wear right now, every day, as if I'm keeping them for something in particular, then they're not staying.

But I also have too many clothes! By using the Indyx app, I can see that I haven't logged all of my current season items yet, and I'm at 180 ish. That's just winter clothes, not summer dresses or anything. Madness. But I love it, I love shopping, I love looking in my wardrobe and seeing such a variety, I love that when I look at Indyx, though my outfits are similar a lot of the time, I haven't repeated the exact same outfit so far this year.

I’ve bought a couple of stripy cotton jumpers from White Stuff in the sale. I had a couple last year and they are nice and light, fine knit. Plus a new hoodie and top for the gym.
The only other thing I intend to buy are new trainers for the summer but I’m waiting for the ones I like to come back into stock.

@tonybennscat@anon2022anonthanks for sharing. Well, this is what I bought for summer, forgot to mention the Baukjen trousers that were heavily reduced and fit me really well. Now no more shopping!

Back in the land of mumsnet at least temporarily before my final out-of-London March conference next week (yes, you can all indeed look forward to another set of conference-wear photos).

Thank you for the kind words @Cantonet I find trouser suits invaluable for conferences (and work generally) - not least because if they perch me on a little stool on a stage** I know no-one is going to be able to peer up at my underwear! @Netcam I do remember going through there on the bullet train - what a wonderful experience that must have been. Rather envious of @SqueakyDinosaur 's boat-launching experience too.

I have fallen off the no-buy wagon a few times now. I am at least keeping a log and trying to break my net-a-porter / outnet habit. Last week I bought a cropped white shirt from WNU, which had sold out last year so I grabbed it while I could. Clothing expenditure way down at least and this thread is v helpful in reminding me how I already have clothes for every occasion!

**I now know enough to check the seating arrangements before each conference gig - and to request no barstools if that is what has been suggested.

Outfit of the day today involving lots of layering as it's Baltic!
Loving the Japan talk - it's my boys favourite place & holiday of all time.

Love the colour palette and suede @Cantonet.

Today's outfit. Had hoped I would be retiring my winter wardrobe by now!

Morning everyone. I’m loving all the outfits I have to say.

I admit to having fallen off the wagon as well, but in my defence there have been several purchases where I’ve needed to replace things rather than impulse buys, so I think my overall spending has decreased. This week I did get some charity shop bargains - a White Stuff cotton jumper, new Mia Tui small crossbody bag and some wide legged jeans which are the perfect length and fit (although no label so I have no idea what brand they are). Considering the whole lot cost me £15 I’m not too worried about! I did get a lovely orange hoodie yesterday to freshen up my wardrobe but after a difficult week with elderly mum I felt I needed a treat.

Sorting out day today though. Have already started a donate bag and also an H&M bag for things that don’t go to the charity shop. Have already put out more than I have bought so feeling better.

Shopping from my wardrobe, picked some greens today. Layers of green wool in different shades that I can take on and off in the varying temperatures we are getting.

@NeedWineNowthat doesn't sound like you've fallen off the wagon that much. Be gentle on yourself.

Argh I've fallen off my 'no new clothes buy' wagon; bought some stuff in the Warehouse sale... 😳😣...No more now, seriously. I don't have room for more clothes and I don't want to get rid of anything cos I love all my clothes too much.

Thank you @Netcam . That’s just what my husband said as well.

I totally understand how you feel, I'm the same. What did you buy? Was it just one thing or multiple items and did you return anything?

I'm hoping from now on with my low buy, I'm aiming to buy very little, but if I do buy anything it needs to be one item I really like and budget for.

When I get into shopping I tend to order lots of things to try, send 3/4 of it back but then keep a few things I liked when really 1 would have been enough. This is a habit I'm trying to break as one new item should feel special and be exactly what I want.

I got caught out by the M&S sale yesterday. I went in looking for a lightweight dressing gown for DM who is in hospital. Such a thing doesn’t exist any more apparently but there was an end of sale rail, fatal for me to even look, but I did get a very soft pale grey cardigan. I have a favourite cashmere one that the elbows have worn through so this will be a replacement really.

@tonybennscat Zara home do lightweight dressing gowns & pretty nighties in cotton. I bought 2 back from Palma for my elderly Mum. After several fruitless trips to M&S for long cotton nighties.

I'm afraid I've also been shopping. A couple of lightweight cotton skirts from M&S, as the petite sizes always sell out super quickly. One is very similar to the Me & Em muslin one in navy. Both are textured & don't need ironing. Plus some bronze flipflops. I've been buying these for years in various forms. But these are special ones from Oofos. To aid in my recovery from Plantar Fasciitis.
Which is luckily 80% recovered now after several months of very sore feet.

@tonybennscat I've also just seen some cotton muslin dressing gowns on the M&S website just now.

Thanks, I’ve ordered one from Marks now. I wondered if they’d gone out of style as I tried five shops yesterday and all they had was thick fleecy stuff.

netcam I agree, in the past I've been guilty of keeping things that weren't quite right but 'OK' that I've ordered online. They only end up getting donated down the line so it's stupid. Package hasn't arrived yet but anything not right is going straight back. It was a jacket and dress I'd been eyeing previously but obviously you never know what things will look like on. I have also found a clothes swap near me which has been very useful for whenever I want a wardrobe refresh and feels less wasteful.

I'm trying to incorporate a new skirt from M&S.
It's a textured slightly bias cut tulle jersey skirt. And I ordered it on an off chance thinking it would be dreadful. But it's lovely. An updated easy to wear version of the tulle flouncy skirt. Even my very cool 20 year old DD said it was pretty.
So I'm on the app building spring outfits for it. So instead of wearing cream barrel jeans I will be wearing this skirt with jumpers/sweatshirts & trainers for the foreseeable. Anyone else living in sweatshirts at the moment?

@Cantonetit looks lovely. I'm in awe of you being able to wear so much white without it getting filthy! I would spill something down that immediately. But I do think light colours are very spring/summery and the trainers go really well with it all.

@Cantonet, I'm not wearing sweatshirts, still on wool cardigans, although I do actually have a t-shirt with short sleeves on right now in the house, it must be warming up.

But it will soon be time to put my knitwear away and start on my merino hoodies which are a lot lighter and I apparently have 26 of according to the Whering App.