Why? Because I was decluttering a bit, getting rid of some clothes I bought but never use, feeling good about donating them to the local thrift shop… Then I saw a documentary* that showed where my donated clothes end up ~ no, not to the racks, as only 10% of the clothes donated actually make it to the sales floor ~ but to places like Haiti. This kills their local clothing/textiles economy, and not only that, but most of the stuff is just junk that ends up in their landfills anyway.
Wait. Do you mean to tell me that my donated clothes end up as trash, cluttering and polluting the lives of the less fortunate? Mmm, yes.
(Not to mention the horrible ways in which fast-fashion clothes are mass-produced…)
I don’t want to be part of that at all ☹️
How am I going to do this? Well, with sheer willpower and gratitude! You see, I already have a lot of clothes. Take a look at my closet!
I think that to the average person in the U.S. this might look small. But in there are several leggings, 24 skirts, 14 dresses, dress shirts, short sleeve shirts, sweaters, 4 pairs of jeans, and comfy t-shirts. Not to mention socks, undergarments, lounge pants, shorts, and a few cardigans. I also have my Colorado winter coats downstairs and both casual and formal shoes, for hot or cold weather, also downstairs.
That. is. a. lot!
I took some inventory of my wardrobe, and I’m embarrassed to see that I have A LOT. But I don’t use a lot. I don’t need to buy more.
MORE IS LESS
In my 20’s and until mid-2022, I always had walk-in closets FULL of clothes on all sides. But the funny thing is, MOST of the clothes went unused. I stuck to my few favorite outfits, and forgot about the rest. That’s a waste.
And I don’t want to waste.
To me, being grateful to God for what I have isn’t just words in a prayer anymore. No, I’d like to SHOW God that I’m grateful for what I have by using what I have and not rushing to buy more, more, more all the time!
LESS IS MORE
I remember when I didn’t have a lot of clothes as a teen. What I did have, I treated with care. I wore my clothes happily, because I made sure to pick stuff I REALLY liked (when I only got 2 new shirts and one pair of pants for the entire school year, you’re darn right I was picking out what I liked the best!).
I didn’t have a lot of clothes, and when I wanted “new” outfits, I got creative. I mixed and matched. I scrunched up shirts, or tucked them differently, or layered. I got creative, and that made me love my clothes even more! I actually felt very fashionable in my teens 😎
Why did I lose that creativity and joy?
Ah, I fell into the trap of consumerism.
After my teen years, I had money, so why not spend it? That was my thinking. But I don’t want to think that way anymore. Interestingly enough, I don’t usually want more, unless I watch YouTube hauls. Then I get to thinking I don’t have enough preppy clothes, or kawaii clothes, or dark academia clothes, or whatever my new fashion interest is.
But I do have enough.
SO! I’m going to make this commitment to not buy any clothes for an entire year!
I’m going to blog my progress over time as I venture into this new challenge I’ve created for myself 😊 I’m actually hoping to downsize just a little bit more, and to wear the clothes that I do have and enjoy them! And if I totally fail, I’ll let you know ~ but I’m actually feeling really good about this goal at this time 🥳
How is your own relationship with your clothes?
Thanks for reading! Take care and God bless,
✿ Lovely Panda Mom ✿
* Source: The True Cost documentary on YouTube. 🚨Trigger Warning🚨 this documentary can be hard to watch. There is abuse, death, and upsetting content throughout.
Jasmine Faith 
I think this is a great goal. I give away alot of my stuff on Free Stuff local groups on Facebook too.
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That’s a good alternative 😊 That way they get used and not just shipped elsewhere. Thank you! ✨
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This is a great goal. I have had the opposite problem. For so many years I didn’t buy any clothes and just wore sloppy T-shirt’s and old clothes that were worn out because I was a SAHM and couldn’t justify buying clothes. So my current goal is to build a cute wardrobe so that I can not buy clothes for a while.
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Thanks 😊 Oh yes, it’s so easy to stay in comfy clothes as a SAHM. Some days I dress up, most days I choose comfort. Happy shopping!! ❤️
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I love how neat and tidy your closet – and living room too – looks. And you look like you have plenty to go with in your closet.
Maybe it’s cuz I’m a guy but I don’t have much clothes either and I rarely buy new clothes unless there are holes in my clothes. Less is more indeed and best to use our hard earned money on other things.
Good luck with your challenge!
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Thanks! I’ve been trying to declutter and minimize overall 😊 And funny you say that, I asked my husband one time why there’s not many men’s clothes at the local thrift store. He said because men wear their clothes until they fall apart 😁 Hehe Thank you! I agree, less is more 🙌
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Can you talk to my wife? She has about 10X the amount of clothes that you’re displaying and keeps adding to the collection.
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I don’t think she can talk her out of it. The adding to the collection is just a symptom of a deeper void she is trying to fill. It has something to do with feeling so empty on the inside. You can try to talk to her about seeing a therapist who specializes in addiction. Hope it helps
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Thanks, Shadia. My wife’s mother was also a clothes- (and shopping in general) -aholic and she gets that gene from her. Yup, I can certainly see how constantly shopping/amassing clothes is an attempt to fill a need/emptiness. I used to be that way with collecting books, but it dawned on me that it was pointless.
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Oh yeah, there is quite a number of subtle addictions, it’s good to know you overcame yours. Hopefully your wife rises above it too.
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Ditto on the books. I’ve gotten rid of SO MANY, and ironically, I read more now that I’m discerning of what books I purchase.
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Yup, I finally admitted I was never going to read them again so I had no reason for hanging on to them.
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That’s definitely a possibility! I noticed I often shop when I’m feeling down or simply bored, to try to fill that void of contentment or entertainment.
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It can be so easy to go overboard with shopping, especially with women’s clothes and how quickly women’s items go “in and out” of fashion! If I were to be “in” fashion all the time, I’d be shopping constantly too 😐
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It just occurred to me that (these are generalizations) women can get carried away by clothes/fashion while men can worship at the altar of sports.
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Yes, that can be very true. You can see it in advertising.
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I wear the same stuff until I wear it out. I’ve had some items for decades. Funny thing is: I used to make fun of my dad for this. Guess I’ve somewhat become him now!
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Honestly, I’m on very good terms with my clothes. Many years ago, God helped me be thankful for what I had and that fit, the He taught me to pray if I had an item I needed. It’s been a huge blessing. My faith has grown through the countless moments God provided for my needs, whether He showed me a used item or someone gave me something or I found a new item in my price range. My favorite part is being able to share the stories with others when they ask “I really like your ____. Where did you get that?” It gives me an opportunity to praise God. I hope your year of no new clothes is a blessing in more ways than one. 🤗
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That is so wonderful ❤️ God cares about every aspect of our lives, doesn’t He? 😊 What a healthy and inspiring story! Thank you, I’ll definitely blog about my experience as I go, and I pray it’s a positive one ✨
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Sounds good! God bless!
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Loving this! I have the same goal myself. I am currently doing a no spend challenge, and it has taught me that I can truly live with less. And I am still just as happy, possibly even more so. God is the great provider and I have really been blessed by just being content in what he has already given me.
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That is so awesome! 😊 That gives me so much encouragement, thank you!
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Not going clothes shopping is no problem for me lol 🙂
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😁
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I don’t buy clothes often, I do give things away. Nathan and I watched this entire video and it is intense. I have been to many of the places where clothes are made and it is truly horrible. I thought the economic guy at the end could have offered solutions rather than just bash capitalism. Everyone is living for themselves today, very few care how their actions affect others. Thanks for this post.
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That’s great that you’ve seen it too, and I definitely agree about the guy at the end. I was shocked throughout. I didn’t know about a lot of that, and in college I was told that sweatshops are actually good 🤦♀️ I do buy too many clothes. Or at least I used to. I’m sticking to no buying anything for at least a year, then looking for clothes made in America. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Hope you and Nathan have been doing well, God bless!! 😊❤️✨
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I love all of this!
I had my weird phase in my teens but couldn’t actually wear anything gothy because my mum regulated, then tried to fit in during my 20s and become more of a socially acceptable human as I simply wasn’t a very good person growing up – not caring enough and kind of entitled.
In my 30s I found that I had socialised myself sufficiently to the point that I could care again about doing things just for myself and so I went about leaning back into my weird phase, which included modifying my wardrobe very intentionally.
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Posted prematurely by accident! I have stopped buying things also because I have everything I wanted.
Anyways – I can see that you have all the things you like. It’s good to enjoy what we have, let us know how you get on with your challenge!
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No worries 😁 And yes, I have a good bit. Certainly can’t complain!
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It’s interesting how some of us go through these different phases. I’m sure if you looked back at photos of yourself, you could see a fashion evolution happening 🙌 Creating a wardrobe intentionally is so much better than buying stuff just because it’s on sale (which I’ve been guilty of doing).
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