Minimalism: Five Things I Stopped Buying for My Wardrobe (ARCHIVE)
Originally posted June 24, 2017
Since I have minimised my belongings, I have been very careful about what I buy. I’ve talked a lot about how I shop for new pieces for my wardrobe. I thought it was time to tackle the subject of what I don’t shop for anymore. Here are five things I no longer purchase for my wardrobe.
Sale items. Sales are a really easy way to buy things you do not need. We are programmed to think that we are getting value when we purchase on sale, but an item is not valuable when you do not wear it. As a general rule, if you wouldn’t buy an item at its full price, don’t buy it on sale.
Trend pieces. Fashion retailers create short cycles of trends to entice us to buy, buy, buy. It’s really easy to get excited about fashion trends because on some level we get fooled into thinking we can re-invent ourselves with a new top. Instead of buying trend items, I now purchase items that are classic basics. This ensures that the items in my wardrobe never look outdated and can be worn for years ahead.
Sleepwear. I don’t have specialised sleepwear in my wardrobe. Over the last year my sleep and leisure wear drawers have merged to form one. Most of the things I sleep in are things I can wear casually around the house. These days I don’t like having specialised items for specialised purposes, because that generally means having more stuff.
Unmatched pieces. I used to shop pretty impulsively, and sometimes that meant getting a nice thing I saw regardless of whether it matched other things in my wardrobe. Of course, for this reason, I never had anything to wear. Now I only buy things that work with other items in my wardrobe. Often that means purchasing understated pieces rather than the exciting ones, but I always have outfits ready to go.
Occasional pieces. In the past when I had a special occasion to attend, I would go out and look for a new outfit. This resulted in many items in my wardrobe that got worn once or twice and never again. Now I have versatile items that can be worn in different contexts. If there is something special coming up, I wear things I already own.
