My Year Without Buying New Clothes

I really like clothes. Especially new clothes. I love the hunt of finding the perfect jeans or a beautiful jacket. The excitement of new lines coming out multiple times a year. Following along with trends and attempting to look fashionable(ish). I love putting together outfits and plotting how I can incorporate new items with old favorites.

I needed more clothes like I needed a hole in my head, but yet I could convince myself I had to have just one more scarf. Another floral blouse. A different cut of white jeans than my other two pairs of white jeans. A fourth pair of black flats, because these have a bow on the top. My inner voice (who loves clothes) can be quite convincing. At one time I believe my scarf count was over 80. No, that is not a typo. I do not think there are 80 days during an Iowa winter that would require a scarf.

(I thought) I always *needed* a new outfit for family pictures! I remember it was really cold that day…Jocelyn is freezing!

There is nothing wrong with liking clothes, or fashion. It is fun to follow along with trends, try out a new style, and use clothing as a unique expression of our personality. These are all good things.

Too Much of a Good Thing can Become a Bad Thing

But I was feeling a pull to stop. It was just too much. I had more than enough and I wanted to stop wanting more. I knew I would have to put a strict rule in place for myself, so I would not be tempted to cheat. My inner talk would attempt to trick me “I’m not buying new clothes, but what about this coat? That is outerwear, right?!?”

I decided to go ONE FULL YEAR without buying any new clothes, shoes, coats, or accessories. This was major. I had never done anything even close to this in the past, but I knew I needed to do it. My desire was to be content. I wanted to be creative and mix and match the items I already owned. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t need anything new.

Going through my clothes Marie Kondo style…everything out on the bed. It is overwhelming but the best way to declutter.

Beginning in January 2020, I did not buy any new clothes for an entire year. When I made this decision, we had no idea that 2020 would look incredibly different than we imagined or had ever experienced. Reflecting back, I think being in quarantine made it quite a bit easier because I was home all the time. There were no events going on to dress up for, no school, no church, nothing. I was wearing sweats and t-shirts most days. The chickens and my kids did not care if I wore the same thing several days in a row. Or if they did they didn’t say (or cluck) about it at all.

This Challenge was Changing Me…for the Better

Yes, I love that song from Wicked.

I learned very quickly that I not only could survive this challenge, I even liked it (gasp). Who is this new person and what did she do with the old Celeste? I could use my creativity to create different combinations of outfits and dig deep into my dusty accessories to fulfill my want for something new. I easily turned down invitations to clothing parties, open houses, and walked right past the clothing section at Target. I can be very stubborn (see red hair) and when I am determined, watch out.

WAY too many shoes. You know what I wore almost every day last year? My old pair of flip flops.

Towards the end of 2020, I decided to go through all of my clothes and shoes. I wanted to simplify my life and be brutally honest about what I really needed or maybe would wear someday.

Hint: If you are holding on to something because you maybe, possibly will wear it again someday, you won’t. Just get rid of it.

3 Questions to Determine if it is a Keeper

These are the questions I asked myself about each and every single item of clothing, shoes, and accessories before they were allowed to go back in my closet:

Does it fit? (like actually fit, not what fit me when I was 21, before growing 3 babies in my body)
Is it in good condition? (no stains, missing buttons, rips)
Do I love it?/Does it make me feel good about myself? (if you hesitate at all on this one, it needs to go)

I only allowed items back in my closet that met all three criteria. What I found is that I knew the answer to these questions easily, when I was really being honest with myself. When there was an item I really loved, I knew it right away, with no hesitation.

The best part: in the end, I have a closet full of clothes I LOVE, it is not stuffed to the brim, and everything fits!

We had new shelving installed in our closet, including shoe racks. I can now display my favorite shoes without feeling overwhelmed!

2020 was a difficult year for many reasons, but my decision to not buy new clothes ended up being one of the easiest and best decisions I made!

What now? It has been about 3 weeks into the new year and I have looked at a few items online, walked past the clothes section at Target, and so far I haven’t bought anything. I do not feel the same pull that I did in the past. I see something cute and think I don’t really need that, instead of justifying why I do. This feels like progress and a positive result of my efforts. Moving forward, I plan to be intentional with my purchases and continue to edit my closet to make sure I am only keeping items that fit, are in good condition, and make me feel good.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Well, maybe…I am actually needing some new jeans 😉 Maybe I will do it every other year.