Shop talk

photo via chicgarden.

Probably I am totally boring you with all those posts about my no-buy but, lucky you, I only have four weeks to go. It may sound like I am counting the days till it's finally over but actually I am not. My attitude toward fashion changed completely in the past weeks. Not that I don't like fashion anymore. But moderating my consumption hasn't been a hard task at all. These past months I have indeed learned my lessons and become more aware of my style and taste.

I was really encouraged by dead fleurette* to examine my wardrobe closely and get rid of items that either didn't fit my body or my life. While I was immensely inspired by her minimalistic style. I realized after analyzing my wardrobe that no matter what I like colors, prints and structured edgy pieces. Fashion wouldn't be fashion if frivolities, fun, faux-pas, experimenting, outrageous abundance, incessant changes etc. weren't allowed, right?

I realized that I cannot get a minimalistic wardrobe like her because I need to create my own wardrobe. Her blog helped me understand what my perfect wardrobe should look like in theory and that I need to try and buy brands that are more sustainable, original, unique and scream ME. 

That said I spent a whole day doing a a major closet cleaning a few weeks ago. The result were a a huge suitcase and 2 bags filled with clothes and shoes that neither fit nor look good on me. Even though I probably still need some time to part with clothes that I like in theory but ever wear, giving away ⅓ of my clothes to charity was such a liberating feeling. Not only do I have now a lot of extra space in my closet, but it feels like a fresh start where I can start building a wardrobe that is truly me. I am not a minimalist, but from now on I keep in mind that less is more. 

Getting dressed in the morning is already so much easier without all the crap in my closet and for the first time in my life I feel like myself in my outfits and not like I'm dressed up. It is liberating that I look the way I want to look like. 

From now on I am aiming for items that will remain in my closet. Shopping combined with wanting all the new trends, cheap clothes made from synthetics that you wear once and toss, the attitude towards fast fashion etc. doesn't appeal to me anymore.  

I do trust my instinct but when it comes to shopping it all totally depends on my mood and situation. I should stay away from shops when I'm a bit down in the dumps, as I haven't been fully aware that I'm not just an emotional eater but verging on emotional shopper as well. Oops. I want to turn this into being sort of a "sport shopper". Because I still love the hunt, the search for that perfect piece of clothing I am looking in and out of stores for weeks. 

With regard to my shopping behavior this made me took some decisions: I won't shop online anymore unless I have already tried on the item on beforehand. I do not buy if I hesitate over the purchase, because I really have to stop settling for second best. And I am not buying if I'm not 100% happy with the item's sizing, color, material etc. I suppose that I have developed a bit snobbish attitude towards fabrics (even more than before, never thought it was possible). That said I'm all in for quality now, not quantity. Quality as in buying things that I will wear to death and hold dear for many years to come. Clothing where I feel comfortable in. 

Yesterday I went shopping with a friend** and it hit me that I'm totally fine to walk out of a shop empty handed even if I've been shopping for hours. I'd rather come home with a few treasures than a bunch of "sweet nothing". With this in mind, I think it won't be a bad idea to never buy immediately something the first time i see it, but to come back the next day to try it again. During my no-buy I realized that I tried on a lot of things I loved, but when I came back a couple of days later the love-at-first-sight I felt a few days ago was nowhere to be found anymore.***

I hope that this no-buy has improved my shopping behavior and that I will from now on only add pieces to my wardrobe that I love and wear. My style and wardrobe is ever-evolving. So when I'm looking for something, I will look inwards and think "do I really like this, or is it a trend that is not me?" My ultimately goal is not to purchase less but to purchase better.

At this point, I don't know what this will mean for my blog. Because it is a materialistic blog, all fashion blogs are. Let's get back to this one later on as I haven't completely figured out what to do blogger-wise actually. I still like trends and I still love how fashion evolves and gives you the change to truly express yourself. But I realized that the motto the one day you're in, the next day you're out of fast fashion makes the second element that I love really difficult to obtain. 

Okay, I would love to now your point of view on this topic. Do you think I am saying total bullsh*t or are you with me on this matter? 

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* Dead fleurette is one of my favorite blogs. This used-to-be shopaholic underwent a major style change and has a very minimalistic look on consumption in general since.

** She was shopping, I was just looking. So no, I'm not breaking this no-buy thing.
*** I didn't buy the white dress I was talking about a few weeks ago for this reason.

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