Buy Less, Love More.

We are consuming so much. As such, this post will focus on helping you to reduce how much you buy.

80 billion garments are produced each year worldwide, that’s 400% more clothes than 20 years ago. And the scariest thing is most women are only wearing 20%-30% of the clothes we buy, on average we are only wearing a garment 7 times before we discard it.

Fast fashion means we now see clothes as disposable, we don’t hold out for something perfect as we’ll stop wearing it after next season. This causes our standards for what we buy to drop, I often used to justify my poor purchases: ‘oh it’s a bit big here but it’s on sale’ or ‘I’m not a big fan of the colour but I want something like it’ or ‘I’ll just get it it’s so cheap’. We’re cutting corners on our own clothes, often settling for something that’s not right.

Not anymore! We should strive for the best, because when you look good you feel good. I always find if I like my outfit, I’m happier, more confident, I’m more outgoing, chattier, I make more jokes, I just have a better day.

Buy less by only buying the best.

So, here are my tips to make sure you are only buying clothes that you love.

Don’t love it don’t buy it. – This is the number one rule! As if you don’t love it you will always opt to wear something else that you prefer. Even if it’s cheap or discounted you won’t wear it enough, so you won’t get your money’s worth for it, better you save your money for something you’re certain you’ll love.

Don’t wait, be prepared - If you stumble upon a beautiful dress, blouse, or trousers you look fierce in and you love, THEN GET IT! Even if you have no immediate upcoming party to wear it to. There is always an event coming up around the corner and you don’t want to be caught out running down to the shops and having to settle on anything that’ll do when you’re running out of time.

Avoid shopping online – Unless you have copious amounts of patience, organisation, knowledge of local returns stations, and Sellotape to hand, don’t shop online or you’ll often end up returning things. I got sick of online shopping as I was always ordering multiple sizes, only to end up disappointed when none of them looked right. Clothes hang differently on everybody and it’s especially difficult finding a size with no standardised sizes across all brands. Instead I recommend shopping in person and making the most of the available changing rooms. As clothes are factory made but we are not.

Changing room challenge. When you pick something out you MUST try it on and see if it passes the following tests:

- Flattering. Does it flatter you? Do YOU like how your body looks in it? Or does it highlight parts of your body you aren’t comfortable with? I used to be very self-conscious of the tops of my arms so would therefore avoid strappy tops, so it didn’t knock my confidence when I was out. If there is something about it that means you’re not feeling confident in your skin, even if you can’t put your finger on what it is but you feel deflated or indifferent to what you’re seeing in the mirror then don’t get it. You can love the garment, but not love the way it looks on you. You should only get it if you are completely feeling yourself in it and would be excited to wear it.

- Matching. What will it go with? If you’re getting a top or trousers think about other clothes you own that you could pair it with. What accessories, shoes, or jackets would it work well with? Try to visualise an outfit. If you can’t, don’t get it or you’ll never get a chance to wear it (TIP, if you struggle to remember your wardrobe when out, then ask about returns policies so you try it on with things at home, worst comes to worst you can always bring it back).

- Dust gathering. Will you actually wear it? Honestly? You may think it is really unique or it really flatters your figure, but will you actually wear it out if you get the chance? Is it too out there for your style? Do you have the confidence to wear it yet? Is it too niche? Too many times I’ve bought something thinking it’s really cool or retro, but I’ve then been too self-conscious to wear it, thus the remarkable garment, lives an unremarkable life gathering dust in my cupboard.

- Niggling. The Four F’s. FEEL- Does it feel nice against the skin, is scratchy or rough? FIT- We are all made slightly differently, so is it a good fit everywhere or is it too tight on the bust? Too loose on the waist etc? FAUTLY- Does it have holes? Missing buttons, can/will you fix it? FLAWED – Is the material bunched around the stomach? Is the neckline too wide and showing your bra straps? Is there something about it that doesn’t sit right on you? These are things you’ll only know when it’s on your body, something that you can’t check online.

- Pricing. How much? Is it worth it for you? This is not just whether you can afford to spend the money on it, but if you think it’s too expensive for what it is, then don’t buy it.

If you are on the fence and still questioning whether to get it or not, then don’t buy it, it means you don’t love it.

If you love what you buy, it will be so much easier to love what you wear. Building outfits will be so much easier if your wardrobe isn’t filled with b and c level garments, you won’t break down in a pile of clothes saying you have nothing to wear as everything you own, all your clothes, will look and feel great on you. Take out the stress!

Yours sincerely,

The Thrift Gift. X.