Cutting Back on Buying Clothes in 2017

You know the drill… Morning alarm goes off, a quick scroll through Instagram, and you’re left with the same nagging thought:

I’ve GOT to go shopping and I need to go now.”

Typically, this idea is inspired by (or shamed into?) something another fashion blogger or designer has on… from a bucket waist pant to a velvet jacket to furs that roar. Upon inspecting your closet to dress for the day, you think…

But, how ’bout changing your tune in 2017?

Plan on paring down rather than purchasing

If you’re anything like me, I LOVE shopping. Usually (95%) online. Sometimes, just to take a break from work, my brain craves the artfulness and creativity of fashion. I just scroll and scroll and scroll through pages of outfits and items to free my mind from whatever.

Every so often, my relaxing scrolling manifests into a shopping cart full, and just like that: RENEWAL! Satin lace up stilettos that will make me a more elegant woman… check. Ditto for that tuxedo jacket. A leather wrap skirt? Perfect.

These are the physical manifestations of the continual process of refining who I am. The image of what I want to present to the world. My parents have always told me that “things” wouldn’t ever make me happy. My daddy was the first to point out that the high of shopping and the initial feeling of conquering an acquisition never lasts.

We’re all familiar with this narrative. But lately, I’ve been having conversations with brand builders and fashion designers who are targeting a new kind of fashion customer:

She wants to own less garbage, and have more quality

By “quality,” I mean brands and products with story, with value, with meaningful connection to the woman who purchased it. One of my top 2017 goals it minimize my wardrobe, and I’ll be investing in more statement pieces that I’m going to keep forever.

I’m a genuine fashion fan. That skirt, or pumps, or sunglasses that could put a smile on my face when I feel like most everything else is falling apart is a special feeling. But, it doesn’t mean I have to HAVE the things… I can appreciate them, and their beauty, from a distance, like art.

So, go shopping. Whether online or in-store.

Let the clothes fill you up without filling up your cart. Let go of that idea of renewal associated with purchase. Appreciate the gorgeousness of fashion without worshipping it or constantly acquiring it.

And remember:

When You Let Go, You Create Space for Something Better

Let me know what you’ll be letting go of in 2017 in the “Comments” box below!