My No-Buy year

31^st July marks the end of my no-buy year! Before embarking on a new year I thought it was time to assess the progress I’ve made over the past year and take stock of my current situation.

When I started last year I owned 236 items. This included all clothing (except pyjamas and underwear) and shoes. I now own 80 pieces. So that’s almost 2/3 less in 1 year! It took some serious purging. A couple of months ago I actually had to stop purging as I found I still needed enough items to get me through the no-buy period. I have found now that the only way I can further my purge is by replacing current pieces with more versatile options in colours that mix and match well. Or, for example by focusing on tops that work for at work and home so that I can consolidate my work and home wardrobes (right now these are two distinct very different groups of cloths).

My current amounts:

Dresses: 4
Skirts: 2
Pants: 6
Shorts: 4
Work shirts: 10
Tops: 20
Jerseys: 12
Jackets (summer): 3
Jackets (winter): 5
Shoes: 14 (includes my hiking boots and gym shoes)

Observations I’ve had in my no-buy period:

1.       Fewer items mean every piece has to work overtime. Wear and tear is greater and I could see a drastic difference in my quality pieces and cheaper items. Where possibly invest in better quality. The only exception being when you want to try out a new trend you’re not completely sure of yet.

2.       Bright colours are great to liven-up a wardrobe but do require more thought when mixing or matching pieces. To stick to a truly minimalist wardrobe it’s better to limit your coloured options

3.       Buy warmer jerseys! I tend to run very cold. At the start of this winter I tossed two thicker, knitted jumpers as they were itchy when worn directly on my skin. With nothing to replace them I’ve been forced to layer up on my thinner jerseys. On cold days that has sometimes meant I’m wearing 3 light-weight jumpers over each other and I am still cold! So in jerseys it’s good to have a warmth variety (not just style and colour variance). A thick, warm jumper is definitely on my to buy list.

4.       Even with such a limited wardrobe there are still certain pieces that get pulled out a lot more than others. I am trying to learn from my go-to pieces. So far I know that I prefer pants to skirts

5.       Re-evaluate lifestyle. I own plenty of pretty, delicate items for going out. Dainty dresses and strappy high heels. However I’ve found that I don’t go out that much anymore. Me and hubby don’t go clubbing or to many fancy events. We still go out but it’s turned into more like the local pub to watch a game or dinner at friends. So I don’t have the occasion so much to wear my pretties. Do I really need three pairs of going-out heels? Having said that though it’s tough to purge here as items are usually very pretty and were expensive to purchase.

All in all I am glad that the experiment is winding down and that I’ve managed very well so far. I will continue to think about any new purchases I make and want to pen out some restrictions before I allow myself to the shops again (ie a budget or max quantity kind of thing). I will post these later on but before August! :)