We’ve all done it. Standing in the store thinking “this will be so cute for____.” Going out to a club, going on a cruise, working at that fancy job, you know what I’m talking about. We’ve all wandered through a store buying items with made up events in mind that we use to justify the purchase.
And then the outfit just sits in your closet.
You glance at it every once in a while and go, oh right, that’ll be perfect for _____. But that occasion doesn’t come and the clothes sit there until it’s time to fill up the donation bag.
Abercrombie and Fitch Classic Cardigan / The Home Tee c/o / American Eagle Outfitters Jeans / Nike Juvenate Sneakers
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Abercrombie and Fitch Classic Cardigan / The Home Tee c/o / American Eagle Outfitters Jeans / Nike Juvenate Sneakers
I’ve been there. I’ve been there a lot. Too much actually in my opinion. I think my worse offense was in the “going out” clothes area. (I’m not a club person, I don’t “go out”, what was I thinking??) It’s only really recently that I’ve gotten better about dressing for the life I actually have (and in turn saved money by not over buying).
It actually happened when I was packing for a trip to Milwaukee a few months ago. I hate checking luggage for flights, so I try to aim to fit everything in a carry on and keep it light so I can manage getting it into overhead storage. In the winter, this means I have to be picky with my layers. I started pulling all of my stuff together and then just stopped. And stared. What was I bringing? And why? All I was going to be doing was hanging out at home. I would also probably meet up with friends, but I didn’t need anything fancy for that. What was I thinking packing for all of these random events that weren’t going to happen?
After that, it felt a little like a shift I’ve been trying to make in my shopping over the past year or so finally clicked into place. Why was I buying things if I have no where to wear them? I’m going to try to not think about how silly it was though and just move forward.
Since the shift, I’ve started implemented rules to pieces that I buy.
1. It needs to work for work and the weekends (this applies to my current job).
2. I need to want to start wearing it tomorrow.
(If it’s for a special occasion) 3. Make sure that there isn’t anything similar or something that could be worn instead in my wardrobe. Also, it must be more cost efficient to buy than do Rent the Runway.
So what do you think? Do you have problems with shopping for your imaginary life? If so, what do you do to avoid it?
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Photography by Alex Good
