Stop Buying Clothes

I completely feel the same way as you.

I used to hoard stuff and buy trends and do even retail therapy years ago..

I realized it’s a waste of money and extra work on laundry and folding.

Few quality stuff and buy clothes according to NEED and our lifestyle is best.

We get tempted by too many designs and variety but think one is better than the other and try to buy the best but fail to realize what we also have in hand is beautiful.

Less clothes means saving money and less stress to choose.I also hate more choices.

 

I stopped buying clothes for myself when the pandemic started. Less need and the choices in the shops are so unappealing. But I buy a lot of clothes for my DD. I’m really addicted to Kidizen.

 

I am trying to up-cycle the clothes I already have.

One chiffon saree i wrecked because i didn't understand the concept of thread tension in my sewing machine. But still I am thinking i can still wear it. I would hate to discard it after I put so much effort into adding border (so I don't need to pay for fall stitching) and fringes (to increase pallu length)

Yep, I got lot of Indian clothes to last a lifetime. At my job I can wear during summer.

But I'm unsure about the logistics of overcoming the urge new clothes on birthday and festival day


I wish I knew how to even sew my own clothes, i.e if I have old skirt or a hopeless saree, how to convert to kurti, etc.

Clothes options in stores are horrible!!!!

 

i use to do online shopping alot, with pandemic it became even more and if i dont make any purchase a day i dont feel good so i force myself not to buy anything and started just browsing thru.it did help me little bit. start doing something like that force yourself not to buy anything or if any occassion is coming up try to do some hand work on your clothes, i guess now a days lots and lots of people are working on their clothes, theres a few like me who dont do anything .. i do try to limit the clothes i buy but when i go to india i will more even tops,bottoms they having lot of good variety.

 

Some six or seven decades ago the choice was less, purchase power too was less and the clothes were passed on to young ones when their elders grown in size. There were less partying and only on occasions like wedding, house warming, baby shower and festivals like deepavali or Pongal new dress for entire family would be purchased. Most of such buys would be close to harvest days.

Now with so many celebrities via media promotions create craze among the people to buy the latest and trendy and many in this regard do not want to lag behind their friends and relatives.

Buying for need is only for those who cannot afford.

There are domestic servants who sport draping costly sarees which with their normal income they cannot afford. But they do not wear a saree second time for another fortnight because the lady employed her, regularly buy huge wardrobe and donates sarees worn once or twice only to this domestic help.

Once that lady’s DH mistook domestic help for his wife who was brooming the floor and from behind he hugged her tight to give surprise. But he got only a slap instead and the domestic help remain shellshocked & surprised. The enraged husband slapped his spouse in front of domestic help for donating all her saree in one go to domestic help. The reason is you had already guessed. The confusion is domestic help was wearing the saree of her master’s spouse.

 

Despite being a male, I just love shopping for clothes. Find it somehow calming and enjoyable. Takes my mind off issues in life.

 

I used to enjoy watching other ( bogus customers), window-shoppers and genuine buyers while sitting at a distance when my spouse is busy in her dilemma or in great (utter) confusion to pick up the trendy yet reasonably priced from a huge heap of sarees she had already chosen for final selection.

The duration, the time of the day, my hunger level all determine the quality of pleasure of waiting and watching the selection by others and spouse too. You know God is great in providing male adults such wonderful price-less entertainment & education.

If the price label affixed looks very old dull then spouse would reject it as old stock. Novice husbands can learn a lot in such opportunities.

This watching-others situation at times or many times would lead to criticism from matured spouse.
Of course Watching well dressed with matching accessories and ensembles of other buyers provide a kind of (comic ) relief and also a panacea for depression.

 

I hear you and I am pretty much in the same boat. When I was small I used to have one half of the shelf as my entire wardrobe which includes casuals , festive wear. In college time it became one shelf. Post few years after marriage it became one cupboard and now its 2.5 cupboard brimming with clothes.

Have I stopped buying? No, I havent. I do buy but just few changes to the buying habit.

I loved wearing good clothes when I was young, but with less purchasing power and less exposure I couldnt. My parents gave me whatever they could.I had worn all handme down clothes being the youngest girl amidst all my girl cousins. Hence that thoight of not wearing very good clothes "aka very expensive at that point of time" was there. My college dressing was also not as colourful as I expected .

Once I started earning I found the sudden super power to buy what I want, so I used to buy clothes which had resulted in this wardrobe expansion. Now I focus on Quality and not on Quantity . I dont end up mindless buying, I buy If I really like something , or "Love it " types. The frequency has reduced but the Quality of my wardrobe has improved.I do once in six months cleanup and handover clothes to my maid.She loves to give them to her college going daughter.

I do buy lot of stuff for DD.I want to doll her up in this small age as I couldnt do for myself when I was small. I had yearned for these in my childhood and now satisfying my cravings.Small habit changes I made was NO ONLINE Buying. I love to see , touch, feel , try clothes.

Go ahead and buy and ensure Quality over Quantity

 

Quality over quantity

I feel scared if giving away clothes of less quality because it cost $$d

hence I try to find way to upcycle