Shopping diet blog #2: Do you really have nothing to wear?
How many times have we all looked at our wardrobes and thought, “I have nothing to wear.” I am very guilty of this statement and only wish I could film the look on my partner’s face as I’m standing in front of a full wardrobe uttering those words. But it is about not having anything to wear or having too many options that confuse and cloud us?
Over one month down on my shopping diet and I’m doing well. One of the hardest decision was to start this before I went on a trip to the US, but it ended up teaching me a lot about my shopping behaviours. When the decision was made to start a 6-month shopping diet, I knew I would have to get creative in my fashion wears. Have you ever been on holidays with one suitcase full of clothes and realised you could live out of that suitcase for a year? That’s what happened to me, again. I stressed over what to take and would I have enough.It’s not easy when you are attending a conference and have the chance to jump on TV. You want backups and you want your best. After packing 3 items still with the tags on and guilt setting in, after my two week trip I realised that that statement was once again a fact. I was making outfits based on what I had and even wearing the same dress twice (and nothing bad happened lol). I was enjoying matching the few items I had and was taking looks from day to night with a change of accessories. It made me realise, I could live with a lot less and still have plenty to wear. It also made me realise that it’s my abundance of options hanging up in the wardrobe that blind and confuse me and even see me wearing what my Mum called my uniforms (those outfits we put on that we know look good and are a bit of a no brainer but we wear them too much).
And for the shopping? If you have been following my rules, if I am to do a trip my fashion bestie Claude is the one who can set a small limit that can be spent. And I’m happy to say I was under what was set. With my jam packed trip, on one day I indulged in my fave US obsession, discount shopping normally at Ross (if you have never been to Ross I highly suggest you give it a go). I knew I had a limit and planned on keeping it. Whilst I love a bit of Ross shopping, something came up that had been absent for a few weeks – anxiety and guilt. Even though I could spend just a little, it was the guilt and anxiety of what I was buying and that I shouldn’t be buying anymore that popped into my head. Just as I was realising I could live with a lot less, I was shopping for just a little more. That internal battle between my indulgent self and my realistic mind clashed.
But at least this reaffirmed why I’m on my shopping diet. I want to one day shop and enjoy my purchases because I either needed it or saved enough to indulge a little at that time.
This trip, I was able to focus more on my work and also spend more time seeing friends instead of running around the endless shops in LA.
Whilst the shopping diet continues (and is still very much needed) maybe the next step is a cull of what is already hanging up…
In the quest to limit anxiety, stress and confusion in my life, maybe that sentiment of having nothing to wear needs a bit of a reality check.
