“I have nothing to wear.”
Does it sound familiar? And is it really true? In many cases, probably not. And before anyone goes “fashion is superficial” on me have a flick through The Psychology of Fashion by Carolyn Mair. Fashion is psychology, and if there’s something I know to be true, it is that you can actually dress yourself to more well-being through a well-curated wardrobe which makes personal style anything but superficial. Sure, it can potentially take years to get there; but once you reach that point, I think taking a step back and enjoying the space for creativity it leaves you with, the fruit of all your efforts, is crucial. I’m personally at a point where I feel like I have more than enough clothes in my wardrobe and I’m ready to go from a fashion low-buy to a fashion no-buy challenge.
I want 2022 to be a year of shopping my own wardrobe!
The goal itself isn’t just “less” and it’s not about being perfect either; the goal is to learn, to grow, to strive for a more mindful way of consuming and to leave room for creativity, personal style and other things that are more valuable than constantly buying new clothes and being dressed in the latest trends. To stop searching for that missing link in your wardrobe, that might already be right in front of you, but you’re too blind to see it because you’re so hooked on what to buy next.
No matter if you’re going full on no-buy or if a low-buy is more suitable for you and wherever you might be on your personal style journey, challenges like these are a lot more worthwhile when you’ve got an amazing community to be part of – so don’t be afraid to join in when you’re ready, we’ll be in it together! #nothingnew22
(If it sounds intriguing, keep on reading – you’ll find the challenge checklist & a free tracker in the bottom of this post)
Each month we’ll have a focus – one month can be outfit repeating, another month could be all about mending or altering your clothes; in any case, do make sure you’re subscribed to my channel and to tag along on Instagram as well, where we will dive into the challenge and focus for every month, and where I’ll also share lots of styling tips & tricks.
Supporting slow fashion brands is super important to me, so to create some space for myself during the challenge, I’ve allowed myself a few exceptions. You can do that too; again, remember we’re striving for progress, not perfection here. Do what feels right for you and where you are today. I’ve set the following 3 exceptions for myself:
- Replacements are allowed (so items like basic tees, undies, socks etc. – and in general items that can’t be repaired)
- Swapping clothes with friends or family (it happens rarely but I would like to explore this more, and leave room for the option)
- Grey areas (for some that could be receiving gifts from friends and family, for me that would probably be allowing myself to work with a little handful of slow fashion brands from time to time – something I am proud to be able to do as part of my job, so I can share these brands with you guys and anyone of you who are still in the midst of curating your wardrobe)
So, since it’s the start of 2022 let’s get straight into the focus for the first month of the challenge. The focus for JANUARY is all about reorganizing your wardrobe. Give it a dash of paint, buy some new, nice hangers, rearrange things; turn it into a welcoming, inspiring and fun place with lots of room to be creative. Here’s a video in case you’d like to see how I’ve structured my own wardrobe – the goal for me is to make my wardrobe feel like my own little favourite shop, that I get to raid every day. A place where I can rest assured that I DO have plenty of amazing clothes to wear. A place where I can’t wait to put together my next outfit. Make sure to tag along on Instagram and YouTube where I’ll share lots of styling tips and tricks and challenge updates along the way. I hope you guys are as excited as I am for a whole year of shopping your wardrobe:
… because a loved wardrobe is one that lasts.
Challenge checklist & free tracker:
Okay – I’m scared of this challenge and I’m jumping right in. Thank you for this inspiration!!
I am so with you Signe…Big Hugs Honey…following right along beside you…now if I just lived closer I could take Miss E out for walkies and be a babysitter for you….You are doing amazing and it wonderful to see how you have overcome so many obstacles to become a true Influencer bringing maturity, kindness and wisdom to your followers/subscribers …Huge Hugs…
This scares me also, but I like yhe challenge. Thanks for the inspiration.
Love this challenge! Not sure if I will go low buy or no buy, but I am looking forward to each monthly activity.
For the January task, I’ve just finished my annual wardrobe cleanup and clearout, hence how I found your blog. (And I’m now obsessed with those House Doctor baskets, oooops…)
What I found interesting was how many pieces I had which just weren’t *quite* right. Had some lovely cashmere hand-me-downs from my mum which *should* have been perfect, but just weren’t the right length for me. So they hung in my wardrobe making me feel endlessly guilty for not wearing them. Also I had things from before I became a mum, which weren’t my style anymore, even if I could nearly fit into them *ahem* nine years on…
Letting go of them was a huge relief and now I am so happy to shop my wardrobe. The clothes and bags are now in the charity shop waiting for someone to find the best bargain ever!
And even better? I replaced my donated jumpers with two secondhand charity shop finds – and I absolutely love them. I have worn them so much since I bought them.
I’ve committed to low buy. I list things that I see and am attracted too then I analyse them against what I’ve already got and whether it’s needed. So far one sale buy in January ( a different style and colour jeans) and one charity buy in February, replacing a top that was far too big. Now waiting until March before any further buying.
I went two years without shopping and this challenge is pushing me to be really creative with what I already have. I am appreciating all my old pieces I forgot about! Thanks for this.