Question. How do you know what’s worth adding to your closet? This isn’t a trick question, I’m genuinely curious! When you’re shopping, either online or in person, what makes you add an item to your cart and actually buy it? I find it interesting how many of us complain about how unhappy we are with the pieces in our closet but don’t stop to address how they ended up there in the first place. One of my fashion goals this year is to be a more conscious consumer. That and to start seriously saving my money! So I’ve been evaluating the clothes in my closet. Specifically pinpointing the pieces I don’t wear very often, or at all. After noticing just how much it was I started asking myself, “Why the heck did I even buy this”? What I’m finding is that I settled for a lot of pieces that I just felt would do the job. I also found a surprising amount were impulse purchases made after seeing a piece on someone else. And probably the most shameful to admit is some were bought because they’d be really awesome for a blog post but not to actually wear in real life.
But majority of the pieces I reach for continuously are the ones that literally stopped me in my tracks when I saw them. The ones that give me this gut feeling. That one when you see something that you absolutely must have! To be honest there’s no real rhyme or reason just this voice in my head screaming “OMG YES I NEEEEEEEED THIS!” And I feel like these days a lot of us are buying clothes that DON’T make us feel this way. We’re buying clothes that we think we like, that we think we should have, or that we think will make us look or act a certain way. But secretly we also know deep down, somewhere instinctively, that we won’t actually wear these pieces. Yet we buy them anyways. So I ask again, how do you know what is worth adding to your closet? What are you using to determine whether a piece is worth the money and will actually get worn for the foreseeable future? For those of you are struggling to answer this keep scrolling to see some things I look at and consider before buying a piece.
- Why do I want this piece? This question has become more important now that I’m trying to become a slow consumer. I want to stop myself and think about what purpose the item will serve in my wardrobe. It also makes me consider the motivation behind why I’m buying something. Is it a want? Is it to replace something? Is it to finish off an outfit I’d like to have? Or is it just because I liked how it looked on someone else?
- How does this piece make me feel? Clothes aren’t just to share with the world who you are, they’re also intended to make you feel a certain way about yourself. This is especially important when it comes to basics because they are the most settled for item but are the glue that holds your wardrobe together. That’s why it’s important for me that the clothes I buy make me feel confident, fun, and inspired.
- Is it on sale? As I mentioned one of my goals this year is to save more money. That’s why I’m challenging myself to only buy pieces when they go on sale. Now I’m not saying I’m going to buy something just because it’s on sale, my thought is that if I genuinely love something then I will still want to buy it when it eventually hits the sale rack. This helps to reduce the buy now mentality that fast fashion and influencers have created.
- What is it made of? Where is it made? Could I find a more ethically/sustainably made version? Part of becoming a more mindful consumer is paying attention to the details. Most people completely overlook what an item is made of because it’s cute. The downside is that most of us are buying clothes that aren’t made of the right fabrics, aren’t constructed to last or that is just straight up uncomfortable to wear. And I am at a point in my life where being comfortable makes me feel even more confident. So I’m taking the time to look at which fabrics and blends I like then looking for clothes made of those things. I’m also trying to pay attention to where clothes are made as a way to tell if they’re constructed to last. Having some kind of standards or expectations of my clothes has also slowed down how I shop but has left me with clothes that feel good and that I can wear for years.
With so many options out there I think we owe it not only to ourselves but to the environment to slow down and really think about the choices we’re making when it comes to our wardrobe. With the fashion industry being one of the biggest causes of waste worldwide I feel as an influencer it’s my job to encourage responsible consumption. Not just in the form of buying clothes to wear for life but in monitoring our spending as well. It’s important to remember that worrying about having the perfect wardrobe is a luxury. Not everyone has that opportunity. So there’s also no need to spend money you don’t have. If something is really worth buying it’s also worth the wait of saving up to buy it outright and not go further in debt.
As always be sure to share you tips or tricks below!
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