My no-spend summer 💸
Buying nothing new in July and August 2024 👗
This is not my normal content folks, but ever since I became a paid subscriber of Anna Newton here on Substack, I have developed an obsession with the idea of a curated wardrobe - one that I can actively shop from and switch up, full of items that fit well and actually get WORN.
Over the years, I have always found myself chasing some kind of high when it comes to my shopping habits, be it the joy of finding a sought-after item secondhand and for a fraction of the price, or the instant gratification of leaving my favourite boutique with a bag of beautifully wrapped clothes straight from the shop floor. I don’t plan on never shopping for new items again (soon, it will be autumn, and I won’t be able to resist adding to my already over-flowing jumper collection - trust me, they all get worn), but I do want to be more intentional and less impulsive with my purchases, even when they’re secondhand.
The no-purchase plan…
So, to that end, I am setting myself the challenge of not buying anything new in July and August. This is really about a mindset shift for me, so that I can purposefully change the way I think and feel about the clothes I buy and curate a wardrobe that actually works for me and my lifestyle.
I’m not giving myself any hard and fast rules: basically, it’s about not getting sucked in to the idea that I need new stuff, and finding new ways to wear the clothes I already have instead. I am not going anywhere near the Whistles concession in our local department store, or any of our local stores for that matter, for the next two months. Clothes, accessories and jewellery are all off limits. If something breaks or falls apart and can’t be fixed, and it’s something I need before the end of August, I can replace it.
Potential trip hazards
Committing to not buying any new clothes is all well and good, but I am anticipating that I will struggle when the summer events, weddings and holidays come around and I can’t pacify my anxious soul with a new dress to make me feel uber confident. Here’s what’s coming up in the social diary:
Wedding numero uno: this one is already taken care of, from my stash of Whistles occasion dresses that I whip out for such events. Mercifully, I have absolutely no qualms wearing the same dress for a wedding with the same group of people.
ABBA Voyage: I have a pair of shimmery electric blue trousers and matching top bought on impulse in the sale months ago that I think will be perfect for this, but it all depends on the weather and how warm it ends up being - and I think they might also need altering at the waist as they’re a tad too big. Like the Eras tour, there are thousands of photos on social media of sequin-clad women having the night of their lives, and somehow I feel like I won’t enjoy it as much if I’m not dressed to the nines in a brand new sparkly outfit - but when else am I going to wear an ABBA-appropriate garment with sequins on it?! Probably never. The blue co-ord will more than suffice.
The Eras Tour: oof, this one is going to be tough. I have already bought this t-shirt from Amazon after Megan Ellaby posted about it, but I have no idea what to wear with it. The options so far are the aforementioned electric blue trousers, or a strappy sequin dress that I bought for a holiday last summer, reimagined as a kind of midi skirt. I will keep you updated on the outfit I end up going for.
Holiday in the south of France: I think I’m feeling OK about this one, mainly because I bought a few holiday bits for our trip to Marrakech in April, and I already have a pretty solid summer wardrobe featuring a lot of linen pieces that make me feel amazing. Plus, the Isle of Paradise gradual tan has changed the game for me in terms of how I feel in summer clothes.
Wedding numero dos: this one is in Marbella, so I have to think about the wedding itself, PLUS the pre and post wedding events, and the few days’ holiday that James and I are adding on. The wedding day outfit is covered (the Whistles rotation really comes into its own during wedding season), and then for the rest of the trip, I’ll pick and choose from my summer capsule wardrobe.
Secondhand summer?
I’m not putting myself on a complete spending ban, so secondhand shopping isn’t off limits. If something catches my eye and it’s on my wish list, it might end up in my basket, and I think that’s OK.
My overarching goal for this experiment is to slow down and stop impulse buying - even if someone else could snap up x item on Vinted, that just means that it wasn’t meant for me. This isn’t about placing unnecessary restrictions on what I can and can’t spend money on, it’s about fundamentally changing how I approach every purchase and creating a wardrobe that grows and changes with my personal style.
Well, now I’ve written this, I can’t back out. Here’s to a more thoughtful approach to getting dressed! Please let me know if you want to see more posts about this journey and I will happily oblige.
Lauren x
No because why does dressing for the Eras tour feel like so much pressure?! 🫠Please update with what you end up choosing!! This is such a relatable piece, I’ve found I’ve fallen into the trap of panic buying so much recently, I’ve had to unsubscribe from all my mailing lists because the “get it before it’s gone” would make me anxious buy and then feel guilty about an unnecessary purchase. It feels like we’re constantly being told we need more more more when actually I’m getting pretty sick of ‘stuff’. Another fab piece as per!