I Can Teach You: How to Spend $0 on Clothes, Shoes, Purses and Accessories for 365 Days

{Today's Pink U professor is Mary, who is, by far, one of the most chic people I know. She seriously looks like she stepped right out of a J. Crew catalog. In fact, if she showed up at J. Crew headquarters tomorrow, I'd bet they would let her be a model. But, since she's also whip-smart, she's gonna be a lawyer instead.}

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Hello! Janet has invited me to take a break from studying for the bar (she really didn’t have to try very hard, I take lots of breaks with no invitation at all) and teach you all something I know how to do. I have decided to teach you all how to stop shopping! If you are like me, you love going to the mall, boutiques, and especially online, looking for deals on items you may or may not need. This January I decided to give up shopping for a year. No clothes, no shoes, no purses, no jewelry.* I have almost 6 months under my belt and I’m feeling fine, even though my boyfriend predicted I wouldn’t last a month. So, if you too would like to deprive yourself of the sweet joy of shopping, here are my secrets...

1.) Clean out and organize your closet. That way you can see all of your options and you won’t wear the same three favorite things over and over thereby growing tired of them thereby breaking down and going to the mall. I suggest organizing by item – all skirts in one place, all pants in one place, all tops in one place, all sweaters and jackets in one place – and hanging up all tops in color order. This probably sounds a little obsessive but it really helps.

2.) Unsubscribe from any emails you get from stores. These emails with their 20% discounts and direct links to things you want are just daring you to keep your resolution. But keep getting the catalogues you like (see #5).

3.) Make sure you own (or have a friend (in your size who is willing to share) who owns) the BASICS. Your basics depend on what you do on a day to day and night to night basis, but for example these would include good jeans, little black dress, comfortable sandals, etc. You need to have the basics for every season too, not just the season you are starting this adventure in.

4.) Allow yourself “cheats.” Build them into the resolution. In my case, my resolution is to not spend any of my OWN money on clothes, shoes, etc. That doesn’t mean on my birthday my sister can’t buy me a cute top, or my parents can’t get me a giftcard, or my boyfriend can’t buy me an overpriced headband of the color and style I have been searching for forever. Another “cheat” I have built in, that I have found to be very valuable: I am allowed to buy the makings for jewelry, such as beads, earring posts, etc., and make them into jewelry myself. That way, it’s spending money on a fun hobby rather than spending money on cheap junk at Forever 21 (which I am in no way above doing under normal circumstances). I also have allowed myself to buy used jewelry, but I’ve only exercised that right once on some retro chains with giant fake pearls for a whopping $2 at this awesome antique fair in Sacramento.

5.) Find inspiration to remix what you already own. I have two things that I do. First, I receive the JCrew catalogue in the mail. My “style” is highly JCrew influenced. So I look through the catalogue and tear out the pages of outfits they’ve put together that I like and pieces of which resemble pieces that I already own. I staple all these pages together so I have a little booklet of ideas of how to mix my clothes up. I have little to no imagination when it comes to mixing “unexpected” (as the catalogues and magazines say) things together, so this helps keep me from getting bored. Second, I go to Kendi Everyday and look at what this adorable blogger wears (and read what she says) and get ideas from her wardrobe (since it is similar to mine, or to what I aspire mine to be).

6.) Once you wear something, hang it back on the hanger backwards, so that you will be reminded to wear something else next time you reach for it. If at the end of your year of no shopping you have hangers you haven’t turned around, get rid of that stuff. If you didn’t wear it when you weren’t allowed to distract yourself with new things, you are never going to wear it. (I got this tip from a friend).

7.) Utilize a tailor! I have transformed many things that I NEVER wore (because of fit or style) into things I wear all the time. Yes, it costs money, but this is one of my “cheats.”

8.) Accessorize! Wear lots of different accessories every day – this will help keep your outfits from getting stale.

*There is an exception to the no jewelry resolution.

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For those of you NOT giving up shopping, check out J. Crew's new sister store Madewell.

Comments

[Katie]

Love this!! (And my hubster would love this more!)

[Leah]

yes, tailors are awesome! I'm slowly starting to embrace this. I have a super-small budget for tailoring, but I have been able to get some pants and stuff done. I'm losing weight, and I'm excited to re-tailor some of my nicer things soon.

[Appetite for Conversation]

Lovely post!

[Katie]

Love this. Amazing advice to a girl who loves to shop (some would say I have shopoholism) and with no current income.

[lesli]

I loved this post. As you may know, this year I also tried to quit shopping and even started a blog about it--however, I stumbled & fell sometime in May and have since been very, very, very bad! This post does give me new resolve.
Thank you!

[Kendi Everyday]

Wonderful tips!! I might have to share this with my readers, you give out such wonderful advice!

You made my day with your shout out :) First, J Crew then me?!?! I'm blushing!!

much love, Kendi

[Mary]

Oh, that would make MY day!

Thanks for the nice comments :)