The toll of expanding your wardrobe
While I love getting a new outfit as much as the next person, I’m setting a goal to not buy new clothes in the new year. I’m throwing out the pressure of new trends and working with what I have in my current, not-so-tiny, clothing collection. Here are some reasons why I’m choosing not to shop for new clothes in 2023!
1. Save Money
In 2023, I’ll be graduating from college and taking a gap year before beginning my master’s program. I need to start beefing up my bank account in order to pay for adult things like rent, bills, food, investments, and travel. As a gym rat, I love buying new clothes. I wear gym outfits all the time, even when I’m not in the gym, so I think this will be the hardest apparel to stay away from. Performance/gym clothing is also a big trend right now, and the FOMO will be hard to beat.
2. Overconsumption and Waste
Fast fashion is cheap clothing that is mass-produced in response to trends. Trends come and go quickly, so this clothing is only meant to be won a few times. There are many problems with this practice. Buying cheap, poorly made clothes contributes to CO2 emissions, landfill overflow, water pollution, unsafe labor practices, and textile waste that can’t be repurposed. I don’t want that on my conscience. I believe it’s genuinely a waste of money and that it’s environmentally unethical to buy a shirt I’m only going to wear once or twice.
3. Emotional Control
I have so many clothes. Like, probably too much. I don’t need any more clothes – but I want more clothes. I want to have more self-control in making purchases and thinking before I buy something. Buying clothes causes a range of emotions, from deciding I want something new to choosing what to wear in the morning. I often use online shopping as stress relief and a source of dopamine release, leading to impulsive purchases of clothes I don’t need and can’t afford.
After I buy something, I’m excited and impatient while waiting for it to arrive. Opening a package from the mail has become addicting, and I get so excited when I have something delivered, even when I already know what’s in the box. Then I have a new clothing item to add to my collection, leaving me to wonder – was it really worth it? I already have a hard time deciding what to wear because there are so many options. By not buying more clothes, I hope to decrease my outfit options and alleviate this roller coaster of emotions.
While my efforts to reduce environmental impacts are minimal, I hope to accomplish my personal development goals. I know I can’t cut out clothes shopping completely for reasons beyond my control, such as my school trip to Costa Rica. I’ll give myself permission to buy sparingly and only when necessary. No more spending big because there’s a sale, no more one-time wear clothes, and no more gym outfits.