Sneak peek at one of my first purchases...

Release Day! (and terms..)

Well, (and this is no April Fools) I've done it! One whole year of not buying clothes! Happy face (and Outfit Number 281):

Outfit No 281
Jacket - Zara (2012)
Shirt - Primark (2013)
Jeggings - Primark (2013)
Sunglasses - Ralph Lauren (2012)

The Challenge is complete. And for the last 18 hours and 53 minutes I have been ALLOWED to buy clothes, underwear, shoes, handbags, jewellery, sunglasses, socks, watches, scarves, headbands... the list goes on...

And what have I bought?  A flat white and a banana.

I bet you all thought that by now I'd be making a show of myself in Topshop: joyfully rolling around in a pile deliciously slinky kimono jackets...drunk on their silky goodness...mmmmm... 

But I'm not. 

(Although, on a side note, it has been somewhat agonising that my favourite thing in the world has become a raging trend.  Those babies are everywhere!  I would say I started it, but I don't think Anna Wintour has made a habit of reading this humble offering so I'd probably be lying.)

I wish I could say this show of restraint is due to my reformation: that I am changed woman; that a year of no shopping has left me a born-again sensible shopper and that you could let me loose in Urban Outfitters with complete and utter confidence, safe in the knowledge that I would come out carrying only the pumps that I had gone in for.    

But the truth is I'm terrified.  

Terrified that, if I start, I won't be able stop. The beast will be unleashed.

I'm really very proud that I've pulled this off.  I wasn't all that sure that I would.  And, not only did I manage to pull off 365 days of not buying a single 'wearable' item, I also managed to create 280(!) different outfits using the clothes I already owned (and occasionally borrowed, claimed and accepted as very kind and generous gifts...).  Pretty impressive going, I reckon.

I'm not gonna lie, it has been bloody hard. It's been a long hard winter and, despite my, admittedly rather excessive, wardrobe, there are still plenty of things that, after a year of fashion fasting, I could do with replacing.

It was with relish that I chucked my trusty but VERY well worn black pumps into the bin this morning (I intend to buy a replacement pair ASAP), pretty much every pair of boots that I own (and yes I own that I own a few) need a funeral or a trip to a very good cobblers,  moths have gotten the better of many of my favourite sweaters, my jeggings are starting to look faded and stretched, my ponchos have started to ball; my much loved faux fur is matted and worn, my favourite handbags have holes, and the last pair of glasses I can see out of have a wonky leg. 

So yes, of course, I am excitedly patting myself on my back for my fashion fasting achievement; I stuck it out! But at the same time I am giving myself a little slap... I might not have bought anything new but I have fallen pretty short on my promises of mending, making, selling and swapping (as well as, in recent months, my blogging).

You see, before The Challenge, when something broke or tore, I tended to simply buy something new to replace it. No 'make do and mend' for pre-challenge me.  Yes, of course, The Challenge made me 'make do' but it did little to kick start the 'mend' side of things. Nor did it do much to help me streamline my, frankly overwhelming, wardrobe (the sorting I did last Autumn was a start but nowhere near ruthless enough). 

So I've decided to use this opportunity of a new 'shopping year' to make a resolution or two... I'd like to think that my shopping habits have changed, that I would now go for quality instead of quantity, that I'd think more carefully before I buy and be much less impulsive than I once was, but I just don't know what is going to happen when I unleash the beast...(and oooooh I know how I have missed that feeling of wearing something new...)

In an effort to limit the potential damage of a shopping relapse, as well as to tackle my ridiculous wardrobe and hoarding tendencies head on, I am going to impose a set of rules (on second thought 'resolution' wasn't strong enough - who KEEPS those?) to get me through my first year out of shopaholics' rehab. The beast is still going to be unleashed, just fenced in a little... 


1. I am going to limit the number of purchases I am allowed to make this year (Help me out here? I originally thought 1 item a month would work... but I might need a few extra essentials this month following my year off... So maybe 4 items this month and then 1 a month from then on? Should I be allowed a 'roll over' if I don't make a purchase on a particular month?  Or perhaps it is would be easier just to say 20 items for the whole year?  What do you think? Also, I think I might not include underwear his time round.)

2.  Every fortnight I must dispose of (that is dump, sell or give away) at least ONE item from my wardrobe.

3. Before I go out on a shopping frenzy to replace sad looking boots or tired handbags etc. I will make sure they aren't salvageable.

4. For every new item purchased I must dispose of another old one.

Let me know your thoughts... I've got my debit card at the ready...

Over & Out

M x