I've been a shopaholic for so long I'd conceded it would be part of my identity forever.
Besides, was frequently buying clothes really a problem if I wasn't getting into debt?
It's only recently my answer has shifted from "no" to "possibly".
Yes, fast fashion is an environmental nightmare. But my greatest motivation was realising that, despite my wardrobe being jam-packed, the hole I'm trying to fill never is.
So when I saw financial psychology and behaviour expert Emma Edwards running a month-long wardrobe pause challenge, I signed up.
And I came away with more than expected.
I'm going to fail, so why bother?
I've resisted addressing my clothes shopping habits for a long time, because I simply didn't think I would be able to stop.
It was much easier to justify my addiction with the belief clothes make me happy.
And they do, to a point, because expressing myself through fashion is fun.
But clothing is also a source of great disappointment.
Eyeing a dress on Instagram suddenly becomes an opportunity to be embody the cool girl I'd always aspired to be.
Instead, when the dress arrives I (shockingly) don't become the six-foot-tall, off-duty model wearing it on the 'gram.
Clothes fail to meet my expectations, so I jump back online, hunting for another life-changing purchase.
Breaking that habit just felt too hard. And signing away 31 days of feeding it felt scary.
Goals and setting myself up for success
On day one of the challenge I saw I was not alone. Some of the shame was lifted.
While participants' reasons for being there varied, what we all had in common was a desire to change.
My personal goal was less about saving money and more about clothes shopping becoming a smaller part of my life.
Because constantly buying them was taking away from my ability to focus on more important and fulfilling things.
To set myself up for success, I unfollowed clothing brands and mass deleted promotional emails to hide those seductive sales.
Unsubscribing is better, but I'm working on that at a slower pace.
Dealing with temptation
A few days in I started to notice what my "activators" were.
Boredom. Discount codes. An impending special occasion. Spotting a great outfit in the wild. These all made me want to shop.
I was also taking note of how good not shopping made me feel.
I was more relaxed. Lighter! I didn't need to spend my evenings scrolling the internet for what to buy next.
Yet temptation soon snuck in. On day seven I browsed a brand I had a gift card for and a flowy top caught my eye.
I had FOMO thoughts: "This will sell out by June!"
Instead, I sold my gift card at a small loss.
Out of sight, out of mind was a great strategy for me. But it's not a sustainable tactic moving forward. I can't always hide from clothes.
Learning to resist adding to cart was something that would take practice.
Accountability and community
Completing the challenge with an expert and a community of people working towards the same thing was key for me.
But you don't have to pay for a course or challenge to be successful in changing your shopping habits.
Find a couple of friends or co-workers willing to get involved. Start a group chat. Share outfits you are putting together from your own wardrobe.
Keep each other accountable and voice what you're struggling with.
I also thrived on the educational aspect — and that's something anyone can do with the power of google.
ABC podcast Threads might be a great place for you to start. Host Veronica Milsom investigates the marketing, merchandising and greenwashing designed to keep us buying.
What I'm taking away from my no-buy clothes challenge
No-one was more surprised than me when I reached day 31 without a single clothes purchase.
During the final week, I set new boundaries and permissions regarding clothes moving forward.
For June, I am allowing myself to buy three considered items. That's more than I need, but I want my first month outside of the challenge to feel achievable.
It's likely I'll have to trial a couple of strategies to see what works best.
For July, I might set a budget instead, and in August I plan to pause again.
A regular shopping "break" will benefit me long term.
During this challenge I gained so much more than a lower credit card bill. Such as the brutal realisation I need to let go of "cool girl aesthetic".
I'm a toddler mum and I have made so many impractical purchases in his two years of life. A crocheted mini dress is great for the occasional night out, but not for a trip to the playground.
I'm thinking about embracing my slob era, actually. It's comfy and maybe Gen Z will make it cool soon enough.
But most importantly I now know I can change a long-standing habit if I want to.
And that gives me more confidence than a dress ever has.
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