The Dos and Don’ts of Buying Clothes
Shopping is a twofold problem.
You spend incredible amounts of time and money on products that are supposed to make you look better, feel better, and become better. Even so, there are many potential missteps that you can take. To avoid these, you need to be aware of which shopping habits benefit you and which ones actually hurt you.
Here are the things you should — and the things you shouldn’t do — when looking for clothes to buy.
We are all in different economic positions. Some of us are more privileged than others to follow the tips below. Take what works for you and leave the rest behind.
DON’T — Buying pieces because they are trendy
Trends are more deceptive than you think.
For one, their standards for beauty rarely last more than a year. Secondly, while they seem to hold the key to making anyone attractive, they fail to consider how well those trendy colors and silhouettes look on your unique body. Trends make you waste time and money chasing an ideal that cannot be caught or kept for long anyway.
So stop chasing trend-based beauty, and seek timeless beauty instead.
DO — Buying things that suit you specifically
The way to achieve this timeless beauty is by wearing what works on you.
You can do this by discovering your color palette and see what shades and hues your wardrobe should consist of. You can also do this by discovering your body type and see what kinds of silhouettes, materials, and patterns that best compliment your features. We all have different bodies and colorings, and trends do not take this into account.
Timelessness is about finding yourself among all the ever-changing trends.
DON’T — Owning many individual pieces
There is a lot you may want, but not a lot you actually need.
Many people opt for quantity when shopping, where the goal is to buy as many clothes as possible in order to have different alternatives for everyday wear. However, going for this lack of cohesiveness actually makes it more difficult to select what pieces to wear each day. Ironically too, because most people tend to discard their newer pieces in favor of old favorites anyway.
This way, going for quantity is the same as throwing your money down a trash chute.
DO — Opting for fewer, quality pieces
Quality is key.
You do not need every single nice-looking sweater and dress that you see. What you need are clothes that last — clothes that are so thoroughly selected that each time you step out the door, you know you look amazing. A wardrobe that consists of a few pieces of high quality always looks more professional and well-kept than a closet consisting of a hundred shirts, pants, and shoes.
Whereas quantity rips at the seams, quality holds it all together.
DON’T — Supporting fast fashion
Fast fashion is absolute trash.
There is no way around that fact. It pollutes the environment, it forces overworked individuals to keep low-wage jobs, and the whole process is pointless anyway when you see how terrible the pieces look and hold up over time. Fast fashion deals in indulgences and lives just as long as the trends they support.
Therefore, fast fashion items are never your best option.
DO — Supporting individual or secondhand brands
Clothes that attract compliments are clothes that are one-of-a-kind.
There are independent clothing designers out there that sell personally sewn, knitted, or crocheted articles. There are markets for secondhand clothes too. Although these alternatives tend to be more expensive, they also tend to be more sustainable and enduring, whilst looking more beautiful, eye-catching, and personal than fast fashion items.
So-called “slower” fashion is indeed the better alternative.
DON’T — Buying things impulsively
Impulses are faulty compasses.
They tell us what we want in the moment but rarely what we need in the long run. More often than not, impulse purchases end up lying forgotten on a shelf or under the bed. There is no reason to buy something impulsively, even when it is on sale.
The things that matter over time are the only things that matter.
DO — Purchasing something out of a long-term desire
If you really want something, you will want it for a longer time.
Impulses come and go, but long-term desire is enduring. I follow my own Three-Month Rule, where I only buy something if I have wanted it for three months or more. This has enabled me to save thousands of dollars as well as make very clear, smart purchases that I am genuinely more happy to see and use every day.
Getting something you have wanted for so long is much more satisfying than adding it to an already overflowing pile of items.
DON’T — Making shopping a habit
Compulsive shopping can have severe consequences.
It results in wasting money, ruining the environment, and reducing your impulse control. When you make shopping a habit, these things become the standard. And if it is taken too far, it might bleed onto other areas of life, like your personal finances, mental health, and wellbeing.
Shopping should not be a habit, but a rare act with purpose.
DO — Making browsing a hobby instead
Occasional window shopping is the better alternative.
Instead of depleting your wallet, you can engage your attention by browsing stores and discover new pieces to potentially buy in the future. It essentially satisfies the same impulses and feelings as shopping does, apart from the owning aspect. But that doesn’t really matter, because usually, even when we own these pieces of clothing that we want so badly, we tend to forget about them anyway.
Browsing is, therefore, better than shopping.
And being conscious about your shopping, is indeed the most responsible shopping habit to have.
