There's absolutely no way my husband didn't read the title of this entry without rolling his eyes, but you'd be surprised what I can accomplish when I set my mind to it.
Although I am inwardly freaking out. A year is a long time. So let's lay down some ground rules, shall we?
Inspired by THIS article by Ann Patchett (author of Commonwealth, which you should read!!) I have decided to take a year off of shopping. There are a lot of reasons for this, but here are a few;
1. I'd like to get out of debt. This is possible if and only if I quit buying so many damn clothes. I’m tired of throwing credit card companies interest money.
2. I'd like to take my daughter to Disney World while she's 5. That shit's EXPENSIVE.
3. I'd like to stop fighting with my husband about money. It's essentially the only thing we fight about. Think about what a UTOPIA my marriage could be without those fights!
4. This might sound counterintuitive, but I’d like to know what it’s like to have spare cash to pay for anything that comes up. Want to go to Mexico City with my best friend? Sure, i can afford that. Rock climbing class? Let’s do it. Sam Smith is in town? Why not. These are all actual, real examples of things that have come up for me in the past year that I’ve had to say no to because i bought one too many pairs of shoes the past month. Life experience > shoes.
Okay so now that I’ve defined my why (the most important part!!!) time to outline the how.
Again, inspired by Ann Patchett’s article, here are my guidelines:
1. I start today, October 24th. This is to head off any impending feelings of “oh no i better buy XYZ before my no shopping year starts.” Starting on New Year's Day may be poetic, but starting today is practical.
2. No shopping for anything I can’t buy in a Trader Joe’s like grocery store. This means nothing i can wear, no electronics, no home decor. Claire’s clothes will be purchased by Darrell with my creative supervision : ). I can buy toiletries but only once I’ve completely used up every bit of what i already have. Plane and concert tickets are okay; new pajamas are not. Grocery store flowers are okay, books are not unless the library doesn't have it.
3. If there’s a dire need for something (my bra wire comes out, I break a heel or rip a seam, I lose a sock mate) I can have it repaired or Darrell can approve the purchase of a replacement, whatever is more cost effective.
That's it! Three simple rules!
I was raised Catholic and spent 6 years in a Catholic school. In the same way that a child who grows up with a parent who reads is going to become a bookworm, and a child raised in a bilingual household is probably going to speak two languages, Catholic kids have a talent for giving things up. I was once vegan for two years - something I was thrown off course with for a myriad of reasons, but would like to get back to eventually. One thing at a time.
I lost 15 pounds in the 40 days before Easter Sunday once.
Even now, no longer a practicing Catholic and more what I suppose would be called "pantheistic" I plan for Lent the way other people plan for vacations: "What can I let go? What good can I add?"
In an attempt to do what I'd consider to be a bit of a psychological flip, I'll be doing a bit of a challenge on this blog and my Instagram (@hayes_etc) that I'm calling the #closet365, meaning I'll post here and/or on Instagram what I make of my wardrobe all year. Will I get out of leggings EVERY day? Absolutely not. I'll only be posting what I consider to be full looks. By framing this exercise as "maximizing my closet" rather than "cutting out shopping" my brain feels like I'm adding something, not taking something away - I really believe in that philosophy. Kind of like if you're vegetarian and you decide to "eat more vegetables" rather than "eat no meat."
Also, expect a few (not preachy or judgmental) posts about my personal experience with quitting alcohol now that I'm finally feeling solid and ready to talk about it.
On to outfit #1!
I can link either the exact item pictured or something similar, what are your thoughts?
Coat - 2016 J.Crew, Dress - Gal Meets Glam, Turtleneck - J.Crew, Shoes - Manolo Blahnik BB (purchased on therealreal.com), Bag - Mark Cross Grace Box bag, vintage, or you can shop it new here
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