'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH' - clothes acquisition, hysteria and the perfect wardrobe

[just_me]

Ohh.. I love it!!! That is really really great! How did you do it?

[luckyme]

love this thread....

I am building the perfect wardrobe... but it takes time, that's the fun of it.

I have found that with the ease of buying through the internet that there is always somthing new and amazing waiting for me. it's trouble, and some serious self-control is called for, or at least having the opportunity to return it. I never had access to the current well of designer's that I do now, my closet has never looked better and my bank account more empty. ugh.

also, as I get older I am much better at buying clothes that suit me, the problem lies in the reality that there is always a new item that I am going to fall in love with. I can't have it ALL so I use lookbooks as a set-aside funds monitor.

I love shopping, I know it, so I try (notice I say try) to purchase only what I can say I love and will wear, someone here taught me the "cost per wear" theory, thank you. truthfully, the whole "consumption" addiction is so easy to fall into that you have to try so hard to stay above it. I have taken bags full of clothes to goodwill so my closet's stay lean, but I know what to keep and what is special.

I've been guiity of the hysteria of too much acquisition, but knowing I need funds available to purchase the pair of shoes I have to have or the jacket that I will cherish is enough to keep things in check so I don't buy just to buy anymore. famous last words.....

[laurette]

just_me, here is the instruction click

[dianabobar]

Well, lately I can't afford to spend any money for clothing. First I started to panic but then I realized I really don't need to buy things I seriously don't need. Lots of my things are vintage so I got them really cheap, that's why when I used to go to a thrift store here in Romania I got like 15 items once (I went twice a week for a while) so imagine what I had stocked. I am still trying to wear all the things i got but I am not in a panic anymore.
So what if I don't shop now, I have clothing to wear during about 3 or 4 life times

[h2odogmomma]

Laurette, that's a great tee! I actually was thinking of this myself and had been dabbling with designs but I love yours! Thanks for posting pics and instructions!

[Rockin Republic]

I managed to give/throw away 70% of my closet and I've been on a shopping binge since. But very conscious of things i really need in summer. Like tee's, a summer jacket, pair of flip flops/sandals. And it has worked out perfectly for me. I used to buy a lot of stuff I couldn't wear immediately ( formal wear or clubbing) and now i do the opposite, if i cant wear it now, ill leave it hanging on the racks. Or ill throw it out of my watching list on ebay

Having a small closet is really soothing. Too much choice blows out your brains

I have tons of space in my closet and i never felt better about my style before

[greeen]

I'm going to throw out a good 75% of my tops/blouses soon, they're all old and don't have the same effect.

I don't have a thing to wear most of the time, but it's all really in my head lol..

I'm obsessed with getting my hands on really fun but alittle demure-type pieces now..i want to look good all the time (except for when im going for the "i don't care" look i guess - but even then my hair/skin should at least be flawless)

[fash ho']

i had a bit of a shopping hiatus this spring, which in fact coincided with a hiatus of the Fashion Spot. I do this seasonal change-over of summer and winter clothes and when i got my summer stuff down from the attic, it was such an ordeal that i realised i just have way too much stuff.
So i sold some at the flea market, vintage shops and gave some to charity to cull it a little. Then I tried to wear things that I own, but have not worn for one reason or another.

It was actually quite fun, for just a short while, to get off the whole magazine-websites-desire carousal and just look at what i had and make it work with different accessories etc. And also, to appreciate some of those "oldies but goodies" (or as susie-bubble would term "cogs or lovvies") and enjoy wearing them without having the constant desire to get new stuff all the time.

That was, until a few weeks ago, when i travelled to london, then Stockholm for work. I always manage to shop in other cities . . .

Then I came back and found myself buying a vivienne westwood dress last weekend . . .

i need to stop again. enough is enough. i have enough clothes to not wear that same thing twice for the rest of the summer . . . .

[DandyWarhol]

sometimes i open my drawers and my closet, and just pick up my clothes and feel them, admiring them. its kind of pathetic, if i think about it enough, but i cant help it.
this past year ive had major lacking in the clothes department - definately not enough, an offensivley small amount, because (since im young and growing),nothing fit.
when im in a store and i find something, i run a check through my whole wardrobe (memorized in my head practically) and think what pieces i have that would work with this, or what would look fab with what.
sometimes i become too impulse-y and buy something even though there's a nagging in the back of my brain..telling me i'll never wear it or it doesnt look good or fit right.
then of course, there is: the i'll-buy-it-and-alter-or-change-it-because-it-doesnt-fit-right-but-it's-too-good-to-pass-up. oh man, i have problem with that. sometimes i'll even find a shirt and say "man, this would make a fantastic bag!" so i buy it, and some of the time it does end up turning itno something else, but a lot of the time, it doesnt. it just collects dust in the back of the drawer.

[Bella24]

Wow, I can completely relate to the nature of this whole discussion. A few weeks ago I came to a point mentally where I just couldn't look in my closet without pulling my hair... truly... it was that frustrating. Too many crazy prints, weird shapes and cheap fabric. I'm finally realizing this whole "quality over quantity" concept, so a few days ago I donated a good percentage of my wardrobe to charity. Then, I stared at what remained- clothes that I generally feel content about - and wrote a list of the basics that I still needed (white button down shirts, black ballet flats, a blazer, etc.) Now, while shopping, I must stick to that list and only that list. It's been difficult, certainly, but I already feel a million times better about my closet.

[maiden voyage]

i've been keeping a shopping list the last couple of years. such a simple thing, but it's made a big difference.

i also moved and now have a much smaller closet and no extra storage (attic or basement). i really like having everything where i can see it, and i wear what i have now. i think i also have gotten a clearer idea of what my style actually is, once i cleared out all the stuff i didn't really wear much!

[MUXU]

i have the 'i dont have anything to wear problem. but it's mainly because im so disorganized with my clothes they pile up on the chair and i cant find anything decent in a grab. and i also made foolish buys in the past. it's normal since my style from a year/two years ago are different than now

but i can control myself from shopping or shopping at expensive places for a long time.

what i do need now is a way to get rid of my old clothes and still make a little profit back because they are in good shape =T any suggestions other than ebay? prefer something i can do in person

[britishkiller]

I can definitely relate to this topic

I, too, suffer from "clothes acquisition hysteria". But it's not really a problem for me.

First of all, I'm very organized. I can say I have a mild OCD when it comes to having everything in its right place .

So, the fact that I have a ton of clothes it's not a problem. I also recently bought an organized wardrobe from IKEA, and it's wonderful. Everything has its place.

Secondly, i don't buy too many "trendy" pieces. I sure follow some trends I love, but always with caution, buying something that not "screams" the trend "per se", but has to be combined. I don't know if that makes sense .
But the thing is... I have A LOT of cute t-shirts from high school era (I'm now 23), and I have no intention of throwing them out. Sure, I'm no longer a t-shirt girl, but I can use them for sports, for lounging, for a quick run to the grocery store . The same about jeans. I have a million jeans with different cut, but if they are good quality, I'm not throwing them. 5 years ago I bought flared jeans with a slightly high waist. I didn't wear them in the past.. 2 years, but now I'm in love with them again!

Also, having a lot of clothes, and rotate them, means that nothing really gets ruined (if it's good quality). I never have a problem with ruined clothes, and I mean NEVER.

So, I think that if you have a large storage space, and if you buy quality pieces, not overly trendy, a large wardrobe can work wonders.

All trend returns, and it's fun to combine old pieces with new ones!

[lucy92]

i drool over the mega closets with the sliding doors in the ikea catalog.

does anyone else think that their problems would be solved if only they had the right closet?

[midnight]

Actually Lucy, quite a few of my wardrobe excess problems were solved when I finally got the right closets. I found that I was actually jealous of the space. What I mean is that any new acquisitions need to be Really Important b/c I don't want to mess up how fantastic it all looks