My New Shopping Philosophy

Like most girls, I love clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products. You name it. It’s so easy to go overboard with shopping this time of year when there are so many Black Friday/holiday/end of year sales. Between how easy it’s become to buy things online and how fast shipping has gotten, I’ve found myself in situations in the past where I frankly have more stuff than I know what to do with. The end of the year also marks a season of giving. And after spending time at home and then volunteering some time in the community, I’m approaching my wardrobe and apartment with a new philosophy.

I absolutely hate clutter and I hate seeing products go to waste. Also, I am not the type of person who likes to hold onto a piece of clothing because I “might” wear it again someday. The older I get, the more willing I am to embrace minimalism, which is why I’ve been focusing more and more on classic and simple clothing pieces, as well as a new shopping philosophy. Basically with every item that comes in, at least one needs to go.

A couple reasons for doing this:

• One, it’s way too easy to accumulate stuff. Especially as a blogger we receive a lot of PR samples and gifted product.
• Next thing you know you have endless boxes and no where to store everything. I know some girls may really like this, but it honestly drives me nuts.
• Finally, my boyfriend had enough, and we both agreed that something had to give! We live in a small apartment and there just is not enough space to keep everything.

Also, by constantly re-evaluating all of the things you have, it really forces you to prioritize and come to terms with what pieces actually get use and what pieces are just sitting in your closet or bathroom collecting dust. We’ll see how this experiment goes but for now I could not be happier with the progress I’ve made. Yes, the closet looks emptier, but in a good way. I’m able to clearly assess what I have and more importantly, what I actually need.

In this sense, Rent the Runway Unlimited has been a huge help in filling some of the gaps in my wardrobe!

Also, they are helping me determine what are “essential” pieces that I will actually want to have in my closet. Even though I’m not 100% satisfied with the product assortment in the service, I really do love their mission of reducing waste (the fashion industry is sadly incredibly wasteful to the environment) and democratizing fashion, which is why I will continue to support them. In fact, after renting this VEDA leather jacket for the past month, I’m so in love with it that I am seriously considering purchasing it for myself.

As for where my items go when I am finished with them – some things my sister is excited to scoop up, other gently used clothing can be donated to local organizations or Goodwill. Then there are certain things that can be resold. I have been largely using Poshmark, although I know some people love Depop. Between these methods, I have been fairly effective at really streamlining my closet. Give me another few months and hopefully I will be closer to Marie Kondo status!

Happy December, everyone!!

xx

leather jacket: veda | dress: astr the label | shoes: stuart weitzman | bag: chanel