7 reasons to do a shopping fast

To stick to a goal, keeping the "whys" front and center is pivotal. My reasons for wanting to do a shopping fast are the obvious ones, and maybe some less obvious.

1. To save money.
It's scarily easy to forget how much work and TIME is put into getting paid. The saying "Do you live to work or work to live?" helps guide me in being mindful about what I spend my money on and what I would like to spend money on in a long perspective. Even though my financial goals are not the same as hers (travels and designer clothing apart from saving), I've learned a lot and been very inspired by the Luxe strategist. For those who don't think budgeting can be sexy, check her blog out.

2. To save the planet's resources.
Doomsday feelings lately. We all need to do something to cut emissions. The fashion industry is a big polluter. There has been confusion about whether the fashion industry really is the second biggest polluting industry (which is thrown around a lot), which it seems not to be. But fashion involves agriculture, electricity and oil (eg. polyester, transport): "If you could fix fashion’s supply chain and lower its emissions, you would be lowering the emissions of the four most polluting industries on the planet" (Ethical unicorn). As individuals, we can cut down on our own consumption, as well as vote climate friendly and join an environmental organization.

3. To get a kick out of being frugal. 
I do have some frugal habits: I bake, make a lot of food from scratch, never throw out food (unless it's mouldy of course), avoid single-use plastic and try not to buy needless food and drinks on-the-go. But I've treated clothes more disposably. Not that I've thrown rags in the trash, but I've replaced stuff sooner than necessary, resulting in never being able to wear something out and actually making rags. Which leads to the next point:

4. To get better turnover. 
No influx of new clothing will hopefully teach me about the value of what is already in my wardrobe. Less "splitting my wears", which means to have multiple items in your closet that do the same thing. This dilutes the value of each one, leads to unworn clothes and less options considering what your money could have gone to instead of several of one thing. Items of clothing also feel more fresh when they are worn soon after being laundered rather than staying put in the wardrobe for months.

Time to come clean: I have 7 breton stripe tops with minor differences. I don't wear them every day and I do laundry often enough not to have so many. The plan is to only keep a couple of them visible and wear the heck out of those two before I move on to the next pair. My ultimate, green habit would be to own one of a thing (ie. one pair of black jeans), wear it to the ground, mend it, color it, wear it some more, and eventually cut it into shorts before buying a fresh, ethical or second hand pair of jeans. And then start over. (I currently have two pairs of black jeans, from 2015, one in thin fabric and one in thick, so I'm almost there with black jeans - not so much with breton tops.)

5. To get peace of mind. 
For me, I think it's easier to go cold turkey and proclaiming that there are no exceptions within the shopping fast. Unless my winter shoes all get holes, which I don't see happening - and even if they did, a cobbler could probably fix it. I imagine that there is a peace of mind on the other side of the hunt for finding something new and "self-improving", and that actual needs manifest themselves more clearly if the rules are strict. To each their own, but I think I benefit from a "no choice" approach.

6. To enjoy what is already there and be creative with the old.
I've realized I actually enjoy repeating outfits and using few, simple items often. I also enjoy some stand-out, colorful pieces that can come out for parties or special events. I already have enough of both camps, so I'm not sure whether I have the need to get very creative (ie. use shirts as skirts, wear tops backwards, wear dresses over pants, tucking and pinning). But from experience, by compartmentalizing a big wardrobe for a time with fewer pieces (essentially building a capsule wardrobe), it is actually easier to be creative and see new combinations with things you already own, relieving you of the urge to get something new. A small wardrobe is really inspiring when it comes to being creative with a tiny wardrobe.

7. To replace the aesthetical quest with intellectual and emotional ones.
In general: to spend more time reading books I put off for mindless instagram scrolling (gah...). Specifically: to learn about art and fashion history and try to get to the bottom of the emotional emptiness/boredom that sometimes leads to shopping (just me? Heh...). Replace the shopping (in my case thrifting) habit with hikes in nature and cooking.

It might be contrary to blog about the shopping fast and clothing in general if I want to spend more time reading and hiking, but I'll try to be mindful about the posting frequency after a while. I have no ambition to grow a big blog or following. I just want to post thoughts and keep a journal of sorts to keep myself accountable to a perceived audience, and maybe learn something new in the process.