An Ode to Shopping Addictions

I have been battling a serious itch to shop lately. I crawl into bed late at night, ready to sleep, only to end up browsing online stores for hours… clicking ‘Add to Cart’ like a mad woman. I’m not the only person who does that, right?? There are so many summer sales going on currently and cute new trends to try. Not to mention, now that the world is starting to open up again, we actually have places to go and need cute outfits for those destinations. All of these factors have combined and led me to believe I need to go on a shopping spree, asap.

But that’s the problem. I know this is a big shock, but I already have a lot of clothes. Way more clothes than I need. And while I try to be responsible with the items in my closet (keeping a cost per wear spreadsheet to make sure I wear all my pieces frequently; laundering them properly so they last longer), I know that I shouldn’t be purchasing any more clothes.

You may recall from basically every post I wrote in the spring that I was SO excited to be reunited with my full closet once I got back home from college for the summer. Well, I ended up doing exactly what I said I would do when I first arrived home in mid-June: I ran straight to my closet and tried on a bunch of clothing items. And as I looked at my closet and all the fun pieces that filled it, I turned to my dad and said, “I cannot buy anymore clothes. This is kind of ridiculous.”

Now, don’t get me wrong—this is not a promise of any sorts, and I will certainly buy more clothes in the future (especially basics that I am still missing, like a black belt or wicker bag for the summer). But for the most part, I do really feel the need to curb my spending and my consumption. The more pieces I buy, the less frequently I will wear each item. Not only is it a waste of clothing to wear a garment just a handful of times, but it’s also a waste of money—y’all know how obsessed I am with maintaining low cost per wear.

As a style blogger, I am constantly consuming fashion media that pushes the latest trends, the best sales, and the must-have pieces you need each season. My inbox is always bombarded with emails from retailers, and sometimes fashion bloggers care more about making a sale than about the actual style. It’s no surprise that clothing is not designed to last, that the fashion industry is fickle, and that these practices are extremely harmful to the environment (and our wallets).

But the difficult part is not giving into temptation. How can we say no to shopping when everything is telling us that more is better? I feel like I need this shirt and those pants and that pair of shoes. Afterall, I enjoy shopping, and it’s exciting to wait for something to arrive in the mail or to feel that rush of dopamine when making a purchase. There’s no telling how large my closet would be if I had unlimited funds… it would be a blackhole.

As fun as it is to imagine a bottomless closet or receiving free clothing all the time (which is the reality for some fashion bloggers), these daydreams help remind me why I love fashion in the first place: the creativity and the challenge of putting together a new outfit combination. I don’t think I would receive the same satisfaction out of getting dressed each morning if every item I wore was brand new. New clothes are exciting for a moment, but reworking pieces and finding original ways to style the same old garment are the things that have made fashion a lasting hobby for me.

What have I been up to these past few nights? Instead of online shopping, I’ve been shopping my closet—thanks to Pinterest. I spend a few minutes browsing my old boards and all the cute outfits pinned there. Then I head into my closet and get to work, asking myself, Which of these Pinterest outfits can I recreate right now? The answer is always more than I think. I have so many clothes in my closet and so many outfit combinations that I haven’t tried yet—and that’s exciting! But the more clothes I buy, the less likely I am to discover those news combos. I always think I need more pieces to look stylish and to put together the types of outfits I love on other bloggers… but the reality is that I already have a lot of the necessary ingredients in my own closet. Pinterest has helped me appreciate the clothes I DO have instead of focusing on what more I need.

So the next time you have an itch to shop, like me, consider browsing Pinterest. Step into your closet and look at your garments with fresh eyes—What outfits can you create with the pieces you already have? What combo have you never tried before? When was the last time you styled a particular item? The answers may surprise you, and you just might forget about that full online shopping cart after all.

Do you struggle with shopping too much? I think shopping is SO much fun, which sometimes makes it difficult to maintain self-control. But trying on outfits from my closet and getting excited about the clothing I already own makes it a lot easier to ignore those shopping temptations. What are your tips for curbing your fashion spending? Leave them in the comments below! And be sure to join this week’s linkup.

I hope you enjoyed today’s rant + shower thoughts, and as always, thanks for stopping by.

-Grace

Olive Green Knit Tank: Francesca’s, $15 | Denim Shorts: Target, $18, last worn here | Sparkly Sandals: DSW, $45, last worn here | Panama Hat: Nordstrom Rack, $21, last worn here | Sunglasses: Sungait Glasses via Amazon, sent to me by brand, last worn here | Circle Studded Belt: Sundance Outlet, $80, last worn here | Brown Saddle Bag: Won in a giveaway, last worn here