Why you should make a shopping list for your wardrobe

We oftentimes write lists before going to the grocery store. It helps us remember what we need and not get distracted. But what about shopping lists for buying clothes? We need to be more mindful when we shop for clothes because of the emergency state that our planet is in now. This is just one small thing you can do when shopping for clothes that will help you make wise decisions, which is good for the planet, for your wallet, and honestly, for your sanity. We only use a portion of the clothes we have in our wardrobes so making sure we only buy things we really need and that will add something to our lives will help us make sure we wear it. I started doing this last year and it was very helpful.

Here are my main takeaways:

Take a month to plan

Take a month off from buying any clothes at all. Use the time to declutter your wardrobe, get rid of things you no longer need or want, organize what you want to keep, sell what you don’t want to keep, etc. I wrote a blog post about that that you can read here. This will give you a good overview on what you already own, what kind of clothes you like to wear, and what you actually need - and don’t need.

Find what makes you feel the way you want to

I’ve asked people on Instagram if they dress as they like, and sadly, a lot of women (in this case) said they don’t. Sometimes because of financial reasons, but also because of lack of inspiration, that brands they like weren’t size inclusive or because they thought they couldn’t pull off the style they liked. Sure, it might feel superficial to bother about your style, but the fact is that if you wear clothes that make you feel good; whether that’s strong, calm, sexy, confident, cute, or something else - you will feel better about yourself. This might obviously vary from time to time, but I encourage you to spend some time thinking about how you want to feel and how you would dress if you had no restrictions (either from society or yourself).

Create a mood board

Creating a mood board might help you see what things look like on people you look up to. I suggest you go to Pinterest and try some different keywords, such as a style (minimalist outfits, oversize outfits, etc), a garment (chunky sneakers, white turtleneck, etc), or someone whose style you admire (I personally love the way Alexa Chung dresses). Then you simply add away! Add all the photos you like, and pause any potential negative thoughts you might have. When you’re done with your first draft - go through the pins. What outfits can you re-create with things you already own?

Write your shopping list

Ok, so now it’s finally time to write that list. Simply write down what you, after a month of planning, see that you need or want. It could be new comfy underwear, great fitting jeans, long-sleeved basic tops, a statement shoe, a handbag that you can wear both to work and after work - or something completely else. I suggest you write the list on your phone so you always have it handy.

Be patient

Because buying clothes second hand means that you don’t always find what you’re looking for right away, you’ll just have to learn how to be patient. Remember how annoying it is to declutter and keep that feeling when waiting for the exact right item. Strive to create a wardrobe where you love every piece.

Good luck!

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