In line with my one word this year, simplify, I’ve embarked on a no new clothing and makeup challenge! When I started this challenge earlier this year, most people scoffed at the idea but I’m pleased to say that it’s been really easy to stick too. So here’s an update on how my no new clothing challenge has being going!

(Almost) No New Clothes 

The basic premise of this challenge is a pretty simple one – no new clothing including secondhand or swaps. Unfortunately, almost immediately after starting this challenge, I had to break it! On one unfortunate day, I arrived at work to discover that I had a sizable hole about the size of a 50 cent coin in the back of my skirt! Fortunately for me, the underwear I was wearing that day closely matched the colour of my skirt but I was still pretty mortified. Because of the challenge, I hesitated and wondered if I could get away with hiding the hole in my skirt by sitting down all day. However, common sense prevailed and I was able to buy a similar looking skirt. I’m pleased to report that since this incident, I haven’t bought any new clothes!

Work In Progress Wardrobe

Part of the reason why I took on this challenge was because I wanted to have a wardrobe full of clothes that I loved. Last year, I was buying new clothes almost every month but I’d often find myself going through my clothes wondering what to wear! At the start of the challenge, I did an initial cull and donated quite a few items. I got rid of things that I hadn’t worn in a long time or that just wasn’t my style anymore. It was such a great feeling and I’m hoping to get rid of more clothes as the year goes on. To help me, I’ve turned all of my hangers backwards to see what I haven’t worn. I’m enjoying the challenge of wearing items that I haven’t worn yet and am interested to see what hangers don’t get turned around. It’s almost halfway through the year now and I’ve probably worn about 40% of my wardrobe.

Breaking Bad Habits

I’ve never been a big shopper but working in the city meant that lunchtimes were often spent wandering around the stores and buying an item here or there. At home, I’d get bored and spend my time checking out online stores and doing the same thing. It wasn’t necessarily bad but when I look back at it, I think of all the wasted money, time and effort that could’ve been spent elsewhere! I suppose my priorities have changed as well. Nowadays I try to be more conscious when I’m buying something and spend more time doing things that I like rather than mindlessly trying to find the next best deal. It’s also helped that I’ve unsubscribed to a lot of stores because trust me when I say that there’s always going to be another big sale!

Looking Ahead

Hopefully, by the end of the year I’ll have a wardrobe full of clothes that I love and items that I wear all the time. Now that I’m getting older I find myself gravitating towards classic pieces rather than flashy seasonal items. I also want to be more conscious of the things that I buy and put my hard earned money, time and effort towards things that actually matter to me. That’s not to say that I’m not looking forward to the end of the challenge but it’s great to shake things up a bit every now and then!

PS Check out my no new makeup challenge update!