If You're Tempted to Impulse Buy, Read This First!
Am I buying this for me or my ‘fantasy self’?
A glimpse into my Autumn moodboard.
Fashion girlies know that Autumn is the best time of the year to get dressed. It’s the time of year we can get the most from our wardrobes and create interesting outfits by combining laters, textures and silhouettes.
But the new season is also the time of year when we are inundated with new collections, new trends and new marketing campaigns telling us that we NEED this item and owning it will CHANGE. OUR. LIVES.
So how do we combat the need to impulse purchase?
By remembering that having a selective approach to adding new things to our wardrobes and restyling items we own from past seasons is how we develop our personal style.
Here are 3 things you can do before impulsively buying that new £300 suede jacket
Ask Yourself The Hard Questions
If you worked with me back in the day, you will know that I LOVED an ASOS order. I ordered from there every week and bought so many fast fashion goodies. I got so many orders sent to the work mailroom that they literally started to expect to see me pick up my packages almost daily. It was funny at the time, but reflecting back on it now it’s quite worrying to see my frivolous spending habits.
It got me asking myself why I felt the need to purchase new things every week and why I thought it was an okay thing to do back then?
So here are 8 questions I wish I had asked myself before I bought all that crap from ASOS that I no longer own (thinking of all the beautiful bags from The Row I probably could have bought with that money):
Am I buying this because I like the item itself, or is it because I like it on the person I saw it on?
Am I buying this because I’m bored?
Does this suit my personal style?
Can I create 5-10 outfits with this item?
Do I really like this item or do I like it because I am seeing it everywhere?
Am I buying this for me or my ‘fantasy self’?
Does this item fit into my lifestyle?
Do I have something like this in my wardrobe already?
Know Thyself
Personal style is more important than you think. Sure, it can be boiled down to just ‘wearing clothes’, but I’m sure that if you are reading this post you also get that it’s so much more than that.
Taking the time to figure out your personal style can give you a deeper understanding of who you are. What are you trying to show about yourself to the outside world and why? When I wear an outfit that I feel like represents who I am, I feel so right inside.
There is no one size fits all approach to getting to know your personal style, and honestly, I think that most of the work comes from actually just putting on clothes and figuring out what speaks to you. It’s also going to be constantly evolving and changing.
I have yet to put together a YouTube video or Substack post on how to find your style (coming soon!), but here are some of my favourites sources to get started:
Create Your Holy Grail Wishlist (…and stick to it)
Creating a wishlist is the first step in curating your purchases and your style. It’s also a really great lesson in restraint, lol.
By taking the time to put something on a list you give your brain the space to actually think before impulsively buying something.
Your wishlist can be a running list in your Notes app, a Pinterest board if you are a visual person or even a Notion page. Whatever you find is easiest for you.
You should also be constantly reviewing your wishlist. I love taking things off and wondering why I ever wanted it in the first place because it’s a reminder to myself that however much I felt that strong pull towards a certain piece of clothing, it can change at any moment. I don’t ever want a piece as much as I think I do in the moment.
It also stops you from buying the first thing you see that catches your eye. By adding it to your wishlist you are reminded of the other items on there and can prioritise by what you need.
Anyway, that’s my two cents on shopping for the new season. Look, I’m not going to pretend that I am some perfect minimalist angel who has a tidy curated wardrobe. I have a long, long, long way to go and several wardrobe decluttering sessions until I get there. Every year I try and get more selective with what I purchase to really try and hone in on my personal style and what I like. And the best we can do is try!
Thank you for reading, Adeline xx
You've reminded me that I bought a mid skirt back in May, which I loved at the time, but still haven't worn for various reasons. It's not really my style but I'm going to try and wear it tomorrow. Great post Adeline. Thanks.