This one thing changed how I dress forever.
In a world of consumption, is leaning into having less the way forward?
I sold over 100 items from my wardrobe on Vinted and the whole experience has completely changed how I shop for clothes…
It had been brewing for a while, a clear-out of epic proportions, but one can only really have a wardrobe cleanse if one has a plan about what to do with everything that doesn’t make the cut. I had spoken to my friend, the celebrity stylist Fatima Truscott, about Vinted because she had been using it and loving it for a while, but had assumed it was time-consuming and more trouble than it was worth. I’ve always just piled things into bin bags and taken them to my nearest charity shop in the past, but encouraged by her at how ‘easy’ it was, I decided to give Vinted a go.
It’s not just wardrobes that get crammed though, is it? The accumulation of ‘stuff’ is an ugly problem, peculiar and unique to the modern generation for whom consuming has become a natural impulse. Things are cheaper and easier to get hold of than ever before and I’m ashamed to say I have become a little piglet suckling at the teet of consumerism who is simultaneously on the hunt for a Holy Grail pepper grinder, the perfect pair of sports leggings and any number of thingummybobs whose purchase will somehow make my life easier and more organised.
However, it’s in the way I buy clothes that I’ve felt almost out of control over the last few years as I’ve tried to stay abreast of the latest trends but also compile a perfect capsule closet of essential items. And yet, while I may have bought a lot, I didn’t have the wardrobe I’d hoped for, one that I could reach into without even thinking and every item would somehow ‘work’. No, what I had was a closet full of items that didn’t really ‘go’ with anything, items I’d spent too much money on that I was saving ‘for best’, which meant I never wore them, and instead of a rail of perfect t-shirts and jeans, I had a selection of imperfect ones.
I’d say, optimistically that I was only wearing about 20 per cent of my wardrobe, yet I couldn’t stop adding to it… Until I had a fit of pique, threw every item of clothing on the floor and only put back in the things I’d worn within the last three months.
Reader, it was a closet cull the likes of which you’ve never seen before. And it felt flipping fantastic.
So, two months after my first Vinted sale, here’s why it changed how I shop forever…
1. I’ll never shop to ‘kill’ time again.
How often have I popped into Zara, run my hands through the rails at Uniqlo or had a quick mooch in Intimissimi before meeting a friend, getting a train or an appointment? It’s an easy distraction when you have some time on your hands, but I know that I’ve also left the store with an inexpensive purchase. Over time, these don’t just build up in a financial sense, they also take up space in your home as you store, in my case, yet another white t-shirt. As my wardrobe mountain stared at me from my bedroom floor, I realised how many items were just to get a quick endorphin rush and not for any real or practical wear. So, no more under £25 splurges for me.
2. Plan what you want before you shop.
It’s nice to stumble upon something wonderful to wear when you’re out shopping, but I’m taking the impulse out of how I buy moving forward and thinking about what I need before I set foot in the store - virtual or otherwise.
I’m not saying this requires a written plan or the help of an app, although this is an option, but a list of what you like, what you need, what will go together - essentially a shopping list to ‘stick’ to is my strategy moving forward.
3. Buy cheap, buy twice.
A bargain isn’t a bargain if you don’t wear it, the quality is rubbish and it doesn’t fit properly. Oh, how my rails were filled with clothes I thought were a steal but clearly had been marked down for a reason. I’m focusing on quality over quantity as I repopulate my closest. Read: one amazing black polo neck jumper as as opposed to seven not-quite-right ones that are either scratchy, too short, too long, too baggy etc.
4. If it’s not a ‘forever’ purchase, think about its next life…
When I listed my 100+ items on Vinted, I couldn’t resist a little browse around to see what was for sale. What became very clear is how little value there is in re-selling clothes, unless it’s a known brand. It was Vinted that prompted my split from Free People because there was so much of it, looking tatty and a bit sad, going for a fraction of its recommended retail price.
Now, when I’m thinking about buying something, I wonder whether it’ll have a worthwhile second life in someone else’s wardrobe or whether I’m contributing to landfill and fashion waste. If it’s the latter, it’s a big swerve.
5. Shop your wardrobe.
This is where an app can come in handy, but if you’ve taken the time to photograph your clothes for Vinted then taking a few snaps of what you’ve kept is also a handy tool. I may or may not have bought a lot of clothes on ASOS so every time I feel the urge for something new, I force my thumb to hit ‘my orders’ instead of ‘saved items’ and shop the things I’ve bought previously. Yes, you don’t get the ‘high’ of a parcel arriving in the next day’s delivery, but you do get the instant gratification of having it at your fingertips.
6. If it’s not perfect, don’t buy it.
This seems like an obvious one but when I went through my rails, I was shocked at how many things were still waiting for their ‘moment’ to shine. I am not adventurous when it comes to fashion and this made me realise I need to stop trying to be something I’m not.
I did a photoshoot recently and the stylist asked me to bring some ‘colourful items from your wardrobe you’ll feel comfortable in’. I had to reply, ‘my wardrobe is pretty much exclusively black, white, grey and denim’. I ended up wearing the most incredible bright blue tuxedo style suit from Jigsaw and was tempted to go and buy it, but the truth is I’d never wear something so bold.
7. There’s nothing wrong with wearing something over and over again.
A few years ago, I had one winter coat. Every winter I’d buy a covers-all-weather-conditions coat and I’d wear it with everything. At last count my closet featured; a military coat, a khaki hooded trench coat, a beige mac, two bomber jackets, a camo shacket, a full length insulted rain coat, a cropped mac, a padded parka, a rain mac, a black jacket and a denim jacket. Oh, and a leather jacket. And yet, I could easily add a few more and feel they’d get good wear.
Perhaps coats and jackets are the wrong category, but when did we need so many options? Why can’t I wear the same dress to every work dinner or the same suit for every formal occasion?
When I compiled the fashion pages on OK! Magazine, it was all about buying staple pieces you’d dress up with seasonal accessories and that’s a vibe I want to return to. Although there’s a strict veto on jazzy necklaces.
Oh, and what of the items I listed that didn’t sell? I didn’t list for profit, I added items I was going to take to the charity shop anyway so when things haven’t sold after a month, that’s where I take them.
How would you describe your shopping habits?
This has inspired me to have a proper, serious look at my wardrobe. I keep finding myself standing in my bedroom thinking that I have nothing to wear, when what I mean is that nothing feels right or makes me feel good. I have SO many clothes, but they're obviously not serving me anymore. Time to be brutal I think...
This season I’ve been doing project 333 (33 items, including shoes, accessories etc for 3 months) and it’s been a game changer. No shopping, I love all 33 items I’ve chosen and my wardrobe looks so neat and tidy. Ok, pretty much everything is black but getting dressed is a breeze and I love the lack of thought involved. Next season will be harder with layers/outerwear etc but currently I feel triumphant!