I just came back from Australia, land of Zimmerman and Aje, Bassike and Camilla and Marc and did not shop for clothes. Not even one top. I would be lying though if I told you I had no plans of buying this Bessie Shell Top by Aje, because I had this on my shopping list prior to leaving. But then when I got there, I completely forgot about it.
Which basically means, it was not high on my priority list. It was a mere passing fancy that did not sear on my shopping subconscious. So buy less, I did. For myself at least.
I got my sons some Patagonia Retro-X jackets. Those jackets last so long though, I am pretty sure they will be worn till they no longer fit and can still be passed on to younger cousins or at least, eligible for trade-in to be sold at Worn Wear.
I’ve been really picky with the stuff I buy these days. Does that mean I am choosing well? Or maybe not having to choose that much, because every time I need to get dressed and I go through my closet, I often think I have a lot of clothes that I love already. Enough that I don’t need to shop for more, but not enough that I crave for newness sometimes. When I got back home from my trip, I got myself these Tibi Calder Sweatpants, something I’ve had on my wishlist for years, but gave in just then.
Maybe because I didn’t buy anything? Not really. It was more a confluence of factors. My two week stay in the laidback city of Canberra, where my sister and her family live, convinced me of the merits of wearing joggers. Since I was visiting to help take care of her newborn in the winter, I knew to dress for warmth, comfort and mostly for staying home. I packed three pairs of sweatpants - 10 year old gray ones from Topshop, and two new pairs I bought just before leaving, a navy one from Marks & Spencer and black straight leg ones from Uniqlo. Having practically lived in them the entire two weeks, I finally understood why Karl Lagerfeld never resonated with me.
He famously once said, 'Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.' and he was flat out wrong. Sweatpants are a sign that you care about comfort. You’ve decided to take control of your life, regardless of what others think, because you put yourself first. And when you get these Tibi ones, it means you’ve committed fully to the cause.
I think I chose well, getting this pair. I did not rush into buying it. I fully tested my theory before committing to it and I used my carefully considered thinking process that I always go back to before buying anything. I ask myself the following:
Do I need it? If yes,
Will it go with the clothes I already have? If yes,
How often will I wear it? If the cost per wear is justified,
Is it made from natural fabrics? How is it sewn and finished? If it passes the quality test,
How long will it last? My rule is, it has to last at least 20 years.
Typically, most of the things that interest me do not allow me to go past question 1. (Note too, that this requires honesty and objectivity in discerning what a need is.) So if I go beyond that, it’s already a pretty good indication that something is a serious contender. Hope this helps you formulate your own set of questions and criteria for buying less and choosing well. As for making things last, that’s a series of newsletters to come!