4 rules I stick to for online shopping
I am definitely, without a doubt, a shopper. I love shopping. retail therapy? my jam. but it adds up quickly - both financially and in terms of space. in addition to what I share here, shopping from places that use ethically sourced sustainable materials, fair labor laws, and have made actual efforts or progress in cultivating a diverse staff/team is something I focus on doing more of these days.
i’m putting myself on a no-spend for september, something I do periodically, which helps me realign my financial goals, my closet, eating habits, and everything in between! truly a good reset. so while I won’t be doing much online shopping this month, if you’re looking for some ways to shop more mindfully, here are 4 things I do to help myself out!
one in, one out.
in trying to reduce my wardrobe to more of a capsule, as well as redefining my style, when buying a new piece, I find something that I can donate, sell, or pass down. for example, I recently bought a floral dress, a black dress, and a maxi dress. I only did this because I also recently donated a floral dress that simply no longer fit, a black dress that had served me well for literally 9 years and needed to be retired, and a maxi dress that just truly isn’t my style anymore, or anyone’s - it was chevron (*shudders in 2000s-2010s flashbacks).
when shopping a drop, purchase FOMO is not real.
to each their own on this, and honestly, spend your money how you want - but I always find it so silly when people buy a bunch of stuff from a launch, only to turn around and sell it because they didn’t need it or didn’t know what to do with it - BUT then specify that they only bought it “just in case.” in case of…what, exactly? shedding that mentality has saved me a bunch of stress (and money) in the long-run. it’s worked for me personally to have a list in mind when looking at an upcoming launch, and if I miss out, I miss out. the wasteful days of “I just want to have something from the collection/drop/launch,” are over.
3 ways to wear or style.
if I can’t come up with at least 3 different ways I’d wear a piece of clothing or use/style an accessory, I don’t buy it. If it won’t serve a purpose, what’s the point of having it? if it’s just going to sit around until the “right moment,” why did I have to have it? for things like occasion outfits, I just re-wear. I’ve had a go-to black tie event dress for 5 years now, and it’s stopped me from trying to find a new “fancy” dress for every single occasion that i’d only wear once. i’m literally wearing it to a wedding this weekend.
the 24-48 hour cart
when I know something isn’t about to sell out (and if it does sell out, it just wasn’t meant to be), I’ll just keep it in my cart at least 24 hours, or for as long as the site will let me. if i’ve had time to sit on it for at least another day, and it’s still there, and I still feel the way about it when I first saw it, i’ll go for it.
bonus rule: if i’m shopping for a specific event/occasion, like vacation or other destination event, I plan my outfits out on canva. if I can’t find a picture of something i’m planning to pack that I already own, i’ll just take a picture. this helps me pack more efficiently, not overbuy on clothes that look fun for vacation but I probably wouldn’t wear at home, and just generally take better stock of if I truly need to do pre-trip shopping!
