5 Effective Ways to Stop Buying Clothes

Many of us are compulsive buyers. We tend to shop and buy clothes that we don’t need. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not practical to buy new clothes and not use them. So, here’s the list of ways to effectively stop buying clothes immediately.

how to Stop Buying Clothes

Reasons Why People Keep on Buying Clothes?

There are several reasons why people keep buying clothes. It could be because of fashion or simply because the new set of clothes falls on what is trending today. But all compulsive buyers have common denominators. 

Here are the reasons why most people buy clothes that they don’t need. 

Fashion

Victoria’s Secret, Chanel, Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton fashion shows must have stopped their fashion shows years ago if people won’t run after what’s the ‘it’ today. 

Running a fashion show is costly, but what is the cost if you generate boatloads of cash from promoting your product? This ‘setting a fashion trend’ technique allows the companies to sell their clothes and other products immediately.

Great Deals

Another way to lure you into buying new clothes is discounts and promotions. Every time shoppers see 25%, 50%, much more with 75% off, and even a buy 1 takes 1 tag, they will rush to get and try the clothes. They will even be happy to swipe their cards for clothes they don’t need. 

clothes buying

Trends

People who have an identity as a trendsetter often buy new clothes not because they need them but because they want to wear them, so other people will think that they need them (the new clothes). 

Being a trendsetter is awesome, but is it not costly to buy new clothes now and then?

Self-Esteem

The last but the most important and valid reason people buy new clothes is self-esteem. According to researchers, people who buy new clothes, especially pricey ones, impact a person’s self-esteem. 

Having a new pair of jeans or even a plain shirt can add to someone’s self-esteem. When buyers get the clothes they want, they can feel that sense of accomplishment. 

Regardless of their reasons, buying new clothes is not a practical move for most. When you buy clothes, it will be better to ask yourself first, ‘Can I use this on multiple occasions?’ If the answer is no, then you may leave that dress on its hanger. 

How to Stop Buying Clothes?

how to stop shopping for clothes

Do you know why it’s costly to buy new clothes? It is because you need to pair it with everything that you wear, from your makeup, earrings, necklace, scarf, bangles, watch, bag, and most importantly, your shoes.

Buying new clothes is either a lifestyle or an addiction. If you fall under the latter, here is how to stop it.

Mix and Match

When you buy clothes, you must make sure that you can wear them a couple of times, and don’t buy clothes that you think you need for a non-existent occasion.  

It’s okay to prepare for an occasion that we don’t know yet, but is it better to wait and know what the occasion is first? This way, we can save money, closet space and probably get newer and better clothes when the occasion comes.

If it doesn’t fit, leave it

When you go shopping, you will see several beautiful dresses, best-fitting jeans, and trendy clothes all waving at you, all begging for you to pick them. If you will experience this, get them and try them on. 

However, when you see yourself in the mirror and feel it’s a little bit off, then put it back on the rack. Don’t force yourself to wear things that don’t fit you. Also, trust the mirror because mirrors don’t lie.

buy new clothes

Avoid sales discounts and promos

Men and women always fall into this trap, and companies love it. Don’t you know why companies give out 75% discounts? 

If you think they were trying to dispose of the product because they are losing, you are wrong. That is only one of a hundred reasons why they do so. The main reason is to lure you into buying the product even though you don’t need them.

Be practical

This is the easiest way to control yourself from buying clothes. All you have to do is ask yourself these questions, ‘How much do I need this? How long will I want to wear this?’ If the answers are negative, it means that you put it back on its rack.

Stop Buying Clothes to Help Our Environment

buying new clothes

Though clothes themselves do not use fuel or emit smoke, their production process consumes significant fuel and electricity, detracting from a sustainable future.

Thus, if you want to help our environment, limit and restrain yourself from buying clothes that you do not need. If you can’t help it, buy sustainable ones, and make sure to use them more than once. 

You can find sustainable clothes through brands that support the use of the following:

  • Recycled fibers
  • Plant-based fibers
  • Animal-based fibers
  • Semi-synthetic 

The types mentioned above of fibers only slightly impact the environment due to their eco-friendly production process. The next time you buy clothes, check the print and see if they fall under those categories. 

There are some cases that the clothes will also be labeled as made up of recycled polyester, recycled nylon, recycled cotton, recycled wool, and linen, to name a few. All these types of clothes belong to the eco-friendly category. 

You may check some sustainable fashion brands online for more information about eco-friendly fibers and the brands supporting the campaign.

What to Do If You Cannot Hold Yourself from Buying?

Compulsive and impulsive buying can mess up your budget and cause a big problem. Moreover, the things you get from this unplanned buying will possibly add to the clutter. 

Here’s what you can do to avoid unplanned buying. 

Avoid the malls

If it is payday, and you have money and time, you should not go to the shopping centers. Do you know why? It is because the malls are the mecca of the shoppers. This means that the promos and discounts are scattered everywhere. 

However, if you can’t help to go to the shopping centers, you may follow the second tip.

buying clothes

Create a checklist

Our eyes and ears can quickly tell our brains to buy that beautiful red dress or that suit. Before this happens, you must create a checklist. It could be a checklist of what to buy on that day, in a week, or a month. 

The underrated checklist that you made can help you convince yourself not to buy the clothes that are not on the list. 

Stop checking shopping websites

Since the pandemic started, we have relied on most of our purchases online. Though it is better to check the clothes physically, we have learned to find perfect fit clothes online from different brands. 

Since we have mastered the art of knowing the brands’ sizes and which brand best fits us, you should stay away from online shopping websites.

These online shopping websites are like magnets that we can barely resist.

What to Do with Unused Clothes?

Instead of buying new clothes, reinvent and revamp your old clothes instead. Start checking your closet and see if you can find something that you can use to make a stylish and comfortable dress.

But first, you need to do the following:

Clean your closet

Before you pick and restyle your old clothes, you need to remove them first from the closet. You need to rearrange and segregate your clothes

Pile up those clothes you haven’t worn for a long time to the left. While the clothes you usually wear, put them on the right side. This way, you can clearly see which clothes to let go of. 

need new clothes

Organize your closet

When you put back the clothes in your closet, make sure to pile them according to your usage. Prioritize the clothes that you need, and that you usually wear.

Those clothes you have not worn for a long time set them aside. Then choose which ones you should let go of and which ones to keep. From there, decide what to do with them.

From there, you can decide what to do with the clothes. You may sell or give them out. But for those you want to keep, you can make a new style out of them.

You may start measuring and cutting the clothes based on the style that you want. You can make a wrap skirt or turn your pants into shorts. Or, cut the sleeves and the neckline and make your plain white shirt a comfortable summer tee. 

You can do so much with your clothes, and if you want to profit from them, you start selling them as pre-loved items online, too.

No matter what you do to your clothes, always bear in mind that it is not ideal to stock clothes in the closet. Clothes were made to be worn, not to be hung with their price tag on. 

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