There came a point in my life when I didn’t have many options, so I went on a shopping strike. And it got me thingking what if we all didn’t shop for a year? What kind of an effect would that have?
Thanks to social media we seem to really love challenges. And one of the most popular challenges stems from the guilt that a lot of us feel in relation to consumerism. Especially the detrimental effects our shopping habits have on the planet we live on.
The cat’s been out of the bag for decades! Nobody can deny that the fashion industry is among the Top3 worst polluters in the world. So, with this knowledge pressing at the back of our minds many have embarked on shopping strikes.
What a Shopping Strike Taught Me
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have embarked on a shopping strike but I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t shop even if I wanted to.
Throughout my twenties I was in such a financial rut that it resembled a personal bankruptcy. I could bearely pay my monthly bills and had no savings or credit left to fall back on. I was as broke as can be. So, I didn’t shop for a year because I couldn’t.
Thankfully I’ve never been a big spender when it comes to clothes. I never did clothing hauls of clothes that easily end up hanging in the cupboard with price tags attached, never to be worn.
- Instead, I would only spend money if a piece of clothing, or a pair of shoes, really spoke to me.
- By this I mean that if I left the store, and the item was stuck in my head, I could go back and get it.
- I’ve never regretted any of those purchases. They happened relatively rarely and I still wear those clothes.
And now that I have returned to the world of normal salaries and am finally debt-free, I’ve realized that my shopping habits have changed drastically. So, here’s what a shopping strike taught me:
Read also: Why I Will No Longer Shop At River Island
1. I have everything I need
In all honesty, I would be brave enough to venture a guess that this, in fact, applies to every single one of us. We’re just so used to being able to leave some money behind and walk out of a store with an item or 5 in the bag. We think that cheap clothes are our right, but they’re actually not.
But if you find yourself in the same situation as I did a year ago – all accounts empty and credit cards up to their limits full – you quickly realize that you don’t actually need any of the clothes you haul home every week.
At the end of the day, we don’t need any more than a few key pieces. Which we very likely already have in the closet. A capsule wardrobe is a good option to try out in case you find a full blown shopping strike too much to ask. Which brings me to the next point:
2. I realized the versatility of my wardrobe
I’m not going to lie, I do have a lot of clothes! And the thing, that I’m quite proud of is, I wear all of them. Living in a country where all 4 seasons are very prominent one has to have 4 different wardrobes anyway. But those wardrobes don’t necessarily have to include that many items.
For example, the possibilities of styling a pair of jeans are endless! I love me a pair of skinny jeans which I can pair up with
- a classic white tee
- a bardot neckline top
- a blazer
- a turtleneck,
- or for a festive occasion a glitter top with high heels added to the combo.
One must-have piece that saves you many “I have nothing to wear!!” mornings is a black, basic blazer. It brings structure and prestige to even the most basic of outfits. You can pair it with trousers and skirts and all.
The items that I found most versatile during my shopping strike in terms of styling them over and over again, and which I suggest investing in, are:
- a good pair of jeans
- a basic blazer
- a versatile skirt
- white T-shirt
- black stilettos
3. I learned the importance of quality
When you can’t get new clothes to replace the ones that break or shrink in the wash, you can’t help but start to properly appreciate all those pieces you already own. Most often those pieces are the ones you’d have spent a bit more money on.
Yes, tears and stains can happen to any garment, regardless of how much money you spent on them. But when the piece of clothing is made of quality fabric, the odds are it will last in your closet for much longer than that 5€ top. And never underestimate the power of clothing repair!
When my shopping strike ended, I couldn’t even imagine going to H&M, Primark or any of the cheap fast fashion stores. Instead, I started familiarizing myself with sustainable fashion brands.
And I’ve found some absolutely amazing ones! At first it hurts to pay 30€ for a t-shirt when you’re used to paying no more than 5€. But understanding that that 5€ is an exploitative, criminal price, you start to understand your personal responsibility in terms of shopping.
So, a big change has happened in my mindset towards more expensive but better quality fashion. Before I used to avoid brand stores in order to save money. But now I realize that this frame of mind did not actually save me any money.
4. I saved an incomprehensible amount of money
Looking back at how I used to consume on fashion the conclusion is clear:
Investing in more expensive quality products once a month saves me hundreds of euros per year. This is in comparison to how much I’d spend on fast fashion in a year’s time.
But how can I afford to put 10 times more money on a sustainably produced princess dress? By shopping much less than before and much more rarely. It all comes down to what I actually need, rather than what I want!
As concrete examples I can give you my Gabor leather ballerinas, which are nearing their 8th Summer, still in pristine condition.
Ballerinas are a great way to test the ‘quality versus price’ argument. Proper leather ballerinas cost about 4 times more, but they last for years. Whereas I need to buy a new pair of those 20€ ballerinas every single year.
5. I became aware of the negative impacts of fast fashion
This wasn’t just because I went on a shopping strike, but also because the effects of fast fashion are everywhere these days.
You can’t really avoid the news of fatal accidents happening in fast fashion factories in developing countries. Or the documentaries on the amount of pollution that the fashion industry creates, destroying the farming lands of the people living nearby the factories.
It’s a grim reality, but it’s a reality that we all need to be aware of. We’re all contributing to the problem and thus we are all also the solution! Let’s look on the bright side, because ultimately it’s us consumers who hold the power.
Shopping Strike – Final Thoughts
I intend to keep this more conscious consumerism up from now on. I really don’t need anything new at the moment. Plus noticing the massive difference in quality between fast fashion and ethical brands has made me think that I’ll only opt for the premium stores from now on.
It remains to be seen whether I can keep this up or not. The fact that I didn’t shop for a year did open my eyes to a whole new reality and the fact that consumerism is what will eventually destroy us. We need to find sustainable systems.
Have you guys ever been on a shopping strike? Or would you ever start one? I’d love to hear your views on the subject. ♥
Follow me on Instagram and use #styleoutlandish to showcase your style! I’m always on the lookout for outfit inspiration. Get to know me better by listening to my podcast, Random Rambles. If you wish to work with me, check out my services here!
