2011 - The resolution that started them all

Do you know about The Uniform Project (http://www.theuniformproject.com/)? The woman behind the project wore the same dress (she had 7 versions made) for an entire year, and dressed it up differently every day. She's incredibly creative, and her artsy awesome aesthetic really appeals to me. While I don't think I can carry off most of her looks, I'm completely inspired by her.

I decided to try my own challenge - I got my first sewing machine in 2010, I have a decent creative streak, I have TONS of clothes and accessories already, and I work from home, so I can dress however I'd like. My challenge to myself was: NO BUYING ANY NEW CLOTHES OR ACCESSORIES FOR 1 YEAR - NO EXCEPTIONS.


AND, I kept my resolution. However, the focus of the challenge definitely evolved. What started as more of a creative adventure very quickly became something else because in February we found out we were having a baby - IN A MONTH. We adopted our precious baby boy N the day he was born on March 10. The wonderful, amazing story of how baby N came into our lives is the stuff of another post. For the purposes of this post, let's just say that I found myself with a lot less time for creatively outfitting myself - clean yoga pants were the priority.

I won't say I didn't have time to shop, because believe you me, I can always find the time. Malls were made for sleeping newborns in strollers. However, I started thinking more about having what I need, consuming less, and living simply. This isn't to say that I don't love stuff and love clothes and fashion - because I definitely do. I just became very aware of how much I have and need vs. want, and how I can restyle and reuse what is already in my closet to recreate newer looks. Another trick is that when your mother asks you what you want for your birthday, and your mother happens to work for Nordstrom, just ask for something specific that you really love instead of making the poor woman guess and then having to return it anyway. You'll make everyone's life easier.

Now that my year is over, I haven't gone out on any major shopping sprees - I went to Target and replaced every sock I owned on January 1 - mine were woefully threadbare - but other than that, no new clothes yet. I got some great things over the holidays, and I'm still enjoying their newness. I definitely see the way I shop changing - I see more of a value in purchasing one item I really love and getting lots of use out of it instead of going out and buying "more shirts" because I feel like shopping.

One thing I really enjoyed about my year of not shopping is that I was free of pre-season anxiety. Does anyone else do this to themselves? I'll anticipate the coming season by fretting about all the new clothes that I need/must have/can't live without. I actively worry about the wardrobe items I want. Because I couldn't shop, I just didn't feel that (admittedly INSANE) pressure I've put on myself. What a relief!