I have decided that I will buy no new clothes in 2023. Two things recently have motivated me to do this. In January, my friend Lisa had a birthday party where the theme was ‘You do you’. I decided to go dressed in ‘Op Shop Chic’. Then, earlier this month it was secondhand wardrobe week. It got me thinking about how I can up my sustainable wardrobe game. I already buy a lot, most actually, of my clothes secondhand so that really isn’t a challenge for me any more. To not buy any new clothes at all though? That sounds like a challenge that I am up for!
Op Shop Chic
First of all, here’s a quick selfie snap of my ‘Op Shop Chic’ outfit. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take photos when I was actually all dressed up for the party. To make my costume choice more obvious, I left some of the Vinnies tags on which meant I had at least half a dozen people say to me, “Oh, you’ve left a tag on. Do you want me to take it off for you?” Lol!
I got the brand new shirtdress for $25 at Dickson Vinnies. Yes, it was a bit pricey but it still had its tags and it was perfect. I decided to take up the sleeves which I hadn’t yet done in this picture. They were true shirt sleeves with button-up cuffs and I am not keen on things around my wrists. It is great to find things ready to wear but I do enjoy looking out for things with ‘potential’ too.
The belt ($3 from Dickson Vinnies) wasn’t quite the right shade of red but it was the best I could find in the short amount of time. I also found the necklace at Dickson Vinnies ($4). The almost matching earrings ($2) I found at Mitchel Vinnies. Very fortuitous!
The red shoes I have actually had for a while but I did buy them from Dickson Vinnies. While I was shopping for the dress, I found the exact pair in black for $10 so I snapped them up too for another occasion.
My rules for buying no new clothes in 2023
So this is what I’m thinking…
- I can buy new underwear. I think that is fair enough;
- If I really can’t find suitable shoes secondhand, I can buy those too;
- Other than that, I am restricting myself to secondhand clothes sourced from op shops, secondhand boutiques, friends or my Buy Nothing type groups and the like; or
- Making things myself (because I’m just getting back into sewing and I’d be sad to stop) but trying to use only reclaimed, destashed or deadstock fabrics.
So, that’s my plan. I’ll let you know how it goes and maybe share some more of my ‘op shop chic’ throughout the year. If you have taken on a similar challenge (or want to join me in this one) do let me know!
