Material Girl

I pledged at the beginning of 2018 to take stock of what enters my wardrobe and to take accountability of my choices.

I did this experiment to be more mindful in a bunch of different ways:

• One, to be more thoughtful of the planet. Fast fashion factories produce poorly made products that need to be replaced quickly. Textiles are clogging our landfills! 
• Two, to be kinder to humanity. A lot of the big box stores out there treat their factory workers horribly. 
• Three, to take a true inventory of what I wear and love, take a moment before making an impulse purchase, and de-clutter my overflowing closet accordingly. 
• And four, to be conscious of my spending and save a bit of dough. After a wedding and a honeymoon, and with a hefty balance on my student loan debt (thanks grad school!), it was time to put some money away.

That being said, my efforts were sometimes successful and other times not so successful.

When I began the process, I realized sections of my wardrobe were in need of a serious refresh. Like my workout gear. After years and years of working out at home, my gym attire was in desperate need of an overhaul.

I made some observations along the way that guided my behavior too -

I stepped up my recycle game:
Over the course of the year, I made 4 trips to GoodWill. I also consigned three large bags of items using ThredUp.

I stepped up my reuse game:
I gave a perfectly good set luggage to my brother. (After having purchased a new one for our honeymoon, there was a spare set collecting dust that could be put to good use). I gifted my mom a handbag I rarely wore that she had admired. And I offloaded a bunch of fun-but-maybe-too-young-for-me costume jewelry to my brother's fiance. And I purchased second hand clothes in December.

I now know that I need to step up my reduce game. I brought a whole carry-on's worth of clothing into my home in 2018. Recognizing this is half of the problem.

There's most certainly room for improvement (oh the fast fashion purchases!) but that's what this experiment was all about!

In 2019, I will be curtailing my shopping habit and again making note of what enters my wardrobe. Here's to a less indulgent and more thoughtful approach to clothes shopping this year.

We may be living in a material world but I don't want to be a material girl.

2019

Time to start another new year with a clean slate.

Overall, 2018's resolution of being more mindful was a success! Some of my habits have been life changing (like making the switch to natural deodorant and hitting the gym). Others have inspired me to take action (like giving blood regularly and buying consignment clothing). And some were good at the time but maybe aren't totally doable for me in the long run (like keeping a daily gratitude journal - now I just jot down things I'm grateful for when I'm feeling blue).

Last year's resolution forced me to take a long hard look at my overall expenses, the things I use daily, and my indulgences. Sometimes it was a bit shocking! Questions I asked myself at the end of the year include: Did I really spend that much time on my phone? How in the world am I ever going to pay off my student loan debt? Can I somehow cut down on my eating out/ordering in habit with so many delicious options in NYC? I spent how much on clothing?! Why have I never looked at the ingredients in this thing I use everyday?

And it is with that in mind, that I write my resolutions for 2019:

Pay off debt.
Pause before purchasing.
Save more.
Go green whenever possible.

Here's to a thrifty forward-thinking 2019!

The Second Time Around

MY MINDFUL YEAR - DECEMBER

I purchased clothing from a second hand shop.

Despite my many donations of items to charity over the years, up until recently, I had never before purchased an item from a thrift or consignment shop.

My first instinct was to go into GoodWill and peruse. This turned out to be overwhelming and complete sensory overload for me.



So I scrapped it and went onto ThredUp, the site where I had consigned clothes earlier this year and had made a nice sum from it. This turned out to be more my speed. I was able to sort the clothes by size, brand, and wear-and-tear. I ended up purchasing 3 blouses and a cardigan.

This is something I will absolutely be doing again in the future. The clothes I purchased were all designer. They were all in excellent condition - 2 of the blouses even had the original tags on them! It's good for the planet and for my wallet. And I don't have to sift through unorganized racks to get a good deal and give a piece of clothing a second life.