Houston… We Have a Problem

Hello all! Do you guys imagine that when we chat every week, I’m welcoming you inside a grand closet and we’re sitting in a circle exchanging stories and gossip? Like a “closet book club?” No? Just me? Okay then...moving on. Today I wanted to talk about something that I think we can all relate to, especially since last March when all of this chaos first began. It’s something I’m not always proud of and it's an issue my family has had to help me cope with but it's an addiction for real. I’m talking about online shopping. As if my closet wasn’t already fat as hell, I guess I thought I needed ​more ​things to wear during a quarantine? Honestly, where did I think I was going to wear platform Bottega Venetas? The grocery store? My online yoga class? I’m going to share with you some ways I curbed this addiction and remedied my closest for the better.

1. Admitting you have a problem.

I realized the source of my shopping impulses. I was bored. I was bored and spending way too much time on my phone exposing myself to Instagram ads that were always trying to sell me something that was curated just for me based on my “likes.” I had to cut that shit out and put down the damn phone. You might be thinking that’s impossible and what else could I possibly do with my time. I turned to books, watching old movies and trying new hobbies like cooking or knitting. I mean, they didn’t stick but I had to try.

2. Getting reacquainted with my closet.

My closet is stuffed. It’s organized but man, she is thick. Somehow I would buy and buy and buy but I was realizing that I only wear the same few garments every day and that’s mostly because I had literally nowhere to go. I thought about how people will say we should view our native city through the eyes of a tourist. Meaning, we should be in awe of where we come from and see it with a fresh set of eyes, so I decided to do that with my closet. I got reacquainted with pieces I hadn’t worn in a long time and saw them with a new fondness I hadn’t before. I basically took myself shopping in my own closet and realized I didn’t ​need ​anything new, I was simply passing the time and wasting money.

3. Purging

In a previous post we discussed sorting and donating clothes. I either had to make room for all of my new purchases or send them back. So it began, just like an alcoholic throwing away all the booze, I had some decisions to make on what I was going to keep or give away. It was tough and if you’re like me then returning purchases is a tedious process and you like to avoid it. Seeing as I had a lot of time on my hands, I decided to create a Depop account and sell new and old pieces from my closet. It gave me a new hobby and I made some cash while doing it. In fact I made a decent profit and donated a portion of them to some Covid-19 relief funds. Everyone wins. To this day, I try to stay off of my Instagram for most of the day, solely for the fact that I could fall victim to it’s ways of advertising. I realize that I’m quite the lucky girl to have such an expansive wardrobe and to try and wear all it has to offer before purchasing something new. My new rule? For every new item I do buy, I have to get rid of another. Whether its through donation or selling, it has to go! Keep these tips in mind the next time you're about to impulse buy or the next time you see an ad that’s “just for you.” See you next week (and it better not be in a new pair of jeans).

Sincerely,
The Closet Correspondent

Feature Images: The Guardian/Review Journal/Oklahoman

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