Behavior & Psychology

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Weight, Body Image, and Shopping

In preparation for beginning Project 333 on April 1st, I tried on most of my clothes.  I did this so I could select the best 33 garments to wear over the next three months.  That process resulted in both good news and bad news…

The Good News – Letting Go

The good news was that I eliminated a number of items in my closet which no longer work for me. Trying things on really helped me to make decisions about the fate of many wardrobe pieces. If you think a garment in your closet is fine but haven’t worn it recently, I highly encourage you to try it on!

Our perceptions of our clothing are often way off!  Pieces we may have loved in the past might be all wrong for our current lifestyle, body shape, and sense of style. Trying things on allows us to break through any illusions we may hold about what to keep and what to release.

The Bad News – Weight Gain

Now for the bad news… As I tried on my warm weather clothing, it became abundantly clear that I’d packed on at least a few extra pounds during the cooler months.  I almost never weigh myself, as I find the number very “triggering” and bad mood inducing. I allow a simple three-digit figure to mean far too much about me and my worth as a human being.  Although I’ve overcome the majority of my eating disorder issues (see “History of a Shopaholic”), the last vestige of my two-decade struggle is negative body image.

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Sometimes Cheap is Really More Expensive

When you shop for clothes, shoes, and accessories, do you always try to find the lowest price?  Are you always on the lookout for a “good deal”?   While bargain-hunting is common for many shoppers, I’m here to tell you that “cheap” can actually be more expensive.

A Tale of Four Purses

What do I mean by this?  I’ll illustrate my point by sharing a tale of four purses.  Two of the purses were “expensive” (over $200) and the other two were “cheap” (around $50).  The expensive purses were made by Brighton and were purchased in August 2008 and December 2010, respectively.  I have carried both bags for at least 300 days, yet they are still in excellent condition and scarcely show their wear.

I bought the “cheap” bags late last year.  I carried one for approximately three months (I’m not one to change my bags all that often) and the other for only about a week.  I did not stop carrying these bags because I grew tired of them.  I stopped carrying them because they lost their shape, began to fray, and started looking terrible.  Yes, a $50 bag only lasted for a week!  I wish I could return it, but I purchased it months before I began using it and have no way of proving that it started to fall apart after such a short period of time.  So I can’t get my money back, but I can learn a powerful lesson and share it with my readers.

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Project 333 Week One Update

Welcome to my first Project 333 update!  Each week during April through June, I will post an update on my Project 333 experience.  These updates will include photos of my outfits from the previous week, as well as the insights I’ve gained and the challenges I’ve faced from doing Project 333 and dressing with less.

Overall Impressions

My first week went fairly smoothly overall.  As was mentioned by others who have done the challenge, the anxiety and discomfort one experiences while preparing for Project 333 gradually subsides after the project actually begins.  When I first saw my dramatically reduced wardrobe, it looked strange to me and I found myself worrying how I’d make due with so few clothes.  I wanted to fill in the space, but I forced myself to “be with” the space and emptiness.

As with many things in life, the strangeness of the new dissipates with time.  It now feels almost normal for my closet to contain fewer pieces and I no longer feel a rush of anxiety upon opening the doors. The feeling of “only 33” has morphed into more of a sense that I have enough.   Even so, I’m glad I didn’t include shoes and accessories in my 33 items, as those pieces will increase my outfit possibilities and satisfy my desire for variety and novelty.  I’m tracking the shoes and accessories I wear and will post photos of these items at the end of each month.   We’ll see how many I actually wear over the course of three months, as I might not need as many as I think!

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The Enemy of the Best is the Good

You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.” ― Stephen R. Covey

The late, great Stephen Covey has long been one of my favorite authors.  His “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is widely regarded as one of the best self-help books ever written and offers a wealth of helpful advice for business and life.  The quote above refers to priorities and goals, but I believe it also applies to our wardrobes and shopping.

The Plusses and Minuses of Trying to Wear Everything

As I embarked upon my “Wardrobe Benchwarmer Project” in January, my intention was to evaluate all of the items I hadn’t been wearing to either start wearing them regularly or let them go. Now that the first quarter of the year is almost behind us, I have learned a few things.  I have pushed myself to wear close to half of my benchwarmer pieces by this point, as I want to complete the project sooner rather than later.  This push to wear all of my previously unloved items has had both good and bad consequences.

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The Reasons We Shop Too Much

Since I started “Recovering Shopaholic” in January, I’ve given a lot more thought to my reasons for shopping too much.  I used to think I shopped because I loved clothes and fashion, but I’ve come to understand there is a lot more to it than that.  My reasons for being a shopaholic go much deeper than a passion for style and I suspect this is true for many others who shop in excess.

Compulsive Shopping Reasons

Why do we buy all this stuff?!?

The following is a brief overview of my perspective on the many reasons for compulsive shopping. I will expand upon some of the reasons listed in future posts.

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