How Many Clothes are Enough?

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve reduced the size of my wardrobe by almost half, yet I still feel like I have too many clothes.  As I’ve progressed on my “Recovering Shopaholic” journey, I’ve frequently pondered the question, “How many clothes are enough?”

I’ve touched on this subject in a number of previous posts and even wrote more extensively about it in “What is a Normal-Sized Wardrobe?”  But my perspective has continued to evolve since writing that article back in February.  In today’s post, I avoid discussion of normal versus abnormal and instead look at the more individual subject of “enoughness.”

How much is enough?

Do you know many clothes are enough for you?

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A Tale of Two Shoppers

I’d like to share a story with you about two very different types of shoppers.  One is a shopaholic who shops unconsciously, buys too much, buys the wrong types of things, and returns at least half of what she acquires. The other shopper shops much more carefully and mindfully, buys far less, and doesn’t need to return many of her purchases.

Both of These Shoppers Are Me!

The interesting twist is that I’m writing about the same person at two different points in her life.  In fact, both of these shoppers are me!  The first shopper is me prior to starting this blog and the second shopper is me now, in October 2013.  In this post, I share a before and after comparison of how I used to shop and how I shop today.

Two types of shoppers

I shop a lot differently now than I did a year ago…

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Neglected Wardrobe Areas – Part Two

Back in May, I wrote a post titled “Neglected Wardrobe Areas,” which addressed the issue of people not shopping for the wardrobe items they need most.  I wrote that even though I spend a lot of time in workout clothes and lounge wear, I generally spent less than 10% of my clothing dollars on such pieces.  Until recently, I didn’t believe these types of clothes were important enough to merit a larger portion of my wardrobe budget.   I now understand it’s important that we feel good about the way we look in all situations, even when we’re sitting at home in front of our computers.

Other Areas of Wardrobe Neglect

While I’ve successfully upgraded my at-home and workout wear in recent months, I’ve come to realize there are other areas of my wardrobe I’m neglecting for different reasons.   Although I still have a large wardrobe, my closet is sadly lacking in terms of bottom pieces, especially pants.  Most of my pants are at least two years old and many are from more than four years ago.  I’m doing a bit better with skirts, but half of my skirts date back to 2010 or earlier.

Neglected wardrobe areas - pants

Do you neglect certain areas of your wardrobe when shopping?

Even though I’m someone who shops a lot, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to older clothes, particularly if they are still in decent condition and are a good fit for your body and lifestyle.  However, I don’t love most of my pants.  Many are showing their age, and most could really stand to be replaced at this point.  So you may wonder why I haven’t replaced them during one of my many shopping trips this year or last. Continue reading

Useful Links: Articles on Shopping Addiction

I am always on the lookout for good articles on the topic of shopping addiction.  In fact, I probably have at least 100 of them bookmarked at this point!   In today’s useful links post, I share some of the best of these articles with you.

You’ll see some of the “usual suspects” in the mix, including an interview with Dr. April Benson and an excellent recent blog post by Jill Chivers.  I also feature a recent article about online shopping that includes quotes from both Dr. Benson and “yours truly.”  Enjoy!

Compulsive Shopping - Useful Links Continue reading

Retail Therapy is a Ruse

A few weeks ago, the following quote was posted by one of my Facebook “friends”:

Retail therapy works every time.”

I had to resist the strong temptation to fire back with, “No, it doesn’t!”  Although I didn’t want to get into a lengthy debate on Facebook, I do want to write about the concept of “retail therapy” here on the blog. I have some strong feelings about this term and its implications.  In today’s post, I share my thoughts on “retail therapy,” how I don’t believe it’s really helpful at all, and what I believe might work every time.

Retail therapy is a ruse

So you shopped til you dropped – did it really help anything?

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