When you have a big event coming up, like a wedding or vacation, do you find yourself glancing at your favorite online shopping sites, only to realize three hours have passed and you still haven’t made dinner? Do the online ads that pop up while you’re surfing the web reinforce images of the clothing you checked out, filling up any of your remaining brain space with ideas of clothes you think you should buy in order to finally become that elusive Ultimate You? Or maybe you prefer to do your shopping in person, heading to Target or TJ Maxx for hand soap and then walking out with a bathing suit, new leggings, two sets of Halloween earrings, and a pair of pajamas you’re half-buying and, oh wait, you didn’t even remember the hand soap? If you can’t relate to the shopping compulsion of which I speak, then this article is not for you. If, on the other hand, you relate more to Channing Tatum, who once admitted that he bought new shirts for an entire year to avoid doing laundry, than to Lizzie McGuire, notorious outfit repeater, read on! What if I told you I have a way to ease the clutter, free up your brain space, improve your wardrobe, and improve your life, no purchase necessary. No purchase necessary because what I am proposing is no purchases at all…What I am proposing is a Year of No New Clothes.
If it sounds simple to you, that’s because it is: You simply do not buy any new items of clothing for an entire year. The hope is not solely to free up your time, money, and energy from clothing purchases you do not need. The hope is that you’ll approach your closet with (prepare to cringe) mindfulness and gratitude. Here are a few tenets of a Year of No New Clothes:
- Don’t. Buy. Anything. No pants because one pair of yours got a hole in them. No shirt because you’re at a concert and the merch is too good to pass up. No workout gear because yours is outdated. The idea of this challenge is that it’s challenging. Instead of getting something new, pull out the clothes at the back of your closet that you haven’t worn in a while. If someone is like: why won’t you go shopping with me? Or: buy that – it looks great on you! Solemnly shake your head and tell them it is “No New Clothes 2026,” but you’d love to buy an ice cream cone instead.
- Instead of buying, take note. Anytime you feel the need to buy a new item of clothing or accessory, make note of it instead. Literally: in a notebook, on your phone, in a computer doc – somewhere you’ll be able to keep consistent notes and revisit at the end of the year. Write down what it is you’re wanting and what you want it for. Once you revisit it, you’ll likely find that you forgot about half the stuff that felt absolutely necessary in the moment. And for the stuff that still feels necessary, good news, you’ll be able to buy it in the coming year and you’ll be able to utilize end-of-season sales more effectively!
- Instead of online shopping, look around… It’s easy to let all the ads, Instagram posts, and other images we see flood us with ideas of what we think we want. But those are posed! Something that looks incredible on Instagram might look dumb as hell in real life. Take note, instead, of the outfits you see people in real life wearing that appeal to you.
- …And then look inwards. Use this time to really think about what you want to wear. In which clothes of yours do you feel the best? Is it because they have a certain cut – shirts with a dipped neckline or tapered pants? Or do you gravitate towards certain fabrics – pure linen in the summer, wool for the winter? Do you find yourself looking best in green even though you’re always tempted by red clothing? When you cut off the outside noise, it might be easier to figure out what makes you feel like yourself.
- Utilize the Year of No New Clothes to actually clean out your closet. We all want to go through Marie Kondo’s Spark Joy process in theory, but do you ever actually make the time to do so? A Year of No Clothes is a helpful way to be more honest with yourself about what you really wear, what you have that you don’t like, and what you no longer need. When you’re not busy thinking about what you want, it’s easier to take stock of what you have.
If you’re reading this and you’re like, okay I can get behind the idea, but it makes me happy to switch up what I wear and I like supporting small businesses like the ones mentioned in this issue, don’t worry! You can tailor (heh) the Year of No New Clothes to your needs!
- Maybe it’s not No Clothes, but No Online Shopping. Being forced to make time to hit the stores in person might make you slow down on spending. Consider going a step further and only shopping when you’re with a friend, so that it’s more about the experience than the products purchased.
- Or try out a One-Month Wait. Instead of buying anything the first time you see it, make note of it and revisit it in a month (or two, three, etc.). If you still want it, go for it. If you’re past it, toss it to the wind! Well, don’t litter, but you get the idea.
- Maybe it’s a Year of Thrifting, purchasing previously owned items instead of buying anything new. Head over to page 7 for an article on consignment stores to bookmark if you’re interested in going this route.
Throw a clothes swap party with your friends. Tell all your pals to grab a trash bag and fill it on up. Put on some music, pop open a bottle of wine, and dump your stash out for a good, old-fashioned swap. Challenge yourself to style things differently. There’s no law that you need a new dress for every wedding you attend. In fact, why wouldn’t you rewear the clothing items that tend to cost the most? Instead of buying something entirely new, figure out a way to style it differently. Toss on a scarf! Throw a blazer over it! Bring a long dress to the tailor to get it cut for more casual wearing! You only live once, etc. •