“Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.”
― Mignon McLaughlin

I recently came across Pareto’s Principle  as it applies to clothes: that 20% of the items in your wardrobe are worn 80% of the time, and I’d say that’s a pretty fair estimation of my own circumstances. After my marriage I slowly crept up a few dress sizes, and as I had no intentions of staying overweight I didn’t make any effort to dress or shop discerningly; I just grabbed whatever was vaguely my size from the specials rack once or twice a year to tide me over until I could fit into my “real” clothes again. Add to that two pregnancies in two years and the logistics of breastfeeding meant my clothes were all BLAH.

When I flew interstate to visit my parents I was limited to only what I could carry in a suitcase for myself and two babies, and babies need a LOT of stuff. Everything I brought for myself was able to fit into a carry-on, and I found that over the last three months I haven’t missed having more items at all. In fact, I found dressing infinitely easier without the paradox of choice, which led me to explore the idea of a capsule wardrobe (but that’s a whole topic in itself).

I’ve never been one for new year’s resolutions. I’m generally incapable of finishing anything I start so I figure it’s easier just to not make resolutions in the first place. But this year I’ve made a resolution to buy no new clothes for myself, or my two boys. No new clothes in a whole year, other than what I can create with my own two hands. Considering I sewed the first ever item of clothing for myself less than three months ago, I wonder what I’m getting into, but I was always one for jumping right in the deep end!

The rules of the challenge are very simple:

1. No clothes shopping for a year
2. Items I am unable to make myself are exempt (eg shoes and underwear)
3. Hand-me-downs and occasional op-shopping are allowed, but ideally the items are to be refashioned in some manner

So far I’ve stuck to this resolution, even when my sister-in-law took me shopping at one of Sydney’s biggest factory outlet centre earlier this week. SO proud of myself!

Do you have any new year’s resolutions that you’re (still) keeping?