Anyone else lying on the couch on mindlessly adding bargain clothes to their baskets right now? And simultaneously making promises about buying less and decluttering? Just one more t-shirt? The recent Guardian article about styling a capsule wardrobe with only 20 items made me revisit 2018 when I committed to no new clothes for a year. I confess I’ve slipped back into old habits and my cupboards and laundry basket are bursting with too many clothes. Clothing has the third biggest impact on our planet, creating more greenhouse gas emissions than international shipping and aviation combined! And the amount of waste the industry generates, as well as how much water and resources it uses, is increasing. Global production now exceeds 100 billion garments a year most of which will end up burned, landfilled or creating gnarled krakens that bury themselves in the beaches along the coast of West Africa. So the biggest impact I could have was maybe to to break the habit of unconsciously accumulating clothes. No better time given that I had been living out of a backpack for 8 months. The Rules

• buying or swapping pre-loved/second hand clothes is fine but…
• …One in/one out – for any second hand clothes that I bought, a garment that I currently had in my wardrobe had to go to be re-used, donated or recycled.
• I had to try to wear everything I currently own at least once in 2018 – I’ve turned all the hangers in my wardrobe one way and once I’ve worn them, I turn them round.
• I am allowed myself to buy new underwear – my underwear was depleted – not even the toughest undergarments will survive 8 months of trekking round the world!
• I allowed myself to buy new shoes. For a few years I had really cut back on buying lots of pairs of shoes so my shoe wardrobe was pretty scant to start with and I needed shoes for work and new running trainers.

The Results Well I stuck to it! 100% no new clothes, not even unworn clothes that I spotted in the charity shops with their tags still on. I have to be honest, I didn’t wear EVERYTHING in my wardrobe but pretty much all of it – there are two evening gowns that haven’t seen the light of day, both now way too loose for me to wear – the lucky on got altered the other one donated to a new home.

Getting good quality basics was a challenge – plain t-shirts, good quality cardigans and decent trousers (oh my God I sound like my mum!) are scarce commodities in the second-hand world as are running shorts and gym tops. There were times where I really coveted some beautiful clothes particularly as I’ve been on a health kick and lost weight and wanted to reward myself. Whilst I saved money on clothes….I spent it on long weekends with friends (a better use!?) By October, I could walk passed clothes shops without feeling a pang for something new and shiny and with 2019 fast approaching…. will I be rushing out to the January sales? Well… no….only because I’m hoping to take the Trans Siberian Express to Mongolia and will need to start saving hard, clothes can wait. Giving up fast fashion might not be for everyone but ask yourself this…is giving up straws and plastic carrier bags really enough?