An entire year spent without buying any clothes - seems absurd and low-key impractical, right? A year without Ajio, Myntra, Nykaa, and cute Instagram stuff is what Nandini Vishwanath, Program Director at Antler, decided to go for.
On our recent Instagram Live with Nandini, she revealed how liberating it is to go ‘no-buy’ and how it has completely transformed her life for good. In this article, we share with you some of her nuggets of wisdom and actionable tips on why and how you too can go on a no-buy clothing spree.
Why should you carry out a no-buy clothing year?
The fast-fashion industry, millions of new clothing trends on Instagram, and the pressure of not repeating clothes are what lead us to go overboard with shopping. And what happens next? You end up feeling guilty about a wardrobe full of clothes that you don’t need.
Here’s why you should turn to mindful shopping instead:
Save money (a lot!)
Nandini talks about how looking up the school fees for her 7-month old baby acted as one of the triggers for turning to minimalism. And, after 2 years, she definitely has spent much less without feeling like she has given up on a lot.
Lead a clutter-free life
Clothes occupy a lot of space - not just in our homes but also in our minds. When you stick to classics and wardrobe staples, you have much fewer clothes to choose from, much fewer decisions to make, and much more energy saved.
Prioritize quality over quantity
Most of us are guilty of splurging on lots of low-quality clothes that we rarely wear, leading to a lot of clutter. When you adopt minimalism, you tend to buy a few clothes that are of very good quality - you save money, and your clothes last much longer. If this isn’t a win-win, we don’t know what is!
Do good for the environment
The fast-fashion industry feeds us with the thought that we need more not-so-great-quality, trendy clothes in our wardrobe. But, aren’t we also contributing to the trend by giving into our impulse-buying temptations? When you stop mindless shopping, you can do a little good for the environment and reduce your fashion footprint.
Hacks that will help you shop mindfully
Have a “splurge” month
After an entire no-buy year, you get to fix a month that Nandini calls the “splurge” month, where you get to buy the clothes for the next year. Having a splurge month keeps you excited and under control throughout the year.
Start small
Now, don't get us wrong! We’re not asking you to stop shopping for clothes altogether. Instead, we urge you to start small - stop buying formal clothes for a year or upcycle your festive pieces instead of buying new ones. Starting small will help you stick to the lifestyle while you realize its benefits.
Do a thorough clean-up of your house and giveaway
Go through all your things, and we’re sure you’ll pull up a huge pile of clothes, shoes, jewelry that you have forgotten about. Chances are that you’ll find clothes for the next couple of years. You can also give away the ones you don’t need to free up some clutter.
Borrow or exchange clothes
Start borrowing and exchanging clothes from friends and family. Everyone gets new clothes without having spent a penny - the simplest hack to get you through the no-buy year.
Invest in high-quality classics
White shirt, solid tees, evergreen kurtas - start building your capsule wardrobe, and you’ll soon realize that you don't miss your old, cluttered one. Remember to invest in high-quality clothes that last you longer.
Wishlist now and think about it later
Nandini swears by this hack, and we agree - whenever you are tempted to buy clothes from, say, an Instagram store or Myntra, just wishlist them for the splurge month. You can then revisit them later. The gap in time will also make you realize if you truly want that outfit or not.
Upcycle your old clothes
Another thing to do when you find gorgeous clothes online is to pin them to your Pinterest board. You can use these as an inspiration for upcycling your clothes. Look for old sarees or expensive lehengas that are lying around and upcycle them into your favorite designs at much lower prices.
Have a registry for accepting gifts
We often end up getting gifts that we do not like or need. These are such a waste of time, energy, and space. So, set up a registry for the next occasion so that you only receive gifts that you actually need.
Upcycle your clothes with Binks
Even if you’re too much of a shopaholic to go no-buy for an entire year, you may now think twice before you check out a cart full of unnecessary clothes the next time.
Upcycling with Binks, is a great way to spruce up your wardrobe without spending on new ones.
Send us your old sarees or lehengas, and we’ll upcycle them into pantsuits, salwar suits, crop tops, co-ord sets — practically anything — ask and you shall receive. To place your order, visit our website or hit us up on Whatsapp.
