Thank you for posting this interesting breakdown! I came over here because you mentioned "low buy/intentional buy" on one of your instagram posts and I got curious. A few thoughts (sorry it's kinda long):
Since you work in academia, see if there’s a local online buy/sell marketplace for your uni. Those professional clothes that don’t fit you might be perfect for a grad student’s job interview!
I love the self-reflection you’re doing about your clothes. I’ve also been trying to re-learn my shopping habits and be more intentional about clothes that fit MY body and my lifestyle.
Thrifting Advice: Learn what types of clothes are "easy wins" for your body shape and search for those. Are there cuts or fabrics that always look at least decent for you? Or can you tell from an online photo whether a certain type of shirt will look good or not? (Also sweaters/jackets, easy to try on over your normal clothes, but check the washing instructions).
Don't go after the hard-to-fit items in the hopes of finding a rare gem! If you’re like me and have to try 4 styles of jeans in 3 sizes each to find the one that doesn’t make you look like a potato? Go to a large in-person clothing store with a wide size-range. Then when you find the perfect brand/style/size combo, wear it for a week, then come back and buy 4 identical ones before they go out of fashion and vanish! :D (Or maybe check online thrift stores or ebay for that specific style?)
Avoiding Amazon: Sadly it can be difficult, but here’s my usual strategy, maybe it'll help?
1) Make a good faith-effort to find it locally
2) Buy online-for-store-pickup from a chain that has local stores (like Target)
3) Buy direct from manufacturer or from an online small business that you want to support
4) If none of those are doable ... sigh, Amazon it is but at least we tried!
thank you for such a thoughtful comment, alethea! these are such great tips and truthfully, the clothes that are "easy wins" aren't exactly items i'd like to own anymore (usually loose fitted, athleisure type). trying to embody a new aesthetic is making it more difficult to just KNOW what fits/works for my body!!
i have been purchasing from target for convenient goods! it's not the best option, but i feel better buying from there than amazon, for sure! but i'd love to switch over to a more eco online retailer, such as thrive market. :)
-I LOVE that you use Notion to track spending because I do, too 🤓
-I love seeing your investments in quality clothes. I need to start doing that…I’m all too quick to buy something cheap just to have something “new,” so I try to stick to thrifting/secondhand for now. 👗
ooo i struggle w/ thrifting because i'm always struggling to find clothing items that i actually like—even the price doesn't deter me! my mindset is i'd rather buy a $100 piece of clothing that i love vs. a $5 piece of clothing i feel meh about :)
Thank you for posting this interesting breakdown! I came over here because you mentioned "low buy/intentional buy" on one of your instagram posts and I got curious. A few thoughts (sorry it's kinda long):
Since you work in academia, see if there’s a local online buy/sell marketplace for your uni. Those professional clothes that don’t fit you might be perfect for a grad student’s job interview!
I love the self-reflection you’re doing about your clothes. I’ve also been trying to re-learn my shopping habits and be more intentional about clothes that fit MY body and my lifestyle.
Thrifting Advice: Learn what types of clothes are "easy wins" for your body shape and search for those. Are there cuts or fabrics that always look at least decent for you? Or can you tell from an online photo whether a certain type of shirt will look good or not? (Also sweaters/jackets, easy to try on over your normal clothes, but check the washing instructions).
Don't go after the hard-to-fit items in the hopes of finding a rare gem! If you’re like me and have to try 4 styles of jeans in 3 sizes each to find the one that doesn’t make you look like a potato? Go to a large in-person clothing store with a wide size-range. Then when you find the perfect brand/style/size combo, wear it for a week, then come back and buy 4 identical ones before they go out of fashion and vanish! :D (Or maybe check online thrift stores or ebay for that specific style?)
Avoiding Amazon: Sadly it can be difficult, but here’s my usual strategy, maybe it'll help?
1) Make a good faith-effort to find it locally
2) Buy online-for-store-pickup from a chain that has local stores (like Target)
3) Buy direct from manufacturer or from an online small business that you want to support
4) If none of those are doable ... sigh, Amazon it is but at least we tried!
thank you for such a thoughtful comment, alethea! these are such great tips and truthfully, the clothes that are "easy wins" aren't exactly items i'd like to own anymore (usually loose fitted, athleisure type). trying to embody a new aesthetic is making it more difficult to just KNOW what fits/works for my body!!
i have been purchasing from target for convenient goods! it's not the best option, but i feel better buying from there than amazon, for sure! but i'd love to switch over to a more eco online retailer, such as thrive market. :)
two things:
-I LOVE that you use Notion to track spending because I do, too 🤓
-I love seeing your investments in quality clothes. I need to start doing that…I’m all too quick to buy something cheap just to have something “new,” so I try to stick to thrifting/secondhand for now. 👗
ooo i struggle w/ thrifting because i'm always struggling to find clothing items that i actually like—even the price doesn't deter me! my mindset is i'd rather buy a $100 piece of clothing that i love vs. a $5 piece of clothing i feel meh about :)