May 27
Alright people. Here is a must read book you need to run out and get asap! Geneen Roth, a renowned expert on women and food has now written a book about women and money. It’s excellent and so speaks to what we are trying to do on this clothing diet. I found her inspiration to be wonderful and spot on for people who are struggling to control their spending habits. Why do you buy so many clothes? If this is a question you have asked yourself again and again then this book is for you.
Roth lost all of her life savings in the Madoff debacle and was forced to examine all of her history and emotions around money. What she uncovered was so much more than money woes. Money is never just about money, it is packed with emotion, history and power. Now go, run out the door and buy this book or get a copy at the library. You will thank me!
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Tagged with: compulsive shopping, Geneen Roth, spending habits
Jan 19
Thanks for all of the votes on our last poll, it looks like the majority of TGAAD Dieters are redistributing funds they used to spend on clothing to their (now growing) savings accounts! Coming in second to savings accounts was paying off credit cards (17votes) it’s awesome to see that the diet is positively affecting your bank accounts!
And now I’d like to address a topic of importance to the women of TGAAD…that topic is bras. 
Now, a majority of members are women and we know that it’s a challenge in itself to not purchase clothing, and make outfits work that haven’t been worn in years. So as you struggle with wearing old sweaters and layering all of the items which you do already own, take a moment to think about the items that are going on underneath all of that winter layering. An ill fitting bra can make an old top look more worn than what it actually is, so remember new bras are allowed (thank goodness!) and wearing a properly fitting one can make an old shirt look a lot newer than it is! One of our old dieters and a good friend to us at The Great American Apparel Diet, Rebecca Kotch, is doing some research on where we buy the undergarments we put on before we get dressed for the day or go out for the night. We love hearing your responses to all of the polls and are really excited for this new poll. Rebecca is hoping you can give some insight into how you purchase your often neglected (in our posts) but essential wardrobe items! We do have one question from the poll up on our site, but if you could vote through the link below, the information would be greatly appreciated! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6VB8JGX
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Tagged with: Bras, Polls, research
Jan 05
Day 5 of TGAAD: Today I unsubscribed from all my wonderful fashion emails including, Rue La La, idelli, Bluefly, Boutiques.com, and ShopItToMe.com. Such a sad and lonely day. Actually, not really.
I’m rather relieved to have an excuse to unsubscribe from the dozens of spam messages I receive daily, begging me to shop. On my behalf, I’ve actually purchased only one item and only from Bluefly. Up until now I have been subscribing to the other newsletters, because I figure it’s better to know then not to know.
For the record, I have bookmarked the sites–a year from now, I’d like to remember the fashion companies I subscribed to! At least I won’t be bombarded or tempted for the next 12 months.
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Jan 03
Day 3 of TGAAD: I’m really wishing I had tracked down a new jean mini skirt before starting the diet! I’ve been looking for months and had yet to find one I actually liked. If only I had shopped a little harder! Perhaps I’m allowed to take an old pair of jeans and turn it into a skirt?
I do believe this diet will encourage me to improve my sewing skills and learn to alter my current wardrobe to fit any upcoming fashion needs. That’s not cheating right? It’s kind of like taking salad ingredients and rearranging them into individual vegetable snacks.
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Nov 17
Since becoming the newest member/intern here at The GAAD I have found myself wandering away from buying that new tank top and getting lost in the wonderful world of fashion literature these days, my greatest find thus far has been a book called “I Love Your Style: How To Define and Refine Your Personal Stlye” by Amanda Brooks! The book goes through different fashion trends throughout the decades and brings us to the here and now showing us many items you could have just taken from your mothers closet when she was a teenager and thrown into your wardrobe today! The book is forwarded by Diane von Furstenberg and is a great resource for those looking for a little inspiration on how to be creative with the wardrobe you already have!
For those of you who want to take a quick look, here’s a link to the book on Amazon, enjoy!
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Style-Define-Personal/dp/0061833126
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Tagged with: books, fashion
Oct 22
After checking my credit card statements I see that today marks exactly one year since I actually bought any clothes. This diet was my new year’s resolution so I have a little bit more than 2 months to go.
The day before yesterday I received a compliment from a woman who knows I am on this diet. She says she absolutely can’t tell I am on the diet. I assured her I am going deeper and deeper into my closet.
Tonight I walked by a store window and realized I basically had the exact clothes they were showing in the window. I had never thought to put the outfit together in the way the store had. Guess what I am going to wear tomorrow. I’m going to wear what’s in that store window. It will not cost me a penny.
The reason I went on this diet was to have the money for some serious travel. All my trips are over now. I havent’ quite finished paying for them, but by the end of November I think they will be paid for.
Was it worth it? Yes absolutely. My husband wants to know what I will do when the diet finishes. I am starting to notice some changes in what people are wearing. The tops are looser and the bottoms are tighter. I don’t know what I will do when the diet is over, but I would bet it will somehow or other be looser on the top and tighter on the bottom.
Bye for now and all the best to you dieters out there.
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Tagged with: 2010 worth it, fashion diet one year October 22
Oct 10
Hey Dieters!
Now, I’m helping out with this blog and not exactly partaking in the one year of no new apparel, but everyone taking on the challenge of not buying new clothes has really influenced my own thoughts about buying new stuff.
Being the young 20 something that I am, I’m in that crazy time of life when I’m trying to get a career started, network and meet new people and (of course) looking to impress some guy so I have things to do on Friday nights besides eating a bowl of cookie dough ice cream…..alone….. again. But recently, there was a guy- and I wasn’t even wearing a new outfit when we met!! I thought it was a good sign. Things were looking solid, then one day out of the blue everything just stopped. No answering of texts, no picking up phone calls, no message replies on facebook. At this point, “confused” would be the understatement of my mental state.
Shortly after I went shopping with a friend and I was about to go crazy on over-priced Ferragamos, Dolce & Gabbana duds and high heeled oxford style shoes that he had told me he loved seeing on girls. Just having graduated college, my little checking account would not be able to handle all that. But what did I care? I was hurt, distraught, rejected! I needed the biggest pick me up ever and some strategic move to get him to call me. Then it hit me – how was spending all this time and money going to change anything? Did I actually believe that maybe sporting expensive designer wear would make him all of a sudden pick up the phone, call me, and confess what a huge mistake it was of him to let me go and never return my texts? And I don’t even think my style aesthetic could include a heeled oxford – I was just considering them because he said he liked them.
So the moral of my story, dieters, is you all have reminded me that this journey is about finding myself and knowing who I am, first and foremost. I have my own kick ass closet which houses my own sophisticated style. And it currently does not include high heeled oxfords.
Keep on Truckin’
Tawnie
Team GAAD
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Sep 30
Although I have completed my year of the diet, it has still continued to influence my purchasing. In the last year I have purchased only 3 new items, all after I completed my diet. I have since purchased a pair of running shorts and a top for my upcoming Komen Maryland Race for the Cure. I had been running in cotton shorts and a tshirt, and in the muggy Baltimore, MD it left me soaked and uncomfortable. The only other purchase that I made was a comfortable pair of foldover waistband lounge pants. They were half price and fit like a glove; I couldn’t resist.
Some of the permanent life changes as a result of the “The Diet” are that I continue to read “look books” and fashion articles to discover the trend items and then use what I have in my closet to restyle what I already have. Over the last year I have purchased a a few accessories including this gorgeous belt and a brand new purse. A few pieces of jewelry like this leather cuff, tattoo necklace, and some very chic recycled mixed media pendants. The final and most important purchases were these great brooches that I use to accent my staple pieces like cardigans and jackets. It allows me to wear the same items each week, but feel like I’m wearing something new. I never had enough in the budget to buy clothing and accessories, even back when I purchased cheap clothing on clearance. I have two more planned purchases this year, a black cardigan and one in brown, to replace the ones that I wore so often and for so long that I wore out the elbows and then through the patches.
What I will continue to do is to always buy vintage, refashioned or recycled clothing first and whenever possible. Etsy, Ebay and local thrift stores are great ways to shop for eco-friendly, inexpensive clothing. If that isn’t possible then I’ll buy handmade to support artisans and crafters who still value quality and creativity. I do love a good one of a kind piece that I know I can wear for many, many years to come.
The most important lesson that I learned though, is that you can be really stylish without constantly updating your wardrobe with throw-away fashion. Don’t be a fashion victim caught in the cycle of constantly having to buy the newest, trendiest clothes. Buy a few well-made, perfectly fitted items and keep them. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise can help you fit into those pieces longer and you’ll be happier and healthier in the end. I spend so little time shopping now that I’m free to pursue all of the interests that I always wanted, but couldn’t find the time, money or energy to devote before. I’ve taken up cooking, running, knitting, crocheting, sewing, downhill mountain bike racing and spending much more time with my family and friends and I couldn’t be happier.
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Tagged with: accessories, addiction, Apparel Diet, clothes, clothing diet, Consumerism, diet, eco fashion, etsy, fashion, fashionista, recessionista, recycled clothing, The Great American Apparel Diet, thrift store, vintage
Jul 28
By Sally Bjornsen
Consumerism, Fashion Trends, The Great American Apparel Diet, eco fashion, fashion, nordstrom, recession, recycled apparel, shopping, shopping addiction, slow clothing, women
Tonight I was with my friend Portia who has been contemplating going on this diet for 11 months now. I told her that I have decided to extend the diet for one more year, in light of the fact that there have been so many people interested in joining the effort in the past few weeks (here we go again). When I told Portia it wasn’t too late to realize the benefits of clothing deprivation she hooped and hollered “That’s what I need, a closet colonic.” The visual made me gag. She went on to claim, “Deep within my big, fat, bloated walk-in closet there is a skinny one begging to be free.” Portia, warming to the idea, is going to “think about it,” before she commits. Let me be clear…I am not doing this for another year myself but I will moderate, facilitate, contemplate and write about life post diet.
Alright already Portia—stop the squawkin’ and start walkin’ give your closet the future it deserves with a purge, a cleanse a regular down home colonic. We’re here my dear and waiting to hear how it all “flushes out.”
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Tagged with: addiction, Closet, clothes, clothing diet, Clothing Swap, Colonic, Consumerism, eco fashion, Nordstrom, NY Times, recessionista, recycled clothing, The Great American Apparel Diet
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