The Great American Apparel Diet

no buying for one year

Jen’s 30/30 Wardrobe Challenge

Some of you know I challenged myself in the month of April not to wear any article of clothing more than once and shoes more than twice. Well, I’m happy to report I passed with only one slip up. And it was a very minor, very technical slip up. Just wanted to share with you what I discovered about myself and my clothes and some photos from the challenge.

enjoy

-Jen

Jen is Sew Frugal

Free collage made with Smilebox

Just to recap my original post:

April 2011

Why this challenge: I have lots of clothes however there are days when I can’t find anything to wear therefore I resort to the same articles of clothing and they become part of my regular rotation. You know the same black pants, I have four pairs. The same white shirt. So safe and so tired.  There have been times I wore black pants twice in the same week. I should give them a rest.  There are clothes I have I have never worn and the idea is to wear them this month.  And besides I thought it would be fun to challenge myself. I saw on a blog where a woman challenged herself to wear the same 30 pieces of clothing for 30 days. I’m not quite ready for that yet. Baby steps. Essentially I want to wear the clothes I own or get rid of them.

May 2011

I discovered many things about myself and my clothing during Jen’s 30/30 Wardrobe Challenge”. I’m certain many of these discovery’s could be applied to almost any woman who is even halfway fashion conscious  and attempting to keep her wardrobe up to date.

To begin with I will share with you what I learned about my clothing:

*   I’ve got lots of clothes (more than my share)

*   I don’t own enough pants

*   I still don’t like skirts. As you see I only wore them 4 times in the month

*   I’d like to have more color in my wardrobe.  Even though I work in a pretty conservative environment a little more color wouldn’t hurt. For spring I need more pink, light  blue, reds and yellow.

*   I’m really low on shirts and blouses

*   I have waaay too much beige, brown and blue. That’s boooooring. From now on I will shop color (light greens, peach, orange,)

*   I have four brown skirts! I don’t even like skirts like that. Why do I have so many brown skirts? (at least two must go)

*   The two piece suit and cami is my best combo for the spring

*  Long dresses are flattering and comfortable to wear. Prior to the challenge I owned 2 now I own 5 thanks to swapping

*  Accessories make all the difference in the world when coordinating an outfit. I need more. Can you say accessories swap?? hmmmm……

What I learned about myself:

*  My  friends have great clothes and they  will give me their clothes…….I don’t even have to ask. How cool is that

*  Swaps and donating to Goodwill is really fantastic way to reduce my carbon footprint and protect our landfills

*  Attempting to wear a different item everyday made me realize what items I was lacking in my wardrobe and what I truly need to get rid of. (Such the items below. I took them to the last swap)

*  Did I mention I don’t like skirts?? I gave away three during the last swap.

*  Cleaning out my closets prior to beginning this challenge made it 100 times better to figure out what I will wear the next day

*  A two and a half-inch heel is all I need to be comfortable the entire day. Bringing tat extra pair of shoes is cumbersome

*  I’m an excellent wardrobe planner. Can you say new skill set?? I worked with my first customer this past weekend. I think I might be on to something

*  I don’t think I can ever go back to shopping in department stores again. Ever……

Finally

Here it is the 11th of the month and I still haven’t worn anything I had on in April. I’m still pulling items from my closets to wear. WOWZERS! How long could this go on??? 60 Days??

Oh and what was the slip up you ask? One day I had to change clothes to go to a dinner and I repeated a suit I’d worn earlier in the month. I made up for it because the following weekend I had to change clothes 4 different times!

By the way I have already started building my stash for the next Swap! (coming soon) yes I still have more clothing to give

-Jen

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The proverbial ink had barely dried on our story about Manpacks when one of our spotters alerted us to an equivalent for women: Panty by Post, a Canadian venture that offers—sure enough—women’s underwear by monthly subscription.

Where Manpacks focuses on the practical and functional, however, Panty by Post has quite different aspirations. No basic whites here—rather, the company has an exclusive agreement with Montreal’s Blush Lingerie for its signature and bridal lines. Panties come in hipster, thong and bikini styles and are made with French lace and satin. Customers can order panties individually, or they can sign up for subscriptions lasting two, three, six or 12 months. A different panty is then sent every month, each wrapped in an attractive mailing package. Pricing ranges from CDN 16 for a single pair to CDN 240 for a year’s worth of premium deliveries. Panty by Post is also about to launch a men’s subscription service featuring Montreal-based JM Intimode’s eco-minded “Briefs in a Box.”

Part convenience and part indulgence, Panty by Post reminds us of ShoeDazzle’s monthly subscriptions to a handpicked series of stylish shoes. Where else might fashion-minded consumers be interested in a little curated selection and recurring delivery?

Website: www.pantybypost.com
Contact: info@pantybypost.com

Spotted by: Lori Kalef

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I have a friend who judges women on whether or not they remember where they were when Lady Di died.  She uses this as a barometer for what kind of woman you are.  If you can’t remember or don’t care my friend would instantly dismiss you as “not her kind of girl.”

Well I can take that concept a step further…I know what I was wearing when Lady Di died—a pair of burnt orange Gap jeans, a gray short sleeved t-shirt and a pair of ratty Nike Pegasus shoes, sans socks.  I was probably wearing a bad bra too; I don’t remember the brand.  Underwear? Who knows?  I had been painting my office and made a quick trip to the paint store when I heard the news.  I wish I had been more appropriately dressed for the occasion.  It was Lady Di after all.

I know it’s silly and probably a giant brain drain but like songs from the 70s I remember almost every important event in my life by the outfit I wore.  I am not just talking about clothes I wore in pictures; I am talking about clothes that I wore to my first gyno appt., my first kiss, and my first day of third grade.  The list goes on and on, it’s kind of embarrassing.

I also have a list in my brain of my top ten outfits of a lifetime.  It starts with an ensemble from third grade.  A knit pant suit with yellow and white horizontal striped bell bottoms (who knew that was ever a good look) and a solid yellow knit tunic.  And then there was the pair of footless black leggings paired with a fuchsia shaker sweater that went down to my knees—In retrospect I looked like The Big Fig Newton with a ratty perm.  Then there was the Rayon black blazer from The Limited that I wore with pleated Seattle Blues acid washed jeans, The Nicole Miller aqua and black print flapper dress with the long waist (it looked hideous on me but I loved the print).

I won’t bore you with the rest of my top ten, but here’s my point.  Apparel makes my world-go-round.  It’s part of who I am, how I approach the world and how I organize my mind.  Weird, and quite possibly shallow, I know.  Just think of all the world’s problems that have been left unsolved simply because my brain is filled with memories of polyester and wool. But, oh well, that’s me.

For the record, as I write this I am wearing a J. Crew heather gray long sleeved cotton t-shirt, a pair of strategically ripped jeans by Big Star, my Frye engineer boots with Hue stripped socks, a pair of Calvin Klein undies and a flesh colored Natori bra.

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Hello Everyone!

After reading about TGAAD in October of 2010 I decided to take the plunge in November, and officially joined the website this month. I have been spreading the word to friends & on FB as well.

I have been trying to cut down my consuming for some time- for ‘green’ reasons and personal reasons as well…because I have a HUGE closet! Why? Well, I AM a clotheshorse, been following fashion since I was 11 (I’ve read EVERY issue of Vogue since the 7o’s- that’s a lot of issues!) but the reason my closet is so huge is that I am an Actor & Costume Designer; I run my own small theater company and we never throw anything away! So, whenever I wanted to rationalize new clothing purchases, I would just move some old clothes into the costume stock and voila! now I ‘needed’ something new.

So I have a lot more resources than most to keep wearing my own things, plus I can sew and re-configure old things in new styles- I think I am much luckier (and therefore need TGAAD more) than most.

Here’s my big question: Does buying clothing from Secondhand stores or thrift stores count? I ask because, yes, these things would be ‘new’ to ME, but are not new clothing, and not adding new items into circulation. Also, many of the secondhand items that don’t get bought get thrown away eventually (wasted).

I ask because it has been fairly easy for me to stop buying new clothes- running a theater company is already an exercise in negative income ( add in this economy and there isn’t much money for clothes anyway!). But resisting temptation in the Thrift store has been HARD! I must shop there when I am costuming a show, and its really difficult to resist buying something that is: A) very cheap, and B) is now being used instead of winding up in a landfill.

So, what do you all think? Is buying Secondhand cheating on TGAAD?

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I signed up yesterday and as soon as I committed I remembered that I’m getting married in February! OMG, what have I done?  I am allowing myself one major purchase, my wedding gown, and I’m promising myself to not go overboard.

I have enough clothes, shoes, socks… I counted my bras… 52, who needs 52 bras. I only wear 3-4 of them, my favorites, the ones that actually work and aren’t about sexiness. I find that the “sexy” ones are the most uncomfortable ones so I rarely wear them. And my fiance? He doesn’t really care! Shoes, I have multiple black shoes, who doesn’t? I don’t need another pair of black flats, black pumps, black stilettos, black anything. That goes for the shirts, tops, pants, skirts…

I have a spending problem, right? I seem to spend everyday, something, anything, and it’s getting out of hand. I even make up the excuse of grocery shopping as a means of spending without guilt. We have supplies, food, tableware, silverware, you name it… I have multiples. Today I had to buy candles for the New Year’s Eve dinner that we’re hosting. I didn’t really need to buy them, my friends would understand, but the table needed them! I’m slowly cleaning out my house and I’m going to have a “Free” garage sale. It’s a way for me to give back and to see the smiles and astonishment of the neighborhood as I give away my extras! It’s fun and it’s free! I’ll let you know how it’s all going, going, gone!!!

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It’s day 3 for me. I shopped around my closet last night and discovered a black, frayed, Chanel jacket that I have never worn. Fraying is intentional so please step away from the scissors ladies! Discovered in a consignment store while still living the city life, this piece hasn’t made an appearance since. It was one of those pieces that I loved, had to have and after that wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. To dress this baby down, I paired it with a white pocket tank from Forever 21, destroyed James jeans and black peeptoe clogs (bought for a song off the Macy’s clearance shoe rack). Tomorrow I’ll need to dig thru the archives for a suitable frock to wear to a wedding reception. Easier said than done with the recent weight gain. If it wasn’t for TAAG, I’d be out at the shops tonite, credit card in hand, searching for a new dress.

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I left the other night’s TGAAD exchange (thank you, Sally!), inspired by the conversation, action and awareness.

The question was posed: Where do discarded clothes end up?

Good question!

According to the EPA and the Council for Textile Recycling, the U.S. generates roughly 9 BILLION POUNDS of used clothing each year–an average of 29 pounds per person–and only a small fraction of that is recycled.

Discarded clothes go where you send them… landfill, Goodwill or your friend’s closet. Some materials (polyester and non-natural blends) take hundreds of years to decompose, and some never do.

Absolutely, recycle your clothes–repair them, make them into something else, give them to friends or donate them to a worthy cause. Keeping clothing out of the waste stream can help others in need, reduces landfill, as well as keeps valuable materials flowing for reuse.

Additionally, think “upstream” — when you purchase new clothing, go for materials that are natural, good for the environment and sustainably manufactured. Organic cotton, hemp and bamboo are natural fibers that will decompose, even if they end up in the landfill. Also consider quality over quantity — buy staples that will last and avoid “disposable clothes” that fall apart at the seams and look scruffy after just a few washings. (You know the ones I mean…)

Where and how to recycle:

Donate! Goodwill and Salvation Army are always safe bets for recycling clothes. There’s also the Jubilee Women’s Center, as well as other smaller and local organizations looking for clothing donations.

Sell them! If you have the time and patience, garage sales and vintage/consignment stores, like Le Frock, are a way to make some extra pocket money.

Recycle!  Patagonia Common Threads: Patagonia recycles a number of items–worn out Capilene® Performance Baselayers, Patagonia® fleece, Polartec® fleece clothing (from any maker), Patagonia cotton T-shirts, and some additional polyester and nylon 6 products that come with a Common Threads tag.

Make something new! My old tshirts turn into rags — that’s about as crafty as I get, although there are some fun recycled clothes craft ideas here as well as great recycled clothing fashions like these on Etsy by Feltedfancy and wonderful inspiration from The Thrifty Chicks, “Thrift Store Gurus,” who recently joined the TGAAD challenge.

Would love to hear other ideas and sources for recycling clothes — please post them if you know them!

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Hello, I am a newcomer. I have started my shopping diet at the start of august and in September i started to write a daily blog. http://kooii.tumblr.com
My motivation comes from multiple sources: from a growing aversion to consumerist lifestyles, which truly are at the expense of the have-nots as much as at the expense of our planet, but also to save money (for a good cause) to share and to cherish the stuff that I own. I am rediscovering clothes and household goods and actually enjoying myself a lot while doing so.

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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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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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