I heard about the diet for the first time last weekend, when Sally was on NPR talking about its ending. Right now I’m in grad school, studying computer science. So I don’t need to maintain a particularly awesome wardrobe — my classmates tend to favor aging Star Trek T-shirts, after all.
I also don’t HAVE a particularly awesome wardrobe. But it sure does take up a lot of space! So part of the reason to adopt the diet is to become more mindful of what I already have, to clean out overstuffed drawers and closets so I can get at the treasures therein, or at least know what I’ve got.
It’s already been interesting to notice the times I get tempted to buy something new. Usually, I’m trying to fill a need for something that is NOT clothing. If you’ve ever tried to deal with bad eating habits, you know this drill already. But going cold turkey on clothing is a lot easier than following any food plan. I’ve stopped myself several times, and diverted my attention to something else, just as you’d do with a 2-year-old bound and determined to color on the walls.
The other day, I realized that what I wanted was not clothing but color, so I went for a pedicure and got sparkly red toes. Another time, I caught myself shopping online for geek T-shirts and realized I needed to process some feelings around feeling like an outsider among the people in my department.
Because I spend a lot of time online, I’m easily triggered by ads for online stores. And because I am plus-size, I have very few options for buying clothes in person, which brings up a whole lot of feelings around body image and societal expectations and the clothing industry, which can further trigger unnecessary spending.
So one step I’m taking this week is simply to be aware of how often I receive clothes-triggering messages, and try to reduce that number. I’ve been unsubscribing to clothing-related newsletters, blogs (except the awesome Manolo for the Big Girl, because I love it for reasons that have nothing to do with shopping) and Facebook connections. I’ve also installed AdBlock on my browsers.
This weekend, if it stops being UNBEARABLY HOT, I’ll start going through the clothes in my bureau. I’m open to getting rid of some, but really this is just for the purpose of organizing and knowing what I’ve got.
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“The other day, I realized that what I wanted was not clothing but color, so I went for a pedicure and got sparkly red toes. Another time, I caught myself shopping online for geek T-shirts and realized I needed to process some feelings around feeling like an outsider among the people in my department.”
This gets at the heart of why I want to do this diet. I want to make myself stop and really think about what I’m doing and thinking when I find myself wanting to buy new clothing. Sometimes it’s boredom, sometimes creativity, sometimes insecurities. In any regard, going out and buying a new outfit doesn’t solve the problem, even if temporarily changes my mood. The problem is it permanently changes my bank account!
I love the fact that you got sparkly red toes instead of buying clothing. I’ve been wanting a pedicure for so long but I never seem to have the time or extra cash. The next time I feel the urge to shop I will be getting a pedicure! Great solution.
I just joined, and your post made a lot of sense. Frequently when I want to buy clothes, it’s because I’m not feeling comfortable in my body (as if a new dress is going to solve that problem.) Even though the bulk of my shopping is at thrift stores, it’s still a habit to quell a feeling, and maybe I will try deal with that.
Also, it seems to be the year of skinny pants and leggings, and I’m happy to sit that trend out.
I hear that, Heather! I’m a long-flowing-skirts and loose tops girl myself, and about once every 5 or 10 years I’m “in.”