> CD #47: Decisions, decisions
While my shopping fast ended in September when I started working in an office again, I didn’t really want to dive back into clothes shopping without any guidelines at all. As they say, a 100% commitment is easy, but a 98% commitment is hard.
So, to prevent myself from making mindless and regrettable purchases, I’ve developed a helpful set of questions to ask myself whenever I’m considering a new item of clothing. The copywriter in me wants to name it something like Teresa’s Think-More, Buy-Less Decision-Making Machine™. The human being in me is giving myself the side-eye.
Here are the questions in no particular order:
Does this item meet a specific need? Noting, of course, that all new clothing for me is a want, not an actual need. The need for warmth, though, might take priority over, say, the need to look youthful and relevant while traipsing across the university campus.
Can I find a pre-owned version? I have been lucky to find some really good stuff on Poshmark and eBay, most of it nearly new. I haven’t had as much success with consignment stores in Calgary, but that’s probably because I am easily overwhelmed while browsing and can only last for so long inside a store with strangers before I begin asking myself, “Who here is an anti-vaxxer?”
Will I still want it in a month? The best way to answer this question is to wait a whole month before buying, which helps loosen the death-grip that capitalism has on many of us. I use this delayed purchasing strategy in other parts of my life, too, and I hardly ever regret it.
Would I still buy it even if I couldn’t return it? After reading this appalling article and also this one, I no longer believe in returns. The system is so broken.
Does it need alterations? At this point in my life, I hope never to hem another pair of pants again. I just hope “ankle length” is here to stay.
Am I buying it for current me, not an imagined me? I used to fall into the trap of buying clothes for the person I hoped to be instead of the person I actually was. This is why I have five dressy blazers hanging in my closet right now and zero desire to wear any of them.
Can I pair it with stuff in my existing wardrobe? How many new outfits could I make by adding it to my current collection? And, just as important, can I make it work without buying any additional items?
Is it comfortable? Which, I know, sounds like a ridiculous question, but have you worn women’s clothing??
Is it black?
Do I already have something that serves the same purpose?
Am I just bored? Or stressed? Do I want something new because I’m looking for a dopamine boost?
It occurs to me that I often set little rules and limitations to keep myself “on track” (whatever that means). It makes me feel freer somehow, while also giving me a small sense of control in this chaotic life. I mean, this weekly newsletter is a prime example: nobody cares if I put it out late (or never), but I work hard to meet my self-imposed deadline anyway.
I’ve done this kind of thing since I was a kid—most notably in Grade 6, when I drafted the Teresa Act of Reform (TAR for short), a set of resolutions meant to make me “a better person” (whatever that meant). After 34 years, the only list item I still remember is “I will floss every night,” lol.
For better or worse, it’s clear a part of me is still that nutty 11-year-old, trying to write a different future into existence. At least I’m really good about flossing now.
:) Teresa
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