From Shopaholic to Frugal | Why I Stopped Buying Fashiontrends! 

I love watching people who are anti-haul. We need more of you! That's why I also love Alyssa Beltempo. Great job and keep doing what you're doing 🥰

I love your honesty about your past habits. I think it’s really hard for young people now. When I was a teenager, there was no internet. We had to travel to a shop and then hope that they had something we liked that would fit us. Now it’s too easy to buy clothes you like at the touch of a button.

Don’t feel bad, almost all teenagers and young adults do this, too, they go nuts buying fashion, eating out, etc, with their first paychecks. It’s all too easy now with social media, fast-fashion and not having to pay one’s own basic expenses. The financial realities of getting that first apartment usually forces young people to stop, or minimize, excessive shopping. I had to live at home to complete my extended university education and always worked at least 30 hours a week, and still had no money for my wardrobe at all. It was not until age 26 that I could afford to buy anything for my wardrobe. Then (1986) clothes and accessories were expensive and I had to buy slowly and carefully. That is, in numerical dollars, the cost was about the same, for example, a nice casual jacket was about $30-40, as it is now, but the dollar is worth so much less now. The reasons wardrobe items are so relatively cheap now are: much cheaper synthetic materials and construction quality; outsourcing manufacturing to poor Asian countries with their low ethical and environmental standards (NAFTA is largely responsible for this); and the onset of fast-fashion, online shopping and social media, essentially all at once. We all shopped very differently when I was young, in-store and with careful deliberation and quality standards, clothes, shoes, etc. were of high-quality materials and beautifully made. Getting new things was fun, but we didn’t just do it for entertainment, as we do now. Even though I’m 63, I have been influenced to buy, buy, buy just as much as younger people have. I’m trying to go back to better, more intentional and sustainable purchasing now, and a lot less of it.❤

Most trends are deliberately created and pushed by designers and brands. Their priority is making dirt-cheap synthetic materials seem trendy, to maximize their profits by using cheap materials. Look at SS23 trends: sheers, mesh, satin (poly), embellishments, faux leather - all plastic. Don’t buy these, there’s no such thing as a chic or high-quality plastic wardrobe item. Synthetics are horribly uncomfortable, have no intrinsic value, and don’t biodegrade. I know that if I buy a 100% linen, cotton, silk, wool/cashmere or genuine leather item, someone else will want to wear it if it doesn’t work out for me. It has intrinsic, reuse value and at the end of its wear life, can be recycled. Very few trends truly originate with consumers. Search for and buy only what you really love, in my case natural materials and classic, timeless, simple styles. Also, take the best care of everything you do buy (not using a tumble dryer is the best care of all). Vote with your wallets, friends, we should influence brands, not be influenced by them.

Love your honest video 👍 I was Shopaholic too many years and because of health reasons I need to change the situation importantly spending my money for clothes and things dont really need - now most money I need to spend for medicine 😢 yes its so much important to spend time in your life for things which make you really happy 💖 all the very best wishes for you 💖

This is exactly what I needed to see/hear. I’ve been watching other RU-vidrs recently who are pushing trends and making me feel as though I’m not keeping up. It really starts to make a person feel as though they aren’t good enough. Your videos have helped me realize that I can stick with what I like and what I’m comfortable with. After all, I’m the one wearing my clothes, right?😉

I’m so grateful to my own wonderful father who has helped me financially so many times. Even when I got into stupid debt for clothes! Now, I don’t use credit cards for such purchases, I only buy what I have the cash for. I have a monthly wardrobe budget, realistically I know that I will always want some new items, especially now that I’m three sizes smaller than I was five years ago, and it seems to be a permanent weight loss. I waited years to be sure before buying smaller sizes, altered everything I could, and I am now sure of my new size. Having downsized what garments I could three times already, I can’t do anymore without ruining them, I have to just buy smaller sizes now.

School puts such an emphasis on conformity and there’s a lot of peer pressure to look a certain way to be one of the cool kids, combined with the availability of fast fashion and internet shopping, it’s easy to fall into such patterns starting at that age. Plus the companies know it and target teenagers when they’re impressionable to create a habit of lifetime consumerism. Also for girls especially, clothes still sometimes seem like the easiest way to get the life you want or at least look like you have the life you want. Anyway, I think it’s most useful to unpack what one thinks clothes (or other collectibles) will provide and then assess if they’re actually providing that. If one has to keep getting more and more, probably not. If the beauty, collecting and trying trends are fun in and of themselves, there are ways to do that more cheaply and sustainably, for instance by shopping second hand. Your thoughtfulness is interesting and commendable!

You are beautiful inside out. It took me many years to find my personal style - neutral and minimalist.

You fell into a very common and relatable pattern. So happy you have found a form of minimalism that works for you. ❤️

Thanks for sharing your story, it was really inspiring 🧡 I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago (thank you YT algorithm 😁) and i've really been enjoying your content. As you said, it is important to watch videos about sustainability, minimalism, etc when trying to improve our shopping habits.

Absolutely. Here for it. BTW, I think the people at Ramsey Solutions would love your content. Even when you're in a different stage of life, maybe older with more disposable income, these are still traps that cause us to fill our lives with too much stuff.

You are so beautiful elegant & intelligent! Yay that you have transformed yourself! It makes my ❤ jump!

Just came across your videos, loving it so far!

Your channel became my favourite so fast! LOVE & need all your advice since I fell for the consume-craze & really need to get out

So happy I found you!!!

I love your videos! Congratulations on being frugal now! Would you be willing or your parents be willing to do a video on their frugality? Thank you for sharing your honesty, keep up the good job!

Hello, how are you my dear cousin? well congrats on paying of your student debt. I transferred the last of my student debt instalment in March this year. For me it wasn't clothes so much, more just simply enjoying life without thinking of the consequences, which after my new found freedom was kinda all that mattered. So I just took all I could get and ended up with over €23,000 in debt. Although I wouldn't recommend it, I have no regrets. It were some epic years in my young life, a great teaching moment and after having it payed back entirely I felt so proud of myself. Well I'm forty, so kudos to you, taking control of your finances!

New subscriber here. Really loving your content so don’t stop! I have also made the move to following those who inspire us to be more creative with what we have. For about 7 years 90% of my wardrobe has been thrifted. Issue is, it’s cheap so easy to still over consume.

I just found your channel and I am loving your videos. Thanks for sharing your story. I think a lot of people can relate with this.

I was the same until my mid 20’s, then I realized majority of the clothes didn’t fit properly or I didn’t like them. Now I’m very picky about what covers me and I never stray anymore because I know it’ll be a waste of money. I just need to stop FEELING the need to shop. That’s the hardest part for me.

Love watching your videos. I’m just getting out of the bad habits I’ve picked up during COVID lockdowns.

I’m finding my way to become a minimalist/essentialist myself and it’s so hard with social media and always feeling like you need something to be whole. I love how you tell your story in such a genuine manner 🥰 been binge watching your content lately-you got a new sub🤍

thank you for being open and sharing your story! I wish you the best with your goals and with this channel :)

This is a very inspiring video which is really helpful. Thank you so much.

What are now called trends used to be called fads because they only last for a season or two. There are true longer-term trends, mostly in overall silhouette. From the 90s to almost 2020, there was a strong trend toward a long, big top over skinny pants look. I hated that, as an overweight petite it made me look like big box on two thin stumps, and am so glad it has finally gone out of style. It was, and still is, popular with my fellow baby boomers who increasingly want to hide their tummies, hips, etc., as they age. I decided to lose the extra weight instead, for my health, but I also don’t want to hide my body now either. The new silhouette is for looser bottoms and shorter, fitted tops. I’ve ignored the oversized trend completely, it’s terrible for petites, but it seems to have longevity, too, brands are still cranking them out. In a few more years, we’ll roll our eyes at those enormous blazers, and wonder why anyone actually chose them to spend their money on. Each decade has one or two defining silhouettes, which is how we can date a fashion decade at a glance. Maybe we should call these silhouette changes mega-trends or LT trends?

Wow, thanks so much for sharing in such a vulnerable way! You are putting out some great content (it feels really professional too). Congratulations on all your money and minimalism achievements, you should be very proud of yourself ❤

Just found your channel, absolutely love it 🙂

Lovely video

Took me way, way, longer to get to that point. After decluttering the entire house including the closets, found myself with too many clothes. Help my finances, but too many. What is helping me to get to the next step is accepting that I only need to have enough clothes for the occasions that fit my lifestyle. If I do not wear leggings everyday, I do not need 4 of every color, regardless of the fact that they are already there, fit me, look good and I have the space to storage them.

I try to only buy things that I will enjoy using long term and to sell clothes that I am no longer wearing. I still buy new clothes but I feel happiest when I have a limited wardrobe of things I truly enjoy. I think the worst thing about fast fashion is that the clothes are poor quality but still drain peoples bank accounts.

Thanks

very nice

Thanks for this! Maybe share your process in the struggle to disengage? Did you declutter everything you had bought? How did you arrive at a place of peace? What do you do now?

❤

Amazon must have is over for me 😢😅

Great video ❤ a made the same mistake 😢 but now I’m trying more hard 😊