Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2020. I've been keeping track since 2012, and I've included the figures from previous years for easy comparison. You can see every item I purchased in my previous post.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1,207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18
2019  £400.10
2020  £205.85
I'm delighted that I managed to reduce my spending so much this year, I think being in lockdown might've helped as I didn't step foot in a charity shops for weeks on end!

These yearly totals illustrate the journey I have been on since I started blogging. My spending habits are certainly nearer to what I'd like them to be, when I first started blogging I used to buy mostly new and didn't give much thought to how long I kept something or how many times I wore it, and I rarely purchased second hand.

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71
2019  66
2020  20
Just 20 items in 2020, that's rather neat. I had planned on buying one item per month but I'm still happy with this total. Can I get it lower in 2021?

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69%
2019  87%
2020  80%
Not my highest percentage but still good, however I would like to improve on this in 2021.

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97%
2019  86%
2020  95%
Only one item has been donated back to charity, a pair of men's jeans that proved to be a little bit too snug about the hips.

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17
2019  £29.72
2020  £4.50
And if they'd been a better fit they would've stayed in my wardrobe.

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22%
2019  3%
2020  30%
A swimsuit and a preloved dress remain unworn. I had an inkling that the dress wouldn't get worn but it was so pretty and such a bargain (£9.00) I couldn't resist it. I bought the swimsuit hoping that I'd get to the beach at some point in the summer but I stayed away when we were allowed to return to avoid the crowds. Also not worn were 3 tops and a pair of shorts that were purchased at the end of the summer when the weather gave up and my opportunity to wear them vanished, but they'll be worn as soon as they can be.

What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on an occasion dress
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)
2019  £32.00 ASOS jumpsuit
2020  £70.00 new leather rucksack

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots
2019  £13.00 sequin bag
2020  £9.50  Seasalt dress
It's expensive for a second hand dress in my opinion but as they retail at around £80, and it's good quality and well made, so I was happy to part with the cash. It's still the cheapest of the most expensive items bought over the years, so I'm calling it a win.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
2019  New ASOS boots £9.50 (sale). Pre-loved heart print vest top £1.00 (sale)
2020  New £19.49 New Look floral midi dress. Pre-loved button down camisole top £1.50.

2020 Buyer's Archive Resolutions - how did I do?
My goal for 2020 was simple. To buy, spend, and discard less than 2019, and I succeeded on all counts!

In 2021 I want to buy only what I need. Wish me luck!

Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018  |  2019

Here are all the clothing and accessory purchases I made in 2020, a total of just 20 items. I had planned to buy one item per month and whilst I obviously didn't stick to it, it was successful in curbing my spending more than anything else I've tried.

When I saw an item I liked I would ask myself if I liked it enough for it to be my 'one item', most of the time to answer was 'no', and it went back on the rail.

I don't doubt that being in lockdown had an impact on my spending, even when we were out of lockdown I didn't want to venture out too much, I can probably count the number of times I stepped foot in a charity shop since April on one hand. Which is no bad thing (except for the shops obviously).

My only truly nonsense purchase was a pre-loved Monsoon dress. It's not the sort of thing anyone needs during lockdown but it's just so lovely. I'm sure that at some point the perfect occasion to wear it will present itself, even if I have to wait a while.

The most expensive purchase was the leather rucksack and given that this was purchased a week before we were put in to lockdown for the first time, and the need for a bag vanished overnight, it's actually been used a decent amount. It's the only bag I've used when I've been out since I purchased it. With luck (and mass vaccinations) I'll be able to use it so much more in 2021.

I hope you're well, stay safe, stay inside, and keep smiling!
xx

As my plan was to buy less this year, I decided to write my Buyer's Archive posts every three months, now I realise that it makes them a bit lengthy, so I might go back to monthly posts. Please let me know what you think (if you ever make it to the end of this!).



My challenge to buy just one item per month this year got off to an interesting start.

Because I purchased two items in January. Two items sold as a pair, I can get away with that, right?

I don't usually set out to buy something specific, but I wanted to wear my navy jumpsuit more often. I was limited by a lack of warm(ish) items that I could comfortably wear beneath it in the cooler months.

To avoid the uncomfortable and unflattering bunching up around the waist that sometimes happens with longer fitted tops, I decided I needed a crop top (not something I ever thought I'd say in my 40s), with long sleeves, in either white or blue and white stripes.

I typed 'long sleeve crop top' into the ebay search function, filtering it to UK sellers, and used items, and these tops appeared with a Buy It Now price of £4.00. Job done. I just need the sun to come out again so that I can wear them more.

I love this jumpsuit, but it lacks pockets. Pockets would've been lovely.



In February my one item was a not very interesting, but slouchy, comfy, and warm grey funnel neck sweatshirt for £4.49. It's a good throw-on-over-anything top that comes in handy at this time of year. It'll be worn with PJs just as much as daytime clothes I'm sure.



Early in March I found a pair of skinny jeans in a charity shop for £4.50. I'm always looking out for jeans so I decided that these would be my purchase for the month. You can never have too many pairs of jeans.



Having decided to buy only one item per month has obviously had an impact on my shopping. When I see something that last year I probably would've bought without too much hesitation, I've been asking myself 'do I like this enough for it to be my one purchase?'. Often the answer has been no, and the item goes back on the rail. It's a great way of identifying the items that I really like, as opposed to the ones that are just OK.



Then, after meeting friends, I took a shortcut to the car park through TK Maxx. I had no intention of browsing but a small leather rucksack caught my eye as I walked passed.

I've been looking for one for a few years, and I'd been hoping to find one second hand but had had no luck. I instantly loved this but I put it back on the shelf, only to return the next day to purchase it. I figured if I was willing to pay £70.00 for it, and willing to break my one item rule, I must really like it, and when I really like something it gets used a lot. It'll last for years and I'm not at all sorry for buying it. It's just a shame that during lockdown I have no need to carry a bag!

LAST YEAR

January 2019

I purchased just one item last January, a green cable jumper originally from Tu for just £2.00. It's been worn 18 times over the year. I love it worn over my blue shirt.



February 2019

I purchased three items last February. The yellow jumper (£3.50) has only been worn three times, but the gorgeous leather bag (£8.75) has been in near constant use. The ASOS boots cost me just £9.50 in the sale. I have to be honest and say they haven't been worn as much as I thought, but they're still in circulation, they haven't been forgotten.



March 2019

The cream jumper (£1.99) was only worn a few times before going back to the charity shop, as did a navy tote bag (£4.99, not pictured). The black jumper (£2.00), and camouflage t-shirt (£3.00) have both only been worn a few times.



Total so far for 2020: £82.99

Total at this time last year: just £35.73

As I'd planned to only buy one item a month I was hoping to spend no more than £200 on clothing, shoes and accessories this year. Obviously buying a £70 rucksack puts a bit of a dent in that budget!

But if I divide what remains by the number of remaining months, it leaves £13.00 per month, which is doable, even without being on lockdown, as I mostly buy second hand. With the non essential shops shut I won't be doing any charity shop rummaging anytime soon, I'm sure I can remain within budget.

Left of £200.00 budget: £117.01

Items purchased: 5 (pre-loved: 4) (new: 1)


For the fifth year running I'm keeping track of my spending on clothes, shoes, and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

Did you make it to the end? Is this too long?

Back in April 2019 I'd worn my skinny jeans 71 times - well over my #30Wears goal! You won't be surprised to discover that I continued to keep a tally of the number of wears these jeans rack up.



They still have plenty of wear in them and currently stand at 145 wears. At £66.15 that's about 45p per wear, but you know I'm going to continue to wear them, as I do all my jeans, until they fall to pieces.

They are starting to show signs of thinning in places - knees, belt loops - but when they do 'go' I'll be repairing them with visible mending.

The 30 wears concept was the brainchild of Olivia Firth, founder of Ecoage: the next time you want to buy new clothing or accessories, ask yourself if you will wear the item at least 30 times? If not, don’t buy it!

I was fascinated by this concept and this is why I've been keeping a tally of both new and preloved clothing purchases since Autumn 2017. My biggest question was - how do I know how many times something has been worn? Which is why I started counting...

To see other items that have earned the #30Wears Badge of Honour click here. 

Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2019.

I've been keeping track since 2012, and I've included the figures from previous years for easy comparison.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1,207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18
2019  £400.10
Just look at the difference between this and 2012.

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71
2019  66
Whilst I am pleased with this number being one of the lowest, it still means that I purchased more than one item per week, and when looking at it that way, it seems rather a lot!

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69%
2019  87%

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97%
2019  86%
At first I was a little disappointed with this figure but the items that were sold or donated weren't items that I would've gone on to wear. I'm trying not to hang on to things simply because I've bought them, better to donate or sell on to someone that might actually wear them.

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17
2019  £29.72

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22%
2019  3%
Just a swimsuit and a t-shirt remain unworn. The t-shirt will come out in the spring, and as we have a holiday already booked the swimsuit will definitely be worn next year.

What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on a dress worn for my Mum's wedding
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)
2019  £32.00 ASOS jumpsuit
The jumpsuit has only been worn 4 times since I purchased it in April last year, which is much less than I'd envisioned, but I'm hoping that once I've whittled down my wardrobe further I'll be able to wear my favourite items more often.

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots
2019  £13.00 sequin bag
I bought the sequin bag when I got caught up in festival fever but I do use it. It hangs at the front of my wardrobe so I don't forget about it. What's the point in owning something this pretty and not using it? I'm sure it'll be going back to Latitude with me this year.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
2019  New ASOS boots £9.50 (sale). Pre-loved heart print vest top £1.00 (sale).
The boots are a staple, not worn often but good to have for when I need black on the end of my legs. The heart print vest top was purchased in September and only worn a few times but I know it'll be a favourite when the weather warms up again.


2019 Buyer's Archive Resolutions - how did I do?

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall.  The lowest number is 63, and this year I purchased 66, so it's not my lowest number of purchases, but fewer than last year.

I have a shopping challenge for 2020, I'm going to try and buy just one item per month because I don't need any more clothes, but I do love shopping. I have so many lovely items that deserve to be worn more often, so that's what I'm going to do.

Buy more pre-loved clothes than new. I'd hoped to be somewhere above 80% for 2019, and I'm pleased to say that 87% was the final figure. I am pleased that I shop secondhand more these days, but now I need to reduce the number of items I have overall, my wardrobe is stuffed. I probably have more clothes than I can wear in a year (which sounds like another challenge!).

Stick within a £500 budget. Yes! I spent £400.10. As you can imagine I'm really pleased with this. As I plan to buy less this year I'm wondering if I can come in under £200 for 2020?

Alter / mend all items that need it. I mended some but not as many as I ignored.

Sell or donate all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. I sold numerous items on ebay in the summer, so many that I almost became a permanent fixture in my local post office. I donated some items too, but there is still a pile of things to list on ebay. I have a feeling it'll be a pile that I never get to the bottom of, I add to it more often than I remove something from it.


2020 Buyer's Archive Resolutions

My goal this year is simple. To buy, spend, and discard less.


Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016  |  2017  |  2018

Here's my complete Buyer's Archive for the year, every item of clothing, every pair of shoes, and every accessory I purchased in 2019.




There are so many purchases that I really like and enjoy wearing from this year. The burgundy boots have barely been off my feet since I bought them. The brown leather bag has been in almost constant use. Both of my check coats have been worn a number of times already, and the floral shorts I purchased in September will be the first to grace my legs next time the temperature allows.



And the jumpers, it's been a good year for jumpers! I purchased 13 in all, with the first and the last both being gorgeous shades of green.



I've found five footwear items in charity shops this year, which is a lot for me as I rarely find footwear I like. Yes, one of those was a hideous pair of Crocs, but they have their place, acting as the perfect garden shoes.

There have been a few items that didn't stay in my wardrobe, for various reasons, but I made a huge effort to list these items on ebay, and made a small profit in some cases.

It feels like a really successful year of shopping. I purchased fewer items than last year, and kept within budget. Also, for the first time ever, I quickly identified the not-so-great purchases and either sold or donated them, instead of keeping them, trying to convince myself that I'd wear them at some point. It freed up valuable space in my wardrobe, which is something I need to continue to do, starting with a wardrobe purge...

And this concludes the fourth year of keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

It also concludes my blogging for 2019, which just leaves me to say 'Happy New Year', and to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2020!

I have far fewer options in my wardrobe for this time of year than in the warmer months. Jeans and jumpers dominate my autumn / winter wardrobe. Skirts appear on occasion, but most days I'll be clad in denim and wool.

Once again trying to wear every seasonal item in my wardrobe has reminded me of the many, many items I'd forgotten about. I've selected a few that can be donated to charity, and a few to be sold on ebay.

It's hard to believe I started the season wearing shorts, it didn't last long of course, and it seems like such a long time ago now, but we're nearly at the shortest day, so it can only get better...

I purchased this jumper back in December 2017, and last week I wore it for the 32nd time. It's something I reach for when I fancy an injection of colour, normally on dismally grey days.

It's earned it #30Wears Badge of Honour, despite my early prediction that it wouldn't last long enough. It pilled very early on in it's life, but then stopped, and never got any worse.

Even though I washed it according the the care instructions, it's shrunk a little and now has sleeves that finish just above the wrist, which is a bit of a pet hate of mine. I like my sleeves to be long, resting on the backs of my hands, or to be 3/4 length, not flirting coyly with my wrists. That said, it's not annoying enough for me to discard it, when worn with longer sleeves underneath, or on days when sleeves can be pushed up, it's more than wearable.



I really like wearing it over my blue shirt, to my mind it works really well, and to be honest this is how I wear it more often than not. This little pink jumper will definitely be around for a while longer.

I've rambled on about the #30Wears campaign in other posts, so I haven't really explained it, but you can read more about it here if you wish.

To see other items that have earned the #30Wears Badge of Honour click here.

I've been on another spree this month, mostly pre-loved charity shop finds that were too good to be left in the shop!

THIS YEAR



M&S v neck top £3.50. A classic wardrobe staple.

Lace top £3.00. Something a little bit unusual for me, but I thought would be nice to dress up jeans.

Christmas jumper £5.99. I've been looking for one for a few years. This was exactly what I was after. It's so soft and warm and as it's not overly Christmassy I can wear it into the new year too.

Sequin top £6.99. Something for the Christmas festivities.

Grey jumper £4.75. I love a grey jumper and as mine last one found it's way into a charity bag last year, this is an excellent replacement.

Tu Premium check coat £12.50. I did buy a check coat last month too, but this was too nice to be left in the shop.

Twist front t-shirt (not pictured) £1.50. Another staple, and half price in the sale.

George check shirt £1.90. Good for dress down days, with lovely long sleeves and made of the softest cotton.

Coated jeans £4.99. Purchased on a whim in a last minute ebay auction, I actually really like them, and they'll satisfy my hankering for a pair of leather trousers - which I've never seen in a charity shop, and I'd probably never be brave enough to wear anyway.

And a few new purchases, boring but necessary, two bras totaling £11.00.

LAST YEAR



Pre-loved grey jumper, £3.75. This was only worn a few times before it was put back in the charity bag. It didn't sit well over jeans and I knew I wouldn't wear it much as a result.

Pre-loved stripe top, £4.75. This has been worn a lot, I love the long sleeves but it's also really nice in slightly warmer weather as it's a thin material.

Pre-loved floral shirt, £6.00, was from an Instagram sale. I've only worn it a few times so I'm considering putting this in the charity bag too.

Pre-loved navy shirt, £4.00. I bought this knowing it would be a good wardrobe staple and I was right. It's not worn a lot but comes out when I need something I can rely on. I wore it with a big skirt on Christmas Eve last year and with shorts when the sun started to shine. It's pretty versatile.

Pre-loved French Connection embellished dress, £7.00. I've only worn this once, to a dinner and drag show, but it was perfect.

Navy heels, £24.99 (sale price). These were worn once and will be going on ebay as soon as I can get my act together, I just don't wear heels as often as I used to so I don't see the point in hanging onto them.

Boots, £45.27. These went straight on ebay as they didn't fit well and I couldn't be bothered to return them to the States (I didn't realise they were coming from the States when ordering). I sold them for £30.00, so I made some money back at least.


Total for October: £56.12

Total so far for 2019: £361.85

Total at this time last year: £456.88

Left of £500.00 budget: £138.15
This is a good amount to have left at this point in the year. Historically I don't do much clothes shopping in December, so if I can keep my spending under control in November I can easily come in under budget.

Items purchased: 61 (pre-loved: 54 / new: 7)
My goal was to buy fewer than 63 items but I doubt that'll happen. I'm meeting up with Sophie and Kezzie soon which always entails much shopping!


For the fourth year running I'm keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

The Slow Fashion Season challenge is now over, which means, for me, Wearing It All 2019 is over too. SFS was about buying no new clothing for the three months of the summer, and my Wearing It All idea was to wear a different outfit everyday for the summer. I managed to wear all but a few of my many summer clothes.

















I'd almost given up on having a proper summer, we'd had so much rain, lots of drizzle, and were battered with high winds. The temperature wasn't bad, it allowed for bare ankles and arms, but it was less than ideal. It gave me the opportunity to wear a few of my many shirts, and a few jumpers got an airing too, but for August the weather was a disappointment.



Until the final week when the sun returned! It was so nice to be treated to several days of gorgeous weather that coincided not only with my birthday, but also with Andy's sister and her family coming home for a visit. We went to the beach - twice - swam in the sea (I can not remember that last time I did that in this country), spent a very enjoyable afternoon in the garden playing in a paddling pool and throwing myself down a makeshift water slide. And we camped out in the back garden, toasting marshmallows over a campfire, none of which would've happened if the weather hadn't been so good.





My shorts came out in force, and I tracked down all my sleeveless tops. The weather was glorious!

The khaki dress and the red floral sleeveless shirt are birthday gifts from Andy. I briefly wondered if accepting gifts of new clothes broke my Slow Fashion Season pledge. I decided that I didn't buy them so it doesn't count. I love both items and know they'll be worn a lot. There is no such thing as disposable fashion in my house.

This is everything I wore over the summer, except for two outfits worn at Latitude, and the scruffs I wore to decorate in.

This challenge has made me wonder if it's time to rethink my seasonal capsule wardrobes. The reason I started them was to stop those moments when I looked into my overstuffed wardrobe and declared that I had nothing to wear. I wanted to streamline what I had, which I did, and then I stored out of season and non capsule items under my bed.

It worked, living with a capsule wardrobe simplified things but it has lead to a lot of lovely clothes languishing in an old suitcase, out of sight. I wasn't willing to part with a lot of things because I liked them so much, but I also continued to add items to my wardrobe. I now probably have more clothes than before I started the capsules. It's time to start wearing more of my wardrobe, and shopping a little less!

I've decided to continue Wearing It All into the autumn.

It was sale season in the charity shops this month and I picked up a few lovely items for the end of summer, and, nearer the end of the month, a few items for the coming season.

THIS YEAR


Laura Ashley shirt £2.00
I love this but I'm not sure I'm going to keep it.

Heart vest top £1.00
This is such a sweet little top, it's been worn twice already but has been put away until the weather warms up again.

Shorts £2.00
Another bargain, worn once before the sun left us again.

Long tunic top £2.00
I didn't get a chance to wear this and it could actually be a dress, I'm sure I'll wear it as a top and a dress next year.

Winter coat £11.50 (it was actually £12 but I found 50p in one of the pockets when I got home)
This is originally from Next and would've been £80.00 if I'd bought it new. I've been keeping an eye open for something like this.

Burgundy boots £12.00
After finding a fabulous pair in December '17 and then selling them earlier this year due to their uncomfortable nature I was delighted to find these. They've got a smaller heel, making them far more comfortable, and they don't have suede parts meaning I can wear them in any weather without worry.

My autumn wardrobe is shaping up nicely.


LAST YEAR

Bras. Altogether these cost £50.00. They do their job but I haven't worn them as much as I thought I would. The white one is a sod to fasten so is often discarded. Bras are such a boring thing to have to spend money on.

Leather shoulder bag  |  £7.50  |  pre-loved This is a really nice bag and was used a lot until I found a wonderful leather tote bag in February this year.

Tote bag  |  £5.75  |  pre-loved
This is great for charity shopping and beach days alike.

Red shirt  |  £2.00 in the sale  |  pre-loved
I seem to have accumulated a number of shirts over the last few years, this one has only been worn 8 times so far.

Jeans  |   £66.15  |  La Redoute
A new purchase. I knew these would be worn a lot and the total currently stands at 107 times, and they're not anywhere near reaching the end of their useful live just yet...

Yellow jumper  |  £23.00 using a £5 discount code  |  ASOS
This is about to be dug out of my wardrobe for another season. It's been worn 22 times so far and I'm looking forward to wearing it again.

Blue shirt  |  pre-loved   |  £4.75  |  originally from Topshop
This one has been out of the wardrobe 20 times in the last year. It's a really good staple.


Total for September: £31.50

Total so far for 2019: £305.73

Total at this time last year: £406.56

Left of £500.00 budget: £194.27

Items purchased: 51 (pre-loved: 46 / new: 5) my goal is to buy fewer than 63.

With three months to go and nearly £200 left in my budget I'm hopeful that I can stay below a £500 spend this year. I know this total has everything to do with the fact that the vast majority of purchases have been pre-loved.

I'm not sure I'll buy fewer items than 63 (which is my lowest number of purchases since records began in 2012) because plans are afoot for another charity shop rummage with Sophie and Kezzie, but I hope it won't be far out.


For the fourth year running I'm keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

THIS YEAR

I said in my last Buyer's Archive post that I wasn't going to buy anything this month, but I didn't believe that when I wrote it anymore than you did when you read it. I've been very restrained though. The only thing I purchased was this coin purse.



I did wonder if a coin purse really counts as a wardrobe purchase but as I've counted a previous coin purse I felt I should include this one too, it's an accessory of sorts.

My current one is three years old. I like fabric ones and I don't see them in charity shops very often, especially ones that haven't been used. There are plenty of vinyl or plastic ones to be found but I don't like them. And this one has a button so...


LAST YEAR

I only purchased one item last August too. A secondhand mustard yellow bag for £4.75. I used it a lot but it was plastic and it started to split and flake after a few weeks. I tried to mend it with some very basic embroidery skills but I ruined it, and that was the end of that.



It was fun while it lasted and I'm keeping my eyes open for another bag in this colour as it proved to be rather versatile.


Total for August: £2.00

Total so far for 2019: £275.23

Total at this time last year: £247.41

Left of £500.00 budget: £224.77

Items purchased: 45 (pre-loved: 40 / new: 5)


One of my new years resolutions was to spend less, and buy fewer new items. Last year I purchased 71 items (63 in 2016). I'm already up to 45 so I need to start being a little more discerning with my purchases from here on in.


For the fourth year running I'm keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with A Buyer's Archive.

As Slow Fashion Season marches on I'm steadily working my way through my wardrobe, wearing what the weather allows. A few more pleasantly sunny days would be nice, it doesn't feel like summer is really trying it's hardest.

I heard on the radio yesterday that the temperatures are not going to rise again this summer, but I'm sticking to my theory that it's impossible to predict the weather further than a week in advance, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I have three pairs of shorts that have yet to be worn this summer.



Above is a mix of never worn before (long navy jumper and pink jumper) and things that have been seen a lot on the blog (both skirts), and things that have been worn many, many times (jeans). You'll notice a distinct lack of truly summery outfits.



You might be wondering about my choice of footwear in the outfit above, top right? I was going to meet my husband in a field to spend the afternoon in his cab with him. The fields have heavy clay soil and we'd had some rain so I wore my I don't-care-how-muddy-they-get-boots (aka my farmer's wife boots), and the same shirt I wore the day before as I was bound to get grubby - light colours and tractors do not mix - even the bag I took with me was wipe clean!

The day I wore the pale orange t-shirt and jeans I went into town thinking that it was just about warm enough for short sleeves, only to get caught in a torrential downpour. I returned home soaked through to the skin, and shivering. And to think I so very nearly put my rain poncho in my bag...

With five weeks left of the Slow Fashion Season I have a lot of items still to be worn. I've been avoiding the temptation of charity shops as it's clear I don't need any more clothes. On the flip side this challenge has helped me to identify items I no longer want, which helps to whittle down the wardrobe, I'll take any extra space I can get.

We're almost halfway through the Slow Fashion Season. I'm yet to buy any new clothing, although I did buy a lot of secondhand items last month! This month I've challenged myself to buy nothing at all. I've worn a different outfit everyday since June 21st and I've still got many unworn items. I don't feel I need to add anything else in to the mix, so I'm staying away from the charity shops - they're just too tempting!


The items above are rarely worn (with the exception of the jeans, which always get worn a lot). The red tunic hasn't been seen on the blog (or worn) since the summer of 2013! It's well and truly on my radar now and will get the wearing it deserves. Isn't it pretty?



This lot above are items I used to wear a frequently, but not so much recently. The paisley dress was my first ever attempt at visible mending after the waistband frayed. And the yellow skirt was brought back to life with some fabric dye a few years ago. The wide leg trousers still need to be taken up as they are trip hazard long - even with heels!

The only recent purchase here is the sequin bag in the first outfit. I bought it to take to Latitude, but it was always going to be something that I used again. I read on the Barnardo's Instagram feed that this summer 7.4 million single-use outfits will be purchased for festivals by us Brits. It's utterly horrifying. How do we change this idea that clothes are disposable?