This is how I’m changing the way I shop!

I have a huge problem where I constantly find myself shopping for all the latest trends, because I get consistent notifications on the newest arrivals, sale events, and my own mind wandering about my next outfit. This post is sponsored by The Glam Shop. Subscribe for The Glow Up weekly newsletter and never miss a single post!

Don’t get me wrong. I love shopping. I had a real online shopping addiction where I would log on every morning to a list of my favourite fast fashion stores just to check what newly arrived. Are you serious, Gia? Yes. 100%. I am embarrased to admit. That was years ago and my Poshmark has been insanely successful since haha.

Now I have turned my habits around to be more about mindfully shopping. The reason was I gave 16 BAGS of clothes away and still have more to spare. Not very much more to spare, but enough for me to commit to epilation before I move. Even when I was donating the bags and bags of clothes — we were sweating carrying the heavy loads back and forth — I was asked if I was moving. At that time I was not very certain, but now I am.

I never really felt attached to items. It is always easy for me to move on from things, because the thrilling feeling of purchasing something fades away once it is in my hands. This is part of the problem and the reason why slow shopping is helping me. I am realising that the problem the dopamine fix I am getting simply from desire. This is why I find Buddhism is so profound, because I truly want no desires. The things that matter are the things that come for free and what we take for granted.

My kitten is growing and very fuzzy. I am always dumbfounded when I see how much he has grown in the past 24 hours and show him to all my family members. Literally nobody even looks up at him when I wave him around and carry him in front of their faces, because they do not care. People take the little things for granted, not obsessing over the fact that this moment will pass, and he will not be this size anymore! It baffles me when I see people not caring about wonderful things like this. He is never going to be this little, fuzzy or cute again! This is how I am with material items. Eventually.

The garments I do treasure to be precious I take care of, but realise I can still do without them. Money I spend or what to spend on such things can go to better investments. Namely, retirement. That’s a huge one. I want to be able to get up and leave whenever I want if the situation gets bad. I want to be able to buy a new property to find myself in a new, safer location. This scared my husband and me during the world’s panorama banana. We had no choice but to stay put in what was becoming the rising criminally active areas of Los Angeles.

When I find something I absolutely love, I get it in every colour, every style, and every fabric. I am a huge fan of outfit DNA and wearing a strong uniform. This makes my personal brand consistent so that when people see that item, they think of me immediately. That is the power of being memorable, of having such a strong personal brand, and leaving lasting impressions.

Another problem — and the problem specifically with this — is I do not wear every colour or wear one item more than the other, so I am better off buying less in the first place. I will buy one in each colour that suits my colour season only, and then buy another if I realise it is something I gravitate towards regularly.

I do not want to be blind to what I do have. Sometimes I will find myself shopping for similar items I already own simply because I am so glued to my uniform. Warren Buffett is famous for saying, use what you have into the ground, and I will do this with my clothing. Wear what I have until I cannot wear it anymore, but still taking care of it along the way.

I also find that the higher quality stores and items I shop for, the less I spend in the moment for impulsive shopping moments and the more I prefer to save up, take my time, and think about what I spending my money for.

How I will use it?

Where I will use it?

How often I see myself wearing the garment?

Will it actually look good on me?

Does it go with the rest of the items I have?

Does this actually suit me or am I telling myself this, because it’s currently in style?

How soon will I get tired of it?

How much maintenance goes into owning this item?

Does this piece of clothing practically fit my lifestyle?

Does it make sense to buy this now or in the future?

What are any possible regrets I will have after having owned this product for a while?

Wise questions to ponder before making a purchase.

When I do shop now, instead of adding extra things to my cart for free shipping — I haven’t worried about free shipping for the past year unless I was in a rush to get something before a trip and had zero time to go to the store to prepare — I only purchase the one item.

The pain of having a ton of clothes in my guest room. The weight on my mind of how to get rid of all of these items. The time I spend organising everything just to realise I will not use it is utterly painful. It really does weigh on your mind and is an extra burden I would not wish for someone to be cluttered with. There are more important things in life.

From now on, when I share fashion posts and hauls on this blog, I am only going to shop high quality or for items I plan to wear for a very long time. This does not mean you will see me draped in designer logos — quite the opposite. I hate seeing marketing for brands that is not necessarily paid for, but people want to be associated with a brand’s phases and style at the time. It really bothers me.

I also want to have integrity with items I suggest to you so that you are not constantly returning items only to find that it breaks in the first use, or there are a disappointing amount of factory stitches hanging out of a garment. That would be deeply disappointing and I would not follow a blogger who suggests such a waste of hard earned money and time on things. I do not want to be the person who gives you fast fashion haul one after the other as I would not low quality things that do not last in my life. Nobody has time for that haha.

Those who follow trends do not really have their own signature style, specifically for those whose job it is not to follow trends.

Current trends are absolutely fun to mix things up every now and again, but depending on them 100% to dictate your everflux style is not a sustainable way to live. You will settle down on a style you love some time. I hope you find yours with me, and happy slow shopping!

This post is sponsored by The Glam Shop. Glamourise your everyday life with everything to elevate your beauty routine, home interiors, and style. Visit The Glam Shop.