A Year Without
Seattle shopper spearheads a twelve-month buy-nothing campaign
Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Sep 08, 2009 at 07:00AM
10 Comments
Last week, Seattle-based photographer rep Sally Bjornsen sent out an email announcing a new blog and a new way of life. She and 16 women from Seattle, Redmond, Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin TX, Florida, and the UK have embarked on the The Great American Apparel Diet; they’re completely eliminating new apparel for one year.
A coworker told me about Sally’s plan a week or so prior, and prefaced her lead with something like, “I know it’s the very opposite of your enterprise with your blog…” Yeah, I have spent the last six months encouraging you to shop and having conversations about how to spend your money wisely, but I don’t feel like Sally and company are completely at odds with us. Ostensibly, these women are going to be buying something this year - if not dresses and sweaters, perhaps cashmere throw blankets and cut-crystal stemware (and a loop hole in the bylaws does allow dieters to purchase some accessories). And more importantly, I have to imagine the exchange of goods and dollar bills will take on new weight, and I’m all for any plan that makes us more active (as in, less passive) consumers.
Could you do it? Would you? I chatted with Sally about all of this in an effort to understand more about her motivation and goals.
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Tell me about the moment this diet idea occurred to you, and the moment you decided you could or should really do it.
Sally: In my past I had a career that required a serious wardrobe; now, I work for myself and wear jeans and a t-shirt most of the time. While this work-from-home office was my reality, I continued to shop as if I was building a wardrobe for something other than typing on a computer and making phone calls. I enjoyed the shopping and buying experience but usually I came home with bags of clothes that were appropriate for the board room, not my kitchen counter. It’s silly typing in a suit at home by myself.
I found I wasn’t wearing about 80% of what was in my closet. I gave away clothes to my mom, my sisters, and to friends. I occasionally consigned. I was disgusted by my own consumerism, and then the idea occurred to me: What would happen if I gave up shopping for apparel for a year? Would it make me feel like a schump or a reasonable person? “Who am I,” I asked, “if I am not wearing something new?”
I am also grossed out by all the trash and landfill we as a society turn over – that had an effect on my decision but it wasn’t my main motivation.
What’s a normal year like in terms of wardrobe acquisitions? Where do you usually shop, and for what?
A normal year =
*five to ten pair of pants (usually 70% jeans) at about $100 to $200 a pop
*boots (a few pair a season)
*sweaters (cashmere is my favorite)
*at least one new coat and a few little jackets
*blouses, t-shirts (at least 10 to 20 a year)
*a dress
*a skirt
I am certain I spend about $5K to $8K a year on apparel and footwear. My favorite stores in Seattle are: Show Pony, pony/ Horseshoe, Clementine, Les Amis, J. Crew, and Anthropologie.
Beyond making it through the year, what are your goals? What do you hope to learn or change about yourself?
My goal for the year is to gain some control and to be more thoughtful about my wardrobe. In the past I would just buy to buy, not necessarily because the item worked in my wardrobe or even looked good on me. I am fascinated by the really expensive pieces in my wardrobe that I have continued to wear year after year. I have a shirt I bought at Max Mara about ten years ago; it was $200 (on sale) at the time which is a lot of money, but it is the smartest purchase I have ever made. It looks great, always, and it has really held up over the years. I would love to know ahead of time what sort of life that item will have in my closet. I could be more thoughtful and would likely spend more per item if I could assess that. I am hoping that after the year is over I will be able to really see that because I won’t have all the clutter or urgency to buy, instead it will be more strategic.
I also want to see, from a sociological standpoint, what happens to upper middle class working women when they can no longer get the “hit,” from something new. I also want to encourage the group of women to exchange with one another. For example if someone has a black-tie event and they “have nothing to wear,” they can post on the site and ask the other girls if they can borrow a dress. When most of us only wear 80% of our wardrobes certainly we have apparel to loan.
What do you think will be the success rate for your team? How many will drop out by the time holiday season rolls around?
I know about ten of the women really well. Most of them are super serious about making this work. The others I don’t know as well. It will be interesting to watch what pushes people’s buttons and what their temptations are.
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So how about it? Could you? Should you? Would you?
what a cool idea! is there a men’s category? – james at www.thredup.com
Hey James – I asked the same thing. Nope – you’ll have to start your own.
Men are welcome to join. We just haven’t found any yet. If you’d like to join and you are a man let me know via comments!
Horrifying. In this economy, with all the amazing boutiques that have had to shut their doors this year because businesses had slowed to a snails pace, talented men and women who’s businesses have died along with their dreams (and too often their entire bank accounts), to now have a “movement” started to NOT shop? What about the boutiques that have managed through sheer grit to survivie this downturn? As Dorothy Parker said “What fresh hell is this?”
I for one, will not stop shopping and supporting our local boutiques. Yes, be thoughtfull about what you buy. Clean that closet out and determine what you have, what you need, and what you want. Buy what you need. If you can’t control your own wardrobe, there are several excellent wardrobing services in town to guide you!
Sally,
I was very disapointed to read your note today. I don’t think we should be encouraging people to stop shopping or do anything drastic like stop spending money. I agree with being more fiscally conservative, but it’s not about stopping the shopping, it’s about being mindful, smart and strategic about the things we buy! I run my own consulting firm and also work from home, but I enjoy buying clothing items that are both comfortable, flattering and suit my lifestyle. Rather than telling people to stop shopping, we should be encouraging folks to look at their wardrobes more crtically.
Maybe you could have a think about getting a personal shopper or wardrobe stylist if you feel like you are making regrettable purchases.
To Pat and Smart Shopper – I understand where you’re coming from, my initial reaction was similar
-I remember thinking “This is no time to stop shopping!!” but I think it’s important to note that Sally and company aren’t trying to engage the world in their efforts-- this is what makes sense for them, and it’s an experiment they’re documenting the way so many document far flimsier ideas … I think my way of looking at it was in terms of where their wardrobe money might transfer-- as I mentioned, there are home and lifestyle stores that will perhaps get the benefit of Sally’s denim budget and etc. I am totally on the side of the mom-and-pop business owner, but moms and pops own book stores and restaurants and nail spas and I know women — women don’t stop shopping cold turkey. That saved money will go somewhere and I hope the overall experiment is instructive in terms of smart consumerism and spending locally.Hi! I’m a teenage reader of the blog and this idea is so interesting to me… Obviously as a teen I’m buying new things all the time as I grow and so does my style. But women like you, and my mom as well, who have developed their senses of style have sort of built up their wardrobe throughout the years, or at least that’s how I kind of perceive it. And it’s great! I can’t wait to have matured enough to a point where there are pieces in my closet that I’ve had for years and have some real history behind them. This project that these women are about to start seems so amazing because I think it will really let them consider pieces that they might’ve overlooked in the past or tossed aside and find new ways for them to work. Although it is a bit extreme, I love it! I think it’s so creative. Best of luck! I can’t wait to see how everything goes.
I’m one of the 16 and just earned points on my American Express card that I had to use to run my mom and pop owned business here in Seattle for the last 12 months. And, what a struggle it’s been – no cash flow but with limited credit, it has helped us up to this point. In view of the diet, I have put my hard earned points towards a Macy’s card which in my opinion was the best value offered through American Express – - and we all know there are lots of clothes there – but I will not falter and hope to replace my faltering coffee maker instead. The cold season is coming and something’s got to keep me warm even if it’s not a new Lululemon fleece. After all, there’s always next year! Rock on girls!
Everyone has a right to their opinion so here is mine…Not only are we talking about small shop owners losing their stores but with that loss comes the loss of jobs of their employees. Whether there is one person or a dozen it is people losing their jobs. Then of course they no longer are buying their lunch or making purchases when then affects other local small businesses….this is a downward spiral which continues to affect all of us. I would suggest instead for people to google the 3/50 Project and follow their lead of picking 3 small stores and spending $50.00 to help grow the economy. Anyway…that is my opinion.
Hi Cindy – yep, in the text for the original post I’ve got a link to my first post about the 3/50 project
-readers can click on “on to spend your money wisely” in orange above! thanks for weighing in.