I hope your new year is off to a good start. It’s that time of year when I look back at various parts of my life — including my shopping habits.
Ever since 2017, the year that I decided to shop more mindfully, I’ve successfully bought less and less. That is until 2022. You can read about why 2022 was an anomaly in that year’s recap post, but it was an unusual year.
Well, 2023 turned out to be unusual too. Due to a sudden health issue, I gained quite a bit of weight. That meant a lot of my wardrobe didn’t fit comfortably, which led to shopping.
Pictured above: In every photo I’m wearing something that I got this year.
What I Bought in 2023
In 2023, I spent $1,262 on clothing and acquired 40 items. (My count does not include jewelry, accessories, and undergarments.) This is the largest number of items I’ve acquired in one year since 2017 (when I also added 40 items). In terms of money spent, though, this is on the lower end of my annual spending.
I should mention that out of the 40 items, six I received for free from a brand. I’m not sure I’ll keep them all as I accepted them for review purposes. I feel a little weird about including them in my count since they’re mostly clothes I didn’t pick out myself. But at the same time, they’re in my wardrobe now, so I’m counting them.
What did I acquire? Here’s a breakdown by category:
Shoes – 5
Tops – 12
Sweaters – 7
Dresses/Sets – 2
Skirts – 5
Pants – 7
Outerwear – 2
Looking at the numbers, I’m surprised by the number of tops I got. But when I review my list, I see that the majority were T-shirts or tank tops, nothing fancy. I thought that adding more T-shirts into rotation during the hot summer months would be useful. I didn’t need as many T-shirts in San Francisco, where I used to live, because I could get away with wearing a shirt many times without washing it, thanks to SF’s temperate weather. Not so in the humid, hot summers of NYC!
Plus, my ever-increasing weight meant some of my usual shirts were too tight. The pants count was also high due to weight. I added many pairs of jeans towards the end of the year to accommodate for my new size.
But while I’d like to blame the bulk of my increased shopping on the weight gain, that would be disingenuous. If I’m being totally honest, only six items were acquired specifically for the reason of weight gain. I bought a lot of things because, quite simply, I was browsing. In a challenging year, I reverted back to retail therapy and shopped to sooth myself.
Favorite Buys
A favorite outfit this year: Amour Vert Top // Amour Vert Skirt // Muji Shoes [similar]
Most Worn Items
These are the wardrobe staples I bought this year that I reach for again and again.
Everlane Way-High Jean – I rebought my favorite jeans in a bigger size. So it’s no surprise that I wear these all the time. (My review here.)
Gap Shaker-Stitch Cardigan – Yes, it’s fast fashion. But it’s petite sizing. Finally, a sweater where the sleeves aren’t too long!
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Ribbed Beanie – As this is an accessory, I didn’t actually include it in my count. But I just want to shout it out because I wear this so much during the fall and winter.
Most Fun Purchases
Things I totally did not need, but bought because they spoke to me.
Curator SF Gallery Dress – The easy fit of this dress makes me feel chic despite my weight gain. This is no longer sold, but you can see it in this Instagram post, including the surprising cut-out on the back.
Amour Vert Mariah Skirt in Lily and the matching top – I love this print — and the fact that I can wear this as a set or as separates.
dr. Liza Flats in Gold – The only other metallic shoes I’ve owned have been heels. But a flat is so much more wearable. Why not add some sparkle to your every day outfit. (Though I had to apply the shoe stretcher to them. Review here.)
Biggest Splurge
AllSaints Elora Cropped Moto Jacket – A cropped moto jacket feels like such a splurge to me since it only works in certain outfits versus a more traditional length. (Review here.)
More Numbers
One area I improved in was shopping secondhand more. A goal of mine for several years now has been for 50% of my acquisitions to be secondhand. While I didn’t meet that — my number was 35% — this was a much higher percentage than prior years. (The best I’ve done prior was 16.6% secondhand in 2020.)
In addition to buying secondhand, I also made use of my local Buy Nothing group and picked up some castoffs from friends and family, which helped keep costs down. (Because they were free!) Seven items came to me this way.
Another indicator of how mindfully I’m shopping is to evaluate how many items I’m actually keeping. In other words, are there any retail regrets? I’ve already decided not to keep two items I thrifted (one for fit issues, another because I just don’t love it as it turns out). I probably won’t keep all the jeans I got for weight gain, but for now I’m hanging on to them for fluctuations.
As to decluttering, I purged just nine items this year, three of them bags. I mostly paused on re-evaluating my wardrobe since it’s possible my weight will come back down as medications are adjusted.
Welcome Objects 2023 Wardrobe Count
Additions: 40
Number of Additions That Are Secondhand: 14
Subtractions: 9
2024 Goals
What’s next for 2024? First, I think I’m going to chill and do a No Buy January. For the rest of the year, I hesitate to set a numeric goal when my body is still in flux. But you know what, I’m going to do it anyway because I really don’t think I should acquire another 40 items. That’s too much. I’m going to try to keep it to 20 max. And I will keep that 50% secondhand goal and see if I can do even better this year.
I’ll end on a Reel of some of my favorite outfits from the year:
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