How is it November already? This year feels like it’s going by so fast. A year since last year’s presidential election. At least this year’s election season went better. Dare I say I’m feeling hopeful about Mamdani’s win?
I’m belated in posting my consumption update for the third quarter of 2025. I’ve had this draft sitting here for quite a while. So, I’m giving myself a deadline of 30 minutes to finish this post now. Alright.
Wardrobe Acquisitions
At the end of June I had only acquired three clothing items. But during the third quarter I acquired many more things. A good chunk of them (nine) were given to me by brands for promotional purposes. I won’t be keeping some of them, but I haven’t decided on which ones. That’s one reason why it’s taken me so long to get around to this post.
I am by no means complaining about getting free clothes. (Well, it’s not exactly free as there is an expectation that I publicize the brands in some way. I feel that the value I bring is in writing detailed reviews, which takes labor and time.) But it does complicate my goal of trying to keep my consumption down — a contradiction I’ve written about before.
So, in order to get on with this post, I’m just going to enumerate the four things I bought myself:
- A pair of cropped summer pants from Muji. (After six years, some of my existing summer pants from Everlane have been demoted to home-only clothes as the elastic at the waist is stretching out and the fabric is fading.)
- A shirt dress from Mixed by Nasrin. (Yes, this was a dress that I wasn’t sure about in my fitting room review because of its proportions. Now that I have it, I can report that I do need to fold up the sleeves to make it work better on my petite frame.)
- A bra top from Uniqlo.
- Black denim shorts that I thrifted. They are a Chinese brand, so they’re a size large lol. (I am typically a small or medium in American brands.)
Secondhand items constitute 28% of my acquisitions so far through September, which is not meeting my goal of 50%. Clearly I need to try harder with shopping secondhand. It’s a mind shift. When I want something, I should take a moment to check secondhand first. And while I’m not going to get into October numbers here just yet, I will say that I’m doing better already.
On the subtraction side of things, I’ve ramped up my closet culling these last few months. I’ve finally admitted there are a whole bunch of things from about 15 years ago that I won’t be wearing ever again, including clothes I bought on a trip to Asia. Those items are all too tight now and I doubt I’m ever going to be that size again. Among them is a skirt suit I had custom made in Vietnam, which I never wore — not even once. The local Dress for Success isn’t taking donations, so I’m not sure what to do with it.
Welcome Objects 2025 Wardrobe Count
Additions: 7
Number of Additions That Are Secondhand: 2
Subtractions: 28
Currently Coveting
Lo & Sons Aoyama Nylon. I love the look of this bag, particularly in ivory, but will that just lead to tears? Especially since I mostly wear dark clothes?
Cardigan in Tiger – Mixed by Nasrin recently came out with a line of cotton knits for the fall. And while I don’t need more sweaters, I do want more clothes in general with prints or patterns.
Everlane Pleated Crepe Midi Skirt – I don’t know why I’ve gotten into pleated skirts these last few years. I blame a skirt that I thrifted back in 2022 for being the gateway skirt. Anyways, I like the chocolate brown color of this one.
Aoyama Bag in Nylon – I’ve been coveting the leather version of this crescent bag for over a year. Lo & Sons just came out with a nylon version, so I’m coveting that one too. I love how you can change the strap.
Other Acquisitions
AirFanta 4Lite Personal Air Purifier – As I mentioned last year in this post about outdoor dining in Philadelphia, I am immunocompromised and generally try to eat outdoors when going to restaurants. This summer, though, I attended a conference where the only dining option was an indoor cafeteria. I decided to bring this personal air purifier to make it a little safer for me to eat indoors. Instead of attempting to filter the air in an entire room, it creates a narrow stream of clean air directed at you.
Ikea SMÅÄTA Cutting Board – I bought this small cutting board to replace a plastic one I’ve had for ages because apparently using a plastic cutting board generates microplastics. Sigh.
OK, I didn’t quite make my deadline. I’m 11 minutes past it. So now I just got to post this. Sometimes it’s better to get the thing done than to get it done perfectly.
Question for You: Have you ever bought something you never wore or used? What was it?
This post contains affiliate links but was not produced in partnership with any brand.
Oof, I’m definitely guilty of occasionally buying clothes I end up never wearing. I think it mostly happens when I fall into that trap of buying for my “dream” life (or even dream day!) instead of being realistic about what I will/won’t wear.
Yes, that happens to me too. Sometimes you want to step out of your comfort zone, or experiment, or dream a little.
I feel like this year flew by and dragged on at the same time if that makes sense. The news every day is like so exhausting. I too am hopeful about Mamdani but he’s going to have a tough road ahead of him.
I’ve also been on a low/no buy though I haven’t been actively tracking it. I think I’ve made about 5 wardrobe additions and have discarded over 15. I’m really into shopping my own closet and some of the items I reach for the most are many years old. Was able to sell off a good amount of clothing in our building’s fall yard sale which made me very happy. Do you happen to belong to a Buy Nothing group? It’s like the only thing I’m on Facebook for and I’ve been able to rehome so many items I no longer use/need. Maybe you could offer the skirt suit on one of those. I gave away 2 bridesmaids dresses on there and the new owner actually still sends me pics of herself whenever she wears them.
Oh do you feel like your AirFanta works well? My husband is like one of the few people in his office who still masks but he had a work event over the summer where he had to dine with other people that was mandatory. Thankfully it was outdoors but he might have one coming up that will be indoors so we’ve been thinking about getting one.
It’s been awhile since I’ve bought anything that I haven’t used. I want to say the last thing was a Rebecca Taylor top and I ended up selling it.
That does makes sense. When I think about the relentlessly bad news then it does feel like it’s dragging. All of this stuff happened in just a year?
I do belong to a Buy Nothing Group. It’s also the only reason I’m still on FB. With this suit, since it’s not standard sizing, I was hoping to give it to an org where someone could try it on first to make sure it fit them. That’s so cute that the new owner of one of your dresses still sends you pics. Feels good when your old stuff gets a new life!
I’m planning on writing more about what it’s been like to use the AirFanta, but at first I wasn’t sure if it was working that well because the airflow from it is pretty light. However, I read that is normal for it. You do need to put it very close to you, like a foot away.