Can you only buy 5 items of clothing this year?

The title says it all... Can you only buy 5 items of clothing this year?

I've read that for the clothing industry to achieve sustainability, people have to only by 5 items/year, not counting socks and underwear, but counting shoes and gifts.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2024/05/20/Take-Challenge-Five-Pieces-New-Clothing-Year/
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/rule-of-5-challenge-viewpoint

The Tyee article, doesn't specifically state whether used clothing or upcycled clothing count or not. What it does point out, is that if you challenge yourself, it may get you to stop and think about whether you will still love the item you're looking at next month or next year. Not to mention, it increases the need to buy quality items that will last for several years.

Alas, I will admit I've already blown this year's quota. I got a good deal on 100% cotton turtleneck t-shirts which I wear all winter. Several of my favourites had been mended several times and were ready for the rag-bag. I'm finding it harder and harder to find jersey that doesn't have spandex or similar added to the thread. This should be a 10 year supply at least!

To make up for that, I learned how to add a gusset to the back of a pair of cotton trousers so it fits better. It's not perfect though, so I'm trying to get up the nerve to do a matched pair of gussets in the front of a pair of jeans which are also too tight. I worry the front gussets will be more obvious, and I've been able to delay by doing some time critical mending and making Hubby a cloth cell-phone carrier (all out of upcycled materials). However, those delays are wearing thin... bad pun!

Something to think about. Clothing used to be considered a valuable part of a person's "net worth". Now it's considered almost disposable. Is it time to reverse course?

I need two summer skirts and a winter one.  Everything else is doing well, although, if I find a good deal on a winter coat,  I might snatch it up.

That's four.  And this year I already bought a spring jacket.  

That's about all I need this year.

Next year,  I'll migrate a skirt and maybe two blouses to farm clothes and replace them.

Thinking about it,  5 is about average for me.

I've had 3 so far this year: a jumper (woolly cardigan) and some welly boots were presents. I love the jumper, but the wellies have already failed in 2 months . I also bought myself some new undies (which they don't count) and a long sleeved t-shirt, from the only company I've fond that actually does make 100% organic cotton clothes: excema clothing The rest seem to add 5% plastic to the cotton and it fails so quickly. So far I've been very happy with my new knickers, although they are expensive.
I do need a couple of pairs of shoes. Obviously my wellies are not up to my 1 mile commute to my shop. The dog ate my last pair of 'going out' shoes too, so I have nothing to wear to a restaurant except some old deckshoes which are too big for me and not very smart. I'm thinking of getting some more clogs. My first pair were gorgeous, but don't fit very well (hence the commute by welly), and have also been chewed a little by dog . I do like the thought that they can just be composted at end of their life. The other thing I was thinking was to have a go at making my own boots from some old wellies (I seem to have quite a collection failed in different ways!) for the soles, and the felted socks (or possibly sweaters too) that I also seem to have achieved. These boots are gorgeous and I'd love to have a go!

I rarely buy any items of clothing so most years, I buy none.

My nightgowns were falling apart and I put my hand through one of them.  

So this year, I bought a top to replace one that was threadbare and two nightgowns though one was sized wrong and I will never wear it.

We shop exclusively at the Mennonite used clothing store. It's been years since we bought anything new. We get essentially brand new clothes at very low used prices. And the money we spend at the entirely volunteer run store goes entirely for Haiti Relief. I don't know why anyone buys new.

I normally buy high quality that lasts forever. The exception is if I know the clothing will be quickly destroyed…then I go ultra cheap. In any case, it has been maybe 3 or 4 years since I have bought clothes for myself. As I type this, my brain is getting fuzzy about shoes….I just don’t remember,  much of the problem is that I rarely buy one pair of shoes … I buy several.

Ok, i will take the challenge! I think i can do this! And i agree with buying used, for sure, for everything but underclothes and socks, that is!

I buy ahead for the next 5 years,   shoes,   underwear,    winter, summer clothing.      

I buy at thrift stores and Ebay...     I don't limit the amount of clothing, when I see a good deal I stock up.

I couldn't agree more. If anything, zero waste movement is what eventually got me into permaculture.
It all started with clothing for me.
One day about 10 years ago, I realized I had a closet full and nothing to wear. After some trial and error, I buy less and less each year.

A few things that work for me personally (none of these are earth-shattering and I'm sure majority of folks here already do just about all of these):
1.Buy from small and sustainable brands.
2. Comfort over trends (what trends?).
3. Quality over quantity.
4. Repair and reuse. Take care of your clothes. Try drying outside.
5. Wear natural materials as much as possible (wool, organic cotton, silk, leather/vegan plant based leather). My biggest regrets were always synthetic
6. Natural dyes whenever possible.
7. Buy U.S.-made.
8. Don't forget secondhand, both buying and selling.
9. Buy things that work for most occasions. I no longer have "office" or "event" clothes.
10. Don't buy just because it's on sale. Instead, buy something you've been eyeing for 6 months when it's on sale.
11. Don't buy things you can't wash. Of course, I wash anything labeled "dry clean" anyway.

This year, I unfortunately went over the 5 item quota due to circumstances. With that being said, I don't foresee myself buying more anytime soon.

Tanya, I bet you wouldn't mind adding
12) Only buy things in good condition
13) Only buy items you Love and feel good in

Almost all of our clothing is from thrift stores, a lot of shoes too, even with three teenagers. My family couldn't do it as my kids are all competitive athletes though...I'll be happy to stop investing in the spandex industry - bike clothing, plastic shoes, glittery and nylon dance costumes. blech.

So, I think I could do it myself, as long as thrifted clothes don't count. I enjoy swapping things out in my closet for things that suit me better. We have a tiny shared closet (hubs and I) so I'd rather do that than pack stuff up and store for off-season or someday clothes. It's kind of like a sugar detox- it really gets you thinking about what you need vs what you want and what's GOOD.

Tanya Fox wrote:...7. Buy U.S.-made.

This year, I unfortunately went over the 5 item quota due to circumstances. With that being said, I don't foresee myself buying more anytime soon.

Item 7. I will expand that to saying, "buy as locally as possible. We have members all over the world.

One big problem with the "fashion industry" is they grow/create thread in one place, knit/weave it somewhere else, sew the fabric in a 4th country, package it in a 5th and sell it in a 6th. I suspect "made in" labels aren't that representative of all the places the parts may have travelled before the shop they were bought in.

"due to circumstances" - we all are familiar with that! The point is to be thoughtful about your purchases and accept that sometimes things happen that require us to compromise and make allowances. If we're doing the best we can, that's all we can ask!

However, on the topic of "circumstances", how do we purchase children's clothing to last - the darn kids grow! However, when my boys were small, I'd sew simple pants for them and I'd triple reinforce the right knee, and double reinforce the left. They were 2 1/2 years apart, so I'd get two years for the eldest, and another 2 years for the younger, if I timed it so the younger got the last 2 months during summer holidays! However, it was very telling how many other kids they knew *never* wore hand-me-downs. The first step is changing attitudes!

I'll probably buy 0 items of clothing and if I do, unless it's socks or underwear, it will be used. If it weren't for my wife pointing out how ripped up my shirts were, I'd probably never notice.

Hmmm. Only 5? that's a bit arbitrary. 1 tee-shirt, one sleeveless, one turtle neck sweater, one waterproof coat... it has to be warm as well to do double duty...and I have not started on pants. Women are harder to fit than men because of their curves... Do we get an extra one?
At age 75, I don't feel that I have to impress any one [that's one good thing about getting old and there are not many good things about getting old]. I am not good at mending and was always horrible at sewing. I'm careful, so it is rare that I tear my clothes anyway, but I do stain them a great deal: grass stains, dirt stains, blood, food, grease. Come on!: Just for the work we all do in the garden and in the kitchen, we deserve an extra allowance.
I only buy at Goodwill and other thrift shops: they have some really good pieces, some really odd ones, but sometimes, that is just the piece you need.
I divide my clothes in 2 categories: Good clothes [what they used to call "Sunday clothes"] and work clothes.
In the Sunday clothes, I have 3 outfits, and I will wear them until they become work clothes. In the work clothes category, they are all worn to the point of being threadbare. You can practically see through! I still have clothes from 10-15 years ago, but I do not restrict myself to 5 "new" clothes/ year, although I do admit that it is a great method and it will help you make the difference between *need* and *want*.
Since I keep my clothes for years and buy mostly second hand, I still think that I'm thrifty when it comes to clothing. It is just a totally different method to do the same thing. Another one is once you have an outfit for every occasion and every season, look at your closet space and decide: If I buy one new, I must toss an old one. If you have way more than you need, tell yourself: Hmmm this sweater is not paying rent, so why do I let it occupy my precious space?
It has the benefit of making your closet space manageable.

Jay,  I'll take that bet/dare, because I may be the cheapest b*****d, you've ever seen!

I'll go ahead and count my ugly shoes as the first item, so four more to go, ah, I know I'll place an order for a lined pair of ugly shoes for winter,  and maybe three others in bright, stand out colors. (Crocs)

Being retired and not going out much does help with not buying new clothes and the less than good news from the oncology folks ( 17 months ago ) kind of put a strange outlook on shopping!!!

Peace

Sounds like it’s not an impossible task for permie people, especially the older folks.

I buy most of my clothes at our local small town thrift store, where most clothing items are $1, $2 if they are fancier, $3 if they still have the original price tags on them. I like supporting this shop because the money goes to support our little town’s  "soup kitchen".  The only clothes (excluding shoes) not bought there are purchased from our local craft vendors at the town farmers market. There is a vendor there that paints designs on baseball caps, and we have a number of them since both hubby and I wear hats all the time because of the tropical sun. And another vendor block prints t-shirts, of which we have many. They are our "dress up" clothes——you can get away with that here in Hawaii. We buy these items in order to help support our community neighbors.

Shoes are purchased new. But——we have stockpiled about a dozen pairs each, so we have plenty. When Crocs was having cash flow problems before they were sold to the current owner, we took advantage of some incredibly great prices. I bought our favorite Crocs for anywhere from $18 to $25 a pair.

Could I stop buying clothes for a year, or limit to 5 items. No problem. But in Hawaii, that’s easy.

I haven't bought any clothes this year yet.  At some point, in autumn, I will need to buy a new windbreaker, since mine disappeared, but it can probably wait until autumn since its almost summer.  I tend not to buy anything new unless/until something I have "dies", and then I replace with something, either new or used, but new to me either way.  Also I'm working toward losing the extra 20 lbs that showed up in my mid-30s, so I may need to replace some things, I'll consign things I get too small for at the consignment store.  Most years I achieve this 5 item goal.  My mom thinks I'm kind of rediculous for not wanting new things more often.

I think I could easily do this, if I pick a start point. So far this calendar year I have bought 5 items of clothing for myself. Two t-shirts, a weather proof jacket, one pair of gloves and weather-proof glove covers for them. One of the tshirts was really an impulse buy because I really liked the design, but the other stuff was pretty well necessary and will last many years. Heck, I wear my t-shirts for 15 years so those will last also.

Have not bought anything new except underwear this year...and nothing new but shoes in the past five years.

All of my clothes are thrift store, including socks, hats, leggings, skirts, jeans, sweaters, shorts, t-shirts...everything.
I rarely get attached to anything and they are almost all rag material when I'm done with them...ditto for Steve.
I've been gifted a couple brand new vests for christmas that I love...are we counting gifts given or received?

I am barefoot a lot and wear sneakers till they fall off my feet...and I have a pair of sloggers that just don't wear out but I'm craving a great pair of hiking shoes, not boots, that might last me another decade or so and they will be my brand new purchase this year.

It seems like thrift store purchases wouldn't count against the five new things but maybe I'm justifying?

Judith Browning wrote:Have not bought anything new except underwear this year...and nothing new but shoes in the past five years.

The article's rules said that underwear/socks don't count, but shoes do. But we're all our own keepers.

I've been gifted a couple brand new vests for christmas that I love...are we counting gifts given or received?

Again, the article counted gifts both given and received, but mostly so people couldn't cheat! If I were gifted something I couldn't possibly wear, I think I would try to re-gift it, and count myself as just an intermediary. Maybe that's my version of justifying?

I'm craving a great pair of hiking shoes, not boots, that might last me another decade or so and they will be my brand new purchase this year.

Knowing what I know about footwear, it is important to do what works. This challenge is an effort to get people to choose quality and longevity over impulse and flimsy. Exercise is important, and in my case, hikers for the summer and rubber boots during the big wet are as essential as socks. If I could buy rubber boots that lasted better, I would, but that's very difficult.

It seems like thrift store purchases wouldn't count against the five new things but maybe I'm justifying?

This one is tricky. If we use "thrift shop" as an excuse to buy lots of cheap new clothing, we are indirectly supporting fast fashion. There's a whole thread somewhere here on permies exploring that issue. However, if we buy essentials at the thrift shop, and they're already partly through their natural lifespan, I can see people taking that into account. Two somewhat used T-shirts might equate to 1 brand new one? However, some Thrift shop clothes I've bought, still had the labels on them! Top quality heavy weight flannel shirts for Hubby - I would definitely count those in his quota!

We all need to keep in mind that this is a "thought" exercise and real life sometimes throws curve balls. Sometimes time is critical, sometimes an unavoidable event comes along, sometimes an injury results in an extra need because nothing you own fits over your ginormous cast - pick an event.  This spring, I had to have seriously dressy clothing for the first time in years. I outgrew my past dressy clothing by having 30 years pass. However, I took the opportunity to do an upcycling sewing experiment and it is adjustable enough that many different people could wear it. I've shifted my attitude to the point that I was *not going to buy a wear it once and never again outfit* - I just wasn't. So I put my time and brain-power to work to support my principles and the results pleased me immensely. ( https://permies.com/t/254470/sewing/Split-side-adjustable-skirt )

I am going to say no.  My work environment is too harsh.  Sharp edges,  molten metal, chemicals, abrasive materials etc.

Even if I leave that out the math likely doesn't work.  Lets look at needs.  Church white long sleeve dress shirt, some sort of double knit dress pants.  White shirt even a good one is killed in about 2 1/2 years.  Pants longest lasting pair ran about 4 years with a bunch of repairs.  Usually worn out by washing.  Although staining clothes is a real risk to traveling in the mechanic outfit and others.  Will never do all cotton here as I want the no iron looking okay of synthetic blend permenant press.

Usually wreck about 1 dress tie every 2 years thru staining.  With more care these might last longer.  But it isn't going to happen.  Since new ties at the thrift store cost at worst a few bucks I can honestly say I have NEVER had a new tie.

Dress shoes usually 1 to 3 pair.  Best case is 1 dress shoe that is shiney and neat, 1 dress pair a bit beat up but good for church and finally some sort of runner for doing things where I need to be dressed up and moving.  A lot of the time the first two get combined into one because I can't afford the 2.  Life expectany here with say 50 sundays, 50 other days per year and not enough care ends up in the 3 to 10 year range.  Only 1 pair ever did nearly 10 years and that was as the polished wedding and funeral shoes for about half of that.  They were miserably uncomfortable and I will never trade durability here for comfort ever again


I have 3 to 5 sets of heavy weight flannel shirts.  Usually 2 dress, 1 worn used for occasional work and 1 around the house as warm wear cleaning unfit for public wear and seriously patched.  I am going to say I add one new one here every 3 years although a few may have gone 5 or 6.  Better flannels here would last longer but can't afford the $300+ price tag to do them.  Most expensive flannel ever was just short of $90.

A few other pastel dress shirts.  Nearly always die of stains.  2 to 6 of them(spilt half and half long and short sleeve)  Long sleeve ones migrate to work shirts and short sleeve become rags.  Almost never wear these out.

T-shirts 2 to 6.  Mostly worn as layers in cold weather gear.  Occasionally used as dress up.  Of the stuff I typically buy new this area probably has the most room for improvement by buying better quality.  I have on t-shirt now relegated to painting clothing that has seen 40+ years of service.  It is a bit holey, worn enough you can push a finger thru the fabric if not careful.  Going with heavy weight fabrics, synthetic blends  and good stitching I can see these lasting at least a decade.  There again steady migration from dress t-shirt to under shirt to work shirt/picnic shirt/swimming shirt to household wear to painting shirt.  Most here bought new are lighter though and more typical wear is 3 to 5 years

Dress jeans migrate to work wear after the run as dress.  Usually 1 or 2 pair black jeans,  2 new blue jeans.  When ever I buy appropriate new jeans the old ones migrate down to work wear.  Don't have a good life estimate here but say 1 year before migration but lets add this onto the work wear life and call this part here zero.  Probably only 30 wearings a year total and primary wear is washing.  Occasionally major damage usually repaired as they move to work wear.

Now we move down to work jeans if bought new and drifted thru dress jeans normal consumption is 3 to 6 pair a year with a lot of repair effort going into these.  So this alone blows my 5 a year many years.  Failure points most common is crotch from thighs rubbing together(weight loss might help some but won't solve genetics even so) and wearing the fabric out.  Knees of course and top of left thigh(I don't know why?)  Better fabric and stitching will improve life.  Double crotch and double knees does help.  Fair amount of repair effort here.  If running 3 pair this means they are probably washed 100 times per year so serious wear there too.(I have days I can run 3 or 4 days on a pair but I also have days I do 3 or 4 changes in a day so guessing it averages out to roughly a pair a day needing washed.  Also long soaking cleanings to get major oil outs,  burns from both fire and chemical.  Batteries, caustic and more.  Really don't think better materials will matter much here unless it is adding synthetics for durability.  Now the backs of lower legs here are often salvaged for patching material.  Try to balance cost of new vs time spent patching though.

Next major piece is work shirts.  Best ever durability was catching a retiring plant worker's new shirts with almost no wear.  Mostly synthetic material, fire resistant both because of the fabric and chemical treatment.   Got probably 3 years out of that set of 5 shirts(all nearly new) I was given.(lots of patching and lots of stain at the end.)  At the end the fabric still felt heavy but hook it on even a heavy grass stem and it tore.  There again 3 to 6 in circulation for wear typically.  Probably at best even given everything should say at least 2 a year needed.  Normal failure modes are shredded belly from grinder and welding sparks, tucking everything to my body for lifting and laying on my belly working over engines and other holes.  Other major failure mode is sleeve cuffs shredding or falling off.  This is often reason for changing out as stringers of fabric hanging off cuffs are dangerous in my world.

2 pair of work shoes 1 summer and 1 insulated winter.  Typically change out a pair a year worth but buy cheaper.  Still trying to decide of the high end say 10 year life boots are worth it.  If I can buy a pair cheap for say $80 or $90 that run a year and I am looking at $800 to $1000 for a pair good enough to run 10 years is there savings.  Add in the shoes are soaked in chemicals often so wearing them for 10 years is going to give more exposure.

1 pair muck boots.  Have never had a pair run more than a decade without the rubber getting brittle.(is longer life even possible)  Usually punch a hole in them before that.  right kind of rubber tire patches will keep them running.

1 pair really cold weather boots.  There again rubber failure usually kills them before wearing out.  Best ever was some military mickies that ran about 10 to 12 years before the rubber failed.  If you ignore the cracks they still look brand new

1 pair lighter standing around really cold weather boots.  Still running a set of moon boot knock offs from Jr high(nearly 50 years old) here but the liners have had it and I am not finding a new liner that works with them.

1 pair house shoes

2 pair house slippers(both knitted by my mother nearly 50 years ago.)  both have darning repairs and new soles sewn on.

I kill 1 to 2 sweat shirts a year here.(somehow they have survived a bit longer lately as part of layering for cold weather.

Cold weather long underwear  typically is good for 10 to 40 years.  Should include 2 sets so one can be washed and drying while the other is in use.

Best parka ever for really cold weather work ran nearly 20 years for the work one.  Took lots of repairs and patches to get it there.  It wasn't pretty at the end.  The dress version of it purchased the year before it, is still running today 40 years later.(problem here is the parka that in college had lots of room for layering under it is now glove tight with just a light shirt on.)  Yes I know that is my fault.

And a couple of layering parkas for in between wear.

Looking at this list I am going to say probably need 10 items a year or a bit more.  Better quality will help but I don't think it could ever get down to a 5 a year average.

C. Letellier wrote:I am going to say no.  My work environment is too harsh.  Sharp edges,  molten metal, chemicals, abrasive materials etc.

This (and the rest of your detailed post) goes to show that each circumstance is different. I have not bought white clothing for decades (other than underwear I suppose) mostly because of the staining issue. I had a pair of white jeans as a teenager that I loved, which taught me that life lesson! If white is in your culture then this does present a challenge. I suppose the shirts could be dyed a different colour for a different purpose, once staining was evident perhaps?
I must admit I have so many clothes I don't wear, and nowhere particularly to wear them. that not buying for a year isn't that difficult for me. This has been highlighted to me recently by my attempts to declutter our house a bit. Other than good shoes, and possibly comfortable shirts, I have no lack of clothing, rather an embarrassment!
I think that is rather the point; that many people accumulate clothes that they don't really need, without thinking about it. Just the action of thinking about our clothes purchases will hopefully make us more conscious of the impact they may be having. I probably owe a decade or two of not buying, to make up for my previous apparent profligate habits!

This got me thinking. So far this year I have not bought any new clothing (including underwear). However, I have bought some material to make a dress for my son's wedding later this year so I suppose I must count that. I will also make myself a hat with some leftover material from another project from long ago. Does that count? I may buy some new shoes but struggle to find ones that fit since I have very unladylike broad feet. I do have a pair in the wardrobe so I may not buy new after all.
Do hand-me-downs from other people count? My son gave me some polo shirts he used to wear for work as they have changed their logo and the colour since being taken over by another firm. I wear these as "round the house and garden" tops in summer as it doesn't matter whether they get torn or stained which means other tops I have last longer.
Do I see myself buying anything else? Possibly a new waterproof summer coat as the one I have no longer keeps me dry. I will wait until the sales at the end of the summer for that if I don't manage to find anything in the local charity shops.
I think I can manage to keep to fewer than 5 items this year but if I was still working instead of happily retired that might have been different.

Nancy Reading wrote:

C. Letellier wrote:I am going to say no.  My work environment is too harsh.  Sharp edges,  molten metal, chemicals, abrasive materials etc.

This (and the rest of your detailed post) goes to show that each circumstance is different. I have not bought white clothing for decades (other than underwear I suppose) mostly because of the staining issue. I had a pair of white jeans as a teenager that I loved, which taught me that life lesson! If white is in your culture then this does present a challenge. I suppose the shirts could be dyed a different colour for a different purpose, once staining was evident perhaps?
....

I actually do dye stained stuff if it is in better shape to turn some shirts into work shirts.  Mostly still trying to decide what is better there?? though.  The packet of dye is going to cost me say $5.  I will have a chemical residue and a salt residue from setting the dye to dispose of there and I can get say 3 shirts out of that.  For the next 25 to 50 washes I will have to be careful what else I wash with that clothing as I can stain other things with it.  Even washer progression matters for the first bit.  Dyed clothing load 1, underwear load 2 to clean out the machine, and finally light colored dress clothes load 3.  Since I mostly buy shirts from the thrift store for white dress shirts if the shirt was $4, I got 20 washings out of it before staining it.  Is the dye and headache of the dye going to be worth it?  Also makes for some funky colored buttons as plastic buttons turn funny colors when dyed.  They might stay white, the might go towards the blue I normally dye to and they might do something something funny like turn a purplish pink(was a very pretty button but probably not what I wanted for a work shirt)  

My dream work shirts would be some sort of complicated camo pattern ideally yarn dyed.  But in mostly shades of dark blues with patches of grey, light blue and black.  Simply because on that pattern the typical stains in my world wouldn't show as bad.  Blue is a lighter color thus cooler to work in work in the sun in and doesn't show the lighter dirt and stains as much as black.   And it should have little bright blue, orange and yellow spots at random over it looking like the bits of the the silicone sealant and other adhesive spots I will eventually get on it.  And I will admit having the highly fire resistant heavy shirts was nice except for their texture.

Now the real world is what the thrift store has in long sleeves ideally either with no pocket or with a pocket flap.  Do try to limit to darker colors as they don't look as awful in my world as light colors with big engine oil stains on them.

If I can only buy five new items of clothing ... I'll buy only new underwear. Other garments I'll make myself, or buy second-hand.

Well, I'm almost halfway through the year and am at 3 pieces. All bought at the thrift store for "parts". I expect 2 will get completely remade and the third might just get some minor alterations.
With the present size of my closet, I should be able to keep under 5, at least for this year. Barring the scoring of a great auction/thrift haul. Those do happen now and then...

Some clothes last a long time and some don't.  I have everything I need right now but still if I stop at a garage sale or thrift store and see jeans or work pants or shoes my size, or anything made of wool, and it's cheap, I buy it.  Hard to ever pass up a wool sweater for $10 or less.  I have some wool sweaters that are a bit too small for me but they make good gifts.  I generally don't buy clothes new except for underwear/socks and boots on rare occasion.  I don't buy clothes made of plastic except for certain things like I recently found a nice down coat made of nylon at a garage sale.

As I understand now underwear doesn't count. In that case I do not really need to buy anything new this year. Okay, I did buy one pair of pants and one blouse ... but I did not really need those. My closet is already full of clothes. Many of those I made myself, most others I bought second-hand.

Whenever I buy something I am very aware of the materials it's made of and the way it's put together: it has to be of the highest quality. Even second-hand I do not buy clothes of low quality. I want my clothes to last long and to feel nice (I don't like the feel of synthetics, and I don't like them because petroleum is used to make them).

The materials I buy for sewing/knitting/crocheting my clothes (and other items) are also the highest quality natural materials, when possible certified GOTS/organic.

Jay, I'm getting ready to order a couple of shirts from Thomas the rocket building guy.

That will bring my total for this year so far to three!

Peace

I don’t think of myself as clothes person, but I realized I’ve blown it by buying a bunch of winter gear and a dress to wear to a wedding. Maybe next year I won’t buy anything.

Here's an interesting video about how we buy much more cheap clothing rather than fewer pieces of quality clothing now than people did 40 years ago.

I'm hoping that permies will reverse that trend!

I think I've just blown this challenge...

In the spring bought a second hand skirt and a skirt-and-coat set from a local woman who has lost a lot of weight and wanted to rehome her stuff.

Then my summer leggings wore out beyond the state of being repairable so I bought two more pairs.

Underwear doesn't count, which is just as well as my ancient collection of identical socks has now shrunk to just a handful of barely useable ones so I bought a load more, and I also treated myself to new, comfy knickers.

I also inherited a load of ripped and holey t-shirts from my other half which I patched up and converted into nightshirts and baggy shirts to wear around the place, so I'm not sure if they count or not. I guess not, as the challenge is to buy only five items.

And then the woman who sold me the skirts and coat put this up for sale. Lighter weight than the pure wool one I bought earlier in the year so I can wear it on days that are cool but not seriously cold, designer made from the same place as made the other ones, and at a price I couldn't hope to match even if I could find something that fitted me in a thrift shop. She even put the shoulder measurements on the advert because last time I had my other half measure the coat before bringing it home because I have unusually wide shoulders. I suspect she likes it that I like her stuff and wants to send it in my direction...  So that only makes five if I count the skirt-and-coat set I bought in the spring as one item, and it also means I can't get the scarf that goes with the coat, which she's also selling.

I think I might, just might, be lenient and decide that the scarf belongs with the coat, and that as it's second-hand I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

Hindsight is wonderful.  In 2024 I bought one pair of $39.99 shoes from COSTCO.   I don’t see me making any more clothing purchases this year. The shoes were impulse …all rubber slip on.  They are a good supplement for my Mucks.

I probably average 5 new items of clothing per year. I do supplement with a fair amount of thrifted stuff though. (To me, the thrifted stuff had someone else pay the "karma cost" of the impact of production. Giving it a good retirement and using it up until it falls apart is just a bonus. )

I mostly buy shoes/boots new because those wear out, and are very hard to find second-hand (I'll buy things like "fancy heels in an impractical color" at the thrift shop.)

I've needed a new orchestra outfit this fall: my trusty black skirt gave up after twelve years, and I have a concert coming up so I didn't have time to thrift or make something that precise (it has to be black, long enough to be modest when seated, and comfortable to play the flute in). But it will also double up as my teen's concert skirt (being able to share clothes with your kids is amazing. One year, we even shared the same pair of concert flats: we simply swapped at intermission when she was done with her part ).

That and a pair of boots is all I'm expecting to buy new this fall/winter season. Next summer, I'll probably need sandals and a swimsuit. So that's four, and that leaves me with one splurge, which might be dress pants.

That said, my husband vouches by the Perry Ellis pants. He has a pair that has lasted longer than our marriage (with a little bit of mending here and there to replace buttons, etc. ). It's nearing the end of its life after 20 years, but the cotton canvas is still solid and in very good condition in many places and will get a second life in my fabric scrap bin.

All of his pants from other brands wear out when they're "brand new" (aka between 3 and 5 years old for him. Can you tell he hates shopping?)

Burra Maluca wrote: I think I might, just might, be lenient and decide that the scarf belongs with the coat, and that as it's second-hand I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

My understanding of this challenge was primarily to get people to *think* about the cradle to grave impact of their clothing, which generally results in them buying fewer, more long lasting, less "trendy" clothing, rather than junk that will only survive for 3 months before landing in the trash.

That coat is gorgeous. If you will wear it for a long time, and it no longer fits it's current owner, I think lenience is in order!

Kena Landry wrote:That said, my husband vouches by the Perry Ellis pants. He has a pair that has lasted longer than our marriage (with a little bit of mending here and there to replace buttons, etc. ). It's nearing the end of its life after 20 years, but the cotton canvas is still solid and in very good condition in many places and will get a second life in my fabric scrap bin.

All of his pants from other brands wear out when they're "brand new" (aka between 3 and 5 years old for him. Can you tell he hates shopping?)

I totally agree with your husband. Farm pants may not be able to last more than 5 years in regular use, but if it's something for regular business/going out/cleanish tasks, pants should easily last 10 years!

Jay Angler wrote:...this challenge was primarily to get people to *think* about the cradle to grave impact of their clothing, which generally results in them buying fewer, more long lasting, less "trendy" clothing.  That coat is gorgeous. If you will wear it for a long time, and it no longer fits it's current owner, I think lenience is in order!

I'm pretty certain the coat will outlive me, even if I use it for morning dog walks rather than 'keeping for best', especially as I generally only go out anywhere once a month or so.

The seller was a farmer who obviously splashed out occasionally on really nice quality things with a view to them lasting for a long time, and with more than a nod to traditional designs. She has since retired to an apartment in the city and is finding it hard to part with her old things that she treasured for so long. The scarf, however, is a brand name from Parfois, which is apparently a very trendy place. But then, it was probably bought 25 years ago so it might have cycled in and out of fashion several times since then...

Edit to add that I really, really want to examine those buttons! The ones on the burel wool coat were fascinating, and this is made at the same place so they may prove equally interesting

If we are not counting thrifted/auction clothes, then I am still at zero for the year. As for the rest of the household, I did encourage my dad to buy a 4 pack of socks at Costco since he was low on fixable warm ones. That has been our only new clothing buys.
I am at 4 thrifted pieces. All will be altered but those are winter projects.

We did do several big lots of fabrics/clothes through auctions. Our local auction houses often do house clearing sales and we pick up linen and other closets lots. Typically, these are under $5 for the whole thing and then we pick out what we want, give to friends and family then sort and donate to a local pet rescue and thrift stores.
I love buying this way. Not only is it really cheap, but almost all of the money is kept in our community since the auctioneers are family run and the sellers are local. It's really nice to have stuff to give away too.
One closet not only had 30+ new linen/100% cotton vintage tea towels. The types printed with locations, mostly from the 60's and 70's. So easy to use! And also quality that is very hard to find today. It also had a bunch of very nice seasonally themed embroidered tea and hand towels, oven mits and small tablecloths. Machine done but very nice. She must have been doing it as a business since they were new and there were tons. My one aunt took enough to mostly cover Xmas gifts for a chunk of her grandchildren, friends got a bunch and I handed out 25 of the Halloween themed ones ( along with a sugar cookie recipe card) this year.

Wool for all seasons! Preferably locally sourced. If I had to only pick 5, it'd be 5 pieces of clothing made from wool.