Buy Less, Choose Well, and Make It Last

Think about the title of this article. Buy less, choose well, and make it last. A tenant to apply at the beginning of a new year that could be the catalyst to limitless possibilities. 

• Intentional purchasing - check!

• Less overall volume - check!

• More satisfying solutions - check!

• Diminished anxiety - check!

• Internal appreciation over external desire - check and check!

I've adopted this phrase as a mantra for Alicia McCaslin Styles. Having a clear concept of what you offer is paramount to a successful business; generating a call-to-action cuts through many perceptions surrounding what a styling business offers. It not only empowers the user with clear goals, but it also stands the test of time.  

Many of you may already know who coined this phrase. All hail the iconic Vivienne Westwood, an English designer, for her progressive ideas towards the environment upon confronting the excessive waste associated with fashion. She brought modern punk into the mainstream and wanted to redirect the consumer away from aimless consumption while urging them to choose intentionally, based primarily on the integrity of processes. 

The first time I heard the phrase, I skimmed it on a surface level without considering the broader underlying themes. Simply stated, buy less is about addressing what you actually use. Choose well is acknowledging an investment and how it will serve you. Make it last equates to sustainability.

Consider this. Choosing to acknowledge an iceberg from the surface diminishes its magnitude. Ninety percent of the volume lies beneath the surface. I believe in uncovering what lies beneath the surface in order to understand the magnitude of anything - yes, even your closet. The hidden magnitudes have a way of catching us off guard and ultimately confronting the number of choices we've accrued against the ability to choose at all. Where too much of anything not only feels excessive but confuses both the end-user and the audience. How long can the center hold? Have we perpetuated chaos, leaving us continuously looking for solutions without fully understanding our problems? Has the internet subconsciously provided us with a complacent sport of acquiring? I ask without judgment, having navigated periods of my own life where I've had an insatiable desire to experiment in the name of "possibilities." Yet, when faced with analysis paralysis, I've come to realize the importance of boundaries. Breaking the cycles of excess starts with taking ownership.

Clothing is a language that I innately comprehend. I'm passionate about helping people understand the purpose of every piece they own so they can construct clear stories to share with the world. Buy less, choose well mirrors the aspirational economy of words in writing. Ernest Hemingway has been celebrated for his ability to strip away everything he didn't need from a sentence or paragraph, leaving only what was essential to bring the reader to the heart of the story. Great writing allows deeper meanings to surface from the reader's comprehension, in the same manner that an economy of elements establishes successful dressing. Likewise, I help people write their stories by stripping away the excess, thereby allowing them to shine through implicitly.

Hemingway's writing style has been described as follows:

• Brief sentences

• Simple structure

• Vivid descriptions 

• Concentration on particular details

• Not a bad way to model your own style for the new year.

Buy Less

So how do you buy less? It starts with awareness. Acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses can break the chain of events that keep you spending without the ability to create more with less. Buying less also means purchasing discriminately. Consider a measure of knowing how what you will purchase will be utilized with the pieces you already own. Also recognize when more is just more - it's not always necessary to purchase the other colors in that style. 

Choose Well

This is a principle based on math. You can either purchase minimal elements that offer overall wardrobe conversion or look at this as an economic equation. For example, pajamas are a luxury item in my wardrobe that I will spend a lot on, but I won't have but a couple of pairs. Others have an abundance of pajamas that may equate to the couple I own. Some prefer to have variety, but I love the quality of that one pair. Cost per wear is in my favor as well. 

Make it Last

Ownership comes with responsibility. To invite something into your world should mean you are willing to care for it. Knowing the difference between "'til death do us part" and "you've served me well" can be challenging for some. Establishing expectations before purchasing should be assessed as one would with monetary investments. Create criteria for the things you choose to own. There are upkeep budgets attached to finer quality items. 

Also, I advise assessing how you use dry cleaning. Hand washing is much gentler on clothing. Have you ever had to "prepare" something for consigning or donating and realized how much you still value the item? Living with a more intentional practice will keep you connected to the pieces of clothing you love and stop "surface loving" a volume of "ins and outs." Happiness will never be tied to the new and shiny - it's the energy you bring to your pieces that make them valuable to you. Be careful of how dismissive you are of moving on to the next thing and coveting more of what you don't have and less of what you do. It might be time to write your story with more clarity and stop letting perceived greener pastures distract you from the beauty that is you. 

Here are some recommendations from fibre space. They know their market and value the time invested in the process and art of knitting. These products are worthy of making your investments last. To achieve a Buy Less, Choose Well method in your wardrobe, you need to appreciate the care and give attention to things you love. This is the balance in any relationship, so we remain vested in our choices. It may seem silly at first, but there was something that brought you to the decision to purchase the pieces you own - now it's time to honor the relationship with care, or it will always leave you feeling empty of value. 

From left to right: Gleener Fuzz Remover, Tuft Woolen Bar Soap, Lilly Brush

But the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) that I keep on hand in multiples is the Sweater Stone from The Laundress! Why? Because you cannot damage your knits with this natural volcanic pumice stone! It slowly disintegrates as you use it. So why more than one? I keep one in the car, one in my closet, and one near the door. It doesn't take long to run this across your sweaters and have them looking spectacular, which is immensely satisfying. Check with fibre space on when they will be getting my favorite care item back in stock.

And follow along on my Insta-Stories for more tips on stain removal and quality maintenance saves from my client's wardrobes!

I hope January has many intentional beginnings for you, and here's to making 2022 a little less "wordy" in our wardrobes!