The last few weeks I have really tried to curb my shopping it’s been super hard especially when you're a shopaholic like me. The thing is every time I see someone on Instagram with a new dress, shoes, hair bow or anything basically I want to buy it. This isn’t great for lots of reasons and I’m always skint. It’s teaching Savannah bad habits about spending but mostly it’s a huge waste and isn't helping the tonnes of waste that fashion chucks out daily. My shopping addiction started from when I was young and was passed on from my dad he was an amazing shopper and had some of the best clothes you could buy. He loved to shop and spend money and I definitely got this talent from him. So I am well aware of how much of an impact I have on Savannah and how she will shop as she gets older. Don't get me wrong I have items in my wardrobe that I’ve had since I was very young but I would never use them so they are already waste just sat in my wardrobe.
My problem is as a shopaholic I don’t even need to buy an outfit to get a good feeling but every shop I go to I can’t just get what I’ve gone in for, my husband hates it as when we go food shopping we will be queuing to pay and then I’ll dash off and grab anything just to add to the shop not because I need it but it’s just to add to my buzz. To me there is nothing better than buying a new dress (obviously my daughter and husband are) and popping it on and it making me feel amazing, making me feel special and confident. This habit is bad and I need to stop it. Recently it’s become stupid as I’ll lay in bed on my phone at night and buy things that I can’t even remember the next day ordering.
So I have decided to stop this and try and change the way I think about shopping. I will not stop shopping altogether, I could never commit to that and why shouldn’t I be able to treat myself, but what I’m wanting to do is recycle clothes I already have, wear items that are new with old items and dare I say it be a little more savvy with my money on items. Rather than buying an item and not wearing it more than once which I’m ashamed to say I do at the moment. I want to shop more carefully, wear the items in different ways and up-cycle my wardrobe. So last week I decided to head to Warehouse and meet up with the amazing Dom, we did our usual shopping but this time I didn’t choose six dresses to wear once I got the following pieces that I will hopefully wear lots and it will hopefully mix up my wardrobe I already have. This will hopefully kick-start a new way of thinking and hopefully, I will start to think differently to the way I shop.
Green roll neck jumper - So this item I have bought to wear with jeans daily for the school run & generally something to throw on, but what we decide I could also wear it with a more done up skirt with maybe heels or a dress.
Long Leopard print coat - This was more money, but it is an item that will last for a long time and will come in and out of fashion. It was an item I have had my eye on for a while and I did the classic how many times will I wear it? I also have a new thing where I will ask myself if I can think of five different events I will use it to make sure its a good buy. The coat is made of dreams and I had to have it! It's such a statement piece that I know it's a good choice I still have statement pieces from my dad such as an amazing Burberry Mac and Armani suit (yes they cost a little more but he must have bought them when I was 18 and I still have them)
Twin set - I’ve never been that brave with twin pieces I feel like it a huge statement so when I saw Dom had picked it out on his magic rail for me I said I didn’t think it was a bit of me. As soon as I got it on and he paid a few lovely compliments my way, I was a different person I love the idea of switching up the two items with different looks. I am actually excited to see how many times I can wear the two pieces together or separately. I have popped a pic of me here in the skirt of the two-piece, and i teamed it up with a shirt I had already from ASOS. I got a lot of compliments on this skirt on the first wear and have worn it a lot since.
Leopard print top - I have actually been looking for an item like this for a while since I saw the beautiful Jenny from Mothers Meetings wearing a similar one under black denim dungarees at my very first Mothers Meetings. So finding this and it fitting me was great. I'm going to team this up with my dungarees, maybe under a more dressed up dress and then casually with jeans. I’m yet to watch Stacey Dooley's documentary on fashions impact on our environment, but I know this will make my decision a must & give me more reason to think before I shop. One of my very close friends is absolutely amazing and is always trying to help the environment and make changes she even managed to get a bar she hired for a party to agree to start to use straws made from shells rather than plastic. So I’m going to try and be more 'Lauren' and think about the environment and what my actions are doing to our incredible planet. The fashion industry really needs to take a good look at itself and start making some changes, there are a lot of amazing designers out there that already reuse products and recycle and I think it’s the only way forward. I attended a fab event the other evening that had a panel of fab ladies who were all rocking it right now, @BEANIEGIGI was one of these fab women and she said don't try and do everything such as become vegan, recycle, change your clothes, half-heartedly instead choose to do one of these things well and concentrate on that. This struck a chord with me and so I am going to try and do one of these tags well and make a difference in this one small way.
https://www.warehouse.co.uk/gb
The Savvy Mummy xxx
