The Newness You’re Looking For Isn’t in Your Cart

Buy nothing, feel better.

Mention shopping more sustainably, and someone will immediately cry about the price of ethically made clothes.

"It's too expensive!" (is it?) "Fast fashion is all I can afford!" (that £90 polyester dress says otherwise) Thrifting? “Impossible!” (have you heard of Vinted?).

Let’s stop that.

If you’re regularly buying new clothes—and I’m not talking about a haul every week, I mean even one item a week or a few things a month—and those clothes are coming from places like COS, Arket, Zara…

Then you’re not broke. Because fast fashion ain’t cheap. And in 2025, there are plenty of ethically-made alternatives that cost exactly the same.

Shopping sustainably is actually very easy. You just have to stop buying so much, so often.

Stop. Shopping.

Obvious, I know. But often easier said than done.

If you’re buying new clothes every week, month, or even just every season—you’re shopping too much. It adds up fast, especially if you’re replacing more than you’re actually wearing.

If you love fashion (same), and you’re worried you’ll get bored: start thrifting. We have enough clothes on this planet to dress six generations. The clothes already exist. Go find them. You don’t need to rummage through dusty charity shop bins if that’s not your idea of fun either. There’s Vinted. Depop. eBay. ThredUp. All on your phone.

Not sure if something will fit? Ask for measurements. Google image search the brand and item name. Chances are, you’ll find the size chart or a try-on review somewhere. Honestly, there are so many ways to make second-hand shopping easier that I swear people just don’t want to try.

But let’s talk about why it’s so hard to stop shopping in the first place. It’s not laziness—it’s psychology. We’ve been wired to crave that rush new stuff gives us.

Capitalism has you by the dopamine

Buying something new feels good. That little rush when you click “add to cart” isn't an accident. You’ve been groomed by capitalism into thinking shopping is a hobby. That new = better. That having more = being more.

Fast fashion thrives on this. They’ve got the money and the marketing to get you to checkout before you’ve even taken a second breath. Meanwhile, sustainable brands are harder to find, harder to trust, and don’t always have the budget to bombard your feed with ads.

What changed everything for me is when I stopped looking for the perfect thing to make my wardrobe complete.

No item of clothing will ever complete your wardrobe

Don’t fall for the fashion shopping influencers promising that this jumper or that pair of trousers will finally “complete” your wardrobe. It won’t. Nothing will. The perfect item doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. A marketing ploy. And we’ve all fallen for it at some point or another.

One day even your favourite T-shirt won’t feel quite right. Or it doesn't go with a certain skirt. Or it’ll suddenly annoy you for no good reason. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.

This whole idea of a “perfect item” is just another way to keep you chasing, scrolling, and shopping. Because if the next item is the one—well, you’d better buy it, right?

You could shop every day for the rest of your life and you'd still feel like something’s missing.

Fake the New Feeling With What You Already Own

Whenever I feel the urge to buy something new, I go into my wardrobe and take a look at what I already own. Nine times out of ten I realise I don’t actually want something new, I just want to feel good.

And unsurprisingly, I already own clothes that can do that for me. I’ve just seen them hanging there for so long I forgot how great they made me feel the first time I bought them.

Black dresses are my ultimate weakness. If I’m tempted by yet another one, I pull out all the black dresses I already own and ask: What do I actually like about this new one? Is it really that different? Would I trade any of mine for it?

If the urge is strong, I’ll try them on. Style them up the way I’d style the new one. And the feeling I get from doing that—the joy, the confidence, the excitement—is basically identical to what I’d get from buying something new. Only better, because I didn’t spend a thing.

So I get to look cute and feel smug.

How to Feel Good Without Buying Stuff

So here’s what to do instead of shopping:

• Thinking about a new outfit? Get dressed and go do something fun.

• Want new makeup? Go wash your face and do your makeup.

• Need new haircare? Wash and style your hair in a new way.

• Tempted by home décor? Tidy up. Declutter. Light a candle.

• Seeking more perfume? Use what you’ve got. Or go sniff the testers at the shop.

• Clothes feeling old? Mend them. Steam them. Dye them. Embroider them. Make them feel new again.

We already have enough stuff. Appreciate what you have.

Appreciate it. Use it. Fall in love with it all over again.

You can shop less. You can shop better.

You just have to want to.

Not into paid subscriptions? Buy me a virtual coffee or shop my jewellery — it’s a nice way to say thanks, no strings attached 🖤