I’m not gonna say it’s been easy, folks, but it sure has been instructional and pretty edifying.  The Year of No New Clothes is almost halfway over, and I am pausing to recount the successes and one failure of this project so far, while also sharing with you what six months of not shopping has done to the way I think about clothes and retail in general. 

As you’ll remember from my post here, I allowed myself two specific occasions whereby items could be purchased, and I have, in fact, added some items to my wardrobe in the last six months.  Since July, I have purchased the following:

• A gorgeous scarf embroidered with peacocks that I found while on vacation in Beijing (I am filing this squarely under the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities condition, as I have never seen one like it and will probably never get the chance to go to China again.)
• A pair of socks that replaced an identical pair I wore a hole in and had to remove from my wardrobe.  In America, I would totally wear socks with holes in them without a second thought, but in Korea, many restaurants and all  homes require you to remove your shoes when you enter.  So wearing holey socks is a big-time faux pas.
• The failure–one superwarm pink plaid scarf that I bought for no real reason other than that it was on sale (less than $5 American) and was totally cute.  I have since tried to rationalize it by arguing that scarves are accessories and not clothing per se, but facts are facts.  I bought it and I didn’t need it.  

I have also received a few wearables as birthday or Christmas gifts, namely, one pair of black gloves, a pair of socks, one green and black scarf, a pair of flannel-lined hiking pants (a winter necessity when you figure how much time we spend walking around in the cold), and one pair of purpley-pink Chuck Taylors which receive regular wear.  

Overall, though, I’ve still managed to acquire blessedly little in spite of having retired several items due to their being simply too ragged to permit further wear.  With the exception of that totally frivolous (but already beloved) pink scarf, I feel like I’ve done a good job of fulfilling the goals I set for myself in July.  Although my year is only half over, I’ve already learned several things about my spending and shopping habits:

1) Retail therapy was a very real, very regular part of my old shopping habits.  In fact, I am nearly positive the pink scarf incident was an attempt to console myself while away from  home during the holidays.  And you know what?  It was at least moderately successful.  There will always be something about new clothes that acts as a balm for the blues.

2) Despite having gotten rid of a lot of clothes due to wear and tear and existing on the rather limited wardrobe of an ex-pat, I still have a significant amount of clothes that I just don’t wear.  This has made me realize that I need to be more conscientious about my purchases.  Simply put, the odds of my learning to love something–no matter how deeply discounted it may be–are pretty slim.

3) Even though I will never, EVER admit to this in person, it is highly probable that I currently own a sufficient amount of shoes and probably only need to add a pair if I am willing to cull one from my wardrobe to make room.

4) They don’t make clothes like they used to.  I currently have a ten-year old pair of jeans that are in great shape, but the (much more expensive) pair I bought just before we left for Korea may not make it home with me, as they are currently threatening to form holes in unflattering places.

5) There are probably more outfits in your closet than you realize.  I know there definitely are in mine.  A small wardrobe has to be a versatile one in order to avoid being repetitive.  I found that I had locked in my head certain combinations of outfits–Skirt B always went with Shirt F and Shoes D–but that kind of thing becomes repetitive and boring when you aren’t continually adding pieces to your wardrobe.  At some point I just decided that I was going to adopt what I refer to the as the kindergartner method of dressing.  I just put on things I like that are fun to wear until I’m warm, then go to work.  This has resulted in a surprising number of new outfit options.  

I have no way of estimating how much money I’ve saved over the last six months, but I know it’s been significant.  While there will be a pretty massive shopping spree when this year’s up, it will mostly be to replace items I have literally worn threadbare.  All in all, the Year of No New Clothes is showing me a lot about my spending, shopping, and style habits. It’s also definitely redefining the way I dress myself and teaching me how to work with–and be grateful for–what I have instead of always assuming I need to go out and buy something new.  Although, trust and believe, my friends, come July 2014, there will be SEVERAL somethings new.