Planet has enough clothes for 6 generations

I shall continue to buy clothes, shoes and handbags but will do my upmost to ensure that they are ethically produced.

If we were all to stop purchasing, that would lead to thousands and thousands of people in poor countries losing their jobs and push them into poverty (more so than they are already) .

I think rather embarrassingly I have a lot of them in my wardrobes??.

I do always buy the best quality, classic clothing. The trouble is that means it never really wears out or goes very much out of fashion, so there is no excuse to charity it.

I have decided to cut down on clothes buying, actually i havent bought anything new since january. Apart from the fact that I lost 2 stone due to a stomach bug, with lockdown I haven't needed any as i had nowhere to go. The charity shops that are open don't want any donations at the mo. What to do with all this excess, some new but unwanted fashion items? Any ideas?

I think I’ve got all the rest of the clothes that aren’t in your wardrobe in my wardrobe Whitewave.
I haven’t bought anything during the Covid19 crisis, and don’t really have any plans to even browse any clothes shops. Well, I inadvertently told a lie, I did buy a bra online, from a range I like and know fits me.
My husband and I took a trip to our local M+S last week. We finally went to buy a baby gift for husband’s niece who had a new baby immediately before lockdown, so we bought 6-9 months as baby is already 5 months old. We went with masks and hand gel. The store was very quiet, Monday afternoon trip, and we didn’t stop to look at anything, just went straight to the baby wear department. I’ve left the two gorgeous little outfits in quarantine, but now need to wrap and post them.

Before he retired OH’s work often meant he was out evenings and weekends. I got in to the habit of checking eBay and buying items at rock bottom prices. Amazing how many people add items with a closing time of midnight on a Saturday. Not likely to be many buyers around at that time. I had just started a big cull when lockdown began. Embarrassingly I found I had two identical Laura Ashley tops that I was unaware of. Taken several large bags to the local women’s refuge and a hub for new immigrants now and still more to go. Crazy really because 99% of the time I wear two identical stretch denim skirts that are beginning to show signs of wear and not in a trendy ripped way! My post (hopefully) lockdown resolution is to take a more considered approach to clothes, shoes, bag buying.

Whitewavemark2

I think rather embarrassingly I have a lot of them in my wardrobes??.

I do always buy the best quality, classic clothing. The trouble is that means it never really wears out or goes very much out of fashion, so there is no excuse to charity it.

You beat me to it (just) Whitewave !

I read the caption out to DH. He said “Oh good, it will always look nice then “. ??

As a lot of the joy has gone out of shopping/browsing, I'm not missing it that much, in fact it had lost it's allure for me before all this started. I've got some really good handbags, a Mulberry, Longchamp, Radley among my stash, bought over a period of time, well in fact years. It occurred to me that I hardly ever use any of them, preferring to hook a purse like affair containing all my essentials, phone, keys, cards etc., over my wrist, walking has very much taken over from the shops in my life, I just don't hanker after anything much apart from books at the moment. I did treat myself to some Chanel Coco perfume via Boots on line the other day, as they were offering a 15% discount and I always buy something or other in the Duty Free before a flight, well those are cancelled this year I'm not tempted to buy anything in the clothes stakes right now. I agree with the sentiments of the OP, although like everyone else I don't want businesses to go under. It's one of present day life's great imponderables as to what to do for the best. I think many of us have reassessed our previous consumer life though.

Forget to add, the ready to wear items I browse the most now are washable face masks, the material variety, Sea Salt and Boden have some quite nice ones. £20 for 3, extortionate! it has to be said, considering how little material are in them, but I was rubbish at needlework at school and even those would be beyond my capabilities

In 2019 I started a year of not buying any clothes, shoes etc. It was surprisingly easy and very liberating. I started after seeing a river that I know in Indonesia now running like black sludge from the garment factories. Many people there live in huts and rely on the river to wash themselves and for water to cook. One poor lady was having to buy a small bottle of water just to wash her baby. She could not afford to buy one for herself and was covered in a rash from the chemicals.

Since I finished the no buy year I have not wanted to buy in the same random way. I try to shop with ethical brands. Thought and BAM in particular, Before I buy I ask myself do I need this item and will I be using it for a long time.

Utube videos by people such as Alyssa Beltempo and others help by telling you how to create different looks without buying more clothes. I now realise which clothes I love and which were a big mistake.

In the 60's and 70's my late SiL always asked me, or anyone else when purchasing something, " do you really need that ?". It became her signature tune.
She had the last laugh when she sadly died in the 80's, by leaving ££££'s ( thousands )

A very eccentric person she used to wear 40's/50's clothes which never really looked out of place on her because of the " up to the mark " makes such as Jaeger etc. which retained their shapes/styles. The worse thing I ever did was to fill 25 black bags of her beautiful clothes and send them to the tip.
Her past cruise outfits/dresses etc. I could cry when I think about it. My ex SiL was the worst, he threw a palomino mink shawl cum- jacket in the burning bin.

All I bought were loads of Asda knickers and a couple of jumpers this year. I don't need anything but I make sure I've got a good supply of underwear if nothing else.

I used to 'cruise' charity shops for quality clothes, but having spent 3 months in lockdown and been nowhere near a shop other than a supermarket, I can't honestly say I feel the need to buy any more. I've a wardrobe (or two) full of things I like now, things that will last (& probably 'see me out'!)..

I thought it was a very odd comment for Patrick Grant to make since he is in the business of selling clothes. Not just the last for years Saville Row stuff, but he also has a mass produced range in Debenhams .