How to Shop Like a Minimalist: The Banned Brands List (ARCHIVE)
Originally posted October 14, 2016
36 items of clothing, 8 pairs of shoes, 3 bags
As part of my shopping rules, there is a banned brands list in place. These are clothing stores I don’t even walk into anymore. I won’t mention the names of these brands, but I will tell you that there were five that I used to frequent. It was really easy for me to walk into one of these stores to ‘have a look’, get worked up over something I didn’t need, and buy it.
I suggest that if you go through a clothing cleanse and intend to keep a small wardrobe, you also establish a banned brands list. My banned brands list has changed my shopping habits considerably. All the places on the list were designed to encourage impulse shopping. It was too easy to walk in with an idea of what I needed and walk out with the things I got distracted by (and got rid of later).
When I shop now I picture these brand names each at the point of a burning pentagram.
I established this banned brands list by analysing my wardrobe purges. These brands kept coming up in the discard pile, and I have barely any of their items left in my wardrobe now.
Below is an explanation as to why these particular brands are banned.
Brands 1, 2 and 3 are too ‘young’ for me. It’s hard to admit to yourself you don’t look cool in crop tops and ripped jeans, but the reality dawns when you realise that everyone else wearing these things is at least a decade younger than you. Also, you cannot wear these things to a professional job, so even if you love them, they are ridiculously inflexible in a small wardrobe. I will admit that I still own some of these crop tops in my PJ/leisurewear drawer, but they won’t be leaving my apartment any day soon.
Brand 4 looks great and is more ‘upscale’ (expensive) than the others, yet all their clothing quality diminishes after but a few washes. I’m not going to fill you in on the pilling $100 tights incident, but let me tell you I went back to that brand anyway. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice – stop shopping at the stupid store already!
Brand 5 looks great on mannequins but features poor design and craftsmanship. I love button ups, but that last one I got rid of (and many before) needed to go because even though I loved the colour and the fabric, the collar looked lumpy and weird when buttoned all the way up.
These are the main reasons I stopped shopping with these brands. What I look for now in my clothing is quality and flexibility above all else. I really hope that in a year’s time my wardrobe still contains most of the things I have bought this year.
Are there brands in your life that let you down? Maybe it’s time to wave goodbye to them.
