Hello, friends! I’m embarrassed that it’s been a month between volumes of “This Week in Thoughtful Consumerism.” I’m busy, you’re busy, excuses, excuses—you don’t need to hear them. Today I’d like to share with you a funny, insightful blog I found when I googled “shopping ban”:
It’s a blog that starts with Danielle, an aspiring actress in Chicago, deciding to put herself on a year-long clothes shopping ban. Before the ban, Danielle is a nearly out-of-control shopper who has too many clothes and yet spends way too much time coveting what she doesn’t have (paraphrased from her words, I promise). She stops shopping so she can learn to work her closet, discover her unique sense of style, and stop spending a fortune on new clothes. I love Danielle’s daily outfit posts, tips on how to manage a long-term shopping ban, and reflections on her struggles and successes. As far as I can tell, the blog isn’t updated any more, but I’ve been reading the archives and enjoying them.
The Year of Nothing New digs deep into the questions about why we buy clothing and the roles that clothing has in our lives. For many (if not most?) of us, our clothing is more than functional; our style is an expression of who we are. As another favorite blogger put it, “style [is] an act of narration.” If that’s true, then what happens if your closet must be sufficient to dress and express you to the outside world with no updates for an entire year?
Not to spoil any of the fun, but what Danielle finds is that less can be more. We like to think that we own our stuff, but when we have too much of a good thing, our stuff starts to own us. Finding the sweet spot is an art and a science. Danielle’s honesty and good humor make this blog a treat to read, and she looks so much like Chrissy that I kinda think she might be Chrissy writing under a pseudonym! Ah, I kid, I kid. But The Year of Nothing New is a great read. If you need to find me, I’ll be digging around in her archives, finding posts to pin to inspire me in my own closet adventures.
2 comments:
Ha! Danielle does look a bit like me, though far more fashionable than might ever hope to be. :) Thanks for passing on a new recommendation! You always feature such interesting people and posts. :)
She is very fashionable! I'm so happy to share her blog with you. But now I'm sort of sad that I've basically plowed through her archives and her blog is retired. It was and is a great read, and I am in love with this dress:
http://theyearofnothingnew.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/day-119/
So gorgeous! I just love the detailing on the front. I am, ever so carefully, trying to find the holes in my closet so I can fill them. I might need a grey dress ;-)
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