And so it begins

I've always liked to shop for clothes. 

I am not however, a shopaholic...

This all started one evening after reading an article in The Times by a journalist who had decided to stop clothes shopping for a whole year. It was an interesting read. It wasn't one I could immediately identify with. I didn't have 12 LBD's hanging in my wardrobe and lots of designer label clothes stored in the attic, but I did have a wardrobe with clothes in that still had price tags on and others that had never been worn.

After a invasion of clothes moths in the summer, i cleaned out the wardrobe and to my utter horror discovered clothes that I had bought several years ago and still not worn. Not crappy t shirts or tops, but really really nice dresses from LK Bennett, Diane Von Furstenburg and Whistles.  And yes, they still haven't been worn 4 months on. 

In general, women only wear 20% of the clothes in their wardrobe.  So what happens to the other 80%?

Is it like Toy Story? When we're out and the wardrobe doors are closed, do they all talk to each other. Are the "twenty percenters" mean to the poor forgotten clothes that never get an airing? That beaded cardigan that was a bargain in the Jigsaw sale that really thought she would be worn over the party season,  now needs Prozac to get her through to the next potential outing. Never mind the numerous pairs of jeans that were bought in NYC in the skinnier days of moi-meme.. sad sad denim

So i decided to take the challenge...i said it nonchalantly at work, and then reality kicked in. I'd said it so

I am going to do it.

The Rules

• I cannot buy any new clothes until the end of October 2012 ( and then I can buy my 'pre-Cabo holiday wardrobe' )
• I cannot buy any new handbags either (pulls sad face)
• I can accept gifts of clothes but cannot ask for them as gifts
• I can accept 'cast-offs' from friends
• I can alter clothes and make clothes from existing material in my flat, or material given to me
• I have a £25 Oasis gift voucher which I can use -but that is it!

Scary eh? 

Every time I see something that I would generally have wanted to buy I will photograph it and post it along with the price so I can see how much money I have potentially saved..and I will try and wear everything (that fits!) in my wardrobe. No more mean twenty percenters...get yer hanger off you others...you've pulled!

Let the torture commence