OMG -- my first post on this thread was 1/20. That means it's only been 16 days. And I have definitely thought about buying clothes. Haven't done it, but definitely thought about it.
For some reason, I fixated on the idea that I needed a black one piece swimsuit. I was torn between a trendier, sexier one and a more conservative, classic one. Of course, the answer is that I don't need either because I already have plenty of swimsuits. And they will be making black one pieces until the end of time, so when one of the ones that I currently own gives out, I will need a new swimsuit then. But not now.
I miss the creative outlet of finding new clothes, and the feeling that buying clothes was really just for me. Like all of us, I have a lot of obligations to work and family and I spend most of my time getting things done for other people. Finding and buying exciting, beautiful clothes was just for me. I was kind of grouchy and resentful this weekend because my husband spent a good chunk of time working on a non-mandatory home project (which is a hobby of his) and I "couldn't" buy clothes. Keep in mind, he's not pushing me to drop the clothes habit. I've been trying to lead by example on cutting expenses. But I felt resentful all the same.
I think the answer is to treat not buying clothes as a new creative challenge, like finding new ways to wear the clothes I already have or up-cycling old clothes or jewelry into something I will get more wear from. I've got half an idea to take an old pair of jeans that are on their way out and drawing a graphic pattern on them with a sharpie. I've also got a bunch of cheap elastic bracelets and necklaces that are dying. Those beads could be sewn onto a plain t-shirt or sweater.
In other news, I went for the ultimate badass mustachian style hack . . . and buzzed off my hair! I've been wearing a longer asymmetrical pixie cut for years, but I needed to get it cut every 5-6 weeks and it was $90 a pop. Add in product and I spent almost $900 last year on that haircut. I justified it all kinds of ways -- I need a professional look for my job, I've been seeing my stylist for years and genuinely like her, she runs her own business and I want to support her. But at the end of the day, it was an unnecessary expense. So after mulling it over for weeks and toying with the idea of maintaining the look on my own (lol, no), I went with radical simplicity. I took my husband's clippers, put on the 3/4 inch guard, and just shaved it all off in the bathroom. And it looks . . . awesome! It's very rock and roll, but having just a bit of length keeps me from looking like a skinhead. And, so far, no one at work cares.
Here's to a no new clothes February!