Fast Fashion and new clothes are not for me anymore.

I've committed myself to only buying clothes in 2022 that I actually need.

I am fortunate that I have a wardrobe full of day to day clothes and another wardrobe full of dresses. Having not been working and then living in Dubai, I shopped, a lot. I was in the malls almost everyday as it was too hot to be outside and I'd browse the clothes shops and just pick up the odd item of clothing here and there.

It's October and this year I have purchased the following:

March A pair of black trousers for work £22.  A pair of winter boots £30.

July A pair of black shoes £32.99 a bra £15 and a replacement black fleece £12.99

September 2 pairs of fingerless gloves £18

October A waterproof and warm coat, combined £25

All bought in the sales and after careful consideration as to their longevity and versatility.

I bought the winter boots as I didn't own any other than walking boots and wellingtons that weren't suitable for work. I bought the black shoes because I only owned sandals, heels, trainers and canvas shoes, not suitable for the wet weather and walking in.

I bought the black trousers as I only owned jeans and 3/4 length trousers and shorts.

The bra because 2 of mine finally gave in and broke beyond repair. 

The fingerless gloves because I have chill blains and whilst I do have several pair of gloves I'm not able to write with them on whilst I'm in work.

The winter coat was purchased because whilst I have a waterproof jacket and a warm winter coat, I didn't have one that was combined and I was getting drenched through riding my bike and walking to and from work.

I regret buying the black fleece as I do have two other fleeces I could've worn they just weren't black and I do like to coordinate my clothing. I also recently bought a hat for halloween.

I would like another pair or two of proper trousers for work, but I'm discovering everything is either denim or leggings, neither of which I can wear to work anyway, but I can team my 3/4 lengths trousers with the boots I bought back in March.

I doubt I'll ever need to buy a handbag or a purse ever again and I've found a good cobblers where I've had a zip in a bag and a pair of sandals repaired already.

As I'm wearing clothes out, I'm donating to the local youth club for their sustainable fashion projects. I've also got a pile of clothes put by for wearing as pjs, for gardening, when cleaning etc so the best clothes, stay better for longer.

I'm getting bored wearing the same things over and over, but I'm also getting a lot of satisfaction from not wasting money on clothes, the latest fashion, when due to relocating, a change in climate and covid over the previous years that no one has seen me in these clothes before and I haven't been wearing a lot of them due to the weather having been much warmer abroad, so there is a lot of life left in them anyway.

I was just going to do this for 2022, but I've decided to carry it on for the foreseeable future and only buy new clothes when I no longer have clothes that are still in good condition to be wearing out. I'm also going to make sure any new clothes I buy are sourced from charity shops and dress agencies before I go to the stores.

Charity Shops for Going Green

We don't have charity shops in Dubai, but we do have places we can take our unwanted items to and in most cases if you just put stuff outside your front door, someone will take it away and make use of it.

I try to find a home for nearly everything I no longer need. When we lived in South Africa it was easy to get rid of everything, from newspapers to line the inside of shacks with to keep warm in winter, to broken electrical items that would be dismantled and components sold. Even our recycling was collected and sold on, especially plastic bottles.

I learnt quickly that even out of date food was a vital resource for many also.

I'm currently in the UK, I don't have much for donations, but I'll often bring things over with me if I have space in my case that I know will be of use here to others.

What I do a lot of in the UK is buy from charity shops. They will be my first go to point for everything, whether its for a hat for our sons wedding in September to a new wash bag for my travels.

My current charity shopping list:

• Books to read
• Jeans
• White trousers
• Casserole dish

I've noticed the prices in the charity shops have increased in price and I've noticed worn clothing only a fraction of the price cheaper than buying new in the stores.

Whilst out looking for a casserole dish, I ended up purchasing a new one for £1.75 in Wilko, as the charity shops were charging over £2. I can't help but think that some of them are pricing themselves out of the market. I know the point is to rehouse and reuse unwanted goods, but I'm not prepared to pay over the odds to do so.

• Do you use charity shops, either for donating or purchasing? 
• Do you favour particular charities? I like the Dog's Trust for clothing.
• Do you find the cost of items has gone up and the quality has gone down?
• Are there too many charity shops in the high street?