It’s a new year, it’s January, and you find yourself inundated with no buy content.

Should you, shouldn’t you? And more specifically how?

I’m of the belief that undertaking a year long no buy when it came to my own closet, has made me somewhat of an expert - a badge I wear with pride! I documented the entire year right here on my Substack, and while I have tons of helpful content on the subject, I felt it was the perfect time to answer your questions about how to do it in a way that feels fun and creative, and NOT a punishment.

Luckily for me, this conversation started popping off in my subscriber chat and I was given some very timely questions, questions i’m sure many of you also have if doing a no buy is something you’re considering, so without further ado, let’s get into this. (P.s. become a paid subscriber and you can submit your own questions re a no buy, or anything else fashion related and get support from other people who have done and are about to undergo their first no buy too!)

Q: How do I talk about it to people around me? Specifically people who try to convince me it’s too restrictive?

I get it, it sounds like a diet, don’t do this, don’t eat that, only it switches to don’t buy that. The first thing, the most important thing (I believe) when it comes to doing a no buy is liking your reasons. As someone who is very much anti diet culture, my reasons for doing a No Buy often shock people (spoiler I wasn’t repenting for my sins, I was just curious). The biggest shift is reminding yourself that this gets to be a creative exercise, a way to experiment with what you have, versus restricting yourself.

It goes without saying you don’t owe anyone an explanation on how you do or don’t spend your money, but all the same, if it helps here’s 10 common misconceptions about doing a no buy you are welcome to share with friends/family or anyone else that wants to chat about it.

Most of my friends were genuinely fascinated by it, and many actually ended up joining me on some version of a no buy. Why? Because I found so much joy in my wardrobe, in a way I don’t know I could have found without this breather. It’s here I also like to remind people you get to choose your own guidelines (notice i’m emitting the word ‘rules’) and there are so many ways to do a no buy that feels good for you. My sister’s doing her first no buy for three months where she’s only shopping second hand, so her no buy is a ‘nothing new no buy’. One of the things I make sure inside The No Buy Styling Course is that you’ll come up with guidelines tailored to you and your lifestyle, no matter what that looks like right now. We all have different needs and you get to honor that, yes, even in a no buy.

On the days I wanted to buy something I was presented with information. I would investigate why in that particular instant I felt I needed said thing. I decided early on that my no buy would be free of all moral judgements, so ‘breaking’ a no buy didn’t feel like this big scary thing I had looming over me. It was much more like an adventure where I knew i’d learn a lot about myself, my personal style and my wardrobe.

Q: How do I determine if an item is worth it (if I’m doing rule of 5 or 12 items a year)?

This is another great example of how to make a no buy work for you, by choosing a designated number of pieces you will be making room for within your closet. And yes, i’ve thought of this already, and have a whole post on how to identify whether or not an item genuinely fills a gap/or is ‘worth it’ to help guide you. A no buy offers you space to pause, to assess, this alone makes it a lot easier to gather information on what you do wear, what you don’t, and identify what is missing (if anything).

Q: How do I stick to it when I have “the shoppies”?

First of all, remind yourself you are human. This is normal. We live in a world where shopping is heavily encouraged and normalized to the point of over consumption. I liked to remind myself there are businesses who have invested billions of dollars to make me want to shop. From endless marketing emails, to buy it now buttons and influencer marketing, this is a global business that is just doing its job. My aim is always to try to neutralize what i’m feeling instead of defaulting to shame. Accepting you probably will want to shop at times helps normalize your humanness.

The thing that made me fall in love with my closet during my no buy was doing mini challenges within the challenge itself. Some days I’d raid my husband’s closet. Sometimes I would take my least worn items and challenge myself to wear them in a new way. (Btw way I share all of these in The No Buy Styling Course and have an entire module to help with the ‘shoppies’). It was the shoppies in particular that bred the most creativity in my closet during my no buy. If I wanted to buy a thing, i’d ask myself what did I have that was similar to it? What could I use instead? This alone got me reaching for pieces that had been underutilized. It’s a huge part of how some of my least worn items, became my most worn. I had several reasons for doing a no buy, and one of the most important was simply to wear my clothes. To use what I have, and to enjoy them.

Q: What do I do when the exciting new pieces for spring/fall start arriving?

Similar to the above. You accept it. Then you tell yourself kindly, and gently, there will be another fall and another spring. You’re just sitting this one out. This no buy isn’t forever. You notice what you keep getting drawn to and why. Is it offering genuine data as to what is missing? Or is it a need to have what everyone else is having? Is it fomo in disguise? I made a Notion wishlist (yep, also inside the course) that helped me record the things I didn’t want to forget. I created a traffic light system to help my brain slow down, one that uses questions to analyze the why behind a purchase, as well as offering helpful prompts to do before buying it. A no buy should help you highlight things you might want to add in when its finished. That was definitely my experience. It’s also my recommendation to give your inbox a breather during peak marketing times. Make a moodboard with yourself in the images, or make your own style journal where you can add photos of outfits you love at different times of the year and for different occasions, that remind you: you have enough for now.

Q: What if my body has changed recently? Should I wait?

Just because it’s January doesn’t mean now is the only time to do a no buy. (I actually started mine at the end of February) Hopefully it goes without saying that in addition to the timeline and the guidelines, doing a no buy is incredibly personal and it’s ok if now doesn’t feel like a good time for you. What I will say is, my body has fluctuated greatly over the past five years and there are pieces that fitted me at the beginning of my no buy that no longer do. That hasn’t stopped me collecting data about what I find comfortable when I am in between sizes, and the colors, textures and shapes that make me feel epic. It also highlighted what I didn’t wear within the pieces I did fit.

My creativity was unlocked throughout the experience, even when I was gaining weight. If anything it added another really beautiful layer into the mix… ‘How do I enjoy this body, and decorate it in a way that feels beautiful and authentic to me right now, irrelevant of its size or shape?’ It will always be fluctuating. Some days I rely on accessories to feel good in an outfit, sometimes it is a really chic sweat suit with nice earrings. My aim was just to work with what I had.

Another reason I recommend guidelines not rules, because often we don’t know what the future holds. We might be put on a medication that makes us lose or gain weight, or maybe our bodies will change due to pregnancy/postpartum. There may be very valid reasons for needing a new pair of jeans. Give yourself some grace and trust that you know what’s best for you.

Q: What if I make a purchase I regret and it sends me into a rabbit hole of anxiety?

Ok, let’s say you do. Let’s think about all the options you have. First of all, you could just enjoy that item, and move on with your no buy. Yes that gets to be an option. Or you could return it, sell it, or how about wrapping it up as a gift for you to enjoy at the end of your no buy? You get to assign the meaning you give to this scenario, and this is why reframing your ‘why’ is so important when it comes to a no buy. Regret is also information, information you can use for future purchases. I’ve had to regret certain things in order to not buy them again, and to notice patterns that aren’t helping me wear what I have/build a wardrobe that truly works for me.

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Q: How do I tackle trips? Trips always give me “the shoppies”.

Get curious. Curiosity is the gateway to creativity. I will live and die on this hill! Why now? What can you do if you don’t buy this item? Do you just add it to your wishlist? Can you focus on other activities outside of shopping? And look, if you know it’s something that brings you joy, why not bake that into your guidelines that you can purchase from stores you don’t have back home? Or something that feels in alignment with this as part of your no buy. Make a no buy work for you, not against you.

Q: How do I avoid simply spending this money on other treats (dinners, skincare, hair products, etc) if I’m doing it for financial reasons?

This is such a good question, and i’m so glad it came up in our chat. Even if your motivation is for financial reasons, can you layer other reasons on top of that? Again I come back to the reframe. When I did my no buy I was in a position where I was suddenly earning a lot less, but I knew if I led with that I would feel more pressure, so I had to explore other reasons to do this that took away the seriousness of it all. I sat in front of my wardrobe one day and had the realization that adding more hadn’t provided more clarity in terms of my personal style. I also was reaching for the same few items by default. One of my reward systems within the no buy was just wearing new combinations and treating my closet like a shop. I still went shopping, but in my own wardrobe. The same happened with my hair and makeup. I got out the pink eyeliner I wore occasionally and started incorporating it into more looks.

By doing a no buy, I found myself romanticizing what I already had outside of my closet too. For example, I purchased some lovely loose leaf teas over the year leading up to my no buy which I never drank, so during my no buy I bought myself a cute little teapot. I found a brass tray in a thrift store and started making tea dates for myself with a book. I read more books during my no buy year than any other, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. What a no buy does is it gets you thinking creatively, it gets you thinking outside the box. I still went out for coffee, but I also bought a Moka pot and taught myself how to make great coffee at home (with the help of this YouTube channel). I invited friends round for potluck dinners. So much shifted in my life by doing a no buy. It’s so much bigger than your closet.

Q: What do I do when the year is over? What’s a good transitioning phase?

You also don’t have to do a year, remember: you get to choose the timeline. I chose a year because that length of time excited me, and I was so curious by the data it would give me. When the no buy is over, you get to decide. Maybe you will go all out and enjoy a huge shopping trip, maybe you won’t. I found myself missing it pretty quickly, and ended up doing another no buy a few months later because I missed the freedom I felt, and how creative it had made me in my own closet. What you do end up with though, (in addition to the experience itself) is data. You get to decide to do what you want with said data. For me, it helped identify that brown was a color missing in my wardrobe and adding that in was a really big unlock for me.

I also found myself losing interest in items that had been on my wishlist for the majority of the year, which has been helpful for my brain to remember that urgency fades - if you allow space for it. The key is letting go of the idea that you can get this wrong. Your transition could be completely different to my own. Two years on and i’m still learning from my no buy. For example, a few months into my second no buy I decided a creative constraint that felt more aligned for me in that season was to only shop second hand. And guess what, I changed my guidelines to accommodate that. I didn’t consider it a failure, it was just a detour using the data I had already. It felt good in my body, it felt intentional, and I felt excited to throw that into the mix.

I really hope this answered some questions, and offered a way to approach a No Buy that feels fun and creative, and one that is tailored to you.

Thank you so much for reading and for supporting me and my work.

Harry x

*Some links contain affiliates and gifted items are marked with an *. You can Shop My Wardrobe here and learn more about The No Buy Styling Course here.

I’m currently not buying anything new for my wardrobe until January next year, but I still wanted to enjoy a leisurely browse and try on anything that caught my eye in order to report back on what I think is genuinely worth the hype from their current AW collection. Not sponsored, I just bloody love M&S!

For reference i’m about 5ft 6 and a UK size 16. M&S do ship to the US but it works out alot more expensive than buying it in the UK.

Alpaca Blend Textured Relaxed Jumper - £50

I featured this sweater in my fall wish list, and even though i’m on the hunt to find something similar second hand, I knew I had to try this on. I’m wearing a size Large. While the fabric composition was really nice (had a good percentage of wool and alpaca) it just didn’t quite hit the mark in the way I had hoped it would. Without a ‘french tuck’ this resembled a sack of potatoes. The thing that really drew me in was the color, and as far as a burgundy knit goes, this color is perfection. Color yes, shape no. I’m gonna say this one is a miss, but maybe I should have experimented with other sizes, as I did only try one size on.

Mid Rise Barrel Jeans in Black - £30

I’m still on the fence re Barrel Jeans, but these ones were the perfect shade of black. A slight wash to them that made them look nicely lived in with a vintage feel. These looked so much more expensive than they were, and to be honest I think M&S denim is incredible, especially given the price point. Both my mum and my sister have been converted for a while, to the point where whenever I say ‘nice jeans, who are they by’ the answer is consistently ‘M&S’. I loved how these looked with just a classic white tee and my old black Massimo Dutti boots. I’m wearing a size 16 in the regular leg length. Hit!

Cable Knit Sweater - £40

Or as we would call it in England, a jumper. I couldn’t find this on their website so it might be new in, but I really loved the intricate design of this knit. If you’re someone who loves a neutral but you want to add some interest, a cable knit pattern works wonders. Now this sweater was mostly artificial fibres, but I have to say the shape was really lovely and it felt buttery soft. How it would hold up in the wash, I’m not sure, but the neck, the sleeves all felt like they were cut really well. I’m wearing a size large. Despite the fabric composition I’m going to call this one a hit.

Cotton Rich Stormwear Car Coat - £65

I really wanted to love this car coat, it looked amazing on the hanger, but on me (I don’t know why) it reminds of a lollipop lady. Like add a High vis vest on top, and it feels like i’m back at school. I think what lets this down is the very subtle sheen, which I imagine is what makes it a great weatherproof piece. I just didn’t love the way it sat on my body either. I’m wearing a size 16 here. I’d give this one a miss.

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Cotton Rich Slim Fit Vest Top - £8.50

This vest (tank if you’re in the US) was a HUGE hit! When I do need more vest tops, I will most likely be buying these. Bonus points, it comes in brown too! As someone with a sizeable bust, vest/tank tops can be tricky. I don’t want to have to wear a racerback bra every time I wear a tank, I’m too lazy for that. The neck isn’t too low which I love but also, not too high either. In other words Goldilocks would say ‘this one feels just right’. It’s also only £8.50 which feels like an absolute steal for such a great quality fabric and fit. Hit! Hit! Hit!

Pure Cotton Slouchy Relaxed Joggers - £36 & Cropped Sweatshirt - £26

This was an interesting one, let’s start with the joggers. In fairness they only had a long leg length left in my size (UK 16) and they do get bonus points for having different leg lengths. These have a slight barrel leg shape which gave a nice slouch, however what didn’t work for me was the waistband. It was too thin and given that these are effectively loungewear, they didn’t feel like the most comfortable joggers in the world. I also think this color as a block column on me just didn’t work, however….

The matching sweater I loved styled with my tailored trousers. Worn as a seperate I think this color offered a nice contrast against something with more structure, especially in black, or a darker color. Because this sweater is slightly cropped it’s perfect for tucking into high waisted trousers. Both items are 100% cotton which for this price point I think is also incredible. I’m wearing a size Large. I would give the joggers a miss, and i’d call the sweater a hit!

If in doubt, grab the gingerbread and white chocolate cookies! Those are 100% a hit!

Thanks for reading.

Harry x

*Some links contain affiliates. You can shop my wardrobe here and learn more about The No Buy Styling Course here.

I think it’s fair to say a lot of people put off doing something they want to try (starting a substack, trying a new hobby or taking a route less travelled), putting something out into the world, saying the thing thats in their heart for fear of other people coming for them. To share an idea, an opinion, hell even an outfit online isn’t for the faint of heart. There will always be someone waiting to throw who you were, the decisions you’ve made or how you used to think back in your face.

On occasion it seems the same is true when it comes to personal style. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of believing we ‘arrive’ as if it were an end point. That we must uphold a version of ourselves and the way we dress without any fluctuation. As if there were some cap, a time limit on how long we are allowed to experiment. Describing our personal style or our stylistic choices out loud, doesn’t suddenly write them into stone, never to be questioned, never to be open to reinterpretation again…and again!

There are often throughlines within our personal style, but I like to think of my personal style as a bunch of levers I can pull as and when I want to. Some days I will pull the ‘Geography teacher' lever, some days the ‘cabin in the woods’ lever, others the ‘i’m feeling myself’ lever. I also see the levers as something I don’t have to choose between. Some days multiple levers are pulled with different intensities and percentages. Some levers go ages without operation, and some see a lot of repetition and are in constant use. They all exist to accommodate my mood, my creativity and who I want to be on any given day.

The longer you live, the more you experience life the more you and how you think will change, or at the very least evolve. Without a doubt this impacts how we dress, and approach to style at times. I can predict what sixty, eighty year old me might want to wear, but I won’t know for sure until I am those ages. All this to say, you’re allowed to change your mind. Which leads me to my next point….

In preparation for my second hand bag drop and second hand sourcing to go live, I was preparing outfits ready to shoot the items for the website. I had everything in my existing wardrobe I needed. Then at the eleventh hour, one more bag made its way into the collection. When I was thinking how to style it I found this image and to say I became mildly obsessed is an understatement.

Before I knew it I was googling white and red striped button ups. I saw this from J Crew and a few others caught my eye, but nothing stood out to me that was worthy of breaking my no buy. Just out of curiosity I thought let’s pop to the thrift store, just to see. Sure enough in the mens department was a beautiful high quality red and white oversized (menswear) button down for $6.99 in 100% cotton. When I decided to do a second no buy I had toyed with the thought of making an exception for thrifted items, but in the end chose not to. But guess what…I changed my mind!

Standing in the thrift store I actually found it kind of exciting to be able to tell you all I broke my no buy. What helped me with my year long no buy is that I genuinely took it a day at a time. I told myself nothing bad would happen if I ‘broke it’. Failure would not mean anything bad about myself. In other words shame was never invited to the party. Something I stand by inside my No Buy Styling Course is to create guidelines not rules. And they should be guidelines that excite you. There is something a lot more fluid about guidelines versus rules. It was in that moment I put all the options on the table. I made the decision to buy the $6.99 shirt and i’m so unbelievably happy I did. I have zero regrets. And thus moving forward, I consider myself as someone who is not buying anything ‘new’ until January 1st next year.

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I've said this before, and i’ll say it again, there are so many ways to do a no buy.

The moment I got home I knew it was time for a wardrobe playdate with my new shirt! I felt nothing but joy.

Something i’ve realized is that I now think and live in seasons. I’ve been practicing learning to see things short term instead of long term. No five year plans. No chronological expectations of how my life should play out. I think my year long no buy also came at a time when I really needed it (again, seasons). It was always led by my creativity and curiosity and that’s still what i’m following. That continues to be a north star of sorts. The path just took a different direction this time. There’s that moment when you go to make a decision, just before you ask yourself what do I want, where your brain shouts: But what will other people think?

But this time, it was a relief (and a revelation) to find myself say ‘You are allowed to change your mind’. Making a decision felt effortless from this space, even if it does seem fast or spontaneous. I didn’t feel the need to linger on the decision because I liked my reasons, and I felt confident I had made a choice that felt good for me.

So to anyone that needs to hear it, deep breath…You’re allowed to change your mind!

Thanks for reading

Harry x

*Some links contain affiliates. You can shop my wardrobe here and learn more about The No Buy Styling Course here.

After studying my traffic light wishlist and spending some time reviewing where my closet stands now, the gaps have been added. Things that needed replacing due to damage have been. And what’s surprising is how much of it I have found second hand. Dave laughs at me so hard when I say ‘preloved’, he always corrects me and says ‘you mean second hand’? Yes Dave. (p.s. if you’re looking for my top tips on where to find Vintage items that outperform trends, read this)

Items I purchased second hand that were on my wishlist

Post my year long no buy, I found myself scrolling through Net A Porter and the new in sections again just because I could, and using this newsletter as an excuse under the guise of ‘research’ which for the odd piece here and there i’m cool with. For example, this post about finding the best shorts under $100 on the high street. However, generally speaking, since doing my no buy I surprisingly find shopping new dare I say it…a bit tedious these days, and for the most part…. underwhelming. It just doesn’t hit like it used to, versus the dopamine hit I receive when I find something I want second hand (usually at a much better price, and often better quality) is infinitely greater! I’ve always loved shopping second hand, but it feels like I fell in love with it all over again coming out of my no buy.

Why now? & what’s different this time?

When it comes to shopping for myself & my own wardrobe, i’m back in a place where I feel good. Dare I say it, it feels complete for now. I miss the peace and creativity I had using what I have, and things are starting to verge on the edge of ‘having too much in my wardrobe. There’s no room left at the Inn! I also feel there’s a danger of diluting my own sense of style with the addition of more newness, and the same pieces everyone else is talking about; the trending ‘it’ bag, ‘it’ dress etc etc. And look if you like something, irrelevant of whether or not it’s trending or people are talking about it, wear it with pride. I just think it’s worth asking ourselves why we like/want something, especially when said item is doing the rounds on social media.

I had a goal after my no buy to shift the balance of items coming in to my wardrobe to be mostly second hand, whether that’s preloved, vintage or thrifted. And I feel like that’s a goal that’s been very easy (and fun) to work towards. Not only has there been so much joy in what I was able to find, within my budget and high quality items, but it also made me want to shout a little louder about the joys of second hand shopping. And I don’t just mean the high end pieces. Shopping second hand in my opinion gets you more bang for your buck and the ability to find something special. Something that feels like treasure to you. This is why i’m not shopping, unless it’s for you.

Coming this fall

As we approach fall i’m planning to have ready two very exciting offerings ready. One will be my very first vintage/second hand bag drop. A collection of BEAUTIFUL bags hand selected by myself at varying price points. (Pieces I have to be honest, a part of me doesn’t want to sell so I can keep them all!) But like I said, there’s no room at the inn and these pieces deserve to go to great homes. Some of them are VERY rare and very hard to find! Even making the moodboards for this drop has been so much fun and creatively very fulfilling.

I’m still looking into the logistics re where I will be able to ship to, and this is very much a one woman (self funded) show so i’m letting myself take my time with this, enjoy the process and see this as a fun experiment. If I love doing it, there may well be more drops in limited availability.

Second, I will be launching limited spots for what i’m calling my ‘second hand sourcing’ service, which will start with bags and potentially expand into other areas. I’m hoping this will be something I am able to offer worldwide as it will be an online service. So whether you have $50 or $5000, I will find you your dream bag second hand! More details to come.

Paid subscribers will receive updates first, and i’ve been sharing some teasers over in our subscriber chat. When the first bag edit goes live paid subscribers will also get access a day before everyone else. Like I said, this is a passion project, a love letter to second hand pieces and the personality they add to our wardrobes.

And in case you’re wandering….

My ‘No Buy’ Guidelines this time round

My no buy timeline will be from this post until Jan 1st 2026. I won’t be buying anything new unless:

• My weight changes and an item no longer fits

• An item is lost/damaged beyond repair

• It’s for you!

I will also note that gifts are allowed and buying underwear is exempt from my no buy.

I feel lighter already!

If you’re interested in doing a no buy for any duration with guidelines that feel good for you, you can also check out my No Buy Styling Course and do it with me!

Thanks so much for being here, and i’d love to know… what’s been your favorite second hand find?

Harry x

*Some links contain affiliates and you can shop my wardrobe here. Learn more about The No Buy Styling Course here.

After buying my dream bag (a vintage Hermes Kelly) and owning it for less than two years, I’ve decided to sell it. Here’s why….

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The day after it ended I didn’t go wild on Net A Porter or make a mad dash to Rodeo Drive, instead it was just like any other day, business as usual.

A few weeks after it ended, I found myself feeling overwhelmed by the endless possibilities (a past version of me would have loved this), like when the waiter hands you the menu and you notice they have everything, your brain goes blank. What to order? What do I even like these days? What do I really want? What if I make the wrong choice?

What I couldn’t have predicted was the mental arithmetic it has taken to make a decision when i’m given unlimited choice. Knowing I wanted to purchase a chocolate brown bag has taken up far more brain power than I had anticipated using.

The incessant scrolling, the saving, screenshotting and monitoring. I used to love it, the research, the process of looking for a needle in a haystack, but what i’ve come to realize is I don’t want to be on high alert for any ‘it’ item. Even if it is on my wishlist. Ultimately, I don’t want to be online as much as I used to.

When there’s no constraints, it takes so much of my energy. Energy i’m just not prepared to give most of the time, especially since leaving Instagram. The amount of time and energy that seems to have been stolen without my consent is infuriating. My no buy gave me so much peace, and that translated into space and time for other things that fill my cup.

I want creativity over consumption. I want to let myself be bored without thinking it’s a problem to solve. I want to enjoy what I have. That’s exactly what my no buy gave me, and I never felt limited. I love style, talking about it, appreciating it and exploring it. I want to experience it like any other creative act.

And while there’s nothing bad with wanting, I have to ask myself where do these wants come from? What is the why behind them?

Thankfully, I had my trusty traffic light wishlist to identify the purchases I’ve spent ample time percolating on, as well as the gaps I felt would be worth filling. This alone has created a monumental shift in how I approach shopping since doing my no buy because it creates time and space. My brain needs to see if I still want something when no one else is talking about it any longer. It also ironically creates more space to notice those special pieces that spontaneously catch my eye every once in a while that feel like they were waiting for me to find them. When i’m chronically online, walking with my face in my phone, I miss the piece sat in the window display of a cool independent designer, the fun thrifted item, the vintage piece that no one else will have. I want to spend more time looking up and more time noticing.

With regards to my Substack and the outfits I share, I want you to notice me wearing the same pieces over, and over, and over again, because that is the true test of a ‘favorite’ or a ‘hard working item’. As such i’m seriously weighing up whether or not to just do another no buy again.

Maybe it would be different if I was building a wardrobe from scratch, but other than the odd thing here or there, and replacing damaged items…I’m good. My no buy has only confirmed this. Sometimes I find myself creating gaps, but thankfully my traffic light wishlist helps me call myself out on what are actually wants, not needs. And look i’m not going to shame myself when I do buy something that’s a want (recognising it’s a want is actually helpful) I get to honor that desire when it feels intentional. There is information there regardless. An opportunity to get to know myself better, my reasoning and the why behind my purchases. Sure, sometimes it’s not that deep, but also, sometimes it really is. There’s a desire to belong, to be relevant, to be included, to be seen, to be the first, to matter. We’re human beings with human brains, and i’m no exception.

What i’ve purchased since my no buy ended & why

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People talk about forever wardrobes, buying less but better (myself included), and I’m often curious did I truly invest in pieces that will last a lifetime? Is that even possible? Only time will tell, but it’s one thing to say you’d buy something again when you have the money and the means, but what about when you don’t? What about when your life circumstances shift and your disposable income dramatically shifts? I spoke about my decision to walk away from my business here, and instead return to my writing and other artistic pursuits.

It’s been fascinating (and humbling) to have the understanding that $10,000 is an insane amount of money, and also… not a lot of money depending on how much you have in your account at any given time. Money is subjective, what is a lot to someone is pocket change to another and vice versa. Deciding what’s worth the money more times than not comes down to your personal relationship to money, and how you perceive value/worth.

When you suddenly have the financial means to buy certain things that a past version of you could only dream of, it’s hard not to get ahead of yourself. Initially, the high was dizzying, but as time went on, the experience became anti climatic, and there were more times than I care to remember where a luxury item left me feeling underwhelmed. If i’m honest with myself there are some things I bought just because I could. I love clothes, and I appreciate craftsmanship and quality design, but in a world where more and more luxury brands cut corners, while increasing the price on what feels like every other quarter, I had to ask myself, when is enough, well… enough?

What constitutes ‘enough’ when it comes to our wardrobe is probably a seperate piece in itself, for the fact that bodies change, our tastes evolve and while i’d love to think I have as close to a forever wardrobe as is humanly possible, certain pieces will wear out beyond repair. And this isn’t me saying i’m never going to shop again, but my year long no buy did change my relationship to shopping in a life altering way.

To date I’ve sold over $6,000 worth of items from my wardrobe that in the past I would have kept as credit to buy more stuff. Choosing to focus on your art full time is a privilege few can afford. That $6000 has given me the gift of time to pause and weigh up my next move, and that is what I value most at this current moment in time.

In case you're wondering, I started my no buy before my financial circumstances changed because I already had a suspicion that I didn’t need anymore stuff but instead to learn how to get more creative with what I did have. I learnt how to live with less, and experienced first hand, which pieces genuinely do work the hardest in my wardrobe, irrelevant of brand or cost. My understanding of quality and perceived value has also shifted now i’m earning significantly less, which is why I hope this piece is helpful.

Everything I’m sharing was purchased by myself. And while i’m scared to share the prices I paid for certain items, I think it’s important I do for context. For each item i’ll be answering the main question, would I buy it again now i’m earning less? Eg would I save up for it, do I think it’s worth the price tag from the lens of earning more and earning less, and what do I think of the quality/wearability after owning them for several years? Maybe I should do an update every couple of years on these same items? I’ve also included a video with close ups exclusively for paid subscribers so you can see any wear and tear up close.

1. The Frankie Shop Blazers

The Frankie Shop Blazers are pricey when you consider that most of them are not even made of silk, cashmere or wool, but more times than not polyester. However, I do think they make some incredible shapes and cuts and I do love the Gelso blazer (I paid $350 for mine) and the Tansy blazer (I paid $285 for mine, currently out of stock). Both have held up surprisingly well, given that they are both over two - three years old. There is no loose stitching or change in shape. But would I buy it again now? No, no I wouldn’t. The main reason being, there’s so many great oversized blazers, that are infinitely better quality waiting for you in the mens department of the thrift store. Most of my men’s blazers I’ve purchased from the thrift store have cost between $5-$30, for pieces that were tailored, or made of premium fabrics. I will still wear the hell out of my Frankie Shop blazers, but now i’m making less, I would go the thrift store route.

2. Toteme Trench Coat

I bought my Toteme Trench Coat when the price was around $800, about three years ago. This piece is something I would save up for and buy if I didn’t already own it because of how beautiful the cut and quality are. Can you buy something similar for less, i’m sure, but of all the trench coats I tried on before buying this (at both less and more expensive price points) nothing made me feel as incredible as wearing this piece did. The length is perfection, the quality is incredible and I actually love the fact it isn’t belted. It has the perfect amount of slouch in while still creating the boxy shape I want from a trench coat. When it comes to trench coats, so many high street brands do them, this Uniqlo offering is one of the nicest looking trench coats i’ve seen and is less than $60! If the Toteme one was out of budget then I would be tempted to do the Ebay route, and look for a second hand Burberry one.

After the paywall, i’m sharing other items in my wardrobe that I get asked the most questions about, plus there’s a video where I share the items up close with my thoughts.

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My 365 no buy wardrobe challenge was one of the most creative things i’ve ever done. It made me slow the fuck down in so many ways. I presumed it would save me money, help me confront my emotional spending, and challenge me creatively but some of the best things that came out of it were things I don’t think I could have ever predicted.

I went from hating cooking to loving it

When I was working all hours of the day with a brain that was working overtime, cooking/baking was the last thing I cared about. Cooking was a chore. I had the odd moment here and there of wanting to make something. An episode of bake off might inspire a momentary desire to bake a cake, but then nothing again for months on end, sometimes years. My flour actually went rancid, I didn’t know flour went off lol. I bought cook books, all the cooking paraphernalia, but for the most part they lay in my kitchen gathering dust. It didn’t help that I also believed I was bad at cooking, so instead, I ordered in (ALOT) and ate out all the time. I ordered ready prepared meals to be delivered instead of grocery shopping. I spent an awful lot of money on food that wasn’t always worth what I paid for it. If I did buy fresh produce from the farmers market, it usually sat rotting in our fridge. I’m ashamed to say more times than not said produce ended up in the bin because while I liked the idea of cooking with it, I often didn’t know where to start, that or I just felt too exhausted.

From doing my no buy I got really good at working with what I had, and without realizing I started to see my fridge and cupboards the same way. I realized I could apply the same level of creativity to making food as I had done with my wardrobe. Curiosity became a guiding force during my no buy and I had to ask myself where this belief of being ‘a terrible cook’ had come from and why I believed it? There were so many meals I had always wanted to try, some more simple than others and some quite intimidating to someone who already thinks they can’t cook.

As I stepped away from my business, I embraced using the time I did have to give cooking shot. But I took the pressure off, I gave myself permission to be a bad cook, and keep learning. Not only was I suddenly saving a ton of money, but I was genuinely impressed by what I was capable of. Cooking became an activity I no longer had to rush. I took pride in it and took great comfort in using my kitchen, one I had worked so hard to afford but never got to enjoy. I felt a level of gratitude I hadn’t experienced before for what I had, rather than obsessing about the bathrooms we never got finished or what room was next on the list. I once heard a past mentor say she didn’t belong in the kitchen she belonged at the bank. Ooof my brain ran away with that one! Somewhere along the road of ambition I made that mean that providing for me and my partner in any way that wasn’t financial meant i’d let myself (and the sisterhood) down. Now I believe there’s room for both. Of course there are times when cooking can feel like a chore, but to realize it’s just another way to be creative, to enjoy what I have, and most importantly to use things up… that has been life changing.

I rekindled my love of reading

Thanks in part to depression, and deciding that I didn’t want to be influenced by the latest ‘new in’ and weekly hauls, I took a break from Instagram for about 6 months during my no buy. I knew i’d be more likely to turn to my own wardrobe if I felt uninspired or ‘spendy’ during my no buy if I couldn’t look to other people for inspiration. This alone was huge in reconnecting back into my own likes and dislikes. When I took away the scroll, I had this magical thing called time. As a result I started picking up books again, and once I did I could not stop. I felt satiated. Satiated in a way that social media just can’t give me.

Looking back, I remember having depression in my early twenties and the exact same thing happened - I became obsessed with reading. Not in a ‘I need to read x amount of books this month’ way but more in awe of all this art that made my life feel richer. I remember reading poetry, literature and being so confused as to why it had taken something so devastating to reconnect me to something that bought me so much joy. Sadly, when I went back to work in my twenties I put the books down. I believed I was only allowed those things in order to ‘recover’. It felt too indulgent to keep that up. I don’t think I even realized it was a hobby of the purest kind. Also, why has it taken me eight years of living in LA to get a library card? That alone has been life changing.

Now i’m closer to 40, and I have vowed to not let this become something I only grant myself when i’m feeling close to burn out. I don’t have to earn the joy that reading brings me. It felt poignant that I chose to celebrate my no buy ending with a thrifted book haul, not a shopping spree of clothes.

I started to make things again

No not content, but things, tangible things that brought me joy. I remember looking at some of my empty candle holders unable to throw them away, mainly because how much I had spent on them. (I was the kid that lived for Blue Peter. No one in our home was allowed to throw anything away that could be made into something.) I had more than enough empty candle jars for makeup brushes and pens and pencils. I thought to myself ‘it can’t be that hard to make your own candles’? After an hour on YouTube, and $70 of candle making beginner friendly supplies I set out to fill those pretty containers and bring them back to life instead of buying more fancy candles. Without meaning to, I became fascinated by the science, the process. I made a candle making notebook where i’d record what wax I used, how much fragrance, what temperature I poured the wax at. It was so much fun and again, without meaning to it became a hobby. I decided instead of bringing a bottle of wine to dinner at friends houses, I’d bring a homemade candle. And yes I did get labels made with my logo on and boxes to gift them to friends because i’m just a little bit extra ok!

My no buy reminded me of the importance to make do and mend. Being able to turn a pair of jeans into the shorts I wanted instead of buying them, and appreciating a beautifully resoled pair of shoes after a visit to the local cobbler reminded me how powerful it is to be able to make things. I always look at things now and wonder first: could I make that? Whether it’s a candle, a piece of art or a notion template. I’m willing to have a go.

The excitement of running out to our garage in the morning to observe and monitor the progress of my candles curing feels like christmas morning every morning. I love the idea of giving people I love a gift i’ve made, knowing I spent time making something, thinking about what scent I would choose for them and seeing it in their home.

I returned to analogue practices and spend less time on my phone

Look, I know it feels like a cliche, especially post burnout when someone says i’m being pulled towards a more analogue existence, but it makes so much sense. Especially, if being online in some capacity has been a big part of how you earn a living/promote your business. Before burning out my average daily phone usage was 7-9 hours a day! WTF?! Now it’s usually between 2-2.5 hours, and i’d like to decrease that further. (I do love a facetime call tho) While i’ve seriously considered getting a flip phone, i’m not there yet. Instead i’ve come back to practices/hobbies that invoke play (much like my wardrobe playdates) and anything that reminds me of being a kid. That being said…

If you don’t know this about me already I LOVE stationary. I love journals, notebooks, filofaxes and anything that reminds me of eight year old Harry getting her first Fun Fax (THE OG) from the school book fair. I would lose hours playing in my Fun Fax and Spy File, so much so that when my mum bought me my first ‘grown up’ filofax it felt like the greatest day of my life! (I mean, I was only 8 years old).

Every summer holiday as a kid I used to make a scrapbook. Generally it never got more exciting than what i’d had for dinner or which Cartoon Network show I’d watched, but the act of recording my day, with illustrations and notes, being able to capture memories is something I feel so happy to have gone back to as an adult. I’m tired of every precious memory getting lost inside my phone. It feels so good to return to pen and paper, my first love.

My approach to my no buy was to get creative, to see being in my wardrobe as ‘playtime’ and a way to be with myself. Playing dress up offered some much needed relief from adulting, and continues to do so. There is a lightness to getting dressed and any time I find that ‘lightness’ I run towards it. Cutting things out and sticking them down onto paper and being able to look through these little journals throughout the day brings me so much joy. There’s something about adding stickers that my inner child just loves. It literally makes me smile. Now In the evenings, instead of doom scrolling I print out any memories I want to record or anything I did see online that I want to remember so I don’t have to refer back to my phone again. I make a pot of decaf tea in my beloved teapot and bring it to my desk on a my beautiful thrifted brass tray and just play with my journals.

Before I burnt out I became obsessed with trying to find a hobby. I approached it like a job. I can vividly remember feeling like I was about to have a meltdown in Michaels because I couldn’t find anything I wanted to do. Among all those isles of endless crafting opportunities, I couldn’t find a single thing I wanted to try. I understand now that was because I had nothing left to give to anything else. My business had the best of me and I spent most of my day in front of a screen. I woke up thinking about work and I went to bed thinking about work.

A hobby would have been lovely, and I knew I wanted one but it stayed something i’d prioritise ‘later’ because like everything at that time, it just felt like more work. In order to slow down i’ve learned I have to take things away. I need less, not more. If prioritizing my creativity and play are important to me, then creative constraints make that easier not harder. Not every moment, not every day, but I need to use things up, work with what I have and remind myself how creative I actually am.

Being able to slow down is a privilege not everyone can afford, and look i’m still figuring it out. My life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns every waking moment, no one’s is. But my no buy did make me ask questions I hadn’t been willing to put on the table before. It gave me the space to feel, and to check in with myself. It provided a moment to pause. Rather than focusing on what I can’t do, what I don’t have, it’s taught me to focus on what can I do with what I do have. Whether that’s in my wardrobe, how much money I have or with my time.

Thanks for reading

Harry x

If you’d like to learn more about The No Buy Styling Course you can do so here, and you can shop my wardrobe here (some links contain affiliates)

Share Harry Styles By Harriet Hadfield

I am never bored in my wardrobe, at least I haven’t been since I did my no buy! Some of my favorite outfits to date have been created either during my No Buy or after using the same pieces that had been in my wardrobe for years. I truly, genuinely love my wardrobe, and it’s proven to be incredibly versatile. So how do you build a versatile wardrobe you never get bored of, without constantly buying more?

*All photos are outfits I’ve made using inspiration from The Wardrobe Playdate. Become a paid subscriber and join us!

Think in outfits, not individual items

I used to be a magpie. I’d see something that excited me and buy it based on that individual item, vs asking myself: What outfits could I make with this? How many outfits could I make with this? Instead of focusing on a number of items, or particular size of wardrobe, instead of buying items based on their own merit, I buy them based on how they will interact with the rest of my closet. There are the rare exceptions, but generally speaking this line of thinking is why i’m able to create so many new outfits using what I have.

Become a proud outfit repeater

One of the biggest takeaways from my year long no buy is how freeing it is to wear the same things over and over again, especially when it’s an outfit you feel amazing in. Outfit repeating is the true definition of someone who knows their style. When you embrace outfit repeating all you need is a little tweak here and there, a substitution or an addition and you can make the same outfit feel completely new again. The exact same outfit can also feel completely different depending on how you wear your hair and makeup.

Use past patterns & behaviors to make buying decisions

My no buy helped me reflect on my past buying patterns and shopping behaviors that had resulted in more stuff, but less sense of self. I’m no minimalist, but having more items in the past didn’t make it any easier to get dressed. I started to take note of what pieces consistently ended up in the back of my wardrobe, unworn with the tag still on? What pieces did I repeatedly buy only to donate a few months later? Why did I keep repurchasing the same things, but not wearing them? Some of the answers will surprise you, and there is so much helpful information there, when you are willing to confront why you buy them and acknowledge your patterns.

For example, for the longest time I kept trying to make Agolde jeans work for me. I loved them on other people, but each time I bought a pair I felt like I was being cut in half. In total over the past 5 years I bought two pairs of Agolde jeans, and two pairs of Agolde shorts, and I didn’t wear them beyond a mirror selfie once. What I realized is I still associated stiff rigid denim with a version of me who was willing to suffer for style. A past version of myself who was willing to squeeze myself into something that was a certain style/size because that number or style had a lot of power over me. I wanted to be one of the cool girls wearing those jeans. I gave those Agolde jeans a lot of meaning. Now, if it doesn’t fit in a way I feel good in, and is physically comfortable, it doesn’t come home with me.

Break up with trend chasing

Take a break from ‘what’s hot and what’s not’ content. If you like it, wear it! If you find yourself chasing trends and buying the latest ‘it’ thing every single month it’s time to stop relying on buying ‘newness’ to make your wardrobe feel new again. Learn how to style the pieces you do have, irrelevant of the size your wardrobe is now and build from that lens. I made a entire styling vault in my No Buy Styling Course that will show you a plethora of ideas to make what you have feel new and exciting again without having to shop. The biggest flex you can master when it comes to personal style is to make the most of what you do have, and let go of the belief that being ‘on trend’ is what makes a person stylish. It isn’t. Even if you have no intention of doing a no buy, the course is full to the brim with tips and tricks that are easy to implement, and are customizable to you and your preferences/lifestyle etc.

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Stop saving your clothes for ‘best’

Giving myself permission to wear EVERYTHING in my wardrobe was life changing. Instead of seeing pieces as ‘casual’/ ‘formal’, or ‘saving certain things for best’, I embraced the art of mixing and matching. This is a big part of why my wardrobe keeps giving and i’m always able to come up with new ways to wear what I already own. Instead of chasing the dopamine hit of a ‘new in’ item, I seek out the dopamine hit of making an outfit I would never have put together before because certain pieces had previously been off limits for everyday use. Some of my favorite outfits created during my no buy were a result of breaking out the ‘special occasion’ pieces or pieces I had been too scared to wear for every day because of what they cost. I remind myself now, my clothes are meant to be worn and enjoyed. I don’t need to wait for a reason or occasion. I am the occasion, and so are you!

Don’t shop the sales

*Unless it’s something you would be willing to pay full price for. I’ve shared this before but it bears repeating. Buying something because it ‘a good deal’ is a sure fire way to end up with a closet full of stuff you never wear, ask me how I know lol?! I genuinely think this is another thing that helped me build a wardrobe that keeps on giving. When I shopped the sales with no consideration for why I was shopping, (other than there was a sale), I ended up with a lot of pieces I didn’t wear. They were more often than not the ones I left the tag in because I know I had been unsure if I wanted the item outside of the fact it had been on sale. There’s also the added urgency of a sale that is unconducive to building a wardrobe you’ll enjoy shopping at home. Building a wardrobe that works really hard for you has nothing to do with speed. Slow and steady wins the race.

You have enough clothes, work with what you have

I will buy more clothes, as will you, but I didn’t wait until I had ‘enough’ clothes to get creative and experiment. My wardrobe definitely feels big enough for me (and it may seem very large or very small to others), but it’s actually probably the smallest it’s ever been. The presumption being that more clothes equals more options to create outfits with, but this hasn’t been true for me. When I had a wardrobe full to the brim I found myself more confused than ever, and it was hard to know where to start. I think this is where a lot of people get caught up in their wardrobe, a belief they need more in order to get creative. You don’t. It was during a wardrobe playdate that I realized how exciting it is that I’m never bored in my wardrobe and what i’ve built is incredibly versatile. Using these fortnightly themes gives me a new stimulus to create from and a deeper way to connect with, and appreciate what I already have. More ideas will always trump more stuff. I am always playing in my closet.

I prioritise quality but that doesn’t always mean designer

I love Toteme, I love real leather, but I also love a great cotton tee from & Other stories. I love Marks and Spencers knickers. I love Abercrombie curve love jeans. Quality is incredibly subjective, especially when you take into consideration we each have our own values we also make shopping decisions from. I’d happily spend more money on a quality pair of jeans that aren’t made by a fast fashion brand, but i’ve yet to find them that fit me. I love my curve love jeans and unless something better comes along, well ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’. I shop for my budget. Sometimes I have more, sometimes I have less. I also believe shopping preloved/second hand can be a great way to add quality pieces into your wardrobe that make it work hard for you. You might have to keep looking to find the thing you want at a price you want, but that’s not a bad thing. There’s no rush.

You don’t need to have your personal style ‘figured out’

Personal style isn’t something you finalize, it’s always a case of warmer warmer. Think of it similar to being on a treasure hunt, but rather than finding the treasure at the end, you find it along the way. It isn’t linear, it’s fluid and it’s intuitive to where you’re at in this particular moment in your life, however there are always clues hidden in the past that can gently guide us towards what has felt good and what hasn’t. Getting dressed and building a wardrobe you’re never bored of doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful.

If you need help building a wardrobe you love, or want infinitely more ideas on how to use what you already have, join The No Buy Styling Course here.

I’d love to hear from you, if you’ve built a wardrobe you love, what do you think has been the biggest contributor?

Speak soon

Harry x

*Some links contain affiliates and you can see my entire wardrobe here

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• How i’m applying the lessons i’ve learnt

• What was the first item/s I bought?

• Did I run out and buy a birkin with all the money I saved/go on a shopping binge?

• How does it feel to be able to shop again?

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It’s official, to day marks day 365 of my 365 no buy challenge!

After 365 days without buying anything for my wardrobe, in no particular order, here’s what I learned:

Outfit repeating is my definition of true style

I did an entire post to celebrate the rebellious act of outfit repeating, and I stand by it. On the multiple occasions I did repeat outfits it was because I loved them. I noticed a sneaky voice that would tell me this is boring or you need to mix things up to which I would always reply…but why? Wearing the same outfits again and again is something I associate with someone who knows themselves, who knows their tastes.

A wishlist isn’t a shopping list

Creating a traffic light system wishlist where I have to select multiple choice questions totally changed the way I saw wishlists. Instead of acting as a never ending shopping list, it became an invaluable tool to help me decipher both why I wanted something and what deserved space inside my wardrobe. I want things that come into my wardrobe to add something to what already exists, vs adding more noise, more confusion and more options that ultimately sit at the back of the wardrobe with the tag still on.

Being off Instagram helped me solidify my personal style

There’s a lot to be said for taking some time away from the scroll, especially if you want to find out what YOU like when there’s no one to tell you what you should. I took a 6 month break from Instagram in 2024 and not only was I happier, I found way more enjoyment in my clothes because I could drown out the noise of other people’s opinions. There was no ‘what’s hot what’s not’. No new ins, no hauls, I wasn’t being influenced outside of my own preferences. I was able to better understand and become more acquainted with my personal taste.

Our brains needs space to decipher what a ‘full body yes’ actually means

While I understand the concept of a full body yes, I have to admit that before my no buy challenge I could VERY easily convince myself anything I wanted was a full body yes. What I learnt is that even when I think an item is a green light I still need some space between seeing an item and buying it. Thanks to my traffic light wishlist there were so many things on my wishlist that I genuinely believed were a full body yes, only to realize as the year went on, that feeling dissipated. I realized a full body yes has the potential to be a fleeting moment, it can be felt and more often than not unfelt as time went by. As trends came and went I could see how feeling a full body yes in a particular moment in the past was enough to make me pull the trigger, only to see a new trending item a month later and experience the exact same full body yes knowing that previous item had lost its luster. The buy it now button, and websites that tell you when something is low in stock or the last one available are a great example of how easy it is to confuse a full body yes with urgency and scarcity.

I want to prioritize second hand shopping and independent designers/businesses where possible

The pieces that bought the most joy throughout my no buy were antique pieces of jewelry, pieces made by artisans with original designs, often ripped off by the high street (and often the luxury fashion houses). While I’m no stranger to the real real etc id like to get back to thrifting and eBay as a first resort. I have no doubt I will continue to buy knickers from Marks and Spencer, white t-shirts from & Other Stories, and my jeans from Abercrombie’s curve love unless I can find a better alternative. But when it comes to the majority of purchases moving forward I would like anything I add in to be second hand or by an independent designer where possible.

Having more stuff doesn’t make you more stylish

It also doesn’t automatically make it easier to get dressed, if anything it can often add to the confusion. One of the most asked questions from people regarding my no buy (see the video here) was do I think my no buy would have been harder if I had a wardrobe half the size? The answer is no. Speaking from experience, in my twenties I probably had close to double the amount in my wardrobe that I have now and I still felt like I had nothing to wear. I hadn’t prioritized using what I had, instead I associated being stylish with just buying the latest trend. The more I owned the less I felt pushed to be creative with what I had, that and I didn’t have the confidence to normalize outfit repeating in a world that told me newness equaled style and relevance. The goal of a no buy isn’t to wear a brand new outfit every single day, but ironically, I did find myself making so many new outfit combinations. Combinations and looks I don’t think I would have put together had it not have been for the creative constraints my no buy offered.

Make do and mend made me appreciate what I already had

I also wrote about this, and while it’s so ridiculously obvious, making do and mending will make your current wardrobe work so much harder for you, as well as highlighting the pieces that are truly built to last when they receive the proper care and maintenance. Before my no buy I was guilty of buying new shoes vs resoling/rehealing the ones I already had. I’d convince myself getting the same shoe in a different style would be more beneficial than repairing a pair I had that were similar. When something needed repairs I used it as an excuse to buy something new, which is how I ended up with more items that weren’t being worn. During my no buy I hemmed trousers myself, I went to my local cobbler and it felt good to put money back into the hands of skilled craftsman within my local community.

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Desire isn’t the enemy, instant gratification is

Longing for something is incredibly romantic, and my no buy reminded me of this. In our ‘buy it now with one click’ culture we’ve stopped entertaining desire, we block ourselves off from it because our priority is having what we want right now. My need for Instant gratification I believe is to blame for many of my past purchases that no doubt have ended up in landfill or went unworn with the tag still hanging in it. Think about when you’re going out with someone, the build up to the first time you hold hands, the first kiss, all things to look forward to, wandering who will make the first move? Desire is key to those things, when you let it build its incredibly rewarding. It’s telling that the things I’ve waited for the longest in my wardrobe are my favorite pieces, because when I wear them i’m reminded of the excitement in the lead up to owning them. The enjoyment I experienced from romanticising those items has been equal to seeing them work hard in my wardrobe, especially during my no buy. I knew for many years I would love to one day own a vintage Hermes Kelly, but I knew it would most likely be something I would have to wait a long time to be able to afford. That being said, I would visit the bag (a la Samantha in SATC …. ‘bye bye Birkin’) at Hermes or in designer preloved stores to indulge in my longing. The desire I experienced in those visits made the build up feel so intense, so exciting, that it felt so good when I did buy that bag many many years after first seeing it.

Prioritizing play is the most important thing to me when it comes to my relationship with style/fashion

Maybe your bored of me saying it, but I will repeat it until me dying breath, my no buy was not a punishment, it was a way to look at my relationship to my wardrobe (which included my spending) but it also reconnected me to my creativity. As adults play is something we stop prioritizing and yet it gives us so much. The feeling I would get when I would try something new using what I had, always felt like magic. It made getting dressed fun and expansive.

Your reasons for doing a no buy mater

If I had gone into my no buy with a belief I was atoning for my past consumption, and I must now experience the ultimate deprivation I would have hated it. Curiosity is what sparked my creativity and making a challenge I was excited to do was really important to me. I wanted to see what I could come up with using what I had, I wanted to reconnect to my artistic expression. There are so many common misconceptions around doing a nobuy and people quickly forget you get to make your own guidelines, guidelines that feel exciting and expansive.

It’s cool to be uncool

Rather than pandering to every single trend, it’s cool to wear the clothes you love when they’re ‘out of style’ (whatever that even means). When everyone started saying ‘oversized’ was out, I felt very comfy and chic in my big shoulder pad men’s blazers. I was content being ‘uncool’ or ‘so last season’. There is nothing more liberating than putting something on that makes you feel good in your own skin, irrelevant of what the fashion magazines or people online are saying. No shade, but when you’re faced with multiple weekly hauls from content creators telling you what’s in and out this season, remember this is how they earn a living. Newness sells, it plays on our insecurity of being left out from the crowd. The most stylish people I know dress for themselves, not the grid. Owning the latest ‘it’ item won’t make you more likeable or fuckable no matter what anyone tells you. You’ve already got it ;)

Wearing the hell out of your clothes is the best way to be sustainable when it comes to your wardrobe

In a world of ‘sustainable brands’, and constant green washing, the most sustainable thing you can do is to wear your clothes. Wear them until they fall apart, and even then, fix them, mend them, keep breathing new life into them. My clothes with holes in that went beyond repair became bag stuffing, or I used them as rags for cleaning. I’ve seen people get rid of everything only to start buying from sustainable brands vs just wearing the clothes they own. I definitely own my fair share of high-street brands that would be considered fast fashion, but I still do my best to, you guessed it, wear the hell out of them! I went to my first clothing swap during my no buy and that was incredible. I met with brilliant people, and took home a couple of pieces I still wear now as well as giving my pieces I no longer wanted to a new home.

My no buy changed my life, not just my wardrobe

I love my wardrobe, and I love the relationship I have to style after doing a no buy, but what I couldn’t have predicted was how my no buy would act as the first domino to fall in what became several life changes. As well as helping me diagnose and get help with some big mental health issues, my no buy offered me cognitive space and time to really think about what I desire at this point in my life. I was able to put the wheels in motion to change careers and to stop climbing someone else’s mountain. I found myself returning to my values while unearthing new ones. I will be forever grateful for this experience and what its taught me.

You can learn more about The No Buy Styling Course here.

Thank you for reading, and for all your support throughout my no buy. I have LOVED hearing about your own no buys and your relationship to style. While my intention is to continue to write about style, and life after a no buy, I also want to give myself permission to explore writing about slower living in general and maybe some other stuff that i’m building up the courage to share.

Thank you for being here

Harry x

P.s. I also made a video on my YouTube channel answering your questions about my buy that people sent me on Instagram which you can watch here.

While I hope I encourage you to use what you have, if you’d like links to my wardrobe, you can find those here (contains some affiliates). Learn more about The No Buy Styling Course Here.

As I embark on the last 15 days of my year long no buy wardrobe challenge, I’m left wondering what comes next?

While I know I don’t want to go back to the level of consumption I was at before I started my no buy, I honestly feel a little more daunted by the prospect of doing a low buy than another no buy.

Here’s why….

For the most part, and its cool if you don’t believe me, I’ve actually found this no buy, dare I say it, pretty easy. Sure there were moments when I danced with temptation, and there were inevitably many things that made there way to my wishlist. But I made guidelines that felt fun and made me infinitely more creative with my wardrobe than I was before I started this challenge. My guidelines were simple and I didn’t have to overthink anything.

When I think of a low buy and having to limit my purchases to a certain number my head already pictures the decision making of each item feeling heavy and pressurized. If I’m only allowed a certain amount of items, what if I see something better later? I picture myself struggling to commit to choosing an item when nothing is off limits?

Maybe time will prove me wrong, but I genuinely think a no buy is easier than a low buy because there’s less decision fatigue. The constraints (namely not shopping) fueled my creativity. I had to think outside the box at times which in hindsight was actually when I enjoyed this challenge the most. Previous to my no buy, my brain was overworked, over stimulated by the endless offerings of social media, and constant fomo. There was always a new trend, a new ‘must have’ item and an indescribable urgency around my need for instant gratification. So much of my time was spent thinking about what to buy, how to make my wardrobe ‘perfect’ and how to impress people, that I didn’t actually like.

When I get to the end of my no buy officially, i’ll share a round up of takeaways, but one thing I also can’t get over is how much my screen time went down by not shopping! Instead of thinking about what new thing ‘I needed’, I found myself reading more, writing and getting back in touch with other creative pursuits that had long been ignored or delegated as a source of joy.

In addition to helping me enjoy my wardrobe, and really wear everything in it, my no buy gave me the mental space to make some really big life decisions. Decisions I’m not sure I could have made if I hadn’t opted out of shopping, at least for a little while. I had the capacity to confront several painful truths, namely that I was unhappy. In order to carve out the mental noise something(s) had to give. Looking back I think deciding to do a no buy was the first domino to fall that sparked a multitude of changes in my life that have helped bring me back to myself.

This one decision sparked the birth of what i’m jokingly calling life 2.0, and the desire for a big little life. However much I’ve had to go through this past year that was undoubtedly painful, I will always look back fondly on my no buy for what it enabled me to confront. The things I had pushed into the darkest crevices were in the dark no longer, even when it meant disappointing others, people being mad at me and starting again with no road map. I was willing to put everything on the table and be a beginner again.

One thing I’ve come to value maybe more than anything, is my mental clarity and the capacity to be creative.

I’m getting to know myself intimately and it’s a relationship I continue to prioritize now. One of the things I’ve had to confront is my obsessive nature and my all or nothing thinking. It has both helped me be very successful by societies understanding of success (money, buying property, followers, recognition etc) and it has also been my down fall. It had me chasing someone else’s life, and with it a definition of success that sounded nice in theory but one that felt empty (for the most part). Sure it wasn’t all bad, I liked having money, but even when I had money, it never felt enough. There are memories I want to keep and some quite honestly I’d rather forget.

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One could argue that my all or nothing thinking helped me successfully do this no buy, and that doing a low buy is the challenge I do need now to see what else there is to learn, but my no buy didn’t feel hard. It didn’t feel restrictive and at no point did it feel like a punishment. Instead it was the best gift I could give myself, time and space to play, to create, to really consider what do I want life 2.0 to look like?

One of the main reasons I wanted an end date to my no buy is because I think what comes next is just as important as what came before. I’m fascinated to see what does it feel like to be able to shop again and of course document those experiences to the best of my ability here. I’m curious to see if I miss my no buy, and it is interesting that my brain is way more confused by the thought of a low buy, than a no buy. For those of you who have done or are doing a low buy, I’d love to hear your experience.

I hope this serves as a reminder that life is a series of starting over, again and again. It’s never too late to do things differently, to try again, to try something different, even if (especially if) it makes zero sense to anyone else.

Thanks for reading!

Harry x

You can learn more about my No Buy Styling Course here, and you can find a links to my wardrobe here (contains affiliate links).

Something you should know about me is i’m very much a ‘has an idea, starts immediately’ kind of person. So it wasn’t long after toying with the idea of doing a no buy wardrobe challenge that I started. I ran it past a friend or two, but I genuinely didn’t overthink it. Instead, I decided i’d address any ‘hurdles’ as they arose and write about them here.

As we enter the mid way point for January there is no shortage of ‘no buy’ content, it’s fair to say it’s trending. And if there’s one hesitancy that comes up time and time again, it’s the question ‘How do I do a no buy without it feeling restrictive?’

I spoke about 10 common misconceptions about doing a no buy, but I want to go into a little more detail on the ‘how to do it’ without it feeling restrictive part.

I think the first elephant in the room we have to address is your reasons for doing a no buy. I feel like i’m a broken record, but I never saw my no buy as a way to make up for my past consumption, or a way to right my past wrongs. It was not a punishment. It was born out of curiosity and a desire to get creative with what I already owned.

I think ironically the fact that doing a no buy is trending, is part of the problem, because just like ‘dry January’, or any other ‘new years resolution’ unless you feel a sense of curiosity, a desire to play, your brain has already been programed to see a no buy as a punishment. People start doing a no buy because they believe they should, vs asking themselves why does this speak to me?

Step 1 - Change your reasons

The question: do you like your reasons is important when it comes to doing a no buy, because you’re able to confront your own motivation. Is it tied to a moral judgement or a genuine desire to learn, to play and to get creative? I genuinely thought I could make a styling course without any mindset questions or prompts but what we wear, and how we shop are deeply rooted in how we think, how we feel, and how we want to feel. That’s why i’ve made sure the course addresses the way you currently think and how to change it. Let’s face it, if getting dressed was purely for function, we would all be wearing a loin cloth.

I get that you might be thinking, well yes actually I do feel bad about my consumption and I do want to look at my spending when it comes to my closet, if that’s the case, great! Let’s look at that, but without the judgement.

In a world where social media wants to label everyone as good or bad, right or wrong it sometimes feels like we’re being forced to pick a side. But I think it’s all so much more nuanced than that. It comes back to ‘the both and’ approach.

When I was confronting my own reasons for doing a no buy, I can’t lie my spending had become excessive (in relation to how much I was earning) and it didn’t surprise me that it had become a coping mechanism that had somewhat kept me afloat before finally being diagnosed with depression in May of 2024. I used my love of personal style as a way to justify said spending, BUT, and here’s the important part, I didn’t shame myself for this. Shame doesn’t work.

I talk so much about curiosity being a part of my journey and this is what helped me question my thinking, eg what buying more had represented…namely, escapism and a desire to feel enough. Curiosity helped me see there were certain things I needed to change in my life that were no longer serving me (many of which had nothing to do with my style or what I spent). This led me to the creativity, eg how would it feel if:

“I could fall in love with what I have? Could I discover outfits i’d never thought of before? What if this made me feel more at home in my body? If shopping wasn’t an option how would I approach my closet? Does my current closet allow me to show up in the world in a way that feels authentic to me and my style?” Questions bring us back to ourselves, and this has been my experience. It is these questions that bought me back to and amplified my creativity without feeling restricted or like I was missing out.

Step 2 - Choose guidelines not rules

In order to make a no buy something you actually want to do for you, opt for guidelines instead of rules. It means having some agency over the how, vs copy and pasting someone else’s rules because you think they’re doing it right. When making my no buy styling course, I was very conscious to make a course where it would act as a guide for others to make a no buy that is centered around guidelines that work for them. Instead of me telling you the timeline, the dos and donts, I show you how to come up with your own guidelines that feel empowering and exciting to you.

I’ve seen a lot of comparison between No buys and diets , so let’s look at it. If you told me tomorrow all I could eat was cabbage and nothing else for 30 days (after telling you to kindly fuck off) i’d know in my heart that would feel restrictive and much like a punishment. Now if you told me you can eat whatever you want but ‘could you’ (not ‘you have to’) make 5 recipes this month that include cabbage, I might not hate you so much, and I’d be curious to see if I could do it. I’d wonder if I could make it tasty each time? Could I change the texture from soft to crunchy, I might experiment with different varieties, marinades or seasoning (this is creativity, a result of curiosity). I might decide instead of cabbage, I could do the same but with sweet potato, (this is agency) here i’m choosing something I know I want to try…this is also a result of curiosity and asking myself questions that are outside of restriction.

The point I hope i’m making is that anything has the potential to feel restrictive when you have no agency over the how, or you do something you don’t want to do, or do it in a certain way that doesn’t feel in alignment. Cabbage has the potential to be part of a delightful culinary experience, AND it also has the potential to become a food I never want to see again and end up loathing. Both can be true. If I tell myself I can never have something again whether that’s a box of Malteasers or a pair of Manolos, guess what I’m gonna want…let it rain Malteasers and Manolos! But when I tell myself I will be able to buy Malteasers or Manolos, just not in this exact moment, my brain feels a sense of relief.

Step 3 - Challenge your relationship with desire.

You have to learn how to embrace and entertain desire. It’s a practice. Desire isn’t bad. Despite what you’ve been led to believe you don’t need to be afraid of it. I trust my desire, but I also know I don’t always need to act on it in that second. I ask it questions, I sit with it. In a world of buy with one click it makes sense we choose immediate and instant gratification over flirting with the desire of wanting something.

This is where my Traffic Light System & my Notion Wardrobe wishlist have been life changing (both are inside the course). By adding an item I desire to on my list i’ve had time to sit with it, sometimes i’ve gone from a green light to a red light thanks to being able to answer specific questions (used within the traffic light system). Sometimes a yellow light becomes a green light that i’m excited to buy at the end of the no buy. I get to enjoy the longing for something with the knowledge it will be mine, or, that something better will come along. (I wrote about how to know if you’re panic buying here.) If there’s one question that’s always worth asking when buying anything; it’s ‘WHY do you want it?’ And ultimately, (back to step 1), liking your reasons. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.

So whether you’re doing a no buy, a low buy or you just want to make the most of your existing pieces, the missing piece to the puzzle is curiosity. Curiosity is the antidote to believing you can get this wrong. And if you need some help navigating this journey you can learn more about the No Buy Styling Course here.

Thanks for reading

Harry x

You can shop my wardrobe here which does contains affiliate links.

After 310 days into my 365 no buy journey, the data is pretty meaty! I started my no buy challenge in February 26th 2024 in a bid to reconnect to my creativity and enjoy really wearing the pieces in my wardrobe. I’ve wrote at length about the experience, and have loved it so much I made a course to help other people do their own no buy which you can find out more about here. In addition to a private portal of video tutorials, the course comes with a workbook (I use mine digitally on a tablet but you can also print it out) which I use to store my data in so I can compare how I’m using my wardrobe and reflect on each quarter, year to year. I get my data from the app Indyx. So without further ado, Let’s get into it.

*This post is long so you may need to open in your browser or in the Substack app*

I wore 72% of my wardrobe in 2024

Thanks to my no buy challenge, this will go down in history as the year I REALLY wore my clothes. 72% of my wardrobe to be specific which i’m really blooming proud of, as this was one of my main goals when I started my no buy: to enjoy the pieces I do have and find new ways to wear them. I wanted to focus on styling my existing pieces vs buying more. Getting to a point wear certain items had holes in bought a new kind of pride to how I approach my clothes.

My top 5 most worn items, aka the wardrobe Heroes

Using the workbook from my course, I track my most and least worn items. I separate it into clothing and accessories. Thanks to my Indyx wrapped the above shows my overall top 5 most worn items and nothing here surprises me. Earrings are a very reliable piece in my wardrobe and the Lie Studio earrings still look as good as the day I bought them, no peeling and no discoloration. I would have thought something was wrong with the Indyx app if my Aritzia Effortless Pants weren’t in my top 5, and these also look as good as the day I bought them. My Massimo Dutti boots have worked incredibly hard, providing comfort, practicality and polish. I got them rehealed while I was in London and they look good as new! The heel is the perfect height (and width) for lots of walking and the toe is very similar to my Toteme Mid Heel Boots. The H&M drawstring trousers became a work from home essential, although they now have a hole in after so much wear, and this is where I can see the decline in quality of a $30 pair of trousers vs that of my Aritzia trousers which cost around $146.

My top 5 MOST worn in each category

Bags - Very happy to see my most expensive bag, the one I feel like I waited a lifetime for, has been my most worn. My biggest fear with buying my vintage Hermes Kelly was babying it to the point where i’m too precious to use it, but it really does go with everything and as such I make sure I give it the love it deserves. I feel like this is a pretty good cross section of bags from my collection, and it’s nice to see a mix of textures, size and finishes. So far, the only bag I would like to add to my collection after my no buy is this one.

Shoes - The fact that four pairs of my most worn shoes are open toe sandals isn’t a surprise given that I live in Los Angeles. The second pair are my house slippers and I have to say these always make my work from home outfits feel more polished and less like i’m wearing pyjamas.

Trousers - At this point if you haven’t used ‘Aritzia Effortless Pants’ as a drinking game then you’ve missed a trick. If there was an oscar for trousers, these would win it! Dave calls them my school trousers, and while I can’t lie, they do sometimes remind me of that, they just make me feel like my best self, no matter the occasion. I’ve spoken at length about my love for the Abercrombie curve love jeans, and the relaxed 90’s style ended up being my most worn because of the fit and comfort factor.

Dresses - It’s interesting that I gravitate more towards high street dresses (cotton or linen where possible) vs more expensive ones. I think because I wear dresses for a big portion of the year I see them more as consumables. The under arms wear out, and the white ones always get stains on them. I talked at length on where I prioritize my spend in this article, but these high street dresses have served me well. With the exception of my linen romper, I like all my dresses long.

Jewelry - Without a doubt, jewelry, in particular earrings are a staple in my wardrobe. In the latter half of the year I found myself gravitating towards antique pieces that held sentimental value. There was a great deal of comfort in this and a feeling of closeness to those I love most. It has been a reminder that clothes are so much deeper than we give them credit for, especially when you consider the memories certain pieces hold.

Outerwear - It’s fascinating that the majority of my outerwear (especially in the blazer category) is either thrifted or pre loved. My Toteme trench has been a great addition to my wardrobe (bought a few years ago), and continues to be a piece (like my Aritzia Effortless pants) where I just feel at home in my body when I wear it. They make me feel my best self. Before my no buy, I had struggled with over buying blazers. I had noticed multiples of certain styles and it’s been good to put some breathing space between buying more and using what I have.

Tops - My basics worked really hard in 2024, and I think that’s because I found my perfect t shirt and vests. I talked about my favorite basics in this post, but I make sure there are always one of the above in rotation within my wardrobe. I have at least two of each so that when one in the wash I have a fresh one ready. Living in LA means that my vests and tees are often a main focal point of my outfits vs only acting as a layering piece.

Accessories - Similar to jewelry, it’s my accessories that ice the cake. They are the pieces I value most within my wardrobe because the smallest details often add the biggest impact. My Hermes reversible belt is a piece I always travel with thanks to the fact it offers so much flexibility.

My top 5 LEAST worn in each category

Bags - Given that two of these bags (the Calpak and the Longchamp) are both primarily used for travel I wasn’t too surprised by these results. The vintage Dior bag was a gift from a friend over 10 years ago and while I don’t reach for it often (or at all this year) it offers a sense of nostalgia I enjoy every now and then (usually after watching SATC). The rope bag was a fantastic thrifted find that I plan on wearing more next year. My porto pouch brings me a lot of joy and it’s my go to ‘evening bag’ because it’s also the easiest piece to pack. That and a silk slip dress make very easy in case of fancy event emergency packing essentials that take up little to no room in a carry on bag.

Shoes - The ballet slippers were a hand me down from my mum that if i’m honest with myself, are too small for me but I love this chocolate suede so much. The wellies are self explanatory, given that I live somewhere warm with possibly 3 days of rain a year. The Veja trainers are an interesting one because I do like these when I wear them, but I reach for my Converse more as I find those more comfortable. The pointy pumps need rehealing, and the black Manolos I have worn I think I just forgot to record them (oops!).

Trousers - The Zara and Cos silky pants are part of a two piece set, and while I love both of these, I just wore my Toteme Silk set more in 2024. The jeans are both Abercrombie, and the darker blue wash didn’t look how I wanted them too in person (more reason to try things on in person where possible or see washes/fabrics up close in the flesh in 2025). The black ones were a saturated black and while I chose them for that reason, turns out I should have opted for a pair that are slightly faded, but this is where my no buy has been a game changer. Knowing I wasn’t wearing those jeans, is what made me decide to turn them into long shorts instead, thus creating a new item for free that now gets worn way more! The black linen baggy H&M trousers needed hemming, note to self for 2025.

Dresses - The dress on the left is a beautiful dress I picked up from a brand in Mexico City who’s designs I love. While I haven’t reached for the cream one this year, I have an olive colour that i did wear a ton and I’m excited to go back to my cream one. It’s a nice reminder that some pieces in my wardrobe are there to return to when I feel inspired by them, whether that’s six months from now or six years from now. My no buy has helped me get to a place where I trust the difference between keeping hold of something I still love and being ok with not wearing it right now (knowing I will again at some point) vs not wearing something because it doesn’t fit, is damaged beyond repair or just doesn’t make me feel good. The latter the are the items I feel peace parting ways with. The silk slip actually became a nightie. The two Cos dresses are beautiful, but for whatever reason, I just don’t feel like myself in them so I will be giving these away. The Amazon set was a classic case of being influenced only to realize the fabric is low quality, and the design is underwhelming on me.

Jewelry - No your eyes do not deceive you, those are a pair of red felt earrings! A pair I must have owned for longer than 8 years, which I rarely wear, but act much like the seasoning at the back of your baking cupboard that one in every 100 recipes calls for. I’m glad I own these. Much like that random seasoning that sees little use, sometimes it just feels good knowing it’s there. I like knowing these very inexpensive earrings offer a fresh take on icing my cake.

The gold earrings and the silver bracelet were a gift I received later in the year so i’m excited to incorporate these more into my looks in 2025. I fell back in love with my antique locket and really enjoyed the edwardian nod this gave my more basic outfits. The gold bracelet was from my first clothing swap. I want to experiment with wearing this over sweater cuffs.

Outerwear - The black coat was accidentally left at my parents house before my no buy began in feb 2024, so this makes sense. The other blazers/jackets are pieces I still love but I just have others I reached for more.

Tops - The Dissh top is actually way more see through than I realized, something that definitely wasn’t as obvious online. The pinky sand tone tee is one shade I thought would reach for but didn’t. The sweater isn’t a surprise (again I live somewhere warm) and the gym jacket is something I always forget to track in my app so I think that’s actually in accurate. Even when you go to a clothing swap it’s easy to get carried away at the idea of newness for free. I’m still on the fence with this cardigan so will have a go at styling it in 2025.

Accessories - This is where it gets a little confusing as the H Hermes one is reversible and I have actually worn it alot, just not as much with the tan side. I think I honestly forget I have another option, so I’m mentally making a list of things I plan to wear more in 2025, and this side of the belt will be one of them. The thinner Hermes reversible belt is one I love but it’s a little tight at the moment, so I think I need to add another hole, the same goes for the thin Toteme belt. The Celine glasses are from the Phoebe era and I will never get rid of these. I love what these offer to very feminine outfits. I feel like sunglasses are another other piece I forget to track in my Indyx app so going to try to amend that in 2025.

Key takeaways

1. From looking at my wardrobe from an investment perspective I can see i’ve prioritised my spend on accessories; notably bags, shoes and jewelry (the icing) and generally speaking, less on the cake. When I think about my approach to getting dressed, it’s with the understanding I can change, modify or tweak a look using the icing very quickly and with ease. I feel good about where I have prioritised my spend over the past five years.

2. Just because I haven’t worn certain pieces in my wardrobe, it doesn’t automatically mean I should get rid of them. It’s fun to be reminded of what I do have, knowing that just because I don’t reach for it now, doesn’t mean I won’t in the future. When you buy an album by a band you love, it makes sense you listen to it on repeat to the point of boredom, and then many years later you hear it again and fall in love all over again. You might even hear different instruments, or a lyric you never noticed before. I believe the same is true with certain items in our wardrobe.

3. According to Indyx my most worn colors were neutrals and denim, which is unsurprising, but these are the colors I feel my best self in.

4. Curiosity and creativity have been my guiding force, my north star throughout my no buy challenge and they have served me well. At no point has this felt like a punishment or something I resented. This has been (and continues to be be) life changing, and I don’t say that lightly.

5. While i’m a proud outfit repeater, there is still so much more to experiment with in my wardrobe, and i’m excited to see how many more interesting concoctions I can create in 2025 and beyond.

Thank you for all your support in 2024, and i’m wishing you all the best for 2025. Here’s to wearing our clothes!

Harry x

P.s. You can learn more about the No Buy Styling Course here.

*Some links contain affiliates*

As more people’s curiosity peak around the idea of trying a no buy in 2025, I predict there will also (naturally) be more pushback on why we shouldn’t do one and why a no buy is bad or harmful. The main presumption being a no buy is a way to ‘right our wrongs’ and a punishment for over consumption, vs an opportunity to get creative with what we do have and consider how we would like to shop moving forward. After 300 days into my own no buy challenge, I want to offer up what I believe are some common misconceptions around a no buy challenge.

No 1. A no buy is a slippery slope to minimalism

You don’t have to be a minimalist or want to be one to do a no buy, and you don’t have to downsize your wardrobe. If you have a wardrobe full of clothes you love, great! Let’s get you wearing them! And if you have a wardrobe of stuff that you don’t wear, surely the first thing to do is consider why you don’t wear them? If things no longer fit or are damaged it makes sense to remove these items and/or replace them, but when it comes to the rest of your wardrobe, curiosity sparks creativity. Learning how to style your existing pieces can unlock new ways to wear what you already own. It’s also true there are pieces we own that are seasonal. For example I live in LA, so while my thick wool coat may only see a couple of wears a year, i’m not going to get rid of it because I need it when I travel somewhere cold.

No 2. A no buy makes you morally superior

A no buy doesn’t make you morally superior. You can do a no buy and still be a dick! And I hate to break it to you, but if you’re out there thinking you’re better than everyone else for any reason, chances are… you could well be a bit of a dick. I could have used my no buy as a way to highlight how sustainable I am now, and while that’s not not important to me, if you saw the state of my recycling bin, you’d get that i’m no angel. Like most people, i’m a work in progress, i’m not striving to be a martyr. Even if I do break my no buy I won’t consider myself a terrible person or think of this experience as anything less than a fascinating experiment, a way to collect data and a way to get to know myself better.

No 3. The goal of a no buy is to build a capsule wardrobe

While you might find yourself building capsules of sorts within your wardrobe for certain scenarios or occasions, a no buy has nothing to do with the number of items in your wardrobe. Not everyone wants to wear jeans and a trench coat, and they don’t have to. While I genuinely think capsule wardrobes were created with good intentions, it can feel rooted in right or wrong, a correct number of pieces to own, and more times than not it’s become synonymous with everyone having the same wardrobe. One of the things i’m most grateful for my no buy is how it helped me reconnect to my understanding of personal style because I was able to watch trends come and go. I had time and space to consider whether something is or isn’t for me irrelevant of whether other people liked it. I found myself reaching for antique pieces of jewelry that held sentimental value and added personality to my looks. When everyone started saying oversize pieces were out of fashion, I felt very comfortable knowing they were what I felt best in. My no buy gave me permission to be ‘uncool’ or ‘out of style’ and feel more at home in my own style than I ever have before.

No 4. Restraints of a no buy limit creativity

I would argue the opposite is true. I’ve talked at length about the link I experienced between creativity and limitations. It was and continues to be the thing I loved most about doing a no buy. It got me trying new things, it helped me think outside the box and I became really good at problem solving without buying more stuff. I liked that I could still surprise myself. The fun ironically was in the creative constraints. It infused my creativity with a new lease of life when it came to getting dressed because I was looking at my style from a whole new lens.

No 5. There’s a ‘right way’ to do a no buy

There are so many ways to do a no buy, and it’s important to remember, you make the rules, including the timeline, what’s included etc. And I always say in my no buy styling course, if you don’t like the term ‘rules’ because that feels heavy, create guidelines instead. Choose guidelines that would make a no buy challenge feel like a fun experiment, vs something you can get wrong. Doing a no buy for any length of time can be life changing. Just because I am doing it for a year, doesn’t mean you have to.

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No 6. You’ll never shop again

The goal is not to never shop again. While a no buy can teach you how to fill in gaps and shop with intention, not every purchase needs to be practical or intentional. My hope is that a no buy highlights what makes you feel at home in your body, and it helps you reconnect to getting dressed as a form of play and self expression. Naturally there will be times when pieces find us, pieces that hold sentimental value, or pieces that make no sense to anybody but us, and really that’s the whole point. What a no buy gave me was the knowledge i’d be ok if I didn’t buy every item I wanted in that moment. It helped me unlearn the instant gratification that if I’m honest, I had become very accustomed to before my no buy.

No 7. You’ll reach wardrobe nirvana

Without a doubt my no buy challenge has helped me see my own wardrobe in a whole new light, and revel in the magic of making my existing pieces feel shiny and new without buying anything. But the idea of wardrobe nirvana feels attached to achievement, and in many ways brings us back to the moral judgements of good and bad, the idea of being finished, which for me isn’t helpful. Yes I want to build a wardrobe of quality items that I wear the hell out of, but I also understand my body will change throughout my life, and potentially my likes and dislikes. There are times when we feel a lot of gratitude for our wardrobes, enjoyment, and there are times when we might not feel the need to buy anything, but style is fluid. While I feel very grounded in my personal style at this time in my life, I have no idea how I will feel ten, twenty, thirty years from now.

No 8. A no buy has to be centred around saving money

When I started my no buy back in February, a lot of people were surprised to find out it wasn’t inspired by saving money or trying to pay off debt. My intentions were purely creative. I find it interesting that people always ask me ‘how much money i’ve saved’ which I did write about here, but I get less questions about how has it affected my relationship to my personal style. The latter is why I started this Substack in the first place. I can’t speak for other people, but i’m pretty sure if I had set out to do a no buy as a way to save money or downsize my wardrobe, that’s what would have made this feel more like restriction, and ultimately a punishment. My lovely friend Gina wrote an amazing post about this which I also recommend giving a read.

No 9. You have to start building your wardrobe from scratch

While I have no doubt that come January we’ll see more ‘I got rid of everything in my closet’ videos on social media, a no buy doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you currently own. The beauty of a no buy is it helps you reconnect to what you do own, and it gets the creative juices going so that you can think of new ways to wear your pieces, that you might not have thought of before. It also helps you normalize/celebrate outfit repeating, and really that is a goal that is important to me, to really wear my clothes!

No 10. A buy is a punishment

I don’t who needs to hear this, but it doesn’t have to be. If it feels extreme or like you’re trying to punish yourself, it makes sense you’ll resent doing a no buy and approach it with the same mindset as that of being on a restrictive diet. That’s why the introduction module in my no buy course actually helps you reframe ‘your why’ behind doing a challenge like this. When people avoid doing a no buy because they see it as a punishment, it stops them experimenting. They miss out on the opportunity to find out what is helpful and what isn’t when it comes to getting creative with what they do have, and rethinking how they would like to shop moving forward.

Inside my no buy styling course you’ll learn everything from how to create no buy guidelines that feel fun and exciting, all the styling tools and philosophies to help you fall in love with what you already own as well as how to navigate a no buy when temptation calls. I hope this post has helps reframe what a no buy can be, whether you do it alone or do it with the course, i’d love to hear how you get on. This will most likely be my last post until after Christmas, so all that’s left to say is thank you for being here and i’m wishing you all a happy holidays!

Thank you for all your support this year. Substack is my happy place and you have no idea how grateful I am to be here.

Harry x

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The first question people ask me when I tell them I’ve been doing a no buy for the past 260 days is ‘how much money have you saved?’ or they imply I must have saved a fortune, so have I?

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So come with me, as I walk you through where I went, and well, how it went. This post is meaty so grab a cuppa! Let’s chat about what I saw, how I felt, what I tried on and what if anything has been added to my wishlist. And…more importantly, did I finally cave?

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I think we can all agree at one time or another, we’ve felt the pressure to have a new look, a new top, a new something to impress people we don’t like at places we probably didn’t want to go to in the first place.

I didn’t expect my no buy challenge to make me feel such a pull towards wanting other women to normalize outfit repeating, and not seeing it as an issue to wear the same stuff. We’ve been fed a lie. Surely, when it comes to really wearing the pieces we own, that’s the goal?

What made us believe we should buy/wear newness all the time?

While most brands feel a growing pressure to release launch after launch, we’ve come to believe there are now 20+ seasons in a calendar year, not four. What with ‘pre fall’, ‘resort cruise’ and other made up collections, as shoppers we are constantly and consistently bombarded with newness for the sake of newness. When the priority is keeping shareholders happy and filling sku’s on a shelf, it makes sense that we’ve been conditioned to believe newness is normal. That buying stuff for our wardrobes week in and week out is rational behavior. In my late teens I worked at New Look, where a ‘going out top’ was usually less than $5, and without realizing it most weekends I was wearing a new top. I had so many clothes, but I didn’t really wear my stuff.

I remember thinking in the past that I looked drab or boring wearing the same thing again and again, but i’m not Mariah Carey! I’m not hosting the MTV awards where 7 outfit changes in one day is necessary. I still want to bring some serious main character energy when the mood strikes, but being creative with what I already have has proved to be incredibly rewarding. A dress can look like a new skirt when you layer a tee or sweater over it. A pair of jeans you don’t wear becomes a pair of shorts if you cut the legs off. A scarf you haven’t worn in years becomes a very chic top when tied around the chest. I’ve talked at large about creative constraints, and thanks to my no buy I stand by it. Look, I love shopping as much as the next person, but even if I were to start shopping excessively once my no buy finishes, I can’t unknow what I now know thanks to my no buy challenge.

What’s the solution?

Quite simply… to wear our clothes, like… really wear them. This week was the first time I realized two of my trousers have holes in them from being worn so much during my no buy. Something about realizing they have been worn to that extent made me feel weirdly proud of myself. We have to celebrate outfit repeating as a sign that we know who we are and what we like, vs apologizing for it or feeling less than for wearing the same stuff.

If content creation is a part of your job I totally get the pressure to feel like if you don’t show something new all the time you’ll bore your audience, it can be tricky to navigate. And look I don’t want to sound like a martyr. I’m not anti shopping. I have no idea how i’ll feel once my no buy ends. For all I know I could end up on a huge shopping binge, and rack up the biggest credit card bill i’ve ever seen, who knows? Time will tell.

This year has been a weird year, for lots of reasons. I feel like in many ways I had an identity crisis of sorts, and yet what i’ve come to learn is that identity crisis’ are genuinely helpful if you can hang on tight while you navigate through it. I have been letting parts of myself go while simultaneously welcoming new parts in.

Outfit repeating has helped me navigate the choppy waters of change. It’s helped me come home to myself when I felt the most lost. There has been comfort in the rebellion of outfit repeating. By opting out of newness i’ve seen trends come and go, i’ve felt desire for certain pieces and astonishment at watching the same desire I had dissipate. Even if I wear the same outfit ten times I trust in my creativity to make it feel different each time (if I even want to). I no longer fear boredom when it comes to my wardrobe because it’s merely a case of problem solving through a lens of creativity and resourcefulness. Whether it’s a micro tweak here, or how I style my hair, maybe I change up my makeup, or I borrow something from Dave’s closet to add to it…I’m able to settle in to the repetition without it feeling mundane.

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I want everyone to discover how to enjoy what they have and become a more intentional shopper in the process. I’m working on something behind the scenes (a passion project if you will) that i’m excited to share soon, and i’m just so grateful that writing about style and identity have given me so much. I am so unbelievably grateful for this community and that I have this creative outlet to share my findings, and talk about getting dressed with other like minded people. I truly learn so much from everyone here! I never take it for granted how much starting this during a very difficult time in my life has been a big part of helping me come home to myself. Thank you for being here, for reading, for sharing and just being the tonic I didn’t know I needed.

Harry x

*Trigger warning as this piece features discussions around weight.

Those pretty pieces, the ones that add decoration seem somewhat effortless to find, I often think they find us. But when it comes to finding the perfect basics (especially when your body is not that of a Victoria Secrets model, the search can be time consuming and stressful. As someone who inhabits a UK size 14/16 body, it’s true I do have some sizing privilege, but when I think back to the situations that have caused me the most frustration when it came to shopping, it has always been finding basics that made me feel good.

I think what makes buying basics that work for you and your personal preferences is the fact a basic can still vary from store to store, cut to cut and it’s no longer the case that there’s only one perfect white tee to choose from. A basic yes, but do you want relaxed sleeves or capped sleeves? Do you want it fitted or boxy? Do you want it cropped or with a sufficient amount of fabric to tuck in? Do you want a crew neck or V neck? You get my point, and so today I thought i’d survey my own closet to share the hardest working AW basics I own.

The Classic Tee

Growing up watching Trinny and Susannah worn other big breasted women about the perils of wearing a crew neck had me believing I had to wear a v neck, and as such I spent a good many years avoiding crewnecks like the plague! (That and horizontal stripes.) It was a very confusing time being told in equal measures to minimise my bust (hello fashion industry) and to wear the most revealing thing possible and make them look bigger (hello Nuts magazine/Maxim etc). I’m pleased to report those days are behind me, and I can’t tell you how at home in my body I finally felt when I did give myself permission to wear a crew neck, tits and all!

I’m definitely someone who runs warm, plus I live in LA, so a classic tee is still one of my most worn AW basics. My go to at one point (before the slightly boxier silhouette was on trend) was to buy mens cotton tees from the likes of H&M (as the sizes were generally larger), and I would cut some length off the bottom knowing I always tucked my tees in. That is…until I discovered the & Other Stories relaxed crew neck tee. I like my classic tee’s to have a slightly baggier sleeve, a nice substantial collar and not too much fabric to tuck in to jeans, but not cropped either. It goes without saying their sizing is pretty piss poor, (and now i’m showing my sizing privilege) but I do fit the large size and because it has been around for many years, costs $32 and comes in a variety of colors, has been an incredibly hard working basic in my wardrobe.

Other tee’s I’ve heard great things about include this one by Everlane, and this one by Universal Standard which has much better sizing.

Straight Leg Jeans

If there’s one item of clothing that has without a doubt caused me the most stress (and self loathing in a past life) it’s been shopping for jeans. Having an ass and thick thighs has meant that most of the denim brands that people lust after won’t even go past my knees (i’m looking at you Agolde). Your girl needs some stretch ok?! I’ve tried so many times to squeeze myself into the rigid 100% cotton jeans, and even on the very rare instances that I have squeezed myself into the largest size a brand offers, the moment I bend down or attempt to sit, I feel like my intestines are being cut in half. This is not living people. I need to be able to eat a burger in my jeans.

For the longest time I had come to believe I could only have comfort or style when it came to finding the perfect jeans as a mid size woman. That is, until I found my beloved Abercrombie curve love jeans. I’m not exaggerating when I say this changed my life. I finally had not one style, but multiple styles to choose from that looked exactly how I wanted them to look without cutting me in half. My everyday jean of choice is the Abercrombie Curve love vintage straight jean, but I also love and own the straight leg ankle jean as well as some older styles of the high rise relaxed 90’s jeans. They go up to a size 37 W and most come in 5 different leg lengths!

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