Ah, great topic! For the first two months of my no-buy, I opted out of my Wishlist entirely because of my no-browsing rule. I felt keeping a wishlist had to go hand in hand in hand with browsing. I was wrong! I now have a wishlist in Notes on my phone of the few things that keep popping up in my mind when I get dressed. They’re things that I think would help me get even more out of what I already have. It’s a mix of practical (tank tops…I only have nursing tanks currently) and fun (leopard sandal w/ kitten heel). I do best with a super simple bullet list. I don’t think there is anything wrong with impulse shopping, but a Wishlist is the best way to make sure I’m investing in things that will really add to the fun, and not the overwhelm. I am so impressed with the color coded systems, but I know I would overthink them!
I'm definitely AM overthinking it! My whole Substack is probably based on me overthinking everything 😂 But the wishlist forces me to acknowledge why I desire something and think about it before ordering it. I just need to go about it differently.
I love your approach to wishlisting and adding items that pop up when you're getting dressed. This means they'll work in your life and that they are not just something you saw in Instagram - although sometimes you see something that would make sense 😉 It seems like your approach is similar to Maureen Weltons.
I want to incorporate more of this approach. What am I actually missing when getting dressed - both the practical and the fun things.
Love this! I use a wishlist but a visual one. I do think about the items, but not this rational in needs/wants. Maybe I should try it :D I think all the items on my wishlist are wants, I do not have needs at the moment I think...
Questions I thought off where:
When will i wear it? is it a staple for me? Do i tend to wear 'insert item'?
- Does it fit my current wardrobe? Can I easily style it with the items that are currently in my wardrobe? or is it hard to style?
- And maybe most important, how does it make you feel when you see or order it? Some items give you that real excitement, like doing a happy dance, say things like 'WOW, I LOVE IT!!' showing the item to others to show how perfect it is haha etc. Most items don't give me this feeling, but I do want specific items to do this, maybe the want items or the items that give the wardrobe some spice. You feel it inside. Learn to trust this feeling (that's my style intention/lesson I want to learn).
Not sure if this method is actually a help or if I should just go back to having a simple one 😂
Really like the idea of the want/fun items sparking true exitement and trusting your feelings more. Sometimes I can get an icky feeling when placing an order, and I know I usually should step back. It typically ends up getting returned anyway...
I don’t actively keep a wishlist because a lot of things I end up buying are things I never knew I wanted.. but I think of my wishlist as a moodboard rather than actual tool for shopping decisions, if that makes sense. My best wishlists are my saves on Etsy, eBay and TRR as they usually reflect a current style rabbit hole and allow me to explore without really buying.
I keep a folder in the favorites bar of my web browser titled "wishlist" (so original 😆). In it, I put items that I come across and really love (Studio Nicholson Holin Coat) as well as items that I identify as missing from my wardrobe (options for a white tank top, for example). When it starts to feel like there's a lot on there, I go back through and see how I feel about the items and delete the ones that I don't love or think I would ever buy. Things usually stay on there for a long time before I purchase them. I also have a wishlist on the real real that I order from more frequently.
This system really seems to work for you! I do also have a wishlist on my favourite retailer's site, but for some reason I find it quite easy to delete items there which is not the case for my spreadsheet wishlist😆 Thinking about doing a reset of my wishlist, where I focus more on what I miss when actually getting dressed.
I used to have wishlists on the Outnet, Netaporter and Yoox, which worked as more than a visual of actual pieces I craved and also a reminder that I wanted to keep an eye out for specific things. I deleted the apps so I don't have access to the wishlists, and I don't miss it. This is partly because I'm not buying clothes, so all the desirable things that used to swim across my vision aren't falling into my net, but also I'm realising that the things I really need aren't going to get forgotten (I will absolutely buy a long-sleeved thin wool top for under sweaters next winter).
I also realised that my wishlists, which were very much made up of "that will be useful" items and things I hoped would drop in price, often just stayed there when their season had passed and their price had dropped.
The true needs have a way to make themselves known! I also have wishlists on a few apps, but I find it much easier to delete things from those than from my "main" wishlist. They feel more low stakes and I mainly see them as things I might want to remember.
I do find though, that if I wait long enough, I will eventually loose interest in a lot of things. But the waiting can be hard!
I might add “if I get tired of someday, could it have a useful second life?” (Eg good quality item, natural fibers, will hold up through many wears and washes)
That is a really good question! I try to buy things of good quality and natural fibers, and rehoming items in a sustainable way, but I could focus more on this aspect. My goal is in general to wear things out, but that's not always possible with size changes, life style changes or as you say - you simply get tired of it. I'm not going to force myself to wear something just for the sake of wearing it out.
I mostly wishlist but edit often! I put down nearly everything on a list on my phone and then move things over to a Pinterest "top 10" wishlist when I really can't stop thinking about them. Fashion should be fun, I agree, but it doesn't feel fun to me to have clutter and a bunch of pieces I don't wear! I do allow certain categories to be more lenient to allow for me intuitive purchases, like jewelry + accessories. Great post!
I really like that you have a top 10 wishlist because there's an editing process in deciding which items to move. For me the editing process is really hard. But I might see how I can incorporate an editing process for the things I keep thinking about.
Being more lenient with jewellery and accessories seems like a great idea, those often add the fun and the spice for me. Is that what you rely on for fun or do you habe other fun categories/items?
I totally agree, I don't want my wardrobe to consist of pieces I don't wear. That's no fun either! My low buy of 20 pieces (including replacements) has partly caused me to overthink what to buy and feel like I had to focus on the practical things. I'm considering adjusting the rules as they might not fit my life at the moment.
I’d say jewelry and accessories are where I have the most fun! I love the idea of adjusting the rules to allow for a bit more playfulness! It’s all a learning process
I have a wishlist that I keep on Notion, but I also have a page called “Screenshot Wishlist,” which I consider a sort of filter for the things I actually plan to buy. It gives me free rein to let things catch my eye, but also the time and space to later more thoughtfully consider whether the thing is something that makes sense for me. Perhaps predictably, many of the things that end up on the Screenshot Wishlist never make it over to my actual wardrobe wishlist—in fact, I often find that in a month or two (I organize this page by month, btw) I feel nothing for those pieces anymore 🤷♀️
I have an open to buy list. It currently consists of 7 items. Some are true must haves for summer. Like a pair of work shorts. I don’t own any. Or a pair of strappy, minimalistic but still work appropriate sandals. I don’t own any either. I only have 1 pair of Marni sandals 😳. That’s it. So I do need another pair. This is what I look for at my favorite consignment stores in Cph. We’ll visit some of them together on Saturday. 😏 but then if I stumble upon something else in the process, like I did recently. Am just writing a piece about what I found and fell in love with. So it’s more of a guidance list.
Using it as a guidance list sounds like a great way - especially when shopping second hand. If you don't find any sandals before summer, would you buy them new indstead?
I just have a simple wishlist in Notes and add and cross out things as my needs and wants change. Admittedly, the list is basically all wants, but to me that’s perfectly ok. In 2025, I’m allowed one purchase each month so I have time to deliberate before I buy anything. Buying two things one month, like I did in February, means I can’t buy anything the next month. This list has basically kept me from impulse shopping. 💪🏻 Maybe it would help to not be so strict on yourself on wants vs needs? If you want something badly, for whatever reason, you’ll also wear it a lot, wouldn’t you?
I think it depends on which item it is 😂 I think one of the reasons I've been struggling is my low buy. If I only can buy 20 items, I feel like I should prioritise the needs and eplacements first, as going without could get quite irritating. Every item becomes something to plan (maybe too) carefully. But I might have to adjust the rules for my low buy, as more items need replacing than I originally thought. Still mulling this over though.
Yes, replacements are included, but I don’t really need that many as my wardrobe is huge… 🙊 And underwear is excluded, though I don’t tend to hoard these anyway. 😂 The smaller your wardrobe is, the more you’ll wash and wear each garment, so the more replacements you’ll need. I don’t really have that problem. Yet. 😂
I don’t know if mine is small or big 🤷♀️ I have around 100 pieces of clothes and shoes and most of them quite often depending on season, so they do wear out. Recently a lot has become too small especially in the shoulders after I started swimming more. So replacements are unfortunately in order.
I’m quite impressed that you are sticking to one purchase per month!
Ah, great topic! For the first two months of my no-buy, I opted out of my Wishlist entirely because of my no-browsing rule. I felt keeping a wishlist had to go hand in hand in hand with browsing. I was wrong! I now have a wishlist in Notes on my phone of the few things that keep popping up in my mind when I get dressed. They’re things that I think would help me get even more out of what I already have. It’s a mix of practical (tank tops…I only have nursing tanks currently) and fun (leopard sandal w/ kitten heel). I do best with a super simple bullet list. I don’t think there is anything wrong with impulse shopping, but a Wishlist is the best way to make sure I’m investing in things that will really add to the fun, and not the overwhelm. I am so impressed with the color coded systems, but I know I would overthink them!
I'm definitely AM overthinking it! My whole Substack is probably based on me overthinking everything 😂 But the wishlist forces me to acknowledge why I desire something and think about it before ordering it. I just need to go about it differently.
I love your approach to wishlisting and adding items that pop up when you're getting dressed. This means they'll work in your life and that they are not just something you saw in Instagram - although sometimes you see something that would make sense 😉 It seems like your approach is similar to Maureen Weltons.
I want to incorporate more of this approach. What am I actually missing when getting dressed - both the practical and the fun things.
Love this! I use a wishlist but a visual one. I do think about the items, but not this rational in needs/wants. Maybe I should try it :D I think all the items on my wishlist are wants, I do not have needs at the moment I think...
Questions I thought off where:
When will i wear it? is it a staple for me? Do i tend to wear 'insert item'?
- Does it fit my current wardrobe? Can I easily style it with the items that are currently in my wardrobe? or is it hard to style?
- And maybe most important, how does it make you feel when you see or order it? Some items give you that real excitement, like doing a happy dance, say things like 'WOW, I LOVE IT!!' showing the item to others to show how perfect it is haha etc. Most items don't give me this feeling, but I do want specific items to do this, maybe the want items or the items that give the wardrobe some spice. You feel it inside. Learn to trust this feeling (that's my style intention/lesson I want to learn).
Not sure if this method is actually a help or if I should just go back to having a simple one 😂
Really like the idea of the want/fun items sparking true exitement and trusting your feelings more. Sometimes I can get an icky feeling when placing an order, and I know I usually should step back. It typically ends up getting returned anyway...
I don’t actively keep a wishlist because a lot of things I end up buying are things I never knew I wanted.. but I think of my wishlist as a moodboard rather than actual tool for shopping decisions, if that makes sense. My best wishlists are my saves on Etsy, eBay and TRR as they usually reflect a current style rabbit hole and allow me to explore without really buying.
I like this way of thinking of wishlists. Sometimes we really don't know what we want untill we find it.
I keep a folder in the favorites bar of my web browser titled "wishlist" (so original 😆). In it, I put items that I come across and really love (Studio Nicholson Holin Coat) as well as items that I identify as missing from my wardrobe (options for a white tank top, for example). When it starts to feel like there's a lot on there, I go back through and see how I feel about the items and delete the ones that I don't love or think I would ever buy. Things usually stay on there for a long time before I purchase them. I also have a wishlist on the real real that I order from more frequently.
This system really seems to work for you! I do also have a wishlist on my favourite retailer's site, but for some reason I find it quite easy to delete items there which is not the case for my spreadsheet wishlist😆 Thinking about doing a reset of my wishlist, where I focus more on what I miss when actually getting dressed.
I used to have wishlists on the Outnet, Netaporter and Yoox, which worked as more than a visual of actual pieces I craved and also a reminder that I wanted to keep an eye out for specific things. I deleted the apps so I don't have access to the wishlists, and I don't miss it. This is partly because I'm not buying clothes, so all the desirable things that used to swim across my vision aren't falling into my net, but also I'm realising that the things I really need aren't going to get forgotten (I will absolutely buy a long-sleeved thin wool top for under sweaters next winter).
I also realised that my wishlists, which were very much made up of "that will be useful" items and things I hoped would drop in price, often just stayed there when their season had passed and their price had dropped.
The true needs have a way to make themselves known! I also have wishlists on a few apps, but I find it much easier to delete things from those than from my "main" wishlist. They feel more low stakes and I mainly see them as things I might want to remember.
I do find though, that if I wait long enough, I will eventually loose interest in a lot of things. But the waiting can be hard!
I might add “if I get tired of someday, could it have a useful second life?” (Eg good quality item, natural fibers, will hold up through many wears and washes)
That is a really good question! I try to buy things of good quality and natural fibers, and rehoming items in a sustainable way, but I could focus more on this aspect. My goal is in general to wear things out, but that's not always possible with size changes, life style changes or as you say - you simply get tired of it. I'm not going to force myself to wear something just for the sake of wearing it out.
I mostly wishlist but edit often! I put down nearly everything on a list on my phone and then move things over to a Pinterest "top 10" wishlist when I really can't stop thinking about them. Fashion should be fun, I agree, but it doesn't feel fun to me to have clutter and a bunch of pieces I don't wear! I do allow certain categories to be more lenient to allow for me intuitive purchases, like jewelry + accessories. Great post!
Thank you, it means a lot!
I really like that you have a top 10 wishlist because there's an editing process in deciding which items to move. For me the editing process is really hard. But I might see how I can incorporate an editing process for the things I keep thinking about.
Being more lenient with jewellery and accessories seems like a great idea, those often add the fun and the spice for me. Is that what you rely on for fun or do you habe other fun categories/items?
I totally agree, I don't want my wardrobe to consist of pieces I don't wear. That's no fun either! My low buy of 20 pieces (including replacements) has partly caused me to overthink what to buy and feel like I had to focus on the practical things. I'm considering adjusting the rules as they might not fit my life at the moment.
I’d say jewelry and accessories are where I have the most fun! I love the idea of adjusting the rules to allow for a bit more playfulness! It’s all a learning process
I have a wishlist that I keep on Notion, but I also have a page called “Screenshot Wishlist,” which I consider a sort of filter for the things I actually plan to buy. It gives me free rein to let things catch my eye, but also the time and space to later more thoughtfully consider whether the thing is something that makes sense for me. Perhaps predictably, many of the things that end up on the Screenshot Wishlist never make it over to my actual wardrobe wishlist—in fact, I often find that in a month or two (I organize this page by month, btw) I feel nothing for those pieces anymore 🤷♀️
I had hoped more things would fade into obscurity, but so far not that many. Maybe I just need to wait longer 😂
I have an open to buy list. It currently consists of 7 items. Some are true must haves for summer. Like a pair of work shorts. I don’t own any. Or a pair of strappy, minimalistic but still work appropriate sandals. I don’t own any either. I only have 1 pair of Marni sandals 😳. That’s it. So I do need another pair. This is what I look for at my favorite consignment stores in Cph. We’ll visit some of them together on Saturday. 😏 but then if I stumble upon something else in the process, like I did recently. Am just writing a piece about what I found and fell in love with. So it’s more of a guidance list.
Using it as a guidance list sounds like a great way - especially when shopping second hand. If you don't find any sandals before summer, would you buy them new indstead?
Looking so much forward to Saturday 😊
I could definitely buy them new, especially that I’ve been looking for a pair for long time now - 4-5 years (!) 😶🌫️
You are more patient than I could be 😆
I just have a simple wishlist in Notes and add and cross out things as my needs and wants change. Admittedly, the list is basically all wants, but to me that’s perfectly ok. In 2025, I’m allowed one purchase each month so I have time to deliberate before I buy anything. Buying two things one month, like I did in February, means I can’t buy anything the next month. This list has basically kept me from impulse shopping. 💪🏻 Maybe it would help to not be so strict on yourself on wants vs needs? If you want something badly, for whatever reason, you’ll also wear it a lot, wouldn’t you?
I think it depends on which item it is 😂 I think one of the reasons I've been struggling is my low buy. If I only can buy 20 items, I feel like I should prioritise the needs and eplacements first, as going without could get quite irritating. Every item becomes something to plan (maybe too) carefully. But I might have to adjust the rules for my low buy, as more items need replacing than I originally thought. Still mulling this over though.
Are replacements included in your 12 items?
Yes, replacements are included, but I don’t really need that many as my wardrobe is huge… 🙊 And underwear is excluded, though I don’t tend to hoard these anyway. 😂 The smaller your wardrobe is, the more you’ll wash and wear each garment, so the more replacements you’ll need. I don’t really have that problem. Yet. 😂
I don’t know if mine is small or big 🤷♀️ I have around 100 pieces of clothes and shoes and most of them quite often depending on season, so they do wear out. Recently a lot has become too small especially in the shoulders after I started swimming more. So replacements are unfortunately in order.
I’m quite impressed that you are sticking to one purchase per month!
Me too! 😇😂