A thrifty and practical approach to spring clothing shopping

I am still going strong on my mindful spending for 2023. And I am excited to extend this approach to my spring clothing shopping. I think all our recent estate planning efforts have made me rethink how much stuff I have, everywhere. I want to be very thoughtful about what I bring into the house at this point.

Start with packing away winter clothes

I’m pretty good about doing a thorough closet switchover. But this year, I am getting even more organized. I ordered enough plastic bins to hold everything- rather than stuffing things in the spare guest room closet. And I’m buying cedar blocks to make sure that no critters eat my sweaters over the summer.

Cedar blocks, 15 pack

The point is to properly prepare for the next season by carefully storing away the items of the last. I am pretty sure that October Amy is going to be grateful for that!

Wait to buy anything before going through what you’ve got

I’m going to do a very thorough assessment of everything I’ve got before I buy a single thing. I have a dreadful habit of buying the same thing (or almost the same thing) twice- because I didn’t realize I already owned it! (I guess it’s good that I’m super consistent in my tastes??)

So I’m going to lay everything out- especially those basics I mentioned. Make sure my tees are bright and clean. Check out how many pairs of sandals I already have. Survey the state of my running shoe inventory. I get tempted by things I see right now- in March, before I’ve gone through my spring clothes. This is the time when I overbuy.

Assess your current lifestyle

I think we’ve reached a stable new normal in terms of post-pandemic life. We have figured out how much we are working from home. We know how many times we wear sweatpants (or shorts) per week 🙂 We may have figured out what we are wearing to the office, how many times we are going out, travel, etc.

Last year, during my spring clothing shopping, I was pretty optimistic about my need for dresses. As a result, I have way too many dresses! No need to buy more of those. Maybe you overbought something similar??

Replenishing the basics is my theme this season

And by “replenishing the basics” I mean I am buying the ones I really like. Not settling for the weird colors, the ones on sale, the ones that might not fit perfectly. And to be honest, that means that I’m probably going to pay full price for my basics. But that’s ok, because things like socks, tee shirts, sandals are generally not very expensive. I can afford to buy the ones I love- I’m not buying the fancy stuff this year!

Some overlooked basics you may want to consider buying this spring:

• Socks- I’m buying these Smartwool socks in multiples
• Bras- My bras need a refresh! I’m buying these in a practical nude color
• Running shoes- I wear mine A LOT. Worth replacing them
• A new swimsuit (to replace the one with the saggy bottom)- I plan on a lot of swimming this spring and summer. New suits are inexpensive
• Tees and tanks- I find it hard to find tank tops that I like- that provide enough coverage but don’t look too matronly. So when I do find them, I’m ordering a few. As for tees, I am a huge fan of Cos tees. More expensive than the Gap’s but way way better quality. Just make sure they aren’t cropped!!

Things I’m NOT buying:

• Sunglasses- I’ve got 4 pairs- even in California, that’s enough
• Dresses- As I mentioned before, I’ve got plenty
• Joggers/sweatpants- Nope, nope
• Button down shirts- OMG, I have every possible color of oversized button down shirt already
• Any work wear at all- People have moved to “very casual” at my office. I don’t plan on dressing up for my office days

Finally, purge your spring clothes now and resell them

My continuing experience with The RealReal resale has resulted in this insight: people do not buy off-season clothes on the site. You might sell that cashmere turtleneck in May, but you won’t get the price you’ll get in October. So I am purging my spring clothing now and shipping it off to The RealReal pronto. I suggest you do the same!

And if you choose to indulge in buying more than just basics during your spring clothing shopping, I have good news. I think we’re going to see a lot of sales this year! So if you can hold out until ~May, you will be able to score some massive deals!

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