The second part to “Why on Earth did I buy that?” Click here to read Part 1.

Your Standards (and how to raise them)

No, believe it or not this is not dating advice. Do not settle for an item of clothing just because it is in the sale, or that it fits well on the legs but not on the waist. If it isn’t almost perfect, you are less likely to reach for it when you’re choosing what to wear in the morning. This is what actually caused me to get rid of around a third of my clothes*. They were not up to my standards. The sleeves weren’t how I would like them, the legs were too long or I just didn’t feel 100% comfortable in them.

*When I say got rid of, I actually donated, gave to my friends or took them to a Swap Shop depending on the quality of them – a few were thrown into the rag bag though I admit.

Learn how to sew and adjust items

Fortunately, I learnt how to hand sew at a young age, and then as I grew up I also practiced using a sewing machine. This meant the occasional rip in a pair of trousers didn’t mean I instantly threw them away. Try learning a basic stitch or two and see if there is anything lying about that you can practice on. If you definitely can’t sew, ask around, one of your friends will definitely be handy with a needle and thread.

Shop with purpose

Instead of going shopping just for a browse or for a “window shop”, start going shopping with a clear aim in mind. Not only will you find what you are looking for, but it should slow down the temptation of just buying because it looked good in the shop window. Having a purpose also means I avoid the “bargains” a lot more. I am a sucker for the colour red on a label. It means cheap, it means reduced. It means I can buy more clothes for the same price. It means I clutter up my already cluttered wardrobe with more clothes I don’t need nor necessarily want.

Quality over quantity – slow down on buying fast fashion everytime

As we are getting older, we are not changing body shape as much (although growing a bit taller would be nice). This means what we buy now could potentially still fit us in 20 years time. Each time you need to replace an item like a pair of jeans, do some research and think if this is something you can invest in buy buying a better quality pair, instead of buying the cheapest pair on the shelf.

Hopefully this two-part guide will stop you saying “why on Earth did I buy that?” a little bit less. If you have any more tips, please let us know at hello@dopplle.com!