My Personal Style Journey: How to Shop With Purpose

Table of Contents

The Road So Far…

I’ve been on a personal style journey for some months now as laid out by The Curated Closet.

To start, I made a fashion mood board, see below. It represents my aspirational fashion choices. Along with being fun to compile, it also helped make a clearer picture of what I want my dream closet to include.

Next, I detoxed my closet which gave me clarity on what I really wear and what I value in my clothes. Detoxing also cleared up space for the future clothes that better represent my style. I then curated a color palette based on hues that make me feel confident.

Finally, I made a shopping plan based on my closet’s needs. Each item was ordered based on priority. I wrote specific questions related to each item to answer before making any purchasing decisions.

Which leads me to my current stage in finding my personal style – shopping.

My Shopping Hesitation

I’ve been on a strict budget for some years now. I have a lot of bills that I prioritize above little luxuries. I think because I’ve grown accustomed to not spending money “frivolously” I have a hard time convincing myself I want anything.

Take for example, this stage in honing my personal style. I’ve been in a way training my mind to re-consider my style for months now. I’ve covered all the stages thoughtfully and I’m finally at the point of making permanent change to my wardrobe.

So why am I hesitant?

Without getting into my exhausting theories on why I struggle at determining what I want, I think a main factor in my shopping reluctance is fear. Fear that what I buy won’t be as exceptional as I picture. Fear that I’m wasting my money on clothing when it could be going toward another bill or charity. Fear that I’ll be tired of whatever I buy much sooner than anticipated.

All excuses that work their guilt magic on me every time. In fact, after I initially see something I like, I convince myself I’m better off without it. So much so that I eventually can’t distinguish whether I even wanted it to begin with.

It’s a confusing, exhausting, disappointing process that I must actively resist because none of my fear-based considerations really matter.

First of all, every outcome in life is a result of both your decision making and luck. A lot of what happens is completely out of our control, and the only thing we can really do is make the most thoughtful decision possible.

Secondly, you are your greatest asset. Any investment you make into yourself is worth the money. Especially when it’s as important as expressing yourself and inspiring confidence.

The months-long journey to finding my personal style is my thoughtful foundation. While I can’t guarantee every piece will meet my expectations, I should be comforted in knowing I made the most considerate decision possible. And whatever I decide to buy is ultimately worth it simply because I am.

How to Shop with Purpose

Shopping with purpose means having a goal and achieving it thoughtfully. In the case of our personal style journey, our purpose is to replenish your wardrobe with pieces that represent who we are.

To do so, we must take the following steps –

Make a list of needed items sorted by priority – most urgently needed items go first, least urgently needed items go last. Compile this list in one document titled Wardrobe Plan.
For each item on the list, make a list of questions that considers your lifestyle in relation to the piece. (For example: if I’m looking for work blouses I ask questions like “Is this neckline appropriate?” “Is this warm enough for the office?”, etc.) Put these questions on a separate document titled Shopping Questions.

Find items you like for each category and include their pictures, brands, prices and sources on your Wardrobe Plan.
Only support brands with values that align with yours. Reference our Brand Directory for independent, ethical and sustainable designers.
Consider the items on your Wardrobe Plan for a couple days before purchasing anything. Make sure you’re clear on what value they would add your wardrobe, how often you would realistically wear them, and all the other Shopping Questions.

Buy the item you need most urgently first. Only buy one item at most per day. Make sure no purchasing decision was made rashly no matter the flashy sale being advertised or other pressure points.

To achieve this, I have three different Google Docs: My Personal Style Journey, My Wardrobe Plan and Shopping Questions.

My Personal Style Journey is an over-arching document that covers all steps in my discovery so far. Remember, I’ve been doing this for some months based on the guidance of The Curated Closet. My Personal Style Journey document is where the past few months of my research is compiled. One of its areas is devoted to narrowing down which categories I need (i.e. casual pants, heeled boots). I take those categories and transfer them to My Wardrobe Plan.

My Wardrobe Plan is where I list all the specific items I need. Here, I also include images of each item with their brands, prices and sources listed. I only include items here that pass my Shopping Questions.

The Table of Contents for My Wardrobe Plan

Shopping Questions are the questions I ask in relation to each item on my list. Some questions are the same for every item – for example “Does this represent who I am?” But, most questions are specific to each item – for example if I’m looking for work blouses, “Is this neckline appropriate?” Or “Is this warm enough for the office?”

Any item that passes Shopping Questions, aligns with your aspirational style, matches with your color palette, and serves a valuable purpose in your wardrobe is then included in My Wardrobe Plan.

Now, you have an item that meets all those criteria! The last thing to do is make sure you want it. Think about the item for a couple days. Think about outfits it would complement. Think about how you’d feel if you saw someone else with it. If you still want it after considering those things, it’s worth the purchase.

Final Word

This thinking may seem exhaustive for something as simple as buying a shirt. However, I believe every purchasing decision matters. Your wardrobe should be composed of pieces you love, value and represent you. From brands that do good by people and the planet.

It takes careful consideration to meet those standards. Luckily, the work is worth it! You will have a closet that truly represents who you are with clothes you are proud to advertise.