Nothing changes if nothing changes.
I recently listened to the Manifest with Tori DeSimone podcast episode “Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes”. The episode discussed how making small changes in your day to day routine can significantly improve your overall life. The episode had nothing to do with fashion or shopping, but this quote stuck with me as it perfectly describes my shopping style.
I remember being a teenager and wanting a new pair of tall leather boots for the fall season. Once it became fall I told myself that I could wait until next year to find a pair of boots because soon it would be winter and I wouldn’t need the boots. This way of thinking continued whilst I prepared for university. I didn’t need new clothing because I thought I could buy new clothing at university, which eventually lead to me pushing it off year after year. Then covid hit, and I really didn’t need new clothing because I didn’t see anyone for almost two years. Now I am twenty-two years old, living in a city, working at a luxury fashion company, and I am still wearing clothes that I bought when I started high school.
Last week it was extremely hot in my office and I was sweating all day, just sitting at my desk, and it’s only May. I looked at my coworkers who were wearing skirts and dresses and then looked at my jeans which felt like they were melting into my skin. I realised that I needed to wear summer clothes but felt like I didn’t have any bottoms that were appropriate for work or even London. The extent of the summer bottoms that I brought with me to London includes a cheetah print mini-skirt and extremely short jean shorts that I bought when I was a young teenager. I pushed off buying new shorts every summer because mine were fine as I really only saw my family and a few random strangers in public. I ran to the shops on Saturday to try and fix my wardrobe situation and the same thing happened that normally happens. I spent hours walking in and out of shops, never finding anything cute enough to try on, and returning home empty-handed. Luckily, this week has cooled down and I can comfortably wear my long trousers to the office, but the issue still remains at hand. I think Covid may have caused other people to push off shopping because there was no need for new clothes when you didn’t leave your house.
This brings me back to the quote “nothing changes if nothing changes” which after a quick google search, I learned is an AA quote. Basically, nothing in my shopping pattern has changed for years, therefore I am still wearing the same clothes that I bought years and years ago. My mindset is that I rarely shop, so when I do buy something I want it to be very high quality because I know I will really be putting it to use. These types of clothes typically have a high price tag which makes me even more cautious when purchasing something. I was sitting on the tube thinking about how I wanted to embark on a quest to find the perfect pair of jean shorts, but then I realised that it’s my search for perfection that is holding me back. I am never going to find the perfect pair of anything, so I just need to push myself out of my comfort zone and try on what I can find and see what happens. Change only happens if you push yourself out of your comfort zone, and for me, this means actually entering the fitting room.
The search for summer clothes continues. I am writing this blog post to keep myself accountable to try something new and maybe this way of thinking resonates with someone else. I am trying not to find the perfect thing, just try on something, because maybe trying a piece of clothing on is what makes it perfect.
XO, Alicia
