The Great American Apparel Diet

It seems that giving up shopping is all the rage. A group of 39 women has vowed to go without buying clothing for a year, and they’re blogging about it at The Great American Apparel Diet. I first heard about their experiment on this post from Planet Green/Discovery.

It sounds just like The Compact for clothing, except that they can’t even buy used. They’re swapping with friends, finding things in their closet that had been put aside, and donating items they’re no longer going to wear. And in the process, they’re learning a lot more about where their clothes come from and how to live more sustainably.

And just like me, they’re finding out that giving up shopping has a host of side benefits, like saving money, saving time, getting organized, and decreasing your carbon footprint.

Could you give up shopping for one year if it was a clothing only vow? Since most of us obviously have plenty of items to last us through the year, it makes you think about why we buy new things: the short term high, filling an emotional void, etc. Please share your thoughts about why you buy clothes in the Comments section.

And might I add that giving up shopping does NOT mean giving up fashion. In fact, making the most out of less can inspire great creativity. Check out The Uniform Project to see what I mean. One dress, 365 days. Proving that style and sustainability are NOT mutually exclusive.