The shopping fast

I've started a fast. It's not the kind I thought it would be, but it's going to take willpower. And I will be hungry.

It's a shopping fast. Ninety days of not shopping, not buying, not spending on myself. Count 'em, 90 (or however long until my birthday on April 13).

Shocking, I know. (If you're not shocked, you don't know me that well.)

But I started the New Year thinking about how, despite regular small-scale purges over the past 5 years since acquiring a 1948 house with of-its-era size closets, I still have more clothes than I really need. And in fact, I really only love love maybe 20-40% of my wardrobe. So my first plan was to start wearing those clothes more than I do.

Just as I was mulling this idea over, I read this post on Whoorl about going on a shopping fast -- not buying anything new for 90 days. Intriguingly, she was inspired by a woman who was not only fasting, but wearing everything she owned at least once during the 90 days and conducting a major closet purge.

And suddenly I realized, hey I can do this. And more surprisingly: I want to do this.

Now, my 90 days is going to consist of Not Buying and the Wearing of Things I Already Have and Love. As much as I like the idea of a full-scale, day-long, organized closet cleaning and/or systematically wearing everything once, I have neither the time nor patience.

I'm barely a week into things, but I've survived a visit to the outlet mall surrounded by insane sales (oh, Calvin Klein, I'm so sorry ...). I can see it's not going to be easy, though. I'm realizing how many retail email newsletters I'm subscribed to, and how many cries for consumerism I'm surrounded by.

I'm allowing myself to cheat a little bit, too. The fast doesn't extend to buying clothes for Julia, or home furnishings and accessories. (And I do still have a Nordstrom gift card from last year. Gift cards don't count. C'mon, that's play money!) I also conveniently had just placed a big discount order at the Gap online the week before I decided to start the fast.

But it will be interesting to see how the next 90 days play out. Will my relationship with shopping change once I realize I don't need it as much as I thought I did? Or will I lose my resolve, and go sobbing back on my knees to Rue La La, begging forgiveness?

Wish me luck ...