How To Stop Buying Things You'll Never Wear

How to stop buying things, love your style

Ever wonder how to stop buying things you end up never wearing? With the number of clothing options, brands, what we see on social media, and all the different fashion advice, it can feel impossible to buy the right pieces. You don’t know how to stop buying things because you also don’t know what your unique personal style is. This includes what works for your body, and taking your lifestyle into account, you’re just guessing. This is why you still don’t know how to stop buying things you don’t wear.

I’m sharing how to stop buying things you won’t wear to start building a wardrobe that makes you feel good.

We think buying more will give us more options, but having more tends to overwhelm us. This happens when we keep buying things without intention. We don’t know what works for us or what we enjoy wearing. So instead of making it easier to put together outfits, it becomes stressful. If you buy something new for every occasion but still have a closet full of unworn clothes, start paying attention to this pattern. The only way to change anything is to bring more awareness to what you’re doing.

Next time you’re about to go shopping, stop yourself and look at what’s already in your closet. Figure out which pieces you like and what you’re not wearing. Maybe even do a closet edit. This will help you create and curate a wardrobe of clothes you’ll wear.

2. You Don’t Know What You Like

The next reason is that you don’t know what you like. If you shop without knowing what colors, silhouettes, and styles make you feel good, it’s hard to choose the right pieces for your closet. This might be why you keep buying things that you end up not wearing. We can get stuck in a cycle of buying clothes and accumulating pieces that don’t work for us.

A simple exercise I give my clients is to look at the pieces in their closet that they wear. The go-to items they reach for, and the ones they feel confident and comfortable in. Identify what those pieces have in common. Is it the fabric? The style? The colors? The silhouette? How does it fit your body? Paying attention to these details helps you bring in what you love instead of randomly adding it to your wardrobe.

Many of us shop for reasons that have nothing to do with whether we’ll wear what we buy. Maybe we’re stressed, shopping with a friend, or simply stuck in the habit. Start breaking that cycle by first paying attention to what you truly like.

3. Compromising When You’re Shopping

If you’re shopping because you need something, you might be stuck in a cycle of last-minute buying. Many of us shop out of urgency, so we settle for whatever is available. But instead of loving what we buy, we compromise. The problem is, that we’re compromising on our style, and what we feel good in. This is a mistake most of us have made at some point. Trying to make something work when it doesn’t. Stop convincing yourself that something will work when it doesn’t. It only leads to a closet full of clothes you won’t wear.

4. Not Knowing Your Personal Style

What’s your style? What do you feel best in? I’ve created a whole series on the nine most common personal style types. Most of us fit into more than one, and some may resonate with styles beyond these, but these are the ones I’ve found to be the most common. My style is classic with romantic elements and some edginess mixed in. So when I’m shopping, if I see something with a strong bohemian vibe or a more androgynous look, I can recognize that it doesn’t reflect my style. Even if I find it interesting in the moment, looking at it logically helps me make better choices and focus on pieces that truly align with my style.

This ties back to an earlier exercise: look at the pieces in your closet that you wear and love. Identify the elements they have in common: are they feminine, minimalist, or androgynous? Recognizing these patterns in the clothes you feel best in will help you define your unique personal style and make better shopping decisions.

5. Not Knowing What Works For Your Body

If you put something on and it feels a little off, it might not work for your body shape. If you’re not aware of your body shape and what you feel best in, it can be hard to pinpoint why something doesn’t look quite right. A recent study found that 68% of women felt more confident in their appearance when they chose clothing that worked with their body shape. Yet, many of us select clothes based on social media, or other women without considering how those pieces fit us. While it’s great to look for inspiration, it’s even more important to understand what works for your body. An outfit that looks amazing on someone with a completely different shape may not have the same effect on you.

Knowing your body shape and the fits you feel best in is essential for curating a wardrobe you love and making it easier to put together outfits. That’s why I recommend looking for inspiration from women with a similar shape who also have a style you connect with. This can help you recognize what works and translate it into your wardrobe.

For example, I have a pear-shaped body. If I take inspiration from someone with a rectangle shape, their clothing choices won’t translate the same way for me. Similarly, as someone who’s 5’4”, if I look at someone who’s 5’9” with a different shape, the proportions will be completely different. Understanding my shape not only guides me when seeking inspiration but also helps me make smarter purchases.

Related: “What Body Shape Am I?”

6. Using A One-size-fits-all Model

I’ve worked with many clients whose closets are full of items they don’t wear that they got from clothing subscriptions. The reason these subscriptions don’t work for most women is because they aren’t truly tailored to your unique personal style, body type, or lifestyle. They put together outfits based on a general idea of what someone might like, but they don’t take you into account. If you’ve tried subscription services and felt like they didn’t work for you, you’re not alone. It’s more common than you might think.

7. Not Practicing Putting Outfits Together

Another common mistake is not taking the time to practice putting outfits together with what’s already in your closet. Between work, kids, and countless responsibilities, finding time for your wardrobe can feel impossible. But if you want effortless style, you have to get good at creating outfits, and that only happens with practice. Whatever we practice, we improve at, and style is no different. Taking the time to experiment with different outfit combinations using the clothes you already own can make a huge difference in both your style and how you feel in your clothes.

8. Not Investing In Quality Basics

How to stop impulse buying, personal styling for men

This next mistake is one I was guilty of years ago, and it made putting together outfits so much harder. I wasn’t investing in quality basics. I used to think basics were boring and didn’t want to spend my wardrobe budget on them. Instead, I gravitated toward statement pieces: prints, bold colors, and exaggerated silhouettes. I quickly realized without solid basics, I couldn’t create cohesive outfits.

It wasn’t until I started investing in good-quality basics that getting dressed became effortless. Now, most of my wardrobe consists of quality basics, with a few statement pieces and prints mixed in. This balance makes outfit-building easier and gives me endless mix-and-match options. Once an outfit is fully styled, those basics make it look more polished than I ever expected. Prioritizing quality basics in your wardrobe is one of the best ways to build a closet of clothes you’ll wear and love.

9. Looking At Trends + Social Media For What To Buy

Another mistake is looking to social media and influencers for what to buy instead of using it as inspiration to get creative with your closet. I’ve found that women who purchase the exact pieces they see influencers wearing often don’t end up wearing them. The fit, style, or overall look just doesn’t translate the same way. Relying on trends often leaves you with a closet full of clothes you don’t love or wear.

Instead of copying what you see, use social media as a tool to spark creativity. Look for new ways to style what you already own, rather than constantly chasing new pieces that might not work for you.

10. Not Knowing The Missing Gaps In Your Wardrobe

How to stop buying things, style coaching

When I start working with someone, one of the first steps is a closet edit to identify the gaps in their wardrobe. I find the missing pieces that make getting dressed harder, prevent outfit cohesion, or keep them from feeling stylish. Almost every client I’ve worked with has had wardrobe gaps, without realizing it.

That’s why I always recommend paying attention to what’s missing when putting outfits together. If you set aside time each week to practice styling outfits, take note of what would complete the look. Recognizing and filling these wardrobe gaps is essential for creating a closet that works for you and makes outfit-building effortless.

11. Not Having A Shopping List

How to stop impulse buying, online personal stylist

Once you identify the missing pieces in your wardrobe, the next step is to create a shopping list. Without one, it’s easy to fall into impulse buying, purchasing things you don’t need, or ending up with more of the same instead of the pieces that will help you put outfits together.

A shopping list is essential if you’re still figuring out your style, curating your closet, and being more intentional with your wardrobe. Knowing exactly what you need to create a cohesive wardrobe will make shopping more purposeful and help you build a closet that truly works for you.

12. Not Having A Capsule Wardrobe

Having a strong foundation in your closet with pieces that mix and match easily, fit well, and reflect your personal style, body type, and lifestyle is key to building a wardrobe that works. I don’t believe everyone should have the same capsule wardrobe.

Instead, you need to find the essential pieces that reflect your style and that can be worn in multiple ways. After styling thousands of women, I’ve found that without a capsule wardrobe, putting together outfits that you love is difficult.

For most people, a wardrobe isn’t only capsule pieces. That’s why I always recommend starting with a capsule wardrobe. Build that foundation first, then add statement pieces, prints, or colors that reflect your personality. But without those foundational pieces, styling outfits with statement items becomes much more difficult.