How to shop mindfully and save money

Too many clothes in your wardrobe? Don't worry, you're not alone. But how many wears are you getting out of each item? And could you ditch a few to make some extra money?

The mindful fashion movement has its own take on the "do it right the first time" motto - by quality management practitioner Phil B Crosby. They believe you should buy once, buy well and can still enjoy the process of shopping whilst saving money.

"Not a lot of us have a lot of spare money. So I want to make sure that my money is going towards something I really want to invest in," Mindful Fashion NZ chief executive Jacinta FitzGerald says in the latest episode of RNZ's Thrift podcast.

"For me, being mindful about our clothing really looks at the whole life cycle of that piece of clothing."

Follow and listen to Thrift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Pause and think of what you need it for

Take a moment and think about what you really need for your wardrobe and consider how you'll fill that need. This should help you stay away from spontaneous purchases too, FitzGerald says.

"It might be a need for a dress for a function, it might be an outdoor piece of clothing."

Shopping has become a pastime, she says, but the sustainability movements in fashion want to see that swing back, so people buy fewer items and the best quality.

"You still get that [thrill] when you buy something, even if you take a bit more time to make the purchase.

"Everyone has a different amount of disposable income so really buying something that's the best quality, that meets your needs, is really the best way to get value for money."

Invest wisely

That might mean being smarter with the way you buy by looking at second-hand items online or in consignment stores. And the resale market is growing fast, FitzGerald says. A report from ThredUp predicts the global secondhand market will reach a value of US$350 billion by 2028.

Ali Millar - who runs a consignment store in Christchurch - used to shop secondhand herself as a teenager. Being the youngest of four siblings, it was better than "fourth hand" items, she says.

"One of my sayings is 'thou shalt not pay retail', why would you when there's so many beautiful clothes out there that have got so much more life in them?"

Consignment stores sell garments on behalf of customers. Usually the money is split 50-50 and some sell quality garments at half the normal price. Millar sells them at about third retail price but she's only got so much space so every coat hanger out there needs to be earning its keep.

It is safe to say garments with signs of being worn like stains, spills, fading colours, or cheaper labels are not accepted. She reckons natural fibres, linens, and cottons are the way to go. One to avoid is acrylics.

"That's shocking, it pills up something terrible, put it through the wash and it's a goner. It's all out of shape, and ugh, it's not pretty."

Similarly, fast fashion does not last the distance. You want to look for items that no matter how many times you wash will still look good.

Go through your wardrobe

A report by Waste and Resources Action Programme estimates the average person in the UK has 118 items of clothing in their wardrobe - a quarter of which go unworn for at least a year.

"When we buy something, it's not just the cost that we pay right then for that garment but it's actually the cost per wear that we should be thinking about," FitzGerald says.

For example, if you spend a lot of money on item that you don't wear often or even a moderate amount on one that doesn't last long, then you would have spent more money 'per wear' - less bang for your buck.

Not wearing it? Think about taking it to a secondhand shop or selling it online.

Look after your clothes to reduce the cost

Clothes in better condition will last longer, Fitzgerald says. "We're keeping it in use for as long as we can so that we don't have to keep rebuying to replace it."

Also, if it's still in good condition and you no longer wear it, you can resell it and make money.

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