This Is Your Cheat Sheet to Filter Impulse Buys From Favourites

Love shopping? Let’s find out how you shop and what kind of clothes you like, so you can understand whether something is useful to you or just another pretty piece that will end up sitting in your cupboard. Spend 5 minutes on this, save it in your notes app before your next shopping day, and your answers might just save you from regret buys too because one recent survey found that 84% of people had unworn garments, many of which would have probably ended up just sitting in wardrobes or eventually in landfills.

1. Notice what you actually wear

Look at the pieces you have worn the most in the last one year. Are they soft cotton kurtas or repeatable comfy shirts that work in many ways? Your most worn clothes show you your style more than impulse purchases ever do.

2. Think of the last piece you loved for years

Choose one item that has stayed with you for a long time. Maybe it lasted because of the fit, the colour, or because it became easier to love with every wear. That tells you what long lasting means for you.

3. Remember the year you bought the most clothes

Think about the phase when you bought too many clothes. Were you bored, influenced by social media, or preparing for special events? Sometimes we buy clothes without actually needing them, so let's think of all the whys and reasons you bought something.

4. Look for one artisan-made piece

Try picking one artisan-made dress, scarf, or Indian textile that is not screen printed or a mass fashion copy. It's absolutely okay if you do not find one easily. You will probably realise that pieces like these are more likely to be found in your mother's or grandmother's wardrobe, which just shows how much less accessible craft has become for the new generation.

5. Check how often you buy the same kind of thing

Before buying, imagine where you will wear it and how often you will repeat it. If you don't have a reason, divert your attention and stop that one impulse buy. The best clothes usually fit your taste and your lifestyle.

Buying less does not mean loving fashion less, and that is a myth that needs to go. 

It only means you get to understand your habits better and build a wardrobe filled with pieces you enjoy wearing and keeping for a long time. And this is more like a fast fashion repellent ideology that profit making brands don't want you to know.