As part of my on-going efforts to be more sustainable, last year I tracked how much I spent on clothing, shoes and accessories, so that I could assess it at the end of the year and look at my spending habits. It was an experiment to see if tracking what I spent would make me more conscious of my purchases and think twice about buying things on impulse (one of my weaknesses). 

I found that when I would track the item I’d just bought, I’d have a quick look back at the list and it would make me think about what I’d been spending that month or the previous month. Eventually I began to remember the list before I made a purchase, and it started to have an effect on me and my shopping habits. I feel like as the year went on I began to lose that craving for new clothes, and actually developed more of a keen eye for style again, not just looking out for new ‘trends’. 

This being said, 2019 was also the year I discovered Depop, and the rest as they say was history. I fell in love with this app as it had all the benefits of charity shop bargains without the exhausting legwork involved. I’ve used Depop to find clothes for work, summer sandals, and the best pair of jeans ever (thank you Weekday for making such great fitting jeans!) But the best thing I use it for is sourcing items for my Veganized Outfits – I have had so much success with finding really specific pieces and not having to buy them brand new. As you’ll see, most of the clothing I bought in 2019 was from Depop, with the rest coming from charity shops, Collection & Co and a few other sustainable brands. 

I always try to be as transparent as possible on my blog, so that people can see the realities of trying to shop sustainably and vegan, not just the glossy Instagram photos. It’s for that reason that I’ve decided to show you everything I bought in 2019 and what it cost me! I hope this will be useful for anyone who is interested in sustainable fashion but unsure of the actual cost of only buying secondhand or from sustainable brands, I know I didn’t have a clue when I first started. 

So here it is; my clothing spends of 2019…

January 

Charity shop shirt £2.99

M&S shoes X2 £60

Komodo yellow top + Mud Jeans £152.10

Thought blouse £32

Boden trousers x2 £116.00

Total: £336.09

February

Nothing bought

March

LaBante laptop bag £120

Ethcs sweatshirt £35

Tights £6

Total: £161

April

Charity shop handbag £6

Charity shop linen tops x2 £6

Total: £12

May

Womsh trainers £152.07

Collection & Co sandals £45

Charity shop blazer £8.99

Total = £206.06

June 

Nothing bought

July

Charity shop tops x2 and skirt £25.49

Depop buys:

Dungarees £10.50

COS jacket £28

White trainers £7

Black skirt £18.95

White top £20

Black joggers £13

Black blazer £10

Grey cami £11

Bike shorts £10

Black top £10

Black shirt £9

Total: £172.94

August

Depop buys:

Sandals £15

Black shoes £10

Mango dress £13

Weekday jeans £18

Tank top £10

Belt £8

Cami £8.50

Total: £82.50

September

Nothing bought (no buying clothes challenge at work)

October

Depop buys:

Faux leather jacket £45.50

Striped trousers £10.50

Sunglasses £10

Total: £66.00

November 

Collection & Co bag £75

Total: £75.00

December

Depop heels £13.50

Total: £13.50

Grand total = £1,125.09

Monthly average = £93.76

Total number of clothing items bought = 43

To clarify a couple of things; these prices are all inclusive of delivery/extra charges and during the month of September at work we all set each other 30 say challenges and mine was to not buy any clothes at all. 

Seeing it all laid out like that at first made me ashamed that I’d spent that much money, I think about my savings account crying out for that money! But seeing how much of these clothes were second hand is a great feeling, especially as before 2016 I would never have worn anything that wasn’t brand new. 

My aim for 2020 is to keep my total spends under £1000, and to think even harder about the purchases I make. Sometimes I’d buy something on Depop or in a charity shop without really having a need for it (in all honesty I don’t actually need any new clothes ever again, but you know what I mean), even though they were second hand I should still try and reduce the amount of clothes I bring home. 

What do you think of my 2019 true cost of sustainable shopping? Is this close to what you spend each year? Do you think I’m spending too much? I’d love to hear what you think about this, and whether you track your clothes spending or not. Leave a comment below and let me know!