No Low Buy Pledge, No Regrets
Why I started my low buy, why I stopped, and how it's going (dun dun dunnnn)
If you’ve been here for a while you know that I *try* to have as responsible a wardrobe as possible for someone that loves fashion and will absolutely buy several pieces of clothing every year. I know that sustainability looks different for everyone based on a variety of reasons, like budget, time, accessibility, and personal preference. For me, being responsible means getting the bulk of my wardrobe secondhand and avoiding fast fashion and impulse buys. Doing two back-to-back low buy pledges helped me to be even more mindful about my firsthand consumption.
How It Started
I started my first low buy pledge in 2023 after being inspired by Lauren Indvik’s1 Financial Times article about her pledge to only buy five new things. Thanks to my eternal love for shopping secondhand on
, I ended the year at nine new items and was feeling good enough to keep going for a second year. When I came across ’s , it helped put structure around the next phase of my pledge, the goal to buy no more than 10 new things in 20242.The parameters for my 2024 low buy pledge:
Up to 10 new clothing items are allowed
No cap on secondhand buys
Gifts and workout gear count
Shoes, bags, jewelry, accessories, socks, and undergarments don’t count
Rentals don’t count
Repair of something I own doesn’t count
What I Bought Secondhand in 2024
2024 was the year that my style went from what I like to call Chaotic Maximalist to Ultra Minimalist. I leaned hardcore into minimalism last year and loved how many styling options it opened up. But analyzing the street style trends at Copenhagen Fashion Week this January rekindled my love for prints and patterns, so now I’m balancing my pared-back style by rotating in my OTT pieces.
My goal has been to wear all of my statement pieces at least once this year to decide if they still fit my aesthetic before finding them new homes through
. Right now my understated pieces are making up 95% of my outfits, but as I’ve been slowly working my way through my maximalist pieces I haven’t found anything that I’m ready to let go of quite yet.
Curious about the sustainable research that spurred the original pledge and creators to follow if you’re new to buying pledges? I’ve got you covered here:
Why I dropped my low buy pledge this year and the 10 new things I bought last year:
How It’s Going Post-Low Buy
I’m writing this three months out from dropping my low buy pledge, and I’m happy to say that my new purchases for the year have been necessities only. I went to New York this January and promptly froze, even with my strategic Californian layering of a long coat, North Face jacket, sweaters, and gloves (it turns out that polyester is not warm in low double digit temps and snow).
I made my first-ever Uniqlo purchase of two Ultra Warm Heattech tops and a pair of Heattech gloves, which I did not take off the entire weekend. With all of the fantastic options at resale I haven’t bought anything new since, even though I have a Shopbop gift card burning a hole in my pocket.
Everything I Bought Secondhand in 2025
My secondhand purchasing has been a little higher this year since I decided to dip my toe into preloved wool and leather after an eight year hiatus. I’ve bought a total of 133 preloved pieces between
and ThredUp. I consider everything a win and my last preloved order was especially stellar. Some items were on my wishlist for a while, like the Frankie Shop sweater vest, and some of them caught my eye at resale and I reverse image searched my way into giving them a new home.What It Looks Like
I’m feeling more content with my wardrobe than ever, but I’d love to find secondhand silver sculptural earrings or splurge on a firsthand pair. I’ve been thinking about these Agmes hoops ever since I saw them in
’s 20 Things I Don’t Regret Buying in 2024 post. In the spirit of transparency, I fully admit to wanting everything in that post and everything that Sarah wears in general since her style is impeccable.Another 2025 goal is replacing my four year old Apple watch band with something more sophisticated since pink silicone is really not it. If anyone has any chic metal alternatives, please send help in the comments so I can start scouring resale.
Sustainable Substackers to Follow
If you’re looking for more inspiration in your sustainable or secondhand journey, these are the fashion Substack writers to follow. If I’ve missed any of your favorite responsible fashion Substackers below or in this post, let me know in the comments.
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Must read post: Jenny’s brilliant take on creating five spring outfits using items she already owns will make you want to shop your closet asap.
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Must read post: What the team wore to New York Fashion Week. So many amazing preloved pieces and shout out to the upcycled balaclava made from headphones (!).
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Must read post: An epic post dedicated to vintage and preloved evening bags just in time for wedding season, covering every occasion from beach to black tie.
Must read post: This reinvigorated my 2025 goal to wear everything in my closet when I started to revert to my minimalist ways last month.
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Must read post: With compostable packaging still light years away, this is the post to read if you’re trying to reduce plastic in your beauty and personal care routine.
I’m On A Pod!
You might already be reading or listening to
at where she explores trusting your instincts to guide your style. Must read post? Maureen’s new series Notes to Self about dressing with intention daily. I had the honor of being a guest on Maureen’s podcast last Friday and it was the best time ever. We talked about skinny jeans, jelly shoes, the cultural forces driving Y2K fashion, and what it means to be semi-sustainable. As I like to say: if you haven’t listened yet, now’s your chance! Join us on Substack or Apple podcast.
I’ll leave you with this to feed my insatiable curiosity about how everyone is approaching their consumption this year:
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading! If you’re following a low buy this year, how’s it going? If you’re easing out of a low buy in 2025, are you finding it easier to shop with reduced consumption in mind? I’d love to hear all about it.
Want even more secondhand fashion? You can also find me here writing about all things resale for
. See you next week!If you like what you’ve read, please consider tapping the ❤️ or commenting. It really helps bring a little more visibility to my free newsletter.
How’d Lauren do? She ended the year at 12 new items after finding out she was pregnant in May, an impressive count for a big life change.
How’d I do? I ended the year at exactly 10 new items. Although in a perfect world where sustainability and money weren’t issues it would have been closer to 50 new items. I fully admit I love the possibilities and pristineness that new clothing adds to my wardrobe.
1 belt, 1 baseball cap, 1 pant, 2 jackets, 3 tops, and 5 sweaters to be exact.
Ok so we both know I’m not usually inspired by minimalist style but YOU (YOU!!) do it for me. I think it’s because of your willingness to play with proportion so while you might be in neutral colors in classic items (eg a blazer) you have absolutely NAILED proportions. I’m very inspired by your featured outfits!
I’m so honoured to be mentioned here, thank you so much, Tina! 💕