As I sat scrolling Sezane’s new arrivals in a coffee shop on Sunday, it hit me— the most GORGEOUS dress.

Killer silhouette (with chest support), low back, 100% silk, a beautiful gold/green print that could almost look neutral. As a huge fan of the brand, I knew that this was one of their few “special” pieces that they launch each collection and do not replace once it sells out.

It had already sold out in Size 2 and 4. As a Size 6, I knew I had stumbled upon a rare window that would not last much longer.

And yet.

And YET.

I spent more money than ever last year on clothing (in small defense, it was my wedding year and I had a lot of dresses to buy). This year, my goal is to not buy any clothing for 6 months. I am 1.5 months in.

I stared at the Sezane screen for 20 minutes, envisioning the places I would wear it: my friends weddings, a night out in LA, a vacation in Mexico. I would curl my hair just like the model. I would be th emodel. I bought a long dress from Sezane last year (I think the same model lol) and loved it, and I knew this one would provide the same joy.

In impact, however, I knew in my heart of materialistic hearts that clothing does not have a positive ROI. Beyond the few clothes that I reach for day in and day out, the majority of my clothing does not get worn enough to justify the cost. And even if I do wear it frequently at first, I rarely keep it for more than 3 years.

In financial terms, I was prepared to spend $245 (+tax) on an item that I know in 2023 might be damaged, not fit my body or lifestyle, or be out of style. Multiply that by 15 purchases and I’m looking at my $3-5k / year clothing budget that provides zero ROI (other than a few cute Instagrams).

To change my behavior, I’m trying a new approach— when tempted to buy an item of clothing, I can either purchase it OR take the money I would have spent and put it into high risk investing on Robinhood. As this was money already (almost) lost, I want to put it into a riskier investment than my other savings. If I make money I’m betting I’ll be motivated to put more towards it (and thus buy less clothing), and if I lose money – well – I clearly decided I could live without the money and with the dress that I’d forget about in 4 months anyway.

Let me know if you’re interested in my progress with this idea!