the most common type of impulse shopping I hear about
Content note: This newsletter discusses body image and body positivity in the context of clothing and spending. While our approach is affirming and supportive, we do touch on body changes and acceptance. Take care of yourself as you read.
A turn of season, another reckoning with my ever-changing cis-gendered female body. While getting ready for a day at the pool, I found that last year's shorts just don't fit.😩
I've worked looong and hard to achieve a level of body acceptance that I'm proud of. I'm 45 🎉and with 2 kids, a grief-filled pandemic, genetics and simply the changes of life, so too is my wonderful body changing.
But there are moments like these (the shorts moment) that lead me wanting to buy all new clothes as well as hold on to these smaller ones "just in case I lose weight" — something my mom always did that was baffling to me. 🤔 Keeping those old clothes seemed to stop her from accepting the body she had and in turn, that hurt me. And here I am with the same sentiment. I get it deeply, and I want to change it.
Can you relate to this clothing conundrum? 👖🌀
The Clothing-Money-Body Triangle
This week's podcast episode dives deep into why clothing is probably the most common impulse spending category for so many of us. I had such a fun conversation with stylist Kyla Brown about the intersection of our wardrobe, our wallet, and our self-worth.🪞
Here's what hit me: We're not just buying clothes — we're buying into fantasies about who we think we should be.
That dress you never wear? 👗Those jeans that don't fit your actual lifestyle?👖 The blazer for the confident woman you're "becoming"? 🧥 Kyla calls this shopping for your "fantasy self" instead of your authentic self. 💭
From Shopping to Curating
One of the most powerful shifts Kyla shared was reframing how we approach acquiring clothes:
Shopping = "I'm just out here looking for things to buy" (pastime = impulse spending) 🛒
Curating = "I'm building a collection of things that serve me" (project = intentional spending) 🧩
When you shift from shopping as entertainment to curating as a purposeful project, everything changes. 🔄 You research. You consider your actual life, your actual body. You can walk into stores and leave empty-handed without guilt.
When I finally understood my hourglass body type and bought a jean jacket that actually fit my waist instead of hiding it, that one piece elevated every outfit because it was chosen for my actual body, not the body I thought I should have (and Kyla personally helped me to understand that! 💛)
Your body acceptance journey and your money healing journey are deeply connected. 🙌
Hot tip: get out your notes app to jot down Kyla's Essential Wardrobe Checklist 📋
Instead of buying more, Kyla suggests focusing on foundation pieces that work for any style.
Ready to Transform Your Closet AND Your Spending? 👗💸
For the complete conversation on body types, the psychology of clothing purchases, and practical tips for curating a wardrobe that serves your actual life, listen to my latest episode with Kyla Brown.
We explore everything from the "millennial curse" of leggings and oversized t-shirts (like sees like), to why it's empowering to leave stores empty-handed.
Remember:
💖Your body is worthy of clothes that fit it beautifully right now.
💖Your budget is worthy of intentional choices that serve your real life.
💖And you are worthy of the gentle acceptance that makes both possible.
Ready to go deeper?
We're talking all about values based spending for the month of June in the Club. From clothes, to travel, to charity and family, how you spend both money and time can reflect your values. And when it doesn't, you feel icky. We're here to help you feel grounded in your spending.
Join us at moneyhealingclub.com to trust yourself with spending.