Whatever the weather forecast says, spring is finally here. And, as we come into a new season, the familiar feeling of wanting some change comes back around. It’s out with the old and in with the new.

However it manifests for you, many of us feel the itch to change our style with the seasons, clearing out our wardrobes and adding new pieces to our collection which fit the latest fashion trends.

With endless spring fashion prediction content at our fingertips, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you need to buy everything new this year.

So, here are some of the things I’m trying to do to avoid ending up with a pile of clothes at the end of summer that I’ve barely worn (and don’t even like that much). These tricks won’t work for everyone - and I’m not saying you can’t buy anything new ever again - these are just some things that I’ll be doing to help me be a bit more mindful about my shopping habits at the start of the season.

Find new inspiration

When trends were only really talked about in magazines or TV interviews, it was a bit easier to tune out the noise and resist buying into them. But now, TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram have really turned up the volume.

There’s no doubt that the internet has made fashion more accessible than ever. From finding niche-style communities to keeping up with trends, there’s endless inspiration on social media. But, when we’re constantly served content that fits into the fashion trend cycle, it can be even harder to break out.

So, to try and stop myself from giving in and buying up all the most viral pieces of the season, I’m going to try to find my inspiration elsewhere: my colleagues, my friends, even people I see walking around London.

Okay, some of them might be wearing spring trends or pieces that I now desperately want as well, but I’m not necessarily looking so I can copy them - I’m more looking to give my eyes a break from seeing the same outfits and looks every day on my phone.

For me, if I see something enough times, I’m going to want to buy it. So, trying to reframe my sources of inspiration should help me avoid this - for the most part.

Rediscover wardrobe staples

Just like how seeing something everywhere has a big impact on me, so does not seeing it at all.

Since last summer, I’ve started organising my clothes by the time of year, putting away my winter/summer clothes and then getting them back out at the start of the season. And I mean properly putting them away - out of sight, out of mind. This has massively helped me get over the urge to buy new every time spring or summer rolls around.

Seeing my clothes again for the first time that year gives me a similar rush to buying something new - it’s not the same, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a different kind of excitement because I get to rediscover clothes I already know I like wearing. This means I can also be a bit more mindful about things I am buying, weighing up any new additions against what I already have.

Now, I’m personally not a fan of capsule wardrobes, and I think there are definitely some items you can wear throughout the year, but this system works for me. Like I said, if I can’t see something I forget it’s there, so it does feel like I’ve got new clothes to play with when I can get my shorts or summer dresses back out again.

Try before you buy

I love the convenience of buying things online, but I usually end up returning 80% of what I get. Sound familiar?

So, to try and think about whether I really want to invest in a trendy piece or if something will really suit me, I usually go to the shops and try an item on first as a proof of concept. The goal is to go in with an objective mindset and focus on deciding if this type of clothing/ trend suits me, not this particular item. It doesn’t always work and there are definitely times I end up taking things home that I wouldn’t have put in my basket online, but you can’t get it right all the time. It all takes practice.

When things do go to plan, I’ll then go back to my freshly unpacked wardrobe and see if I already have something similar. While I might not have an exact match, there’s usually something, especially when it comes to colour/pattern-based trends.

If there is a gap and I’ve decided I do want an item, then I can start looking for it. I go second-hand first and aim to only buy new if I can’t find a good equivalent and it’s an item I can really see myself wearing.

That’s the tricky bit. How do you work out what’s something you’ll actually wear lots versus something you think you would wear because everyone else is wearing it?

I don’t have the answer to that one yet, but I do have a tip that might help. I’ve seen lots of fashion influencers doing style challenges where they try to plan multiple outfits around one piece of clothing. So, mentally I do the same. If I can’t picture five outfits or occasions when I’d wear something, nine times out of ten, it’s because I already have something similar (or there’s just no occasion where I can wear a floor-length sherpa coat).

So, does all this make me the most sustainable shopper in the world? No, but that’s not the point.

I’m sure some pieces will slip through the cracks and I’ll end up with a handful of trendy pieces I don’t end up wearing more than once. But that’s okay. This process is all about practice, not perfect.

For me, sustainable fashion isn’t about denying myself something new if I want/ need it. It’s about being more mindful about what I’m adding to my collection, making sure everything has its place and fits together to create a wardrobe where I wear most things, most of the time.