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What a Year Without Buying Clothes Taught Me About Personal Branding, Values and Intentional Living

Saturday 25th May 2024, was a day like any other. I was out with my mother, strolling and window shopping, when a pretty dress, caught my eye. It wasn’t a particularly dramatic purchase. No grand story. No occasion. Just a dress I liked, pre-owned, aligned with my values, and a little something to lift my wardrobe. What I didn’t know at the time was that it would become the last item of clothing I would buy for over a year.


Fast forward to today, Monday 9th June 2025, and I haven’t bought a single piece of clothing since. Not new. Not second-hand. Not even the kind of “essential” purchase that most of us justify without thinking.


No challenge. No social media declaration. No pressure. It just… happened.


And in the process, something subtle but powerful started to unfold, in my mindset, my habits, and ultimately in how I show up, both personally and professionally. This decision to stop shopping became a quiet revolution, one rooted in values, intentionality, and alignment. And the lessons I’ve learnt along the way have shaped more than just my wardrobe, they’ve shaped my brand, my business, and my way of being.

Lisa Maynard-Atem smiling in front of a pink background, with text that reads: ‘I help purpose-driven founders show up, speak up and stand out’. Website navigation links include Home, About, Work With Me, and Blog.
A picture that you have no doubt seen before, but it sums me and my love of fashion up perfectly.

From Habit to Intention

If you had asked me a few years ago whether I could go a full year without buying clothes, I probably would have laughed. I’ve always loved fashion, not as a form of status, but as a means of self-expression. I see clothing as an extension of identity, a creative tool for storytelling, and yes, a source of joy.


But like so many of us, I’ve also been swept up in the culture of more. More trends, more options, more scrolling, more “just in case” purchases. Shopping, even when intentional, can become habitual.


The last dress I bought was preloved, a conscious choice. But after that, I felt an urge to pause. Not forever. Just to not shop for a while. To wear what I already own. To restyle. To resist the pull of what’s new and instead deepen my relationship with what’s already in my wardrobe.


Weeks passed. Then months. Then I crossed the six-month mark and thought, Wow, I haven’t bought anything in half a year. Then 9 months. Then the full 12.


And here we are: a year on, and not one new purchase in sight.


The Power of Quiet Decisions

I want to be clear: this wasn’t performative. I didn’t document it in real-time or turn it into a challenge. I didn’t announce it on social media or frame it as a moral high ground. This was a personal decision, rooted in a desire to live more closely with my values, particularly around sustainability and conscious consumption.


But what I didn’t expect was how much clarity this “non-decision” would bring. How a single, quiet choice, to simply not buy, would ripple into other parts of my life and business.


Redefining My Relationship With Fashion

Choosing not to shop made me revisit my relationship with style.


When you stop adding new pieces to your wardrobe, you’re forced to engage with what’s already there. And if you’re someone who loves fashion, that can be surprisingly empowering. I began reworking pieces I hadn’t worn in years. I got creative with layering, with tailoring, with mixing eras and aesthetics. I remembered what I loved about my clothes in the first place, and discovered new ways of making them feel fresh again.


It also challenged some of my own assumptions around status and success. In an industry (and society), that often equates visibility with novelty, the new bag, the new shoes, the new look, there was something quietly radical about not participating.


I still showed up. I still felt stylish. And I still felt like me - perhaps even more so.


Lessons in Alignment

Here’s the thing: I now run a consultancy where I help purpose-driven founders build powerful personal brands rooted in values, integrity, and clarity. But those aren’t just words I offer to clients. They’re principles I actively try to live by. And the decision not to shop? It became one of the most practical demonstrations of that. It was never just about clothes. It was about alignment.


When your actions match your beliefs, when your daily decisions reflect your deeper values, that’s when real confidence is born. That’s when your brand, your message, and your impact start to feel true.


And it doesn’t have to be loud. In fact, some of the most meaningful expressions of personal branding are the ones no one else sees. The things you do when no one’s watching. The habits that shape you slowly, from the inside out.


What I Learnt from 365+ Days of Not Shopping


Style Isn’t Seasonal - It’s Personal

Trends come and go. Your style remains. I didn’t feel less stylish this year. If anything, I felt more confident, because I was dressing from a place of authenticity, not novelty.


Less Clutter Means More Clarity

Not just in my wardrobe, but in my mind. I stopped chasing the next thing and started appreciating what I already had, in clothes, in business, in life.


Consumption is a Habit - and Habits Can Be Rewritten

So much of our shopping is reflexive. Breaking that habit gave me back agency and control. I no longer felt compelled, I felt conscious.


Values Are Lived, Not Just Stated

It’s easy to put words like ‘sustainability’ and ‘intentionality’ on a website. It’s harder, but far more powerful, to live them.


Your Brand Isn’t Built in a Day - It’s Built in the Everyday

Every choice you make, from what you wear to what you buy (or don’t), communicates something about who you are and what you stand for. Your personal brand is constantly being shaped by your lived decisions.


What This Means for You (Yes, You)

You don’t need to stop shopping for a year. That’s not the point.


The point is: what does alignment look like for you?


It might be in how you spend your time.

Or who you choose to collaborate with.

Or how you price your services.

Or what you say no to.


Personal branding isn’t just about content or logos or catchy bios. It’s about congruence, the harmony between your inner values and outer expression. And sometimes, that harmony starts with something as simple (and as profound) as not buying.


How This Informs My Work

This past year has deepened my understanding of what it means to truly live your brand. And it’s made me even more committed to helping others do the same.


When I work with founders now, especially women and underrepresented entrepreneurs, I bring this lens of alignment into every conversation. I’m not interested in building personal brands that look good but feel hollow. I’m here for the kind of branding that reflects real purpose, real integrity, and real lived experience.


Because that’s what resonates. That’s what builds trust. And that’s what opens doors, to funding, partnerships, and growth.


So whether you’re at the start of your brand journey or recalibrating after years in business, my advice is this:


Start with your values. Then live them. Loudly, quietly - it doesn’t matter. Just live them.


So, What’s Next?

Will I ever buy clothes again? Of course. I love fashion, and when I do make a purchase, it will be considered, intentional, and value-aligned. But for now, I’m content. I’ve found a rhythm that works for me, one that’s not driven by marketing cycles or impulse, but by meaning. This milestone isn’t a finish line. It’s just a marker on the journey.


And if my experience inspires even one person to pause, reflect, and realign their own habits, then it’s been worth sharing.


Your turn:

Have you ever made a quiet decision that changed how you see yourself?

Is there an area of your life where you’re craving more alignment?


I’d love to hear your thoughts.


👇🏾 Let’s continue the conversation in the comments. And if you’re curious about how personal values can shape your brand and business, explore more of my work at https://www.lisamaynardatem.com


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