The Wardrobe Project: A Year of Buying Less and Liking Yourself More

One year. A whole new perspective on style, spending and self-image.

Have you ever stared at a wardrobe full of clothes thinking ‘I have nothing to wear’? You're not alone. Millions of women are stuck in the frustrating cycle of shopping for the perfect outfit, only to find themselves overwhelmed and confused as to why no matter what they buy, they never look the way they want to. This expensive obsession drains our wallets and leaves us feeling empty, especially when we face new cost-of-living pressures.

Emma Edwards, financial behaviour specialist and founder of The Broke Generation, broke free from this cycle with a radical experiment: one full year without buying any clothes. No new clothes, no second-hand finds, not even rentals. In The Wardrobe Project, Emma shares her raw, honest journey of stepping away from what she calls the ‘hamster wheel’ of spending. She confronts our culture of consumption and the impossible standards women are forced to chase ? and reveals the empowering transformation that followed.

What you'll discover:

How to understand your buying habits and ways you might be outsourcing your identity to consumption

Real-world strategies for surviving weddings, work events, and ‘nothing to wear’ days ? all without buying something new

The link between body image and fashion consumption, through Emma's raw month-by-month insights into changing the way she saw herself

The unexpected power that lies within your existing wardrobe and how wearing what you can have can change everything

Practical techniques for saying no to impulse buying, whether you're in the store or shopping online

Ways to find confidence beyond the perfect outfit and rediscover what brings you joy

The Wardrobe Project is your guide to gently shifting your spending habits and finding confidence within yourself instead of searching for it on a rack. It might even tempt you to take on the no-buy challenge as you discover your inner brilliance, without the need to add to cart.

© 2025 Wavesound from W. F. Howes Ltd (Audiobook): 9781004229703

Release date

Audiobook: 2 December 2025