A Full Closet With Nothing to Wear
We're taught many things throughout our lives but how to shop and maintain a wardrobe isn't one of them. Even though we interact with clothing every day, we see it mainly as something to consume because that's how it's presented to us. Our understanding and connection to clothing has been all but severed in the modern era, even when it seems to be all around us. In future posts I hope to help you become a more educated consumer but for now let's start by looking inward.
Your wardrobe is first and foremost about you. You choose what makes up your closet, even within the boundaries of work garments or lifestyle limitations. A level of honesty with yourself is fundamental which may be an uncomfortable place to explore if what you've known up until now is dressing for someone else; be it another person, or a version of yourself that doesn't exist in the present.
The issue with buying and keeping clothing you once wore or plan on wearing but can't for one reason or another, is that those items are for someone else. You're prioritizing your past or future self and putting who you are right now on the back burner, essentially telling yourself that who you are in this moment is the least important and not deserving of effort or intention. We've been told to dress for the job we want and apply that to all aspects, buying clothing for the lifestyle we crave, or the most successful manipulation in marketing: a body that doesn't exist. With proper guidance and support a goal can be a driving factor, but we need to acknowledge that when it comes to what we wear, clothing is something that is made for our bodies, and bodies are not stagnant forms. They change day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, and when we accept that there's an ebb and flow to our physical existence as well as our mental, we can recognize that of course there will also be an ebb and flow to our wardrobes.
Do you have garments you enjoy but they're being obscured by things you don't wear, or wear but don't feel good in? Do you find you really don't like anything that's currently housed in your closet? Do you find you're constantly buying new things but still don't feel like your wardrobe is serving you? It's all very frustrating in a world where you're not taught how to navigate these issues and things just seem to pile up, in your closet and in your mind. For some the solution is a capsule wardrobe, which is a great option if that's what you really want, but most people turn to it looking for a kind of relief and end up craving more than it has to offer.
Something we should add to our statements when talking about our own tastes is the term "right now". We tend to see so much of what we choose as final, as though we're characters in a movie that doesn't change in the 20 years of watching it. So when it comes to style shifts we automatically resist, thinking we need to stay in the style we've previously chosen. What would happen if instead of saying "this is my style" you said "this is my style right now". It opens up the door to the natural shift without the stagnant pressure.
Look through your closet and sink into a level of honesty you've never explored before. I'm always here for a one on one virtual consultation if this feels overwhelming. What you've been doing thus far is just a cycle that keeps you frustrated, and it's time to break that cycle and create a wardrobe for who you are in this moment.
