Is this serving me well? closet clean-out winter 2021 - YouLookFab Forum

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Is this serving me well? closet clean-out winter 2021

Anonymous

I'm not sure what brought this on today , as I've been feeling very uninterested in life lately . Going through the motions it seems, while covid restrictions continute. Working, but not really contributing to the economy or community in a meaningful way while the gym is closed. I know I need to get a grip on the essentials part of my wardrobe , and have been reading everything on YLF right now with great interest, but the act of shopping (on line OR in-store) is not appealing right now. And when I don't care, or have the mental energy to plan and think clearly about what I need, I end up buying things that don't serve me well.

Rummaging through a too-full basket for a specific pair of mitts this morning popped open the cork on a long-overdue closet cleanup, and away I went. I bagged 5-6 coats/jackets , a pile of fluffy blanket-type scarves (I don't use this type of scarf anymore and need to stop buying them), a few blazers that just didn't wow me , and some assorted other things that just got in my way while I was piling and sorting. 2 black garbage bags full. Good thing DH isn't home , or I'd be on the receiving end of divorce papers if he saw all of this.

My outerwear was the biggest challenge, and I had been avoiding an edit for a good year. I love outerwear, and find it fun to buy, but I had stopped being so strict with my quality and design criteria and had too many pieces that just didn't serve me well. I don't remember where I heard that phrase - maybe here! - but it makes a lot of sense to me right now. Do I feel great in this? Cute? Polished? Does it fit perfectly? Is it in pristine condition still? There were a lot of no's . Among many other items are 4 pieces that I did have finds for that I've passed on . The olive green jacket , lemminged from Angie, was always too big, not the right weight for my climate, and had a few small paint/glue (can't figure out what else they would be) stains/marks on it thus making me feel less than great when I wore it. Why was I hanging on to it? The EF wool pants have never fit well (way too big) , and taking them to a tailor is not an option right now. I don't need them now anyways - so bye bye. The windowpane Zara pants have lost their appeal too. I don't feel great in them - so away they go too. I am getting rid of all 3 of the BR merino wool sweaters because they fit no hole, serve no purpose, make me feel overly busty and frumpy....and again don't serve me well.

After a careful cull of all of my winter outerwear, I'm left with a great collection. Next year (and maybe i'll take advantage of end-of-season sales to scoop these up for next winter) I'm looking for a really outstanding plaid coat, and something casual (but statement-making ) in olive green.

And then the sun finally came out, and the day is looking brighter !

Cuffed Plaid Pants

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7

Banana Republic

Washable Merino Ribbed Sweater

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15

Eileen Fisher Windowpane Plaid Stretch Wool Ankle Pants

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3

Sam Edelman Faux Fur Collar A-Line Anorak

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26

General

24 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

Tanya

Veteran

Great job, Lisa! It is always difficult to do such assessments and clean things out, and you nailed it.

About those BR merino sweaters: I have a couple as well, in a fairly formfitting size, and use them as layering pieces under blazers in colder weather, basically like warmer and fancier version of tees. Could yours serve that purpose, too?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*APPLAUSE*

My toes are tickled! I love a good wardrobe edit

How wonderfully satisfying, practical, and proactive! Light of mind and wardrobe. No more bossy wardrobe items. Always a good feeling.

slim cat

Veteran

Time consuming and tiresome edit with great results and a clear plan for future shopping! The best time to do editing is when nobody is home .
I tend to keep my coats/ jackets a bit too long sometimes- have 2 the warmest puffers in a luggage ( use very infrequently in mild winter) and the black coat with 3/4 sleeves that I haven’t used in years ( just sad to give it up - lol ).

unfrumped

Veteran

Glad you could identify pieces that wer not working and why. Good job!

I am continuing to work through my editing, in several “ rounds”. Will wear something I was keeping and then go, no, what was I thinking? Put up some holding zone items, and then after a few days , lightbulb went off and pulled out a couple items and put them in the toss bag also.
Going through scarves just this weekend. They actually DO take up space. Some wrinkle easily- not just if crammed up up for months, but with “ use as intended”. I don’t need that! Also not too hard are colors that are not flattering-maybe they were, once. Others are part of keeping seldom- worn scarves just in case, for every possible outfit, when scarves are not “ essential “ to my style.
( I will say that pandemic is not best time for me to make too rash or ruthless accessory decisions based on wears alone, if it’s something that still looks good to me, because I’ll have a better idea of that in another year or so.)

Im trying to think more about what is my “ vision” going forward- using my own outfit yay/nay reactions, Pinterest, w Fabbers pics— and even that is not likely to be completely clear or truly representative whilst still under pandemic conditions.

Anonymous

Tanya - nice to see you back ! I retired from my sales job in September and no longer have a need for more formal work clothes , including blazers. I do work part time in a medical fitness facility, where my clothing needs are dictated by some crazy person's idea of a uniform (lol) : all black . I'm dressing quite differently these days. Those sweaters are form fitting indeed and I've since realized that anything form fitting needs to be in a flat knit . Ribbed knits look like they pull open across my chest, and it's not a look I care for.

kellygirl

Veteran

Inspiring, Lisa! Laughing out loud about the editing on the DL. Editing without judgment is the best! Getting rid of the chaff is a great feeling, isn't it. I did this a few months ago so I can totally relate. Better yet, you have a plan going forward. I'm still working on that.

Anonymous

unfrumped - I'm finding I don't wear scarves as much as I used to anymore, and prefer the two or three favourites I wear the most. The wrinkling is an issue for me too, and I do not want to be pulling out the steamer just to freshen up a scarf each time I wear one, so I'm sticking pretty much to silk only . I am trying not to over purge, because you're right : life with change one day and we might want our other dressier clothes back . I'm hanging on to some of those for sure.

Tanya

Veteran

That is quite a change, Lisa, and I see why you have purged those sweaters now. When I think of you style (pre pandemic), my associations are always a great blazer (Smythe etc.), cool shoes, McQueen scarf, fun jewelry and impeccable hair and make up. Congratulations on you (semi) retirement!

LaPed

Veteran

I love framing it as, "Is this serving me well?" Keeping it real in the present moment!

Ever since masks became de rigeur, I've struggled with scarves as well. It feels like too much to wear both, and one is not optional...

nemosmom

Veteran

Anything that makes you feel frumpy, dumpy, sloppy, or any other negative feeling about yourself should be weeded out!

Congrats! I bet it feels really good.

Irina

Veteran

Funny, I bought those BR sweaters with everybody, too and returned them as I didn’t like how ribbing looks across my chest. This winter I regretted it, perhaps they would work better under sweaters than any Heatech t-shirts. I’m still cold with Uniqlo t-shirts as inner layers when I’m out for a walk.
Good luck with your edit.

Anonymous

Irina - that would be a good use for them if one "ran cold" (forum term, lol). I really don't, and don't layer up on top even when I'm outside in the winter.

kkards

Veteran

Spammer here...i try to avoid closet clean outs when I’m feeling really off my game, because i tend to make snap decision that I regret later, of course YMMV.....i seem to remember a recent post where you lamented a tailored coat that you had edited out, and now wished you had....is there anything in this set that maybe isn’t right for right now, but should be put on hold and relooked at in a year when life is back to some kind of normal?

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Interesting! Mood of course is completely understandable at the end of January during a pandemic. Am a firm believer that once everyone can socialize again the pendulum will swing toward dressing up, but that does not mean you need to keep things that aren't doing it for you anymore. I have mentioned this before, but I like to compare my pieces in a category to my gold standard piece and see if they measure up. Just another angle. Good luck!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I believe that “serving you well” idea was forum wisdom from Suz given to me when she was congratulating me on having progressed during my 4 years on the forum to being able to edit better. The flip side of it though is being able to *buy* better in the first place.
I think you have always been a keen editor-out. The churn can be of concern in general though for anyone, which is what I am also wanting to avoid. I agree things need to serve us well. How do we make sure we choose correctly next time? That’s a big concern for me, and why I once said I may have been so PPP that I PPP’d myself out of existence!

Bijou

Veteran

Lisa, well done. I hope you feel better.

Anonymous

Good work! I get it about sneaking things out of the house so DH doesn't notice Ditto about the scarves too- just too much with masks.

RobinF

Veteran

What a great feeling to get rid of the items that don't work any more!

I'm kind of off scarves right now too, wonder why? Even the warm winter ones are only used for outdoor activities whereas I used to always wear one outside.

JAileen

Veteran

I love outerwear too. I joke that I have as many coats as the Inuit have words for snow. When Angie got that green coat and then you did too, I wondered about it because it seemed fine for Seattle, but not warm enough for Winnipeg. But what do I know?

When our son was visiting recently (after quarantining), he commented that I don’t appear to be able to get rid of things. Ouch. I look around and there is stuff everywhere. He’s right!

Anyway, I have a couple of thick cabled sweaters that should be favorites. The bulk makes me look like a bear. I’ve had them a couple years and keep trying to make them work. They are pale tweedy pink and grey. Perfect in theory, but not in real life. I’m finally ready to donate them.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm always in favour of a good closet edit! Sounds like you had reason to say goodbye to these pieces, so our they go!

I have no idea if I'm the originator of "serve you well" (right now I'm hearing my mother's voice saying to me, "serves you right!", haha), but I'll take credit for it, if credit it is! Jenni raises a really interesting point, really the $64,000 question -- how do we then buy the items that will serve us well in future? Versus the ones that won't.

Ultimately, I think planning is key. Impulse purchases often end up in the donate bag a lot sooner.

And yet, and yet -- i don't want to rob shopping and dressing of all its spontaneity, either. Impulse purchases can also end up as statement workhorses, surprising closet favourites!

My gut tells me that a sound plan and a good complement of true FOR YOU essentials will ensure that the impulse (often statement) items will end up good bargains rather than bad.

dakotacheryl

Veteran

Lisa P, I wish you good luck on the continuing closet clean out. I too have retired, just in December, and am looking at my closet of work wear and just don't have the heart yet to bag much of it up. I love my Eileen Fisher and Elizabeth Suzanne clothes. I already thinned out shoes as heels just aren't comfortable since my hip replacement 8 weeks ago. We spent good money buying these clothes and, for me, I need a few seasons to go by and see if I reach for any of these.

Where I live, we are pretty much wide open so I can wear my clothes socially, but, it's so casual around here, I just don't need to keep many of my work clothes...sigh...

LaPed

Veteran

Yeah, “Will this serve me well?” is a vastly trickier question than, “Is this serving me well?”

I’m okay with a few failed experiments (the cost of moving the style needle), but I’m much happier when my culls are at the end of their lifespan. I wonder — along the lines of Carla’s white tee thread — if there’s value in setting a quota for pieces bought with the understanding that they won’t stay in your closet very long (placeholders, experiments, trends, wear out quickly), rather than treating it like a failure that should never happen. Maybe there’s a way to feel in control of those additions instead of burdened by them.

Anonymous

Oh yeah , I agree there’s a difference between “ is “ this serving me well and “ will “ this serve me well . I don’t regret many , if any , of my outerwear purchases and the ones I bagged up were no longer serving me the way they once might have . With the olive Angie parka , that was not a great buy as it’s not warm enough in winter and isn’t the right look for warmer temps here . It’s also too big - always has been . I also agree that mistakes happen and are good for teaching us what would work better . And for moving the needle further ahead , as LaP says . I do have to be careful of buying too many of one kind of trend item ( teddy coats and jackets for example ) as that look can get old quickly .

Helena

Veteran

Awesome! Nothing makes me happier than a good edit. Agree about the trend items - you love them, and it's part of your style to stay fashion-forward - but you are also mindful of budget and not big on wearing items whose moment has passed (if I'm not mistaken?), etc. So a non-duping policy for trend items seems wise! Funny that for me, I need to same policy but for essentials!