Thoughts following closet edit

A period of tracking wears followed by a closet edit gave me a number of things to think about regarding my wardrobe. The most important one is this:

1. I enjoy my clothes and the creative process of putting outfits together.

A few principles I should keep in mind for future acquisitions:

2. I don't want any of my clothes or shoes to be too precious. I don't want to save anything because I might wear it out or ruin it in the rain or stain it or ... whatever. I want to wear virtually everything at least seasonally, if not year-round.

3. I don't like waste, but I'm not a minimalist. A certain amount of variety is important to me.

4. However, space is quite limited, so almost everything needs to mix and match, and fit my lifestyle.

Thus:

5. Comfort and durability are key in both clothes and shoes.

So far, so good. But, as I've alluded to in previous posts, the last several month have included some major challenges on the personal/family front. Which leads me to:

6. I'm prone to indulging in retail therapy when I'm under stress.

That's a tough one to admit. I pride myself in being a frugal, smart shopper. But I overdid it this year pre-buying for fall/winter without fully assessing what I already had or if I needed anything. And even after getting rid of a number of items (mostly worn out) during the edit, my closet is at maximum capacity.

So:

7. I probably shouldn't shop out of season.

8. I should avoid shopping as a way to boost my mood.

To treat this over-buying hangover, I'm going to challenge myself not to add anything new for the rest of the year. I've got plenty to work with, more than I need, and hopefully enough creativity to keep things interesting. Time to shop my closet.

5 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is extremely well thought out and sensible. Easier said than done, of course.

I tend to indulge in retail therapy, too. Sometimes if the temptation is really huge I permit myself an accessory (e.g. a new scarf) -- but *only* if I also edit out an older one. I also think these moments of temptation are useful signals. Often we're in a period of stress and are missing "fun" and that's the real problem.

Instead of shopping I sometimes participate in forum challenges and try to wear my clothes in new ways.

Joy

What the wise Suz said. I hope things get less stressful for you. Remember that we can't fix everything, but be supportive and listen. It is hard to do that without wanting to do something

Barbara Diane

Congrats on your edit and analysis, which led you to a shopping break.

nemosmom

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to beautifully articulate (and share) your post-edit wisdom!. Your post really resonated with me (esp #2 and 6!)

Jessikams

Shopping timing is so hard! Things are on sale out of season—- but then I don’t know yet what I want or need. Also it tends to add to the storage problem. I just duplicated some shoes that I loved over the summer, because they were on sale- but now I have to PUT them somewhere for the next 8 months.
Excellent analysis. Hope you can derive some comfort from your fashion fun and the new stuff you’ve already bought.

Anonymous

This such an enlightening post!!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT analysis. A lot of it applies to me as well so your lessons are my lessons.

I'm sorry about the stress in your life at this time. I hope it all works out soon. Best wishes.

Bijou

Well you definitely are not the only one who uses shopping as a pick me up - its not called "Retail Therapy" for nothing. It sounds as though you have things very well thought out, congratulations. Wardrobes often have periods of rebuilds, mine was last year when I changed jobs and required a different set of work wear. It was lots of fun to buy new things, but of course now that has occurred, I need to pull back and really think through whether I need that wonderful new thing.

Kathie

I truly hope your life becomes less stressful in the near future. Your point #2 really resonated with me, as I edit. For me, the issue is dry cleaning- I’m precious with anything that needs dry-cleaning, both because of cost, and the chemicals. I’m keeping a small capsule of dressier, DCO clothes, and evaluating the rest, and giving myself permission to pass along the items for which the maintenance isn’t worth it.

Cardiff girl

What a well articulated post.A lot of what you said resonates with me,let us know how you get on with resisting the lure of the shops and I hope that life becomes more peaceful for you in the very near future.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

A VERY well thought out post. You did some soul searching and it shows. Shopping your closet is a good thing. Enjoy.

Runcarla

Good post! Thanks for sharing your findings. #2 and #7 have particular resonance.

Like the Season

Active Member

Thanks, Suz. Yes, you're so right about the temptation to shop being a signal that you might be in need of dopamine instead of a new sweater.

Thanks, Joy. Good advice.

Thank you, Barbara Diane.

Thanks, nemosmom. It felt good to get some of that down in writing.

I hear you, Jessikams. And yes, I plan to enjoy the heck out of my less-than-wise purchases.

Thanks for the understanding and good wishes, Sterling.

Thanks, Bijou. Yeah, once that momentum gets going, it can be tough to put on the brakes.

Kathie, I agree completely on the dry cleaning. Adding low maintenance to my list of requirements.

Thanks for the support, Cardiff girl. I'll be looking for strategies to avoid temptation. Suz's suggestion of participating in challenges is a good one.

Many thanks as always, Angie.

Thanks, Runcarla.

cindysmith

I can sympathize. I am an emotional shopper, too. I'm a recovering addict/alcoholic, and I was talking to my sponsor about my shopping recently. She said she'd much rather I go buy some new shoes than get loaded, which is a good point. Reading your #2 reminded me of this, and that I have boots in my closet that I didn't wear today because the yard is muddy and I didn't want to get mud on them. Thank you for the kick in the seat of the pants

I think Suz is onto something. I engage in retail therapy when my life is out of balance. I've started re-engaging in activities that used to be calming/soothing to me, hoping to bring some balance back into my life and closet.

And as for your number 2... I have often been asked why I'm wearing certain garments, because the person asking says "it's just podunk USA, why wear such a fabulous piece in such a nothing little town?" My response is, "burn the $30 candle". What I mean by that is that I buy $30 candles or "precious" shoes or delicate silk trousers because they bring me joy, or comfort, or some other benefit; not burning the $30 candle, not wearing the precious shoes, not wearing the delicate silk trousers... well, that's just wasting my money. Now, when I buy a fabulous piece that I love, I wear it. To the grocery store. In the rain. In podunk USA. I don't ever want to fall back into the habit of saving the "good" stuff for a special occasion, because there just aren't that many special occasions in my life. I don't want to be afraid of ruining a garment, because that leads me down a path of fear that ends up with "well, I could get hit by a semi-truck on my way to the grocery store" (anxiety is weird like that). I wear the nice garment, and if it gets ruined, well at least I got to wear something I loved.

Oh, cindysmith. There's so much wisdom in your comment. Yes, yes, yes.

Seek balance.
Use the good stuff.
Don't overthink it.

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