*Warning!* this post may trigger closet reviews by vulnerable individuals.
I must also provide a disclaimer that the year of pandemic associated activity restrictions, including months of ‘stay at home’ has not changed the way I dress! My retired lifestyle requires mostly casual outfits. Every morning I get dressed for my day in some sort of pants (usually jeans - blue or white) or shorts ( blue or white!) and a top (usually t-shirt style or sweater, and sometimes a button down). As such, my clothes continued to see the same amount of wear that they would in any normal year.
This year (unlike any before) I shopped for summer early (in February and March) and April turned out to be a ‘no buy’ month. With new clothes in my closet I realized I could be more discerning about what I kept from my year ‘round items going into the new season. So, instead of keeping 3 two year old t-shirts (with 60+ wears each and looking faded and stretched out) I put them in the donate pile. Also edited: one pair of jeans, a collection of winter hats and gloves, a cotton turtleneck sweater, a jean jacket. Worn winter accessories were thrown away when the winter coats went into storage, and the other items are for rag trade only, since all are very worn. Three other items have been edited: a newer pair of black jeans that lost so much colour after each wash, and I didn’t fancy their extreme faded appearance, a pair of tall black boots (2014) that were always a little big around the calf and that I had to make myself wear in the years since retirement, and a red merino sweater (thrifted last fall) that my laundry helper put in the dryer and now would fit an infant. *cry*
I stocked up on bottoms earlier this year, and I’m not in a hurry to replace the long sleeved t’s atm. I am happy in a uniform of jeans and merino sweaters, with button downs or mesh t’s for variety. Furthermore, I’m ‘off’ the look of excessive fading that happens with garments with a high cotton content - like the black jeans example, the cotton knit sweater (though old), and the cotton jersey t shirts. This may have some repercussions for my overall style, since I’m not sure if I will replace the t-shirts with similar, or be tempted to buy cotton knit sweaters again.
May will probably be another ‘no buy’ month. Stores are closed here until May 20, and I’ve got a summer capsule I’m anxious to break into as soon as the temps warm up.
So far this year, I’ve edited 13 garments, and a half dozen (very old, very worn) winter hats, gloves, and mitts and added 16 new items, including 1 new pair of leather gloves. I will need a winter accessories refresh before the return of cold weather - but that can wait!
Has a closet edit ever sparked a shift in your style? Or is it usually the other way around?
