A closet full of clothes, nothing to wear. Who hasn’t been there?
I for one certainly have. My closet is packed, drawers overstuffed and yet I always struggle to find an outfit I’m happy with.
The “I have nothing to wear” syndrome is very common, but how can we get rid of it? Truth is,
We consume non stop. We’re always buying, buying, buying. I plead guilty! I love shopping. But truth is I have accumulated enough clothes to dress an army (of wives). Haven’t YOU? But did you know that “most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time”? Woah…it actually sounds about right. Faced with the ginourmous monster that my wardrobe has become, I always go for the same “safe” pieces that make me feel comfortable.
I wonder…What’s up with all the remaining 80% ? Why is it in our wardrobes, polluting the viable pieces, consuming space and skimming our wallets?
Introspection:
Do you, like me, buy stuff on a whim? Out of an irrational and totally sudden craving? I usually argue (to myself) I have fallen in love with the piece and it belongs to me and there’s no way I can go back home without my new love… Errr…ok, before you judge my spoiled act, I call MIRROR! Don’t you ever do the same? Don’t we all buy that vinyl leather skirt that will fit us when we lose those extra pounds (day that doesn’t exist and we end up neeeeeever wearing it)? Don’t we all cave for that magnificent pair of shoes that hurt our feet and are doomed to be shelved for ever? And let’s face it. We’ve all pinterested looks of what we’d dream to wear… but never will!
A 3-step Solution:
You could choose to keep on expanding your closet, buying IKEA chests of drawers and continue living in denial (and VISA-chronic inflammation). OOOOORR…you could try and envisage this easy 3-step process.
1) Find your uniform
Take some time to think why some clothes feel more comfortable than others (the 20% you end up wearing vs. the 80% of “pollution”). It will help you establish what your “uniform” is. The set of clothes that actuallly matches your lifestyle and personality. I have often dreamed of backless long dresses and mini skirts (the very short ones)… but who am I kidding? I have a rather Kardashiany ass situation and I’m short as a Sunday. So yeah… those pieces will not go in my uniform. We need to be a bit more honest with ourselves and think what image we really want to reflect, what enhances us, what makes us feel good & what is appropriate in our environments… We’re talking about clothes, but it doesn’t mean there can be no thinking involved!
2) Detox your wardrobe
Once you’ve established what your “uniform” is, you can start detoxing your wardrobe… meaning getting rid of all those pieces you’re objectively and in all honesty never going to wear and that are just dusting away. Let’s be real, if what you see when you open your wardrobe is a mountain of tees and a packed rack of dresses…how on earth can you have visibility? It’s pure eyes-intoxication! This little genius diagram below from the Berlin-based blog Into Mind is a great cheatsheet (and inspiration in this difficult phase of Wardrobe editing).
3) Build your capsule wardrobe
Once you’ve cleaned your closet, you get a better view of what you can actually wear and can think of how to mix and match your uniform pieces…apparently it’s called creating your capsule wardobe. Then and only then can you maybe think of what key pieces could complete your capsule wardrobe. Try to stick to a few items per season…! Quality over Quantity. Here’s a part of my Capsule Wardrobe:
I have done a major wardrobe intervention these past weeks and got a couple of suitcases full of clothes that don’t fit my so called “uniform”. I’ll be donating a bunch and trying to sell another part to get money to finish building my capsule wardrobe. If you’re interested, Marly and I will have a big stand at the Saint-Gilles brocante this Sunday 2 November from 07.00-16.00 at rue Moris 19. It’s indoors, too! So if you’re around, pop by & say hi!
Anita
