Good afternoon, readers. I'm back today with a bit of a different sort of post, but one that's about a creative journey I'm on. I hope you enjoy my rambly musings...
I shared these thoughts a bit on Instagram earlier this week, but wanted to chat about it here, too…and to hear if you’re on a similar creative journey with your wardrobe.
As I get a bit older, I find myself wanting to refine my wardrobe to feel and look more like “me”. I feel I’m at an age and place in life where I know myself and my preferences, likes/dislikes, etc. quite well. I know more of what makes me feel like myself, what I feel comfortable in, and my wardrobe needs a bit of tweaking.
I’m not going for a specific aesthetic or one style. I don’t believe in that sort of thing. I’m just going for what feels like me…and my personal taste tends to be simple, casual, comfy, and cozy. And I quite like it that way. I’m going about this tweaking very gently. Not my personal tastes, but rather how I make my clothing fit my personal taste. Simply making mental notes and even taking pictures of outfits that I wear that feel like me. I’m using Pinterest to inspire me in using pieces I already have, and I’m finding this to be quite a fun creative journey, too. I’m styling and pairing things up differently than I have before and also keeping my eyes out at thrift stores for specific pieces I may want to add.
I do not believe that in order to create a wardrobe that one truly loves you have to spend lots of money, buy specific brands or expensive clothing, or completely unhaul your closet and drawers. That goes completely against my values and beliefs. Instead, I believe in seeing this as a creative journey, as with making a house a home, for example, and using what I have, putting my imagination to use when getting dressed, shopping wisely, and utilizing thrift stores, which is where I prefer to get most of my clothing anyway.
I do believe in creating a wardrobe that makes you feel like yourself, that sparks joy, and makes you happy, and that makes you feel comfortable in what you wear. However, I don’t believe in trends, aesthetics, limiting oneself to one style, etc.
While I want to refine my entire wardrobe, for all the seasons, I do believe this will be much mor fun and easier during the autumn and winter months, as I much prefer the clothing during that time of year, as well as I just feel way more like myself during the autumn and wintertime anyway. Summertime clothing simply means keeping as cool as possible for me...and early spring is a favorite time as well, before it gets too warm or hot.
As far as my wardrobe goes, I do not embrace, nor do I believe in minimalism, so you won't find me "curating a capsule wardrobe" here. However, I do find that I love making different pieces work for different seasons. That is a fun, creative aspect of my wardrobe for me. I do keep a seasonal wardrobe: spring/summer and autumn/winter, with quite a few pieces that are year-round. I am a thrift shopper and have been for the last three years. However, I also own many clothes purchased from your typical chain stores, as I see nothing wrong with filling in with bits here and there that you are specifically looking for and can't find whilst thrifting. But I will say that I am quite obsessed with thrifting and get especially excited when I come across that perfect piece that fits my taste, which has happened a handful of times. (And other clothing pieces I don't thrift out of preference.) I also have clothing in my wardrobe and drawers that I've had for over a decade...they're not expensive pieces; I just like to take care of my clothing and make it last.
I do consider my wardrobe to be a collection of pieces that have sparked joy at different times through the years, and now I'm simply wanting to refine those pieces into something that suits my tastes. Some will get donated, some will get paired up with something else, and others will simply remain as they are. It's all part of the creative journey for me...nothing serious or life-altering. Obviously, it's just clothing. But I do believe you can have fun with what you wear and in making your wardrobe to be more "you"...or in this case, "me".
I’d be curious if you have done a similar thing with your wardrobe, or are on such a journey, too. And if you’d like me to share more about this as I go about my little rambly wardrobe tweaking. Would posts on these things I shared about here interest you? Topics such as my wardrobe refining journey, thrifting, using clothing pieces in different seasons, etc. I’d love to hear your thoughts!