I Gave Away Most of My Clothes This Year. Here’s What I Learned.
Three powerful insights when I discovered a personal style
The week before March lockdown, I bought a green cocktail dress from Zara. I had been invited as a speaker at a charity dinner. All night, the slip under the dress kept riding up to my waist. By the time I got home at 2am, cold and wet in winter rain, my shoes had given me seeping blisters on my heels. I’ll spare you the gory details.
“Never again,” I cursed, “will I wear these stupid heels.”
And so, it happened. No more heels. Lockdown began one week later.
Since March 2020, I have been working from home in the same happy permutation of clothes every day. In other words, I have found my personal uniform. Some people call it a capsule wardrobe.
Now I don’t have so many events to attend, this is my daily wear:
- long-sleeved shirt or t-shirt
- jeans, and
- ballet flats (with cushioned soles like walking on pillows)
- Cashmere sweater
- a blazer for Zoom meetings
The time away from the shops this year has had me thinking about my relationship with clothes. How much I have spent on fashion over the years? Not just in money term, but also in time: thinking about clothes, shopping for clothes and despairing over clothes.
For a person who has spent thousands on fashion — in money and hours — the process has been life changing. Here are three significant benefits of a smaller, capsule wardrobe.
Save Time
Literary author Zadie Smith asks, why do women spend longer getting ready in the morning? Her question comes from observing her pre-teen daughter practicing contouring in the mirror (made famous by Kim Kardashian).
‘I explained it to her in these terms: you are wasting time, your brother is not going to waste any time doing this,’ she said. ‘Every day of his life, he will put a shirt on, he’s out the door, and he doesn’t give a shit if you waste an hour and a half doing your makeup.’
Smith told her daughter: she must get ready about the same time as it takes her brother. Fifteen minutes max.
What to know: Less time needed to get dressed in the morning is one of the best things about working at home. Simple is not always easy, but an hour in the morning is too much time for someone who does not work in fashion. I have more focus in the mornings by not re-inventing my look every day.
Save Sanity
Who wins the uniform game? The nominees are Steve Jobs (black shirts and blue jeans) and Barack Obama (grey or blue suits) in the menswear category.
Obama explains his approach to Vanity Fair:
“You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” [Obama] said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”
For women, I would nominate Barefoot Contessa chef, Ina Garten. Not only did her cocktails get us through the darker days of lockdown, but over the long months, she had me wondering: Where does she get all her denim/blue shirts? And, How easy is that?
What to know: VIPs have more important things to think about than hours on clothes. Reducing the decision making on clothes everyday, reduces what Obama calls decision fatigue.
Save the Earth
According to BBC Earth, brand new returns contribute to landfills or the burning of excess clothes each season. It’s too easy to return clothes online. And yet, the environmental cost is not shown on the price tag.
Online shopping is still hit and miss. Most of the time, the sizes are not right. Until they get a standard sizing for all companies; or a virtual reality app to try on clothes, there’s too much stress and waste around clothes sizing online.
What to know: One size does not fit all. If you know what you want, then avoid the try-everything-and-return tactic online. Be mindful about what happens to the brand new clothes returned and not sold. Often they can end up in landfills or burn. Knowing your style can also be a small act for the environment.
How to Find Your Own Uniform
As the unspoken style rule goes, you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you. Because I write all day, I am happy to camouflage with the foolscap.
Here are five ideas to consider how to decide on your own personal uniform:
- Apply the 15-minute rule to your morning routine.
- Work up a wardrobe from your favorites.
- Did not wear anything at all this year? Time to donate.
Final Thoughts
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. — Coco Chanel”
Don’t get me wrong; I love clothes. And fashion. If your daily style is sequins and boas, then you do you. Some friends have taken out their party dresses to wear during stay-at-home orders. I understand why. It’s sad to see beautiful dresses going to waste in a wardrobe. For some, a party dress is essential for their sanity; especially now, the nightlife is extinct. But for me, I have become happier by thinking less about clothes. It’s enough to know what works and what doesn’t.
When we go back to normal, or even near-normal, clothes shopping can go one of two ways. We can have an exuberant return to excessive spending. Or we could continue a more conscious consumption.
You may have found you didn’t want to buy new clothes so much this year. Or you may have desperately missed all the shopping. Which way will you go next year?
