I'll just dive on in with this...I made it the first three weeks without any hitches. What happened the fourth week? Two snow days wherein I didn't leave my pajamas unless I absolutely had to. That made me rebel when it came time to get dressed Wednesday morning. Also, I discovered that I didn't look like a busted can of biscuits when I tried on my comfy boyfriend jeans, so I wore those two days straight.
BUT!
I really liked this experiment. I liked that I could get dressed and my make-up done in the time it takes to make my coffee (with a French press, so about seven minutes). I liked that I wasn't struggling to decide what to wear. I liked that I tried some out of my comfort zone combinations. I will be the first to admit that I get into clothing ruts where I wear the same outfits on a rotating basis. I was surprised at the variety in my outfits with this limitation.
I think what finally got me in the end was all of the clothes I only couldn't wear because of some self-imposed limitation. They were hanging right there all month. Whispering, then eventually calling, to be worn. After the snow days, it got much louder and I didn't want to ignore it.
I could do this permanently...if I didn't have anything else hanging in my closet. However, I do have other things hanging in my closet. I have things hanging in a closet at my parents' house. I have things in storage containers because they won't fit in the closet at my parents' house. I have a lot of clothes.
I think that this experiment has helped change the way I think about clothing in that I will be a bit more judicious when I buy clothes in the future--thinking about all of the different ways I can wear a piece. Assuming it's a top (because I don't buy pants or skirts that often) asking myself what bottoms I can wear it with. If it's more than just jeans and any plain black pants or skirts that I have, then I'll move to the next question: how can I layer it? What cardigans or tank tops can I wear it with? I was really surprised at how a simple tank top worn under a shirt can change an outfit. And how that even changes depending on which cardigan I wear. Different color combinations make different pieces pop or shift focus. Then I'll probably ask about seasonality--can I wear it into fall or earlier in spring? This kind of ties in with layering, but I think it deals more with colors because some colors are strictly for fall or winter.
As soon as possible, I would love to weed out my closets and containers. But I'd really like to wait until I get back to being able to wear most of my clothes before doing that. My memory tells me that I have some shirts that I just love, but that I never really wore because they were too difficult to pair with anything. I'd like to see if that is really true and then get rid of it if so. No one likes having to fight to hang up their clothes. Also, there's the issue that just because something fits (and I mean actually fits, not that you can squeeze into it like sausage into casing) doesn't mean you should wear it. I have some pieces from long ago that I could still wear--after I lose weight, that is--but that doesn't mean I should wear them. Sometimes you simply get too old for your clothing. And I'm afraid that some of my pieces are a little young for me nowadays.
All in all, it was a great experiment. I had a lot of fun. I would strongly encourage anyone who feels like they are in a fashion rut to try it. Ultimately, though, it was having my other clothes hanging right there that got the better of me. I think I could do something like this permanently if I had maybe thirty pieces. There were some days I wanted to wear a dress, but that wasn't part of my items, so I "couldn't." More items, but not necessarily all of my clothes, would have been fantastic.
And the funny thing? Today I am free to wear whatever I want...but some of those pieces from the experiment are calling to me. I think that this is because we develop favorites or go-to pieces and then make them unique with layering pieces or accessories. So I could probably get rid most of my "statement" pieces or my "I must have one in every color" pieces and I'd be fine.
Now I'm on to Modernist March!
BUT!
I really liked this experiment. I liked that I could get dressed and my make-up done in the time it takes to make my coffee (with a French press, so about seven minutes). I liked that I wasn't struggling to decide what to wear. I liked that I tried some out of my comfort zone combinations. I will be the first to admit that I get into clothing ruts where I wear the same outfits on a rotating basis. I was surprised at the variety in my outfits with this limitation.
I think what finally got me in the end was all of the clothes I only couldn't wear because of some self-imposed limitation. They were hanging right there all month. Whispering, then eventually calling, to be worn. After the snow days, it got much louder and I didn't want to ignore it.
I could do this permanently...if I didn't have anything else hanging in my closet. However, I do have other things hanging in my closet. I have things hanging in a closet at my parents' house. I have things in storage containers because they won't fit in the closet at my parents' house. I have a lot of clothes.
I think that this experiment has helped change the way I think about clothing in that I will be a bit more judicious when I buy clothes in the future--thinking about all of the different ways I can wear a piece. Assuming it's a top (because I don't buy pants or skirts that often) asking myself what bottoms I can wear it with. If it's more than just jeans and any plain black pants or skirts that I have, then I'll move to the next question: how can I layer it? What cardigans or tank tops can I wear it with? I was really surprised at how a simple tank top worn under a shirt can change an outfit. And how that even changes depending on which cardigan I wear. Different color combinations make different pieces pop or shift focus. Then I'll probably ask about seasonality--can I wear it into fall or earlier in spring? This kind of ties in with layering, but I think it deals more with colors because some colors are strictly for fall or winter.
As soon as possible, I would love to weed out my closets and containers. But I'd really like to wait until I get back to being able to wear most of my clothes before doing that. My memory tells me that I have some shirts that I just love, but that I never really wore because they were too difficult to pair with anything. I'd like to see if that is really true and then get rid of it if so. No one likes having to fight to hang up their clothes. Also, there's the issue that just because something fits (and I mean actually fits, not that you can squeeze into it like sausage into casing) doesn't mean you should wear it. I have some pieces from long ago that I could still wear--after I lose weight, that is--but that doesn't mean I should wear them. Sometimes you simply get too old for your clothing. And I'm afraid that some of my pieces are a little young for me nowadays.
All in all, it was a great experiment. I had a lot of fun. I would strongly encourage anyone who feels like they are in a fashion rut to try it. Ultimately, though, it was having my other clothes hanging right there that got the better of me. I think I could do something like this permanently if I had maybe thirty pieces. There were some days I wanted to wear a dress, but that wasn't part of my items, so I "couldn't." More items, but not necessarily all of my clothes, would have been fantastic.
And the funny thing? Today I am free to wear whatever I want...but some of those pieces from the experiment are calling to me. I think that this is because we develop favorites or go-to pieces and then make them unique with layering pieces or accessories. So I could probably get rid most of my "statement" pieces or my "I must have one in every color" pieces and I'd be fine.
Now I'm on to Modernist March!
Just think, not all that many years ago, most people only had this many clothes! And I suppose they were fine with it but it is nice to have more choices. Still, you've certainly learned a lot about the way you dress, the way you want to shop, and the choices you need to make. Which makes this a success I'd say!
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