Musings on life.: a hoarders capsule wardrobe

I recently came across the concept of a "capsule wardrobe", created by a lovely woman living right here in Austin, TX! I scoffed, then thought some, doubted my ability to do it, scoffed again; and then accepted that my attitude was coming from a place of fear and while I love clothing a great deal, I could definitely benefit from the simplification that it could provide. I also remembered something my boyfriend's mother said to me when we were visiting at Christmas time. After exclaiming that I had packed way too many clothes and hadn't worn most of them, she stated that in fact, she'd only seen me wear what I was wearing at the time. It was my most comfortable outfit and clearly I'd worn it out because I liked the way I looked, how I felt and ultimately what it said about me. If nothing else this capsule wardrobe will give me the skills I need to pack for a long trip!

I consider ones wardrobe to be an exceptional form of personal expression. I used to wear tons of jewelry because I had beautiful pieces and I loved the stories they told. I now wear the same earrings almost every day because they are beautiful, versatile and so comfortable that I don't always take them out at night. Necklaces, rings and bracelets only come out for events because...laziness to a degree but also comfort, my current favorite buzzword! I have spent the last two decades building an exciting, unique and beautiful wardrobe; There have been times in my life when I went to my closet to think and write, feeding off the inspiration. I shopped nearly every day in college, almost exclusively thrift stores but nevertheless I had a massive wardrobe. I like to think that I have pared down considerably but I have become a clothes horse and that ain't gonna change.

When I read about the idea, right off the bat I decided there was no way I was going for 37 pieces as suggested. I have clothing that I may not currently wear or have worn in a year (as some organizers suggest) but that are timeless. I have seen it time and again, a pair of shoes, a skirt, dress or top goes out of fashion, only to circle back around within half a decade. I've never been one to follow the herd but there is something to be said for already owning what everyone is buying. Once I decided I wouldn't force myself to adhere to the rules I felt comfortable starting the journey but I still spent a week doing every other imaginable task from my to do list before even considering the matter at hand. After getting the last minute and very lucky opportunity to see a huge number of mega country music stars second row floor Saturday night, I had the all the positive mojo I needed to begin.

I broke the rules right off the bat. I didn't take everything out at once, I went shelf by shelf until it was empty. Then by the time everything was out, I was done and could put it all back in right away providing instant gratification. Ultimately, I did take it all out and was left with an empty closet. Phew. I swept all the dust bunnies and wiped all the surfaces to give myself a nice clean environment. I'm not going to lie, three "maybe" pieces from the first shelf made it through and I am keeping my eye on them until maybe turns into no. They're summer dresses so storing them won't allow me to choose to keep, or not. Once I hit the second shelf, I started to feel more comfortable saying no. I even came up with some of my own thoughts on the matter. Some additional questions I asked myself are highlighted in red for those of you who subscribe to tldr.

Ask yourself, Would I keep this if it were stained or torn? I was about to say yes to an item and noticed there was a stain. Normally, I would do what I could to get the stain out but in this case, the benefits don't justify the cost. I don't typically wear this item and I probably won't fix it so it's time to say goodbye. I don't even remember the specific item which tells me I truly wasn't attached to it but I remember it happened subsequently quite a few times, giving me a reason I might not have considered to feel good letting things go. So thoroughly examine everything because if you won't spend the money or time fixing it, you won't (or shouldn't) wear it.

I haven't been shopping in about a month and I think I can hold out until next season, but if you want one last chance to feel like you are shopping, ask yourself Would I buy this if I were trying it on in a store? That question came up about one of the maybes, I like the way it looks, and it is a stylish work appropriate dress but I couldn't quite decide if I would buy it if I were trying it on for the first time. Thusly, it became a maybe. Baby steps.

Can I remember the last time I wore this? A great consideration to make. If you do remember it, and you felt amazing and you looked so great then I think we both know it's a keeper. Likewise if you are on the fence, ask the follow up question, Do I have other items that would outfit well with this? If you don't, and you really can't think of anything else you have with which it pairs well, it's a goner.

Do I have multiples? If you have two of more than a couple things, you most likely choose the one you like better 90% of the time. Be honest, the second black tank top is mostly used on laundry day. No shame but if you rarely wear the backup, you should get rid of it. Just think of it as clutter. Nobody needs more clutter. Because even laundry day shirt has to get washed.

Is it age appropriate?; If no, do I care? This one is fun for me because I still have a good deal of clothing from my 20's, even teens. I own a pair of black platform sneakers that I purchased in 1996, the era of the Spice Girl! Some items were surprisingly clear, yes or no as was suggested. Others I needed to try on. If anything about it made me feel self conscious, it's had to be a no. The items that didn't make the cut were mostly dresses/skirts that are incredibly short and/or have sequins. Part of me disagrees with the concept of age appropriate style. Why can't I continue wearing the ridiculous and sometimes very sexy outfits? Who says? I don't care for them, anyway.

Could I find this again? If I were to suddenly need khaki shorts, I could go to any thrift store, goodwill, salvo, even department store and buy new ones and I could find them for less than ten dollars. However, as previously mentioned, I have spent the better part of twenty years finding one of a kind passionate pieces that stand on their own. If I were to part with any of those, it would be the end forever, nothing like it. It's a bit dramatic but it's how I feel about my clothes. That being said, I gave up four vintage dresses (which I am bringing to Frock On to see if I can get some credit). In one case, it was a multiple. The exception proves the rule. I had two dresses, both long, bold and flowery from the 60's. The one I chose fits me like a glove and is super soft whereas the one I am parting with is rough and fits me well enough. By comparing the two, I was able to let go of one.

My last piece of advice is in my mind as important as any other consideration. If it almost fits but brings you joy, spend the money to have it altered. You shouldn't let anything back into your closet until you have deemed it flatters you, first and foremost. If it is an item of clothing that is high quality or that you simply couldn't part with, you should bring it to your local Tailor. If you don't know where to go ask around or go on yelp, read reviews and call around to inquire about pricing. I learned this on What Not to Wear and it has allowed me to keep dresses, pants, really anything and wear them with confidence. And if you won't spend the money, prepare to pass it along.

See the empty closet?!

keepers

toss pile

I started re-building the closet with shoes because I had been using this unsightly shoe rack and it was a dust bunny magnet! I'm over it. Plus, I love my shoes so displaying them here makes me happy.

Next was shelves, although Alley didn't want to give that one up for a good while.

More shoes on top, though these are the ones I rarely wear.

OK. I know I didn't even come CLOSE to a capsule closet. I like the idea but it just doesn't work for me, not now at least. I will continue to remove everything and re-evaluate piece by piece once a season, however and I think with any luck over time I will get closer to the goal. Thank you for reading and I hope that my insight provides you with the fuel you need to get going on your own closet clean out, even if it's similar to my hoarders style!

XO - Mallory

PS. regarding the vintage dress I decided to re-sell, here is the photographic evidence!...