Speeding Into The Second Half of 2021 With Style
She’s passing the 200m mark and gaining momentum… folk’s it’s gonna be a photo finish!!
We’ve passed the half way point for 2021. Can you believe it?! This year seems to have flown by faster than Allyson Felix can run the 400m dash. GO U.S.A.!!! In the spirit of Tokyo 2020, I felt like it was the perfect time to reflect on my original wardrobe goals and move forward into the second half of this year with a clear understanding of what I’ve learned so far and how I’d like to proceed. Back in January I made a list of goals I wanted to achieve in an effort to create a more intentional wardrobe. The most challenging goal I set for myself was to purchase 12 items or less.
In the past it was common for me to purchase several items a month, most likely totaling to around 60 items in a year or more!! I don’t even want to think about how much money I was spending. Yes, I understand it’s appalling, it was too much. My closet was overflowing with heaps of clothing I wasn’t wearing. Taking into account my previous shopping habits I think a 12 item limit was a steep challenge for me. So far this year I have purchased 16 items for my wardrobe. If this were a race I would have already been disqualified.
Although I have failed to stay within my 12 item goal I don’t feel ashamed or guilty about falling short. I set that initial parameter to steer my thoughts and actions into this new and uncharted direction to help reinforce the idea that I wanted to change the way I shopped. There is no need to feel discouraged because although I have purchased more items than I originally sought out to, I have succeeded in incorporating intentional shopping habits which is ultimately the most important outcome. I have drastically decreased the amount of shopping I participate in and the majority of items I have purchased were planned and well-researched. Looking back at my wardrobe goals, I’d like to address each one and take a moment to appreciate my progress.
Narrow down my personal style. I want to preface by saying I think the process of narrowing down my personal style will be an ongoing affair as long as I’m still alive and kicking. As I get older my wants and needs will inevitably evolve and so will my style. With that in mind, I’m so proud to say that I have made great strides this year in letting go of my previous style narratives. In other words, I got rid of items that no longer suit me and my style at this stage in my life. Part of my success involved accepting that there are certain silhouettes, fabrics and styles that I gravitate towards. Comfort and function are at the top of my criteria list, whereas when I was in my 20’s this was not necessarily the case.
Another factor to my success in narrowing down my personal style was remaining open to trying new silhouettes. A little bit of thrifting experimentation in the areas of my wardrobe I felt were lacking (my summer wardrobe for example) helped me to discover silhouettes I would never have considered previously and at a minimal cost. I also made substantial progress towards figuring out which colors I feel work best for me. When I look at my closet there is a significantly more coordinated color palette rather than a grab bag of every color in the rainbow. It is very satisfying to be able to mix and match more items for easy outfit combinations.
A little color and texture inspiration from my closet.
Own fewer items, but excellent quality. Of the items I have chosen to bring into my wardrobe collection this year, there is one important attribute they all have in common. These items are made of quality material and construction. When I decide I want to shop around for a specific piece I try to visit brands I feel I can trust to offer excellent quality products, practice good business ethics and strive to employ sustainable methods. I have successfully done enough research that I’ve stumbled upon a few small brands that seem to live up to these standards and also offer styles that align with my personal style profile. I stick to those brands and rarely shop outside of them. This habit helps me to shop less overall because these brands don’t offer thousands of options like many fast fashion retailers. They tailor to a specific customer/style and offer fewer, but well-crafted items.
Buy less—shop my closet more. Not only have I been able to declutter a few more items this year, but as previously mentioned I have managed to effectively reduce the number of items I have brought into my wardrobe. This has forced me to look at my closet with a different perspective. I am challenging myself to shop my closet as if I’m looking at it for the first time. I try to identify as many different outfits I possibly can utilizing one particular item. This practice has worked well to encourage creativity within my style using the clothing I already own. Also, since experimenting with my clothes in this manner it has made getting dressed in the morning a hell of a lot quicker without sacrificing style. I have a closet full of go-to outfits.
Feel an overall increased sense of satisfaction with my wardrobe. All of the goals I’ve mentioned thus far factor into this last one. Since beginning this journey back in January I have succeeded in owning a smaller wardrobe made up of great quality items that I wear with more regularity. I feel more confident in my day to day outfits than ever before. Most days I feel good about getting dressed, but there are a few areas I wish to improve in. I would like to find a few pieces that fill a particular need in my current closet. For instance, I changed jobs in May and I’m not thrilled with my options to choose from for daily work wear. I’m going to have to sit down and brainstorm ideas for pieces that would function well for my new job, but maintain my personal style story. In addition, I want to continue to declutter items not receiving wear time + keep up this momentum of buying less.
It’s clear that I need to set some new goals to help guide me through the last five months of this year. I came up with the following:
Complete a wardrobe tracker for the month of July
Make August a no-buy month
Purchase 25 items or less for the year (This will be a new PR or personal record, if I can accomplish it!)
Find 3-4 pieces that specifically function well for work, but also align with my style
Stick to the list (I keep a wishlist of items that I’m considering adding to my closet and I don’t want to stray from it.)
No impulse purchases
I can honestly say that I feel happy with how I’ve performed so far this year and am excited to keep challenging myself to do better. Have you set any goals recently? If so, how do you feel about your progress so far? If you’re feeling stuck or uninspired perhaps it’s time to re-focus and move forward with a new set of goals. Good luck out there, I believe in you.
Thanks for reading.
Chance of Showers