SHOPPING WITH INTENTION
THE WARDROBE OVERHAUL
now that you have an amazing color palette
you have an understanding of fit, and quality
now it’s time to take that knowledge and put what you’ve learned into practice
understanding that overhauling your wardrobe takes time
the best way to evaluate your closet is to challenge yourself by wearing everything in it
evaluate all of the items against the parameters you’ve set
begin purging, and identifying the gaps
periodic fit sessions before a shopping trip or after doing laundry
are key to keeping your on track with your personal style journey
and reveal holes in your wardrobe
asking yourself with each wear, is this a quality item?
does it fit your body?
does it align with your color palette?
does it accentuate your personal style?
if you end the season without wearing specific items, evaluate why you haven’t worn them
do they fit into your capsule? no? then consider donating, or selling these items
when you start on your journey
you will be tempted to fill your closet with your capsule right away
be patient
if you just start purging too quickly or drastically
you will spend tons of money and not achieve the carefully thought out and evaluated capsule wardrobe you desire
do not throw away everything and start over
do not go on a shopping haul
start with a simple “wear your closet” challenge
the first one i found was in 2014, at the start of my journey, a 30-day challenge on www.theeverygirl.com
https://theeverygirl.com/30-day-challenge-30-days-of-wearing-your-wardrobe/
start at the front of your closet and work your way to the back
put together formulas according to capsule wardrobe principles and parameters
wear as many different outfits as you can without repeating items
if you find yourself avoiding the same item more than once because it doesn’t meet your principles or parameters
or you just don’t like the item
place it aside
in a laundry bag, basket, or a storage container and continue wearing your closet
slowly, your pile of put aside clothing will grow and grow
another method to clean out your closet
this one, while maintaining the size of your wardrobe, is known as one in – one out method
this is a widely known method, and essentially, the core is to ensure as you purchase one item, you are purging another
it is more difficult then you think
when you find an item you love and you have to purge something in order to buy it
this method will keep your wardrobe balanced and flex those evaluation muscles you’re building
and don’t stop at clothing
you should discard or donate tarnished jewelry as well
broken or missing/single pairs can be donated, discarded, or, depending on your style, worn as mix and match pieces
if something is truly sentimental, consider purchasing a keepsake box for those special items
purge those shoes also
damaged or ill-fitting shoes have no place in your capsule wardrobe
no fashion is worth the pain, and they can have short-term and long-term consequences
i love my heels too, and most of them are now walking around on someone else’s feet!
impractical or low quality accessories should also be evaluated
practicality is subjective, and should fit the formulas you’ve identified for your life
you may never have a need for an evening bag, but others may need multiple in different finishes, fabrics, and different capacities
you may have several briefcases and laptop bags, others may never own one
as your purge pile grows, start evaluating what options are available to you to responsibly discard them
purging should be done as responsibly as possible, please consider these alternatives to throwing away –
selling – there are several websites where you can place items on an open market for sale and they make the transactions incredibly easy; take pictures of the items that you find valuable and place them for sale. you can resell your clothing, accessories, and/or footwear on sites like poshmark, rebag, buffalo exchange, facebook marketplace, mercari, mosh posh, tradesy, thredup, and the realreal
donating – you can donate to friends, family, co-workers, or thrift shops, charities, religious institutions, and consignment shops. these locations vary by state, but there are many, and most focus on serving underserved communities. bottomless closet assists low-income women who are trying to find work with clothing for professional wardrobes. vietnam veterans of america takes and sells your unwanted clothing and the proceeds go toward local, state, and national programs that give veterans the support they need. housing works sells donated items and uses the proceeds to benefit people living with hiv/aids so that they have access to housing, healthcare, legal protections, and other life-saving services.
repurposing – using the items to fill pillows or make rags to dust or clean
before throwing anything away, please try the above methods
as you wear the items in your closet and purge items
you will also find that there are holes in your wardrobe
hopefully not too many
for instance, you may have 30 t-shirts, as i do, but realize you only wear three, because only three align with your color palette, fit well, are of high quality or easy maintenance, and are versatile enough to fit into more than one formula
you many want to add t-shirts to your shopping list
you will now also have a specific idea of the type of t-shirts you are looking for because you’ve evaluated the t-shirts you have and purged
as you find these holes, purchase items where and when you can
streamline and evaluate your wants and needs as you go
because you will be shopping with more discretion, you shouldn’t compromise on quality or fit, especially if it’s solely based on price
while building your capsule, you should window-shop and window-shop often
keeping your eye out for pieces that you want to add to your capsule in the present or the future
look for the items that will make a big impact based on the key items you already have
these are go-to items that find their way organically into your formulas because they just “work”
these are the items that should be the most cherished, the highest value, and prioritized in your maintenance practices
perhaps you don’t have enough color or print variations of those high impact items
are those on your shopping list?
for me, for the past two years, i had a the following item on my shopping list –
a long, wool, heavy/warm, fitted single breasted car coat in a color or print in my color palette
as soon as i found one, two years later, i purchased it
do you notice something?
that item on my shopping list is very specific, and yours should be as well
when you have refined your principles and parameters in our capsule wardrobe, your shopping lists will become more and more specific
you will no longer be looking for a “fall/winter coat”, you will be looking for a specific material, fit, color/print, and length
instead of “new jeans”, you will be looking for a medium wash, non-distressed, cuffed, girlfriend fit jean with stretch
please be patient with this process
even if you do everything right, you may get home, conduct a fit session, and hate the item
it happens, and it’s okay
feel zero shame in returning items that do not work
keep items clean and tagged if you haven’t worn them
returning or reselling something that does not fit your capsule parameters is common
even if you’ve done this forever, as i have
feel zero shame in returning something that you love, but does not fit into formulas in your capsule
items must fit your capsule and must be versatile
if you don’t return it, you will wear it so little, you may forget you have it at all, or regret purchasing the item altogether
return it!
as you build your wardrobe, consider weeding out companies with poor return policies
this is a big part of shopping with intention
capsule wardrobes are built with discernment, so you must be able to return items
you must have the freedom to return or resell items that never, or no longer, fit the principles and parameters of your capsule wardrobe
remember that your wardrobe is tied to your mood; it can reflect your mood or affect your mood
if you are in a poor mood, your clothing can reinforce or change those emotions positively or negatively
also, not a great idea to shop when you’re bummed
hesitate clicking purchase when you’re in a poor mood
search anytime, but please hesitate to hit buy if you are feeling impulsive, anxious, or stressed
you may be purchasing to positively affect your mood, but sometimes all you need is to windowshop
shopping smarter
shop with a list of needs to fill holes in your wardrobe
shop with a list of trends you have evaluated and discerned to fit into your capsules
shop with specific silhouettes, colors, and prints in mind
of course you will see random items you like
those items should be accessed based on your capsule parameters, starting with color palette, and ending in budget
if you purchase something you really love, but the fit or the quality is poor, do not hesitate to return it
it is great to take chances and stretch the boundaries of your capsule
but do not force anything to work
it’s okay if the scene’s hottest trend does not fit your capsule
it’s okay to admire those pieces on other women
don’t forget to compliment them either!
if you are getting bored with your wardrobe
it may be time to experiment with a new color, print, silhouette
that’s still okay as long as you are evaluating the items against your principles and parameters
and, as long as you can easily return them if they don’t work out
shopping will take a bit more effort and time but will result in a wardrobe full of items you love
you may also begin to notice a slow down in your impulse spending
organically, you’ll find that you won’t purchase anything without checking against your parameters first
when shopping online, you’ll pay more attention to reviews
looking for positive and negative comments on fit, accuracy of color, feel of fabric, and durability
if you purchase something because it’s on sale or you are simply shopping to feel good, that’s okay
don’t beat yourself up
take a moment, and have a fun fit session, try on all your impulse buy and with a critical eye
and using your principles and parameters, access and confirm whether you should keep the item or not
again, returning items is necessary activity in the world of capsule wardrobing
it will become second nature
splurging is also something that you shouldn’t feel guilty about
when a spluge item fits your parameters and principles, it’s a keeper
but please remember
splurge items should be key items, or specialty items, that will last for multiple years/seasons
especially if you have a limited budget, schedule your splurges, monthly, seasonally, or annually
and, if available, purchase second hand
if you need help to control your binges like i do
try this
unsubscribe from of retail e-mails
or
create an e-mail specifically for those so you can access and search when you are ready to shop
try take shopping fasts, perhaps with friends and family as accountability partners
start with a week, and extend to a month, or several months, if necessary…
think of yourself as a collector
building a collection of clothing, accessories, footwear, jewelry, and beauty items that fit a specific theme, feeling, and purpose
your closet will thank you!
happy shopping!
