REDISCOVERY & SELF-DISCOVERY THROUGH SHOPPING ONES WARDROBE

Sometimes buying new is easier than shopping from ones existing wardrobe. The temptation to stroll/scroll before even considering the rails of ones own belongings, is too easy. The accessibility of newness is overwhelming. Whether actively seeking it out or not.  And now with staying in the prescribed advice during this strange new normal, retailers slash prices ever further, in a bid to mitigate the impact this pandemic has on the economy, by encouraging consumers to buy, buy, buy. Whilst the ethics of shopping are murky right now, attention can instead be refocused to shopping much closer to home;  as in, shopping ones own wardrobe. 

Whilst normal life has been temporarily altered, I have decided to reevaluate how I spend this time. And with the seemingly endless uncertainty of now, it's important to fill ones time in a meaningful way, whatever that may mean for you. For me, I'll be spending time with my family and I have committed to practising yoga, finally partaking in the adult colouring-in craze and rediscovering my wardrobe.

The last one is rather fitting as I remain stalwart in my resolution to buy less and re-wear more. And in quite the serendipitous moment, my wardrobe unceremoniously collapsed, making it impossible to ignore that I had reached full capacity. My wardrobe was so bloated that clothes became swallowed up in yet more clothes. Items defied gravity, hanging purely from the pressure of being squeezed in, wrinkles etched deep into clothing that had been laboriously ironed, all lost in the abyss of wardrobe wastefulness. However, the expulsion revealed the under-appreciated and overlooked anew and inspired me to reimagine my existing wears by shopping my wardrobe. 

It began with a blue, long sleeved sequin top. A shape and fit reminiscent of your comfiest sweater. Hanging perpetually off the shoulder, imbuing it with a sense of casual not usually synonymous with sequinned anything. Thus making it both glamorous and understated. Whether dressed up or down, or hanging on a wall ornamentally and having single-handedly resolved many a 'nothing to wear' conundrum whilst giving endless love despite my apparent flakiness; this is a piece that epitomises unexpected versatility. 

Secondly, I found a piece that up until recently, I had been avidly trawling eBay for: the band tee. Yet, hidden amongst my selection of white t-shirts, was a 90's Madonna tour t-shirt. A t-shirt that had once been the t-shirt, worn to any and all important events since the age of 16. It bears the marks of a scissor-happy teen, intent on customising all things and who evidently was not precious about her clothing, making it truly uNiQUe. 

The third piece salvaged was a capped sleeve, lace bolero. Its prettiness making it the perfect counter-part to the aforementioned t-shirt, or light layer to complement outfits during warmer climes. It's delicate without being dainty, sweet without being saccharine and pretty without being prudish. I can only think that this was ignored for fear of permanent fake-tan damage? Though I vow to adopt a complexion of Morticia Addams in exchange for resurrecting this.

And last to be re-appreciated, was a long forgotten skirt that is best described as unusual. Being a mish-mash of styles; both long and short; patterned and of solid colour and straight and pleated. All with a step hem, though not cascading down the side, but split at the front, creating a look of two skirts in one. Needless to say, it is something that needs to be seen to be fully understood and now having been reunited, I assure that this will be.

My exercise in Marie Kondo-ing got me thinking about what makes an item worth keeping and ultimately it's ever evolving. I've kept pieces that I love and let go of pieces that I've loved. And perhaps I will outgrow my current pieces. But I think that this is what makes fashion exciting. The ability to grow and express that growth through clothing that visually represents a specific time, place and version of yourself. And just as suddenly that moment in time and the clothes you're in fade from the 'now' to the 'then'. 

And therein lies the importance of reflection. Something that I have spent a lot of time doing recently. And whilst materialism is not important - especially during these unsettling and uncertain times - clothing is a tangible measure of personal growth and thus a talisman of the transience of life. A signifier of the past (past events and past trends), evoking memories both good and bad. Some of which are to be held on to and others just need to be released. Freeing up literal and figurative space in ones wardrobe, and more importantly, ones life.

(Pictures via : whowhatwear.co.uk, vogue.com & coverer.com)