How to dress when you don't know what you're doing

A guide to building a basic capsule wardrobe that reignites the excitement of getting dressed again.

Honestly this next one is mostly for me. I’ve been going through a wardrobe crisis recently. Despite having a lot of clothing, it feels like I have absolutely nothing to wear. Everything has been rinsed and repeated to the point where I don’t even know what my current style even is. We’ve all been there though, at some point you just want to toss everything and start completely fresh, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

As I try to figure out what I’m doing style wise moving forward, I’m going to focus on rebuilding the basic items in my wardrobe. This way I can slowly get my feet wet by figuring out what I need and don’t need anymore. Before doing all of that though, it’s important to go through your closet and just clean up and go through what you already have. What ends up happening, at least for me, is this shadow gets casted that blends all of my clothes together, creating an illusion that what I have is boring.

Put away the stuff you don’t wear anymore. Seperate the stuff you like from what you don’t like anymore. Getting it out of sight and out of mind helps clear your head and start fresh. I find that having mental style clutter is heavily influenced by a messy wardrobe. Things as simple as organizing specific items together goes a long way subconsciously—I’m talking about organizing all of your pants together, shirts, outerwear, etc. Even if your closet is somewhat organized already, it’s never a bad idea to go in and just reorganize everything again. This process is a good opportunity to rediscover old pieces you may have forgotten about as well as look at clothes in your closet that have been hanging there for months without being touched.

I spent some time recently doing just that. Cleaning out my closet and just figuring out what I want to wear next. I did find pieces along the way that I have forgotten about that I’m going to start wearing again. I also put away a bunch of items I stopped wearing a long time ago. I’m probably going to sell a lot of the stuff I don’t wear anymore… Maybe private subscriber sale? Getting it out of my sight will hopefully create space for new ideas and ultimately reignite that excitement in getting dressed again—I’m not going to lie, I’ve been seriously bored with clothes recently and I’m not entirely sure why. It might be due to the overexposure to fashion as a whole at such a consistent basis, but I’m hoping this is a temporary hiccup.

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Today’s newsletter is all about basics!

As I figure out where my style is heading next, I’m going to try and rebuild my basics by leveling up the pieces I already have. I think that’s where part of my style boredom comes from. Through discussion I’ve noticed that when people are bored of their style they always focus on “doing something different”, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s the right answer. For example, let’s say you enjoy technical gear, but you’re getting kind of bored of it. Maybe the answer isn’t doing a complete 180, but simply upgrading the current style that you already have through better quality garments. Get better pieces that are still in the same realm. This is obviously subjective, so you have to decide what’s really best for you.

One other thing that is worth mentioning is don’t make a mess. Hang/put away your clothes properly. It seems silly to say but we’ve all had a spot or a chair that would become a temporary shelter for a bunch of our clothing when we get home. I know I already said this, but having an organized closet does make it much easier to get dressed without trying. So take the time and put away your clothes and get your closet organized.

Let’s say you tried all of that and are still stuck. You want a complete reset. New items that are fun to wear and have you excited about fashion again. Today I’m going to discuss what items everyone should have in their wardrobe for those wanting to start fresh, a list of my favorite brands that focus on good quality basics, un-gatekeeping, and some brands that I have my eyes on recently that spark that excitement I’ve been looking for.

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ITEMS EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE IN THEIR CLOSET

For those who are really stuck on their style development journey need to remember not to overthink it. Having nothing to wear is annoying, but sometimes taking the time to stop thinking about it helps a lot. At the end of the day, it’s just clothing and shouldn’t be taken that seriously anyway. The main goal should be putting on fits without even thinking about it. That becomes much easier once you iron out your wardrobe staples—taking the time and investing in items that can work harmoniously within your wardrobe is key.

So what should you have in your closet if you’re starting fresh? Here’s a list to get you started: