I go through this from time to time. I've found that keeping my closet small helps, personally. It reduces clutter that I used to be prone to, and makes 3-4 new pieces feel like a total refresh. Last time I was down this bad, though, I challenged myself to wear everything in my closet without repeating any fits—anything that I found myself avoiding got the boot.
Sizing down the closet seems to be the move, something I have to keep working with. It's just so easy to let your collection get out of hand and before you know it, it feels like you have nothing to wear.
I hit a point with my closet where I’m content, and wear a good majority of the stuff. I probably say I wear about 75% of my clothes consistently. I’ve been sticking to more Americana / military style so it’s been easier getting dressed. Like you said wearing the same stuff can seem like a drag. What I’ve been doing is just looking for variations of items I already own when thrifting/ shopping. Maybe different colored heavy flannel, or different wash denim. I feel tik tok in a sense has ruined fashion in a way where a lot of people are clones and lack the individuality that it once had. Not saying everyone is like this but a good amount of people are. I find myself going back to roots where I used to really dig for unique items and also been leaning to more vintage items because most likely I won’t see someone else wearing it. I wonder where fashion will be in a couple years.
Yeah I agree, it feels like TikTok really made people dress the same even more than before, and any sort of early trend gets adopted so quickly that it feels bland in less than a week. You have a good system in place, and wearing 75% of your closet is a win in my books!
Same goes with me, sometimes i look at my closet and think that all i need is more money... but recently i just got this random bit of confidence and said im owning the fit and it goes pretty well so far. An option for the people seeking life hacks for finding that specific piece on the internet, might actually be luxury secondhand. At least in Denmark it's really popular nowadays with so many instagram shops that sell all the high-end brands for really cheap compared to retail. Other than that, this story hit home honestly... the struggle is real.
Confidence > everything. Luxury second hand is also a good move, or any luxury sales for that matter. If you're looking to get into luxury, just wait because those sales happen way more often than we think!
Every year I start with all my hangers facing the "wrong" way and whenever I wear that piece, I turn the hangar around. Beginning of summer and winter I go through and sell/donate what I didn't wear for the past 2 seasons, and while this doesn't necessarily work the best for shorts/pants, it kinda does. Whatever is at the bottom of the drawer and I can't remember when I last wore it, out it goes. I don't always fill the space with something new since I do feel overwhelmed with wanting a lot of new pieces but making less that $40k/year in my job limits me, but going to curated resale shops here in Austin are pretty good. Also like you said, Grailed for brands I like that are used isn't the worst for me. I am waiting for this Dime Polar Fleece button up on SSENSE to go on sale since there is 2 left, 1 being the XL I want.
the hanger trick is really interesting! I've never heard anyone doing this. Looks like you got a pretty good system that keeps you inline for all your purchases, that's good! Check out some other stores that carry Dime, there's a stockist list on their website that is worth checking out to see if there are any other sales going on.
I'm not all the way here yet, but somehow I hate every pair of pants I own (including the grail pieces) and can't figure out where to go next in that regard. I know the feeling of the entire wardrobe though. The (sort of) solution is to just wear the stuff you like the best into the ground while you slowly (or quickly lol) replenish your coffers. I have a hard time saying goodbye to stuff I don't absolutely hate though so there's a lot of stragglers hanging around.
Saying goodbye to clothes you used to love can be the hardest, so I totally get that. In terms of pants, what kind of stuff are you wearing right now? Maybe changing the fit would be the best place to start.
Changing the fit is the answer I believe. I'm a bigger dude and I've always favored bottoms with a strong taper (I used to feel like baggy pants blew up my silhouette too crazy). My style is generally luxury sportswear so I was already pretty deep into expensive sweats and track pants pre-pandemic and you can imagine what prioritizing comfort every day of the week for years on end did for that. I'd like to move baggier trousers but its gonna take some courage lol. One thing I cannot pull myself to do in this day and age is put on a pair of jeans, which is altogether strange when you consider how much I once adored denim.
The love for denim come and go. Sometimes I go through stages were I hate all jeans but then all of a sudden all I wear is jeans... So basically I wouldn't think too deeply about it and just try to go with the flow!
Been meaning to clear out my closet for months if not years, just way too much and the fear of regretting what I cut is imposing. I've always wished I had some people to help with a curating process but none of my friends are into clothes like me. Not to mention how many pieces I've sat on for awhile only to come back into style hard (shout-out my dunk collection from the local factory outlet). Gotta get over these fears.
I feel you! Getting rid of items is never easy but if you come to terms that some clothes are better off in someone else’s hands, then you’ll have an easier time getting rid of them
I go through this from time to time. I've found that keeping my closet small helps, personally. It reduces clutter that I used to be prone to, and makes 3-4 new pieces feel like a total refresh. Last time I was down this bad, though, I challenged myself to wear everything in my closet without repeating any fits—anything that I found myself avoiding got the boot.
Sizing down the closet seems to be the move, something I have to keep working with. It's just so easy to let your collection get out of hand and before you know it, it feels like you have nothing to wear.
I hit a point with my closet where I’m content, and wear a good majority of the stuff. I probably say I wear about 75% of my clothes consistently. I’ve been sticking to more Americana / military style so it’s been easier getting dressed. Like you said wearing the same stuff can seem like a drag. What I’ve been doing is just looking for variations of items I already own when thrifting/ shopping. Maybe different colored heavy flannel, or different wash denim. I feel tik tok in a sense has ruined fashion in a way where a lot of people are clones and lack the individuality that it once had. Not saying everyone is like this but a good amount of people are. I find myself going back to roots where I used to really dig for unique items and also been leaning to more vintage items because most likely I won’t see someone else wearing it. I wonder where fashion will be in a couple years.
Yeah I agree, it feels like TikTok really made people dress the same even more than before, and any sort of early trend gets adopted so quickly that it feels bland in less than a week. You have a good system in place, and wearing 75% of your closet is a win in my books!
Same goes with me, sometimes i look at my closet and think that all i need is more money... but recently i just got this random bit of confidence and said im owning the fit and it goes pretty well so far. An option for the people seeking life hacks for finding that specific piece on the internet, might actually be luxury secondhand. At least in Denmark it's really popular nowadays with so many instagram shops that sell all the high-end brands for really cheap compared to retail. Other than that, this story hit home honestly... the struggle is real.
Confidence > everything. Luxury second hand is also a good move, or any luxury sales for that matter. If you're looking to get into luxury, just wait because those sales happen way more often than we think!
Every year I start with all my hangers facing the "wrong" way and whenever I wear that piece, I turn the hangar around. Beginning of summer and winter I go through and sell/donate what I didn't wear for the past 2 seasons, and while this doesn't necessarily work the best for shorts/pants, it kinda does. Whatever is at the bottom of the drawer and I can't remember when I last wore it, out it goes. I don't always fill the space with something new since I do feel overwhelmed with wanting a lot of new pieces but making less that $40k/year in my job limits me, but going to curated resale shops here in Austin are pretty good. Also like you said, Grailed for brands I like that are used isn't the worst for me. I am waiting for this Dime Polar Fleece button up on SSENSE to go on sale since there is 2 left, 1 being the XL I want.
the hanger trick is really interesting! I've never heard anyone doing this. Looks like you got a pretty good system that keeps you inline for all your purchases, that's good! Check out some other stores that carry Dime, there's a stockist list on their website that is worth checking out to see if there are any other sales going on.
I'm not all the way here yet, but somehow I hate every pair of pants I own (including the grail pieces) and can't figure out where to go next in that regard. I know the feeling of the entire wardrobe though. The (sort of) solution is to just wear the stuff you like the best into the ground while you slowly (or quickly lol) replenish your coffers. I have a hard time saying goodbye to stuff I don't absolutely hate though so there's a lot of stragglers hanging around.
Saying goodbye to clothes you used to love can be the hardest, so I totally get that. In terms of pants, what kind of stuff are you wearing right now? Maybe changing the fit would be the best place to start.
Changing the fit is the answer I believe. I'm a bigger dude and I've always favored bottoms with a strong taper (I used to feel like baggy pants blew up my silhouette too crazy). My style is generally luxury sportswear so I was already pretty deep into expensive sweats and track pants pre-pandemic and you can imagine what prioritizing comfort every day of the week for years on end did for that. I'd like to move baggier trousers but its gonna take some courage lol. One thing I cannot pull myself to do in this day and age is put on a pair of jeans, which is altogether strange when you consider how much I once adored denim.
BTW this is an excellent essay and really nailed how myself and a few friends I forwarded it to inevitably feel from time to time.
The love for denim come and go. Sometimes I go through stages were I hate all jeans but then all of a sudden all I wear is jeans... So basically I wouldn't think too deeply about it and just try to go with the flow!
Been meaning to clear out my closet for months if not years, just way too much and the fear of regretting what I cut is imposing. I've always wished I had some people to help with a curating process but none of my friends are into clothes like me. Not to mention how many pieces I've sat on for awhile only to come back into style hard (shout-out my dunk collection from the local factory outlet). Gotta get over these fears.
I feel you! Getting rid of items is never easy but if you come to terms that some clothes are better off in someone else’s hands, then you’ll have an easier time getting rid of them
I hate all my clothes just because they’re sewn by someone else 😤 I just wish I had more time to create my own unique outfits 😩😭
I feel like this. This article is making me think about how it's more of a societal issue than a me issue. Interesting takes, really intriguing read.