Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Wardrobe Dilemma: Inspired But Clueless

With my soon-to-be studio still in a state of unpacking boxes and trying to find homes for everything, I've been thinking about the book I recently reviewed, The Re:Fashion Wardrobe. A couple of the boxes I pulled out of storage contain clothing that needs mending or alterations (such as the bust fits but the hips don't, or vice versa). And then there's my closet, with a hodge-podge of items that I have because I liked them when I bought them. Or maybe it's a top or skirt to match one of those hodge-podge garments. I did a pretty good closet purge last winter, but I still have a lot clothes. 

Two concepts from that book have been my take-away points.
  • "Re-fashioning" existing clothing
  • The capsule wardrobe

Being in the retired class of persons, my husband and I live on what is known as "fixed income." That means income is limited and the budget is tight. We've learned to live comfortably that way, although I'm pretty sure our lifestyle is too austere to suit most. The point I want to make is that, with a few exceptions, buying new clothing is out, as is sewing new clothing. I learned how to sew in junior high school, and at that time sewing was how low income people got new clothes. But, sewing has become expensive nowadays, between the cost of patterns and fabrics. Plus, I have a history of sewing things that looked good in my head, but not in the mirror. That's why Portia Lawrie's idea of re-fashioning garments (also known as upcycling) is infinitely appealing.

The capsule wardrobe concept is also extremely interesting. The idea is to keep a smaller wardrobe (such as 20 to 30 individual pieces, or so) that all coordinate and can be mixed and matched to make a variety of outfits.

So, there's the inspiration. The challenge is, how can I use this to apply to me?

I started by looking at the simple 4-step plan in the book:

  1. Sort your current wardrobe
  2. Pick your palette
  3. Identify gaps
  4. Make a plan  
After reading step one, however, I knew I needed a different approach because my lifestyle is so different. So, I started poking around the internet for more ideas on how to build a capsule wardrobe. Most of it was not useful. Most of the articles I found are telling you what you need (with affiliate links for the various items), and all in black, white, beige, and brown, in a particular style that doesn't interest me. Or else they address sewing everything and discuss patterns and fabrics. Portia Lawrie's book at least advocates starting with one's current wardrobe.

The most useful (to me) web page I've found to date is r (attempts to) build a capsule wardrobe. R approached her analysis in a way I can relate to. (Quoting here):

"Things I need to consider:
- what items do I need?
- what items are comfortable?
- what do I enjoy wearing?
- how many do I need to allow for wash days?
- what colour theme am I choosing?
- what sort of aesthetic do I want to aim for?
- what is easy to repair?
- what do I already own?
- probably more I haven't thought about yet."

R also referred to An Introduction to the Capsule Wardrobe. From that, I gleaned:

 "How do I get started? 
- Determine your personal style.  
- Discover your body shape and most flattering cuts and proportions for you."

Again, useful and practical advice. 

When I sat back to process all of this, I realized I need to approach a wardrobe analysis from my particular lifestyle and my own needs.

More on that here


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