One Thing I’m Doing This Year: Rewearing What’s Already in My Closet
Last week, I shared what I’m not doing with my closet as we start a new year. And while an exhaustive, “pull it all out” closet edit isn’t on my agenda, there is one thing I plan to do more of when it comes to my wardrobe this year.
I’m going to repeat pieces and outfits more regularly.
I’m not talking about outfit formulas that are part of my regular wardrobe, like my striped turtleneck, chambray shirt and jeans combination, for example. More specifically, I plan to repeat outfits for events and occasions. I’m operating under the philosophy that special occasions, events and/or even travel do not require anything new.
Why I Used to Buy Something New for Every Occasion
For the longest time—more recent than I’d care to admit—I treated occasions, events and trips as a reason to buy something new. I’m not entirely sure where, how or why I developed this mindset and held onto it for so many years, but I think my upbringing had something to do with it. As a kid, I had “play” clothes and “church” clothes. My mom bought my sisters and me new outfits for picture day at school, holidays and the like. I’m sure that had something to do with my carrying this habit with me well into my adult life and treating it as the norm.
I’m curious if you can relate?
I even did this for my daughter for many years until I realized how wasteful it was. More often than not, she’d wear those outfits—begrudgingly—exactly once. And I certainly didn’t recoup a fraction of what I paid when I resold them.
Why I stopped doing this for my daughter before I stopped doing it for myself is unclear. And maybe the more accurate way of putting it is that I stopped doing it to her or to myself.
This past fall, I purchased a new blouse that I really love. It’s lightweight, chartreuse (a color that didn’t previously exist in my closet) and dressier than most of my blouses with a ruffled neckline and ribbon detail. I wore it a few times during the workweek, and I also wore it for afternoon tea and the theater on a recent trip to London.
When it came time to pack for our Christmas trip home to the U.S., I briefly considered buying something new, which I often do, but decided against it. My main reason for not buying new was that I genuinely knew I didn’t need anything. I had so many options in my closet—almost too many, in fact. When I saw that the weather was going to be unusually warm on Christmas Eve, I knew right away I’d wear my chartreuse blouse with black trousers. And I did. And I felt great.
As someone who aspires to thrift and buy secondhand (a goal that has yet to come to fruition), I’m focusing on rewearing what I already own this year. For me, there’s simply no reason to add more pieces to my wardrobe solely for the sake of having something new to wear for a special occasion, and certainly not for travel.
When I think about travel specifically, it reminds me of a meme you’ve probably seen: you don’t need new clothes for vacation because the vacation people have never seen your “old” clothes!
What Rewearing Has Changed for Me
Rewearing existing pieces also forces me to flex my creative muscle, which is fun for me. I love pulling a bunch of things from my closet and experimenting with new combinations. I know not everyone’s brain works this way, which is exactly why I offer this kind of support through my 30 Days of Style service.
Get More Out of Your Closet (Without Buying More)
30 Days of Style is for women who want to rewear what they own, but need help seeing new combinations. Together, we’ll build outfits from your existing wardrobe so you can stop defaulting to “I need something new.”
“Jacquelyn put together different outfits and showed me how I can make them casual or dressy by just a few simple changes. I had a cardigan that I think I wore one time because I didn’t know what to wear it with, and now I wear it all the time, because I know how to wear it. ”
If you long for fresh, effortless outfits but don’t want to add to your closet, I invite you to explore 30 Days of Style.
