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Keira Lennox

style

growing up and paring down, part 2: less is more

10/31/2013

Nearly two months have passed since I threw out all my clothes in a fit of minimalistic maturity. I’ve waited to hammer out a sequel to the original post because, honestly, I wanted to be sure my new attitude toward style and simplicity would stick.

It’s stuck.

I was 25 years old when I started this blog. Back then, my shopping philosophy fit somewhere between, “too much is never enough,” and “if it’s on sale, it’s mine.” My closet was a revolving door, through which countless pieces passed with little to no regard for quality, fit, or timelessness.

When I look back at my outfit posts of yore, I shudder at the realization that the majority of the pieces I thought I loved only saw the light of day once or twice. After I ran out of ways to remix something, the passion I felt in the checkout line — made extra steamy by the buzz of a good bargain high — quickly fizzled. Boredom ensued. Restocking commenced. Lather, rinse, repeat. For years.

Then, the purge to end all purges.

Initially, a 50% reduction of my wardrobe was a shock; similar, I’d imagine, to chopping your waist-length hair into a pixie. But like the liberation that comes with a drastic haircut, I felt fresh and light, free to start a new chapter without baggage from a decade of style-searching and bad habits.

In the last seven weeks, I haven’t had a single morning of anxiety-ridden closet gazing. For a girl who’s spent a large chunk of her life groaning, “I have nothing to wear,” this is a big deal. Perhaps even more shocking, I haven’t felt the urge to refill the empty hangers. When your closet is stocked — not to be confused with stuffed — with quality basics and special pieces you actually love, pulling together outfits that make you feel good is a no-brainer.

I’ll tell you more about that in part 3.

To be continued!

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      Lindsay
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      Aww, thank you, Lindsey! This totally made my day! :-)

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    I love this! I’m honestly all for “less is more”, learning that back in college. For clothing that idea came into play more in the last 5 years. I have 4 feet of closet space, a dresser and a lingerie cabinet: I need to make it count. I have a list of “Foundation Pieces” that I want and I won’t buy them unless they are high-quality and timeless.

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    Absolutely agree! There is nothing more liberating than finally taking the plunge and doing a thorough edit. After having my two kids, I started to reexamine my wardrobe and found that years of impulse buys and sales shopping actually meant that there was NOTHING decent in my wardrobe; certainly no decent looks, or outfits, just lots of individual items that should never have been bought! So, yeah, like you, I never had anything to wear – to quote the great Homer, “the ironing is delicious”! Now, having chucked or resold the majority of my wardrobe, and rebuilt a more coherent collection of clothes, I can finally dress myself like a grown-up in under five minutes. Ah, the wisdom of age!
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    • keiralennox
      Greedy Edie
      11/01/2013

      Wisdom of age, indeed! I love everything you said here, because you’re totally singing my song. I’m happy to hear there’s success on the other side!

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  • Camille ay
    11/01/2013

    i know this feeling ! i can not stop buying importable clothes but i do, i can not stop buying clothes on sale but i do, and each morning and do not know what to wearing = military mission. every time i say “you should take some basics rather than that particolored top/trouser/shoes” and it results that i have nothing to wear in my closet. my closet is packed and i wear always the same outfit. when will i have the balls to throw it all ?

    Reply
    • keiralennox
      Camille ay
      11/01/2013

      Maybe try taking it all out of your closet, packing it up, and storing it somewhere else in the house for a bit. This way, you’ll see what your wardrobe looks like pared down, and see if you like it. After a while, if you’re digging the new minimalism, donate all the clothes you packed up to a charity. If you miss your old pieces, bring them back in!

      Reply
      • Camille ay
        keiralennox
        11/01/2013

        it is a good idea ! i have to try this. no. i have to DO this… thank you :)

        Reply
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  • runesandrhinestones
    11/01/2013

    I’m due a purge! Just finished university which was obviously a period of just getting EVERYTHING if it was cheap! I’ll be purging soon and only getting clothes that I love from now on.

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    • keiralennox
      runesandrhinestones
      11/01/2013

      Oh man, my college days were the heyday of my bargain shopping. I don’t think I have any of the clothes I bought back then, which makes me cranky when I think about how much money I wasted that I could’ve put toward my student loans instead. Good luck on paring down!

      Reply
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    11/01/2013

    Love this! I just got a wild hair to do this myself. The feeling is so amazing!

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    10/31/2013

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  • megtini
    10/31/2013

    I just did a huge purge of my own – two garbage bags full of random prints, funky colors and items that I bought only because they were a great deal and/or I loved the one item. Hence no ability to mix and match. On the road to recovery myself – pared down and I feel so much lighter, and have a better agenda in mind when I do shop or go thrifting for items :) Thanks for being a great inspiration!

    Reply
    • keiralennox
      megtini
      11/01/2013

      I love what you said about having a better agenda in mind when you’re shopping. I’ve been working on this myself. I keep a running mental shopping list of the things I would like to add to my wardrobe (mostly basics, like a great blazer or leather riding boots) and when I’m out shopping, if it’s not on my list I don’t buy it. Even if it’s on super sale.

      Reply
      • megtini
        keiralennox
        11/03/2013

        Thanks! It definitely helps keep me on track – especially when I run into a super sale or EVERYTHING half off at my local thrift store … :) Gotta keep it in check!

        I follow you on Pinterest as well, Pinterest is such a great tool to keep a visual “list” going of wanted items!

        Reply
  • prettytrippy
    10/31/2013

    I LOVE this! I wish more people would talk about/get on board with the “less stuff, less stress” philosophy (borrowed from Christine, pinksofoxy on YT). I enjoy posts like this far more than hauls! Keep it up and I can’t wait for part 3!!!

    Reply
    • keiralennox
      prettytrippy
      11/01/2013

      Thank you! “Less stuff, less stress,” is SO true. I wish I’d realized it a long time ago.

      I was talking with my husband about all this earlier this week, after being pleasantly surprised by the extra cushion in my bank account from cutting back on shopping. I don’t think I realized how much I was spending, and how little enjoyment I was getting from my purchases. These days, I’m trying to buy things I absolutely love — instead of buying 10 $10 things, buying a great pair of $100 leather boots that I’ll wear for years.

      Reply
      • prettytrippy
        keiralennox
        11/03/2013

        Exactly. The older I get, the more I understand “quality over quantity!”

        Reply
  • georginafmurray
    10/31/2013

    I know exactly what you mean! I’m still in love with sales and have fomo- fear of missing out!
    Nicely done!

    Reply

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  • Hi! It’s been a while! Let’s catch up on the blog with the most random roundup of things I’m wearing/eating/loving lately. Like the low-sugar candy packs I always keep in my handbag, or the $30 jeans I throw on nearly every day. Fresh post at keiralennox.com. 🍭
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    5 months ago
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