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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[…] Anywhoozle, these kinds of shopping sprees are typically followed by a good dose of buyers remorse, but everything I ordered from the Crew has been on heavy rotation. I think I’m really getting the hang of this edited wardrobe business! […]
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Lorena
I went back and read part 1 and have to say that my hat’s off to you!
You’re actually doing what every woman dreams of doing… I am looking forward to part 3-
Lindsay
I am always so inspired by your seemingly effortless sense of style, and know you’ve inspired me to do a giant closet purge. I’m on the verge of 30 and it just seems like time to rid my closet of the cheap trendies and focus on the lasting classics. You’re awesome!
keiralennox
LindsayAww, thank you, Lindsey! This totally made my day! :-)
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I’m in the process of doing this myself…thanks for the added inspiration!
musingsoftheamusingmuse
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.
Mandi
Congrats on such an overhaul! I can definitely relate, especially with your haircut analogy. Perfectly put.
Greedy Edie
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!
Keep up the good work :)
Greedy Edie (www.greedyedie.com)
keiralennox
Greedy EdieWisdom 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!
Camille ay
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 ?
keiralennox
Camille ayMaybe 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!
Camille ay
keiralennoxit is a good idea ! i have to try this. no. i have to DO this… thank you :)
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I love this !
runesandrhinestones
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.
keiralennox
runesandrhinestonesOh 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!
lissydaisy
Love this! I just got a wild hair to do this myself. The feeling is so amazing!
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megtini
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!
keiralennox
megtiniI 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.
megtini
keiralennoxThanks! 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!
prettytrippy
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!!!
keiralennox
prettytrippyThank 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.
prettytrippy
keiralennoxExactly. The older I get, the more I understand “quality over quantity!”
georginafmurray
I know exactly what you mean! I’m still in love with sales and have fomo- fear of missing out!
Nicely done!