Have you ever been in a store and seen an item of clothing or accessory you feel you absolutely have to have? Feeling as though if you walk out of the store without this item, you’ve missed out on something, and god forbid another individual were to gain this possession. Somehow, acquiring it adds to your closet’s currency, whether in actual dollar amount or societal status. This urge to buy, or what some minimalist activists call “consume,” is about hunger. Why do we get hungry for material things? This can be argued among philosophers, politicians, and influencers -– of which I am none. I am simply sharing my thoughts on the persistent fear of outfit repetition, how you can combat this by styling within the means of your closet, and what some people do to fight off the hoarding of textiles. Ultimately, it is not how many clothes you own, but the purpose you give to your items that equates to style.
There was a time when we didn’t have the option to go out and buy more. In the early 19th century, the only ready-to-wear clothing was made for people in the military. Eventually, the sewing machine became commercially viable in the 1850s, and the world experienced rapid growth in mechanization and the development of sizing systems. Worldwide, an estimated 1,291,959 factories are involved with garment supply chains, where over 75 million factory workers and 100 billion pieces are created a year. We have all bought into this industry. it’s one of the very few you can’t live without. As the ordinary individual worked their way out of a need for clothing and into a want for more, they had the opportunity to become creative in their outward appearance. Expression through apparel is nothing new, but ready-to-wear clothing means someone with less time on their hands could be just as nicely dressed as someone who may have all the time or money in the world.
One hundred billion pieces of garments is a lot. We are now at a point where we have too much clothing, not just in our closets, but everywhere. Ninety-two million tons of textile waste is created yearly. Outside of how detrimental this waste is to our planet, where do you come in? I’d like you to think of the last few items of clothing you bought. Did you have an intention when purchasing? Was it something you were scouting for? Did you have no real thought and bought something because it was cute? Were you amidst the practice of retail therapy? Whatever the reason you were shopping, where are the items you purchased now? Do you know who made them? The fabric? Do they pair well with what you already own? And how much use have you gotten out of it? Now that I’ve got you thinking, I hope you feel satisfied with your clothing’s purpose. But, if you aren’t, then you should keep reading.
This past January, I flew to London, where I studied for 5 months. My favorite book growing up was Fancy Nancy, and I still like to emulate her now, so you can imagine that packing was one of the biggest things consuming my mind. I realized I needed a dynamic wardrobe that could work for almost every occasion: travel, sunbathing, formal, exercise, school, and the temperature range of 30 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I packed five pairs of pants, three sweaters, three blouses/tops, three sets of workout gear, one dress, PJs, two jackets, two hats, a scarf, gloves, and loads of jewelry. Everything I packed followed a color scheme of black, white, cream, red/pink, green, and blue, and I made sure the variety of fabrics was complementary. This is how I created my capsule wardrobe.
Inevitably, after two months, I was bored of my closet. Luckily, I packed hair ties and pins. If you haven’t ever experimented with pinning your clothing, you’re missing out! Let me introduce you to the safety pin. You can change the structure of a piece with a few pins, tying back a few bits, or folding over the fabric. What I did a lot was make one sleeve thinner than the other, cinch a knot into a blouse, or take one end of a dress and pin it up to my hip, making an asymmetrical top. One thing I had a lot of fun with was layering. It’s essential to ensure you have tops that can stand alone and sit under or over another. Layering adds depth to your outfit, making you look elevated and creating a personal design.
Understanding the clothing you have in your closet can help you solidify your style. If you’re continuously buying new or second-hand clothing, you aren’t experimenting with what you have. I challenge you to desert the idea that outfit repeating is embarrassing. You’re supposed to wear what you own! This is a classic way to have a distinct sense of personal style. If you find an outfit that makes you feel good, why wouldn’t you wear it again? You’re wearing it for yourself, no one else.
So, how do you combat the hunger of feeling like you need more? If you don’t know where to start, then building up the basics is your first step. Thrift some solid color turtlenecks and cotton t-shirts, and acquire that good pair of nice fitting jeans, maybe in black too. Don’t forget that quintessential sweater in your closet, and a dress that you could dress up or down — silk or linen are suitable bases to go off of. Finally, a blazer and pleated trouser, topped off with a classic coat; this could be a leather jacket, a trench, a puffer, whatever screams “you.” Building these staples may take a little while, but creating outfits will be a lot easier once you do.
There’s a side of the internet that takes anti-consumption to the next level, embracing modernity and following the style choice called “normcore.” Normcore embraces the fact that you will never be on trend; the cycles of fashion are so fast and vast that you can never stay current. “Right now a lot of people use fashion as a means to buy rather than discover an identity and they end up obscured and defeated,” says freelance stylist and fashion writer Jeremy Lewis, the founder of Garmento. I think the best way I can describe the normcore style is referencing the retail store Gap. If you’ve ever shopped in a Gap, you understand my reference of simplicity. For many, though, normcore is a theory. It isn’t about rebelling against or giving into the status quo, but instead making time for fulfilling activities other than shopping or spending time on appearance.
I am not anti-shopping, and I am very pro-outward expression through the channels of clothing and accessorizing. Styling is what that expression is. It is your aesthetic choice based on the vibe you want to encapsulate. The process is an act of mindfulness. Next time you’re staring at the racks in a store, I invite you to consider what you already own. Is there a purpose you can give a similar item in your closet? Decreasing the consumption of new products will increase your creativity with what’s already within your means.
Graphics by Ava Soong