Want versus Need

It has been quite tricky in these New Year sales to work out what I actually need, versus what I want! In truth I have actually only bought some work out clothes - and I am not even sure I really needed those. What I am sure I need is a sports bra, and I am sure the ones I have bought will not be good enough for anything high intensity…

Recently I have been becoming more and more interested in sustainability - buying quality over quantity - and trying to imagine myself as someone who has a ‘capsule wardrobe’ - maybe 30 items, that are really easy to mix and match, but made from really good quality fabrics from companies who pride themselves on creating clothes from sustainable methods or natural fabrics. The problem is I have a wardrobe full of clothes that are not in line with any of this - or where the majority is not in line with this. I have so so much clothes that I have bought throughout the years - I mean some of these clothes I have had for years; some of which is still with tags! I feel like I have buying for different versions of myself - or for a ‘me’ that I was hoping to become eventually! And of course I didn’t become that person but instead found another version of myself that I wanted to be, or am still building a wardrobe intermittently for this version 2.0 - the better version of me.

The version of me who works out - with lovely autumnal tones for working out! Imaginary me is very posh!
And the version of me who is regularly going to events - despite now being a person who goes out maybe 10 times a year (even during non covid times), I still have a wardrobe full of dresses and going out clothes, that is regularly added to.
The version of me who is really into tailored clothes and has blazers and wide leg trousers;
the version of me who dresses in nudes and only buys from a muted colour palette,
and the version of me who loves boho styling and has lots of brightly coloured clothes…

And I have a wardrobe of clothes for each of these versions - and honestly I can wake up any morning and feel like one of these versions… but there are also mornings where I wake up and feel like there are no clothes for the version of me I feel that day! Surely I cannot be the only person who feels like this? And I wonder am I putting too much responsibility on my clothes, and maybe I need to be looking internally - working on me, and which if any are the real version of me!

Lately I am starting to think I should be dressing for the person I want to become and build that wardrobe - the wardrobe for that woman - a woman who cares for the environment so only buying from companies who are sustainable, paying their manufacturers fair prices, and only buying when I have a real need. A woman who works out, who mostly has a muted colour palette - but with flashes of colour in specific items which still match the muted tones.

Years ago there was an article in a magazine detailing exactly what you need in a capsule wardrobe which I saved so I could incorporate it into my own wardrobe then. I have included my amended version below - it included shoes, handbags and jackets and I have removed that because I am not yet ready to face up to my shoe and handbag obsession, and I have included some workout clothes because this is part of my lifestyle and honestly part of my wardrobe now that I am working from home full time!

14 tops

4 work-out tops

2 silk blouses

1 Breton top

1 grey and 1 white t-shirt

1 great white shirt

1 silk vest

1 fancy going out top

1 cashmere knit

1 lightweight knit

13 bottoms

4 workout bottoms

3 trousers

3 jeans

3 skirts

 5 dresses

1 cocktail dress

1 power dress

2 casual dress

1 shirt dress

My goal for this next few weeks will be to reduce my wardrobe to these key pieces for now - all of which I am pretty sure I already own. I have already given already a bin liner of clothes to charity - and still not everything fits in my wardrobe. My plan will be to put some clothes in storage - the clothes I feel I really cannot part with despite not being in the capsule wardrobe for now - rather than give it all away and see how I fare for 30 days with such a reduced wardrobe.

Is anyone else doing a wardrobe clear-out - like a spring clean? Or planning a reduction for 2021? Would love to hear how you are going about this, or if you have any improvements to my capsule wardrobe above.

Sho xxx