What can we do as individuals?
Wardrobe psychology is now a thriving industry, with personal shoppers, apps to help track your items and closet organisers available to hire. Sometimes clear eyes are the solution to any problem as you are too close to see the bigger picture. So how does one begin accountability for their clothing habits and understand their attachments to their wardrobe?
Start with pulling everything out and get ready to sort. Firstly, some clothes have been past their wearability and no one wants your old underwear so what are the fabrics, natural or synthetic? Some things are going to waste regardless, this is a good time to take stock and understand what you are throwing away before you make a new purchase. If you are throwing away products that will not deteriorate and sit in a landfill to eventually burn, think of that before you replace something.
Secondly, there is reuse, items still fit for wear, but you have not worn them in a year. Look at this as a fresh start based on where you are now. Though you may have an emotional memory attached, perhaps once your favourite suit from where you no longer work, a dress from an occasion you are not likely to have cause for again or simply poor fit or not your current size. Be honest with yourself, are you going to wear these items this year? If not, others may benefit, it can be a cleansing and healing exercise to let go of the memories or attachment to these items as you donate or resell knowing that where you are now is the start of your future. The past is gone, there is no sense in holding material possessions and clothes that were meant to be worn. Especially high-quality fine garments. Seamstresses take great care in constructing garments, it is an undervalued skill to create a garment. We look at piles of t-shirts on a five-dollar bin and think they are of little value, but someone has made them, probably for very little.
Thirdly, keep organised into your everyday, casual, formal and seasonal categories. There are apps that can store images so that you can easily access your wardrobe without having to go through searching and maybe forget what you have from time to time. Picture the opening sequence of ‘Clueless,’ where Cher is choosing her outfit through a computer matching system before dressing. While it seemed futuristic at the time, the years and technology have caught up with this. Find ways to utilise your clothing by mixing coordinates or accessorising basics to build your look for the day. You should still feel good and love your clothes, they should reinforce your vision of who you are and who you want to be.
What will this accomplish?
From this experience, you might start to notice your own personality profile built with items favouring a colour palette or the same shape and fit appear multiple times. The clothes we are most comfortable in will resonate more with clothes we enjoy wearing. If you have something you love, but feel subconscious or constantly have to check that it distracts you from events while wearing it, it’s probably something to take a longer look at. It could be a projection telling you something about yourself. Yes, clothing speaks to us, as clearly as marketing strategies or the voice inside our heads.
Rather, our subconscious minds give them a voice as they do an impression or memory. It’s as simple as this; do you like gold or silver? Do you like bike pants or loose shorts? Do you like fitted tanks or T-shirts? Our clothing is on our bodies, therefore we are as comfortable as our relationship with our bodies. This is why the fit of an item on our bodies is such a personal relationship. All bodies and varying cultures have different portions, coupled with the varying emotional background and physical stature of all individuals, it can easily be seen that catering to everyone is an impossible task.
How to make it a habit?
This is a lifestyle shift from the influence of fast fashion that has been so prevalent in our decisions throughout the last 20 years. This means shopping will become a discipline to learn how to do it smartly. Remember that marketing teams are trained to persuade you so you must be in power of your decisions. You know what is in your wardrobe, what you are comfortable with and what will be worn.