And why I failed it in the first week....
Here I am at the end of week six...and not a new item of clothing has entered this house since I started my initial challenge. Although that might not be a big deal for most people, for me it is, because....
"My name is Ginny...and I'm a shopaholic!"
By making a conscious decision not to shop, I notice how much I miss it -
- When I'm bored
- When I'm down
- When I'm happy
- When I have something to celebrate
- When I have something to commiserate
- When I have some extra cash
- When I haven't...but find that must have item
- When I need something for a special event
- and even when I don't...
There always seems to be some excuse to head to the local mall and hunt something down, whether it suits the rest of my wardrobe or not, and even whether it suits me or not. I see something in a catalogue that I love on the model and imagine that it will look exactly the same on me. Something happens in the dressing room, and I can't always blame it on the "skinny" mirrors that retailers know how to angle in exactly the right way to create the perfect illusion. I think a kind of shopping blindness overtakes me - I try on the outfit - I twist and turn in the mirror...and think...if I lost of few pounds, if I added the right shoes, if I put on some makeup, then I am going to look just like that 6 foot tall, slightly "skinny-on-it", flawless, 18 year old model. I waltz out that shop on a high - heading home to lovingly hang that item in the wardrobe.
What happens next? I put on said item of clothing one morning...and think "nah, not with what I'm wearing today" and hang it back up. Then I put it on another morning...and think "hmm...maybe the weather's not right today" and hang it back up. Then I try it another time...and think "it's probably not suitable for the occasion" and...well, you get the idea. Before you even know it, six months has gone past, and that same item is hanging in the wardrobe, labels still attached.
When I think of every clothing mistake that has passed through my wardrobe over the years, adding up the costs, I could probably have been well and truly on my way to paying off my mortgage.
This six month ban on clothing is not just about budget, it's also about a reset of my thought process when it comes to buying items, and being mindful about what I do need and what will work well with the rest of my wardrobe.
Which is why I really wanted to try the next challenge - the 30 x 30 Capsule Wardrobe. 30 items of clothing for 30 days.
If you look at the many blogs and clips posted regarding this capsule wardrobe, there are various ways of carrying it out. Many bloggers work from home, so they don't have to think of including both casual and office wear, as well as something a little dressier for an evening out. So those bloggers may have chosen to include accessories (such as shoes, jewellery and scarves). Some add only clothing, and not shoes. But for the most part the capsule does not include underclothing, gym or active wear (the new term for my sad, should never be worn in public track-pants and polyprop tops - those lovely additions to the wardrobe I crawl into after a day at work, and a weekend spent in hibernation).
For my capsule I decided to include shoes with the outerwear, but no other accessories. I thought the challenge would be tough enough trying to ensure I had sufficient corporate wear and weekend casuals to see me through the month.
Another mindset change for me was seeing my wardrobe as a whole, not segmented into work and non-work clothing. I needed items that would look suitable in the office but which I could also team with a pair of jeans, because my attractive "active wear" was only going to get me so far (I'm wearing it now)!!!
So what did I end up with?
Four pair of pants (two jeans/two trousers)
Nine Shirts/Tops
Seven Items of Knitwear
Three Dresses
Three Jackets
Five Pairs of Shoes/Boots
So what was my failing? Well...if you do the math, this adds up to 31. I had left a gap in the capsule at the beginning for an extra item just in case (as was suggested by many devotees to this project). And there was an "in case" - which was a dirty great cyclone that headed to our shores. While we got the tail end of it (just a huge amount of rain) it did show me very quickly that I hadn't really though through the consequences of the changeable weather we experience down our way in Autumn. I added another merino jersey during the week, taking my count up to 30, then out of necessity I added some boots. But I can live with 31 items as this is my challenge and I can set the rules.
I tried to make sure that everything worked with at least three or four different items in the collection and that meant colour and tones were similar or they blended. For the most part my capsule is black, cream, beige and blue. That includes the footwear and scarves (although the scarves are not part of my final count).
I'm into week two - and all is right with my wardrobe world - however the next two weeks I know will see its own challenges - that of repetition and boredom.
So what are my thoughts? If you like wearing different items every day, then this is not the challenge for you. But if you want to be really thoughtful about your wardrobe, think about how pieces fit with each other, try new combinations, and see what items you love and feel great in? Then this could be the challenge that changes your attitude towards shopping for your wardrobe.
Link to video:
https://youtu.be/OBqyH3z_oJU
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
What happens next? I put on said item of clothing one morning...and think "nah, not with what I'm wearing today" and hang it back up. Then I put it on another morning...and think "hmm...maybe the weather's not right today" and hang it back up. Then I try it another time...and think "it's probably not suitable for the occasion" and...well, you get the idea. Before you even know it, six months has gone past, and that same item is hanging in the wardrobe, labels still attached.
When I think of every clothing mistake that has passed through my wardrobe over the years, adding up the costs, I could probably have been well and truly on my way to paying off my mortgage.
This six month ban on clothing is not just about budget, it's also about a reset of my thought process when it comes to buying items, and being mindful about what I do need and what will work well with the rest of my wardrobe.
Which is why I really wanted to try the next challenge - the 30 x 30 Capsule Wardrobe. 30 items of clothing for 30 days.
If you look at the many blogs and clips posted regarding this capsule wardrobe, there are various ways of carrying it out. Many bloggers work from home, so they don't have to think of including both casual and office wear, as well as something a little dressier for an evening out. So those bloggers may have chosen to include accessories (such as shoes, jewellery and scarves). Some add only clothing, and not shoes. But for the most part the capsule does not include underclothing, gym or active wear (the new term for my sad, should never be worn in public track-pants and polyprop tops - those lovely additions to the wardrobe I crawl into after a day at work, and a weekend spent in hibernation).
For my capsule I decided to include shoes with the outerwear, but no other accessories. I thought the challenge would be tough enough trying to ensure I had sufficient corporate wear and weekend casuals to see me through the month.
Another mindset change for me was seeing my wardrobe as a whole, not segmented into work and non-work clothing. I needed items that would look suitable in the office but which I could also team with a pair of jeans, because my attractive "active wear" was only going to get me so far (I'm wearing it now)!!!
So what did I end up with?
Four pair of pants (two jeans/two trousers)
Nine Shirts/Tops
Seven Items of Knitwear
Three Dresses
Three Jackets
Five Pairs of Shoes/Boots
So what was my failing? Well...if you do the math, this adds up to 31. I had left a gap in the capsule at the beginning for an extra item just in case (as was suggested by many devotees to this project). And there was an "in case" - which was a dirty great cyclone that headed to our shores. While we got the tail end of it (just a huge amount of rain) it did show me very quickly that I hadn't really though through the consequences of the changeable weather we experience down our way in Autumn. I added another merino jersey during the week, taking my count up to 30, then out of necessity I added some boots. But I can live with 31 items as this is my challenge and I can set the rules.
I tried to make sure that everything worked with at least three or four different items in the collection and that meant colour and tones were similar or they blended. For the most part my capsule is black, cream, beige and blue. That includes the footwear and scarves (although the scarves are not part of my final count).
I'm into week two - and all is right with my wardrobe world - however the next two weeks I know will see its own challenges - that of repetition and boredom.
So what are my thoughts? If you like wearing different items every day, then this is not the challenge for you. But if you want to be really thoughtful about your wardrobe, think about how pieces fit with each other, try new combinations, and see what items you love and feel great in? Then this could be the challenge that changes your attitude towards shopping for your wardrobe.
Link to video:
https://youtu.be/OBqyH3z_oJU
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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