A Curated wardrobe
Is it time to curate & redevelop your wardrobe?
Do you have hella clothes & still can’t figure out what to wear? Do you wear the same things over & over again because everything else you have doesn’t fit or isn’t comfortable? Do you know the difference between style & fashion?
We’ve all been there. For some reason I do this thing before I go on a trip where I start shopping for new clothes as if the people in the place I’m visiting have seen my entire wardrobe. I can’t even tell you if my friends & family notice when I wear the same things. I guess it would be weird if i did know that, because that would mean someone was actually like “hey, you wore that last week” & then I’d have to be like “yeah, because I do laundry”.
Like its weird to NOT repeat an outfit, why wouldn’t you? I guess if you didn’t like it then sure that makes sense, but if you did like it & you felt good, why not run it back?
All of that was to make that point that you could build & curate your wardrobe with pieces that you not only love & make you feel good but are also versatile & can mix & match other pieces in your wardrobe. It’s about creating your style based on what you do in your everyday life & not just what’s in fashion.
*Disclaimer*
This is not a method I came up with. These are common philosophies, strategies, & tips I’ve gathered from others. A library with some of my favorite resources is in the making!
In order to do this we have to change the way we think about clothes. There are shopping habits we need to break & confidence that needs to get built. So there has to be a philosophy that we can follow.
Be Selective: Save Space for Clothes You Love
Curate, the verb, by definition means being selective, organizing, looking after & presenting items. Keep the saying “less is more” in mind. Your wardrobe should hold pieces you absolutely love, make you feel good & of course fit. Don’t settle for mediocre.
Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need to rush to get it. Sales aren’t meant to give you a good deal, they’re meant to make sure you spend money so that the business can meet their sales goals. Buy one get one half off is just 25% off in disguise. As someone who worked in corporate retail inputting weekly promos for an outlet store, I can tell you outlets have sales every day. The whole store is always on sale.
Make sure the item fits! If something doesn’t fit, you won’t feel comfortable in it & you won’t feel good. Adjusting your clothes all day gets annoying. Tailoring and alterations are a must. Get clothes that are worth tailoring and altering. NEVER buy something that is a size too small for you. It’s a lot easier to take seams in than it is to take them out. Even if you plan on losing weight. I love the manifestation, but buy clothes that work for you now. The future is unpredictable & never guaranteed.
Be picky & realistic. Are you actually gonna go to the dry cleaners? 100% Polyester, really? I’m judging. Not even sorry. Yes, stretch fabrics & knits generally need to have polyester & nylon but there’s also wool. Is it pricier, yes but wool is a natural fiber. To me, natural fibers are queen. We’ll talk about that later. That’s a personal preference that I’ll advocate for later
Be Authentic: Don’t Settle for Mainstream Style Typologies Like Classy, Boho, Edgy, etc.
Keep your options open & don’t box yourself into just one type of style type. Be open to mixing & combining different types of clothes, you wont know what does & doesn’t go together until you try it.
Leave the labels in the past, we’re human. There are layers to us. Trying to fit into one category might make things simple & straightforward, but it’s also boring & predictable. If boring & predictable is your thing then by all means, do you boo. As you’ll here me say later, take what works for your, leave what doesn’t.
Don’t limit yourself, this is an overwhelming process, but everything that’s new is. Keep an open mind.
Aim for Quality: Build a Wardrobe That Will Last More Than Just a Few Months or Years
What your clothes are made of & how they’re made matter. Fast fashion is not it. If your wardrobe is strictly from Temu, Shein, h&m, Zara etc. I’m gonna need to ask you to be a little more considerate of the earth around you. I used to shop at h&m & Zara, did I get a good deal? At the time I thought so, but those clothes only lasted be a couple wears before they started getting holes, pilling or fraying. So in the end, not a good deal. Plus the styles went out of fashion by the next season. Notice how I said fashion & not style.
I know greenwashing is a thing, but sustainability does matter. There are literally land fills with piles of clothes that are out of fashion or just poorly made. We don’t throw out high quality clothes. Those are pieces that are passed down, they’re timeless, evergreen. They have stories. They’re unique.
Research the brands you’re buying from. It’s hard to care about things that we don’t see & don’t think directly affect us. Google is free, search with discernment. Who is sewing these clothes & where the clothes are coming from should matter to you. Child labor & sweatshops are still a thing. Whether or not a company donates their money to genocide should matter to you. For you it might not be close to home but for others that’s their whole lives & their legacy. A little empathy could go a long way. We can’t control everything, but we can control where we spend our dollars.
Go for Style Not Fashion
Now you’re probably thinking isn’t fashion & style one in the same. Honestly, No. Style represents you, your story, what you do, how you live, your vibe, your taste, your aesthetic. Fashion is what’s trending, runway, brand names etc.
Style is something you’ll develop over time. The silhouettes, materials, patterns, colors, necklines, waist lines, hem lines, etc. will all become second nature. You’ll start to see what works for you & what doesn’t. Your style is all the standards you set.
Put in the Time & Do the Work
All good things take time. Building a wardrobe is a lifetime journey. It will change just like we do as people. We get different jobs, start families, go through different hobbies & move to different places. This process won’t be complete in the matter of a couple weekends or months. Most places have seasons.
Curating a wardrobe is also about opening your mind. Changing your mindset on shopping. It’s about making time to find or even create the pieces you really want. It takes work & time to to learn & research about quality in materials & product development. It’s an investment.
There’s no better way to know what feels good & fits than by trying on clothes. That takes work & time. You won’t know if something works or not until you try it, so you have to try it. If you don’t like it then don’t be lazy or afraid to return it!
Reminder: You’re going to do this for you. You are the biggest beneficiary here. This isn’t the time to settle for less & compromise. Let yourself take care of yourself.
The Wardrobe Chronicles Objectives
A System for Curating & developing your wardrobe
Learning a process that will help you edit your wardrobe & fill in the gaps.
Defining your Personal Style
Figuring out what works for you & what doesn’t.
Creating your Dream Wardrobe
A wardrobe that works for you. It’s neither underwhelming or overwhelming.
How to Shop
Being more intentional with how you spend your well earned money.
Wardrobe Maintenance
How to take care of your clothes. What can & can’t be repaired. Understanding the lifecycle of a piece of clothing.
Do this For You
This isn’t the end all be all. This is just a guide to help you curate your wardrobe. If something doesn’t resonate with you then skip it. Just remember why you’re doing this and make sure what you’re doing aligns with your goals.
Take What Works for You, Leave What Doesn’t
Take Your Time & Enjoy the Process
This needs to be emphasized, don’t rush through this process. We’re trying NOT to impulse buy & do “fast fashion hauls”. Each piece in your wardrobe should be like a piece of treasure. Something you had to work to get. Trust me, finding something that fits, feels good & is versatile is going to take some work. It will be a challenge. If you think about it, every piece has the potential to tell a story. Have fun even if you don’t find what you’re looking for right away. What is meant to be will find you.
Document The Process
I wouldn’t be a virgo moon if I didn’t tell you to get organized. Keep a journal of this process, use spreadsheets, make a notion page. Whatever your method is keep track & record this journey. Then share it! I’ll be sharing a lot on the Wardrobe Channel on the Crafty Bruha Discord server! So make sure to join me there!
Getting Started
I use Notion for almost everything, below is the beginning of my wardrobe dashboard. Like all my Notion pages, this will evolve as we go through the process.
Capture Your Outfits
Starting tomorrow, take pictures of all of your outfit. Take a selfie or ask your partner to capture your outfit of the day. Log whether the outfit was for work, school, running errands, working out, doing chores, date night, concerts, party, etc. Keep all of this in your journal, spreadsheet, notion, wherever! Just keep it all together in one place.
Reflect & DIg Deep
Take this questionnaire. Copy & Paste these questions & answer where ever you are documenting this journey.
- What was your favorite outfit that you wore during the past few weeks?
- On a scale of 1-10, how happy were you with your outfits over the past few weeks.
- What are 3 adjectives that describe your style?
- What pieces of clothing did you wear the most?
- What type of silhouettes did you wear?
- what colors did you wear the most
- Do you want people to notice your clothes?
- How much variety do you need? Do you wear a wide range of colors, silhouettes & details? Do you have a signature look with minor variations?
- How do you style your outfits? What kind of accessories do you wear?
- How comfortable were your outfits?
- How were outfits fitting you?
- What message were you sending with your clothes whether you meant to or not?
- If you had unlimited funds and could overhaul your whole wardrobe. Would you still wear the same type of outfits?
- How easy is it for you to pick out an outfit in the morning?
- What percentage of your closet did you actually wear over the past few weeks?
- What seasons do you have to dress for?
- What types of occasions do you have to dress for?
- Is your wardrobe equipped for these occasions?
- How do you feel about repeating outfits?
- How do you shop currently? What is your shopping strategy?
- What is your decision making process when buyings clothes?
- Why do you want to spend time on your style? How do you use fashion?
- How do your emotions affect how you dress?
- Do you have a lack of confidence that prevents you from dressing how you want to?
- Do the people in your life influence what you wear? Do you influence what the people around you are wearing?
Establish your Style Goals
Now it’s time to figure out what you want to accomplish with curating a wardrobe for yourself.
- What do you like about your current wardrobe?
- What part of your wardrobe needs improvement?
- What kills do you want to learn?
Join the Discord!
If you made it this far you're getting super early access to the Discord Server!
Peep The Wardrobe Chronicles channel to see my Outfits!