This Week in Thoughtful Consumerism, Vol. 12: Five Personal Wardrobe Truths

 

I’ve always been a pragmatic shopper, but this year in particular I feel really inspired to be very intentional with my purchases.  Because I’m making ends meet with unpredictable freelance work, I feel the weight of my purchases more deeply.  It’s a good thing, I think, to be so conscious of what consumerism requires of you in terms of time and effort.

I am still allowed to shop; I didn’t put myself on a shopping ban or anything drastic.  But as I’ve been making additions to my closet for spring/summer, I’ve also been thinking about what are the truths that shape my wardrobe and how I get dressed.  Here are five of them, in no particular order. 

{ONE}  I have major and minor color palettes in my closet.  Major palette colors: blue, purple, pink.  Minor palette colors: green and red.

{TWO}  I want the same color palette for all four seasons, which means summer and  winter versions of sweaters in the same colors.  I’ve been kinda denying this truth because I feel like I have so many clothes already.  But realistically, I need a few more long-sleeved cardigans (grey and red in particular—minor colors to balance my major color palette) to round out my winter wardrobe on a long-term basis.

{THREE}  I think cognac and grey are my new favorite neutrals.  I used to wear a lot of black, but it’s become a secondary neutral to cognac and grey.

{FOUR}  I have strong, visceral reactions to shoes.  These reactions are either love or hate at first sight, and rarely do my feelings change.  The one exception in recent history?  Wedges.  I used to think they looked absolutely goofy when worn with skirts or dresses, but now I love wearing them that way.  (Paul finds my wedges very strange and kinda ugly, especially this pair.  One time, when someone complimented me on them, he was sure that they were mocking me!)

{FIVE}  Pretty patterns make me happy.  Falling in love with a pattern is, to me, the perfect reason to buy something.  Here’s a photo of my favorite pattern of all:

<3

What are some of your personal wardrobe truths?

(And up next: my French wardrobe approach to buying new items for spring/summer!  I tell you that so that I will actually follow through with writing that post…sobusypleasesendhelpandchocolate!)