#48: How to Cure a Wardrobe Rut

Feat. my best second-hand buy, and a wear-forever jacket.

Reader, I’ve been in a bit of a slump when it comes to getting dressed.

For months, I’d put on my go-to things — t-shirts that fit just right, button-downs that slouch just so — and feel off, somehow. Several times, I donned an outfit, and after running an errand or two, decided I’d tired of it and changed into something equally uninspiring, in a slightly different way.

After I bought a couple of gorgeous vintage dresses (that I haven’t yet had the chance to wear) I realised I’d bifurcated my closet: at one pole, the special occasion pieces that I justified by conjuring a future holiday or wedding celebration; on the other, everyday machine-washable clothes that in theory formed a cohesive, practical wardrobe, but in practice, bored me. I’d browse my usual stores as if searching for a missing link, only to rack up pages of favourites I couldn’t justify buying and playlists worth of wasted time.

An accurate vibe captured by Craig McDean.

Was I just getting swept up in the September (fashion month; fresh starts) of it all? Probably. But I knew I needed to reconsider what I already own, much of which I’m aware is lovely but could be improved with styling. I’d gotten into the habit of pairing the same old pieces together over and over again with no intentionality nor pleasure — many people aim for this kind of Jobsian autopilot dressing, but I’ll pass. And I don’t want to constantly relegate my ‘special’ clothes to specific occasions; beautiful things should be seen!

I knew the answer wasn’t to acquire new stuff (we moved last weekend, and there’s nothing like moving house to give you a rude awakening about how much you own), but I needed to hit refresh.

To remedy my wardrobe ennui, I decided to go through my clothes and play dress up. Save for one slip, which I wax lyrical on below, I didn’t do many dresses and might save those for another email (I could do an entire newsletter on the black ones alone).

I’m sure packing and unpacking helped by reminding me I owned certain pieces — slash alerting me to certain missing items, like my favourite Lemaire blouse — but this was a resounding success, if I do say so myself. Below the paywall is everything I tried on, much of which needs a good iron/steam. But you get the gist!