Saturday, May 12, 2018

consistency is key




"BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL"
                                         - Vivian Westwood


In the never ending quest to become a cured ‘shopper’, I’ve learned the key to a solid wardrobe (or anything in life really) is consistency.

Thinking back on my younger years, I unknowingly lived by a reverse ideology - quantity over quality. I had a closet bursting at the seams while constantly feeling dissatisfied with what I had to wear.  I read all of the articles and online posts about the ‘ten items you need to add to your closet RIGHT NOW’ and felt the urge to purchase, only to forget about that item months later. This lacked consistency (and made me prey to the fast fashion predators).  

If we’re constantly jumping at every single thing a magazine tells us we absolutely need out of a knee-jerk reaction, our closets will hardly reflect any kind of personal style and start resembling that of a department store — meant to cater to a mass audience, rather than express a personal preference. 

We need sartorial discernment. 

The temporary high of a fast purchase is just that, a hint of so-called bliss with little to zero thought put into it. I am on the journey to a decluttered and more ethical closet — a thoughtfully edited selection.  I am continuing to go through my closet to achieve this and breaking down the habits of purchasing for fun without considering the purpose of each item in my closet. I want a closet that is full of loved pieces that I actually wear — a closet I can open up and feel like it expresses who I am.  



I love getting to know someone well enough that you can start recognizing them in pieces of clothing, patterns or colors. Where you can point to something and say ‘that’s so Rachael…” (also, hi Rachael).

    That requires a sense of self and consistency. Now, not everyone feels that way about clothes — they’re a fun, creative outlet that for some, changes with the wind and current trend inspiration. But for me, I like knowing that everything has its place in my closet, and that my husband can point to a striped top and say ‘that’s so you’ because time and time again I will wear a striped shirt. I’m not sucking the fun out of clothes, I’m just a self aware shopper, and that’s fun for me.  Finding your uniform. (more on that in a later post)

In turn, the journey to consistency has made me more conscious of over-consumerism. We are living in a time of excess and over stimulation. An age of extreme advertisement and an insatiable appetite for any and everything.  We are consumers. We devour magazines and eat up everything Instagram tells us we need. I’ve talked about this in previous posts. This won’t change - I’m sure it will only get worse - people are now willingly paying over one thousand dollars for a single smartphone that will be obsolete within 18 months because Apple told them they can’t live without it.  

I’m not an extremist who’s living with the lowest eco footprint, with the most minimal waste, etc etc (more trendy statements).. I own an iPhone. I’m simply saying I have become more aware of this hyper consuming culture, especially when it comes to the clothing industry. Trends are flying on and off the shelves faster than ever before — we’re all getting whiplash trying to keep up with them. Are bell sleeves in or out? What cut of jeans should I be wearing? The list goes on and on. 





“While you’re sensitive to the winds of change, you’re not prey to the whims and persuasions of every fad and ad. What’s in or out is less important than what’s you: your passions, your personal style.”
- Entre Nous by Debra Ollivier


Shopping words to live by. I like the ease that consistency and uniform dressing brings to my style, shopping experiences, overall getting ready process and I think you would too.. 


  

xx
SK
   



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