WBaker
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- Jan 5, 2010
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One upside of quarantine has been a mental shake of the etch-a-sketch with familiarity to my wardrobe. Having worn Ts, GellerxLulu workout shorts and slip on Nike's for a couple months now I'm able to go through my wardrobe with a strangers frame of reference. Someone on this forum, if you remember who remind me, said the thought process for ditching clothes is: if you would jump at the chance to get the cash you spent back in exchange for the item you should probably sell it for whatever you can get. I've been using quarantine to do just that, whittling down the fringes of my closet.
My twist on that advice would be, if a garment makes you feel like similar items in your wardrobe will always be a second choice then it's time to cull. Example: I'm totally in love with my white 5 zip (try to wait until the honeymoon phase is over, but sometimes when you know you known). I have it hanging on a frame hook on my wall and I give it a once over every time I walk by, I'm just a shred if sanity away from telling it goodnight when I head to bed. Obvious move is now I'll probably sell my other 5 zip, cause I'll never want to wear it more than my white one and their usefulness heavily overlaps. More nuanced choices will be parting with a few jackets that fall in the same warmth and ocassion category, this is tough to discern. I ask myself to think of scenarios where I'd be giddy about sporting the 5 zip, then I think about what I'd wear if I didn't have this jacket. A few of those jackets (slightly luxurious, stuff I don't want to sweat a ton in, stuff I wouldn't wear if I was sleeping out or had those kind of plans where the night could get wild) can go up for sale. If I find a jacket thats similar in most regards sitting in my closest and go "but this one I'd wear camping or not be distraught if lost in a hotel room" then it's saved itself from the purge. (A whole other topic is how this theme were discussing doesn't mean treasuring an item, sometimes having garments you're okay with losing or messing up is what's most in service of contentedness.)
If I'm disciplined I'll use the money for more essential things, if not I'll think of ways I'd like to wear my favorite garments but can't due to some limitation of garments/colors/materials. One thought was I didn't have a knit thin enough to wear under a leather, fixed that by recently picking up a long sleeve shirt knit that I know will work perfectly. So in a way I think saying contedness means buying nothing and making yourself only love what you have is not my ideal. Contentedness can be picking up new pieces that will be breathing new potential into your favorite garments.
Another example of acquisition fitting the spirit of contedness can be found in my slowly expanding posse of side zips. I find having a few pairs shoes is really important to them lasting a long time, seems like a day or two's rest does a lot to exponentially increase a shoes lifespan (maybe something to do with sweat and salts breaking down the leather more aggresivly if worn every day?). So I love me a side zip: easy to put on (I will skip wearing my sneakers and hightops just to avoid stopping to lace up), looks cool with every pair of pants I own, I know my exact size for maximum comfort, finally they're more than durable enough. I've strayed from the light and tried combat boots, explored new brands, tried to buy the cheap version of what I want (if I haven't learned not to do this by now I'm hopeless) all to minimal success. I've had the classic black side zips since like 2012, they've been resoled 4 times, they look well loved but still totally wearable. With that track record and frequency of use I know if I buy a new color or material it will pan out long term. Actually some of my bigger clothing regrets and a serious lack of contedness has come from trying to downsize my side zip collection or from trying to add more variety to my footwear. They just work for me in every way, and I believe I'm finally in a zen place with that, wanting for very little deviation. Since this thread is nothing without pictures, here's my current side zip line up,
Top to Bottom left to right:
Brown Suede Campus Boots, Square Toe Reverse Hide Boots, White Painted Canvas Side Zip, Caramel with Painted Gold Heels Side Zip, Black Side Zip (4x resole) , Brown Side Zip (4x resole)
My twist on that advice would be, if a garment makes you feel like similar items in your wardrobe will always be a second choice then it's time to cull. Example: I'm totally in love with my white 5 zip (try to wait until the honeymoon phase is over, but sometimes when you know you known). I have it hanging on a frame hook on my wall and I give it a once over every time I walk by, I'm just a shred if sanity away from telling it goodnight when I head to bed. Obvious move is now I'll probably sell my other 5 zip, cause I'll never want to wear it more than my white one and their usefulness heavily overlaps. More nuanced choices will be parting with a few jackets that fall in the same warmth and ocassion category, this is tough to discern. I ask myself to think of scenarios where I'd be giddy about sporting the 5 zip, then I think about what I'd wear if I didn't have this jacket. A few of those jackets (slightly luxurious, stuff I don't want to sweat a ton in, stuff I wouldn't wear if I was sleeping out or had those kind of plans where the night could get wild) can go up for sale. If I find a jacket thats similar in most regards sitting in my closest and go "but this one I'd wear camping or not be distraught if lost in a hotel room" then it's saved itself from the purge. (A whole other topic is how this theme were discussing doesn't mean treasuring an item, sometimes having garments you're okay with losing or messing up is what's most in service of contentedness.)
If I'm disciplined I'll use the money for more essential things, if not I'll think of ways I'd like to wear my favorite garments but can't due to some limitation of garments/colors/materials. One thought was I didn't have a knit thin enough to wear under a leather, fixed that by recently picking up a long sleeve shirt knit that I know will work perfectly. So in a way I think saying contedness means buying nothing and making yourself only love what you have is not my ideal. Contentedness can be picking up new pieces that will be breathing new potential into your favorite garments.
Another example of acquisition fitting the spirit of contedness can be found in my slowly expanding posse of side zips. I find having a few pairs shoes is really important to them lasting a long time, seems like a day or two's rest does a lot to exponentially increase a shoes lifespan (maybe something to do with sweat and salts breaking down the leather more aggresivly if worn every day?). So I love me a side zip: easy to put on (I will skip wearing my sneakers and hightops just to avoid stopping to lace up), looks cool with every pair of pants I own, I know my exact size for maximum comfort, finally they're more than durable enough. I've strayed from the light and tried combat boots, explored new brands, tried to buy the cheap version of what I want (if I haven't learned not to do this by now I'm hopeless) all to minimal success. I've had the classic black side zips since like 2012, they've been resoled 4 times, they look well loved but still totally wearable. With that track record and frequency of use I know if I buy a new color or material it will pan out long term. Actually some of my bigger clothing regrets and a serious lack of contedness has come from trying to downsize my side zip collection or from trying to add more variety to my footwear. They just work for me in every way, and I believe I'm finally in a zen place with that, wanting for very little deviation. Since this thread is nothing without pictures, here's my current side zip line up,
Top to Bottom left to right:
Brown Suede Campus Boots, Square Toe Reverse Hide Boots, White Painted Canvas Side Zip, Caramel with Painted Gold Heels Side Zip, Black Side Zip (4x resole) , Brown Side Zip (4x resole)
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