It's difficult to find a consensus on how many pieces of clothing the average American buys each year, but it seems to be somewhere between 55-70! A study in the UK showed that women wear a piece of clothing an average of seven times. And the average yearly amount of clothing waste that each American is expected to send to the landfill is 81 pounds. I don't often mention these numbers, because they are everywhere and they set the bar very, very low. After finishing the post that follows, however, I wanted a little perspective...because talking about numbers always makes me uncomfortable. Adding any number of pieces to one's wardrobe reeks of privilege. The comparisons should not just be made to the average American...but to the average garment worker. The numbers for how many pieces of clothing the average garment worker adds to his or her wardrobe are just not available. I'm just saying that up front.
One of the ways that I approached my fairdare commitment at the beginning of 2019 was by taking a look at my wardrobe as a whole + making a list of three pieces that I imagined adding (or switching out) for each season. There was also a list of things to consider selling, gifting or donating during each season. This plan was an attempt to take control of my desire, keep my wardrobe simple, plan ahead, save money + maintain focus.
A few of my observations about this exercise ::
-considering my wardrobe as a whole (rather than solely by season) was very helpful
-but considering what I will wear season by season is important too :)
-three well-chosen pieces per season did not feel too restrictive
-planning these purchases ahead of time alleviated the guilt of spending money on them...I felt more in control of my spending
-each piece felt necessary +/or useful...which made them feel special
-choosing versatile pieces is great...but many of my pieces are not multi-seasonal
-I am a sort of serial uniform wearer
-as long as I have an option or two for dressier occasions in each type of weather, I'm set
-I still "shopped" a lot...looking for the perfect piece (I'd really like to have some go-to pieces, but women's brands don't often do consistent pieces from season to season)
-plans don't always work out (one of the pieces that I really thought would come through for me had such wonky measurements from website to actual garment...that I had to abandon the plan) :(
-preferences change (I really don't know if I want to wear pants or dresses or jumpsuits from year to year...it's ok for style to evolve back + forth...that's where variety comes into the small wardrobe...and I don't think that it would be bad to have a few of each of these on standby from year to year)
-while I love the idea of a handmade pieces, I love the ability to try on + return pieces that don't suit (for a $refund$) even better in many cases. (I do, however, have a few tried + true sewing patterns that I will make over + over)
-I think that I probably bought smarter pieces + fewer pieces than I would have if I hadn't made the plan
-my simple wardrobe stayed simple
This post isn't to assert the right amount of pieces to add or have in a wardrobe. Many will think that these numbers are excessive + others will think they are unrealistically paltry. I will simply say that this exercise furthered my understanding of enough.
My main take-away? I will definitely be making a list for 2020!
Love,
Jane
One of the ways that I approached my fairdare commitment at the beginning of 2019 was by taking a look at my wardrobe as a whole + making a list of three pieces that I imagined adding (or switching out) for each season. There was also a list of things to consider selling, gifting or donating during each season. This plan was an attempt to take control of my desire, keep my wardrobe simple, plan ahead, save money + maintain focus.
A few of my observations about this exercise ::
-considering my wardrobe as a whole (rather than solely by season) was very helpful
-but considering what I will wear season by season is important too :)
-three well-chosen pieces per season did not feel too restrictive
-planning these purchases ahead of time alleviated the guilt of spending money on them...I felt more in control of my spending
-each piece felt necessary +/or useful...which made them feel special
-choosing versatile pieces is great...but many of my pieces are not multi-seasonal
-I am a sort of serial uniform wearer
-as long as I have an option or two for dressier occasions in each type of weather, I'm set
-I still "shopped" a lot...looking for the perfect piece (I'd really like to have some go-to pieces, but women's brands don't often do consistent pieces from season to season)
-plans don't always work out (one of the pieces that I really thought would come through for me had such wonky measurements from website to actual garment...that I had to abandon the plan) :(
-preferences change (I really don't know if I want to wear pants or dresses or jumpsuits from year to year...it's ok for style to evolve back + forth...that's where variety comes into the small wardrobe...and I don't think that it would be bad to have a few of each of these on standby from year to year)
-while I love the idea of a handmade pieces, I love the ability to try on + return pieces that don't suit (for a $refund$) even better in many cases. (I do, however, have a few tried + true sewing patterns that I will make over + over)
-I think that I probably bought smarter pieces + fewer pieces than I would have if I hadn't made the plan
-my simple wardrobe stayed simple
This post isn't to assert the right amount of pieces to add or have in a wardrobe. Many will think that these numbers are excessive + others will think they are unrealistically paltry. I will simply say that this exercise furthered my understanding of enough.
My main take-away? I will definitely be making a list for 2020!
Love,
Jane
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