Photo by Andrej Lišakov on Unsplash The Perfect Wardrobe?
For much of my life, I've had a feast or famine approach to buying clothes. They'd all wear out and eventually, when I got to the stage of having nothing to wear, I'd replace everything at the same time and, pleased as punch with myself, not think about them again until the next time everything had fallen to pieces. Clothes rarely got donated: the next stage in their life-cycle was the textile reclaim bin.
I got better in the last decade, checking the sales every season and adding one or two items each time, relishing picking up a £120 raincoat for £40, until I had a uniform, a simple formula that could be layered up or down according to the weather, plus a frock for weddings and interviews.
Then we had the pandemic and, at the same time, my life started changing: the time of low-maintenance, high durability, wash and wear clothing that would stand up to travel and working in community venues, regularly hauling furniture and equipment and rescuing toddlers from under tables where they'd crawled and couldn't find their way out, passed.
In my last clothing audit, I'd had an experimental year. The previous year, the pandemic, stuck at home, I'd had a shock when I was invited to a neighbour's house and realised I had nothing suitable to wear.
So in 2021, I'd spent a lot of time in charity shops and bought things that weren't quite right, things that were not easy throw ons and required more thinking about to work, or they didn't fit or they were about a romantic idea like the long 80s raincoat I wrote about in my last audit. I bought new to me types of clothing, hoodies and joggers for the first time.
I didn't do a clothing audit for 2022 until yesterday. I felt I went a bit wild, like a woman who married her first boyfriend very young and then found herself divorced and dating in her early forties. I made all kinds of unsuitable liaisons and outright mistakes as I learned to navigate a strange new world. What did I like and what did I need?
I discovered Oxfam's online store with its eclectic mix of vintage, designer, trusty stalwarts and fast fashion. I fantasised over dramatic faux fur coats and moody leather jackets (the sheer quantity of them should have alerted me to their uselessness for everyday life), expensive Chanel silk scarves and battered vintage finds from the 60s. It takes time, I learned, to incorporate new items into an everyday wardrobe. Buy too many at once and it will be months, even the following summer or winter, when they come into rotation.
2022
| Source | Tops | Bottoms | Toppers | Accessories | Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-loved | viscose print shirt, | 2 midi skirts, skirt, linen trousers, cotton trousers, | overshirt, 2 blazers, cropped jacket, linen dress | 2 scarves, silk tie, DM Chelsea boots, trainers, sports bra, Ugg boots | ||
| New | 2 thermal tops, 3 tank tops, cotton print shirt, 3 cotton tops, 3 t-shirts, sports top, cotton shirt | loafers, | *****2 prs pyjamas***** | |||
| 68 | 24 (3) | 15 (2) | 10 | 17 (1) | (2) (2) |
Looks like I hit the average numbers of new clothing bought by Americans. Items in bold are ones I love and wear a lot (50%); those in italics are replacements for things that have worn out (10%). Eight items didn't make it for more than a year and were donated (12%).
2023
| Source | Tops | Bottoms | Toppers | Accessories | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-loved | - | - | denim vest, linen duster coat | - | |
| New | thermal top, check shirt, denim shirt, 2 cotton print shirts, blouse | cargos, leggings | cotton duster coat, denim blazer, denim duster coat | Crocs hiker-clogs, scarf, cowl, cross-body bag, backpack, gloves | 12 prs briefs, thermal socks, 2 prs pyjamas, 2 prs cropped leggings, sports bra/top/leggings |
| 41 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 19 (14 replacements) |
Better scores all round this year:
71% love and wear a lot.
34% were replacements.
1 item was donated.
The figures turned out better than I expected (running average over five years: 36 items per year). It will be interesting to see whether more things move into the love and worn a lot category this year.
I guess next year's audit might be more of a wardrobe review - what's lasted, is it possible to have too many skirts, that sort of thing. My body is changing as I get older, I'm shrinking and I lost weight around the time I started auditing. Maybe I will have moved on from things that were right five years ago.
2024 Knitting Plans
The things missing from my wardrobe are:
warm cosy cardigans and jumpers. I have a sleeveless vest and a cardigan on my needles, and wool for a knitted bomber jacket and a second sleeveless vest.
knitted accessories, especially socks, hand-warmers and hats. I've a set of hand-warmers nearly finished (one glove needs re-knitting) and some wool I want to use for two hats - one pointy and one slouchy. There are several skeins of sock wool waiting to be used.
I'll be reviewing my knitting plans as part of Finish It February this year.
Two videos about how knitting can influence your style:
- Is knitting ruining your personal style? Overcoming style barriers in the me-made wardrobe
- Knitting will transform your personal style: how knitting made me buy less and love my outfits more
Part of Needlework Monday, the community for everything needles, fibre and fabric (FAQs).
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