the foundation of favorites.
Consuming is easy. You fall in love with a piece of clothing, and with the magic of cash or credit card you can have it in your hands, ready to wear.
Making your own clothes takes a bit longer — but here’s the secret: that’s part of the appeal.
Because after the dopamine hit of buying wears off, the piece you were so excited about eventually fades into the background of your overall wardrobe. This probably explains why so many of us are stuck in “the churn”: buying, getting bored, giving away… to the tune of tens of millions of garments per year in the United States alone.
One enormous benefit of making your own clothes is slowing. that. process. down. Because you’re in it for a while, a part of you and your history will be embedded in it when it’s done. This gives your pieces a chance to really be a part of your life rather than staying stuffed in the back of a closet.
So if things are going to take a while, you want to make sure you’re starting on the best pieces, right? That means it’s time to get to know your current wardrobe: what you love, what works for you, what direction you might want to steer it over time, and what you might want to avoid.
Being intentional with what you make and buy means your wardrobe will do a better job of reflecting who you are, and feel more satisfying to wear. It’s worth doing a few brief exercises to see where you want to go with your handmades.
Head into your closet and pull out your key, favorite pieces (this should be about one or two dozen items). Not sure how to identify which those are? I like to describe them by imagining a few scenarios – they are:
the pieces you’d take with you if you were moving into a tiny house;
the pieces you’d pack for a vacation (to a climate that’s the same as where you live);
the pieces you’d rescue if your home were burning down!
(Choose the scenario that speaks to you!)
I’m always mystified by closet decluttering advice like Marie Kondo’s where they have you start by taking everything out of your wardrobe, holding up one at a time and asking yourself “Yes? No? or Maybe?” How do you even know how to judge what’s in which category yet? To me, it feels like building a house by starting with drywalling the living room – hey, what about the foundation?
These few HELL YES pieces are the keys to unlocking your personal style: you love them for a reason (or many reasons!). Let’s dig and find out why.
While you’re doing this, don’t worry if they don’t fit together in some cohesive vision, or if they’re not on some list of ‘Ten Must-Have’ pieces from somewhere in the social mediaverse. Each one speaks to YOU, and that’s its superpower. You can like a grungy T-shirt because it brings out your cool, urban vibe and that flowy, boho skirt. They’re all you, and that’s what’s most important about them.
If you have space, put together in a distinct part of your closet – they’re going to form the foundation of your new style and the wardrobe that flows from it. If you’re a visual person, you can take a photo of each piece and display it somewhere (like a bulletin board, or an app like Evernote).
It can also be helpful to take note of the elements that make you love each garment:
what fabric is it made out of? and why do you love it? (is it cool/warm/soft/flowing/supportive…?)
what is the color story? do you have color(s) you gravitate towards in your group of favorites? are they bright or muted? clear or muddy?
what about texture? is it smooth, shiny, heathered, nubbly?
what about shaping? any necklines or hemlines or sleeve styles that crop up consistently?
Catalog your favorites and see what they can tell you. They’re going to do some seriously heavy lifting in the steps to come.
