I've basically overhauled every facet of my life to line up with my zero waste values except one area. The area I've been most dreading since I've started this journey. It's here, that I realize I have a consumption problem - a materialism problem. Over the last year, I've searched for every possible excuse to put this on the back burner and getting pregnant seemed like the absolute perfect reason to put it off even longer. Well, I have no more excuses. It's time to tackle this. My obsession with clothing has gotten out of control.
For many years, shopping for clothing was always been a way for me to "feel good", to "let off steam" - it made me happy for a brief moment. I'd go to a store, find a lovely piece, wear it for awhile, then the inevitable happened every time - the "new" wore off. What then? I was back on the hunt for another piece of instant happiness, and that was the deeper issue. I was searching for happiness - so why was I searching for something so important in clothing? Obviously this is why I was never sustained for very long and just ended up shopping again in a week or two from my previous excursion. Maybe my happiness doesn't lie in more clothing, but less? I'm sitting here writing this as I stare over at my closet and quickly realize I have 30+ pairs of shoes, yes, really.
Because this is obviously a very unhealthy past time for me and does NOT meet any of my zero waste values, I've decided that I need to do something now. No more waiting, no more excuses. I need to quit the unnecessary purchasing and focus on me in a whole new way that will actually result in the happiness I desire.
Over the last couple of years, I've noticed the rising popularity of capsule wardrobes. Everyone is talking about them! A capsule wardrobe is " a collection of a few essential items of clothing
that don't go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which
can then be augmented with seasonal pieces." In my case, I'm shooting for 40 pieces total - not including socks and under garments. I see a lot of people aiming for 33 and 37 but I like solid, even numbers.
I'm very excited to get started on this project and plan to keep you all filled in on my progress. My goal is "simple" - maybe...
1. No shopping for clothing for the rest of the summer - so until Sept 22. (I'm working on seasonal wardrobes)
2. End up with 40 pieces of clothing - including the seasonal items.
3. In the future, only replace pieces with second hand or sustainable items/high quality items that won't go out of season and can be worn multiple times in several ways.
4. Find my happiness and personal style.
Stay tuned for how I plan to tackle this seemingly daunting task!