Sunny Day Best

This dress was a really unusual choice for me. Usually I'm all prints and ruffles and layers and textures. Perhaps it's minimalist simlicity is what drew me to it. Or perhaps I bought so many dresses upon dresses upon dresses that one of my impulse choices was bound to be different, something atypical. Most of my outfits had, and still do have, so much going on - layers, multiple different prints, accessories everywhere. My shopping habits have changed drastically over the past year, in part thanks to trying to live more intentionally and sustainably, but truthfully largely thanks to lockdown and the inability to go out and compulsively buy from any and everywhere. In fact, my shopping habits have changed so much I'm challenging myself to a no-buy clothes year.

The Rules: 

• Neccessities, such as worn out lingerie or socks, can be replaced, but honestly I've hoarded those for years too so I can't see me wearing out all of those over the course of a year.
  
• If I see something I truly love, I'll add it to my birthday or Christmas but these aren't occasions where we go overboard in my family, so it won't be a case of asking for any and everything I see and getting it. 
• I can accept hand-me-downs from friends and family, or swaps if and when it's safe to hold clothes swap events again. 

Mostly, though, I'm going to be focussing on what I already have and really getting to know what's in my wardrobe, wearing the 90% of my clothes that I've impulsively bought, sometimes when I couldn't really afford them, and then never worn. I have compulsively bought and hoarded clothes, and every imaginable kind of accessory, most of my adult life but two years ago started on a journey of letting go, you can read on my original blog my post about the 2120 items I inventoried when I actually faced my hoarding here. I'm still working on that journey, I worked through everything with the KonMari method, slowly whittling it down, and it has been a slow process for me, of whittling, little bit by little bit away. No dramatic, before and after, one day epic KonMari sessions here. It's hard to let go of every single item. Even if I don't like it. I still feel the need to keep it. Actually wearing everything and truly getting to know every item will help in that process. Minimalising, I've found, comes in waves, and I can feel the next wave rolling in.

I'm wearing:

Dress (old): Matalan

Jacket: H&M via a charity shop

Bag: ReInkOurNation

Tights (old): Wilkos

Hair clip: thrifted

Necklace: thrifted

Photos taken by Tich

Photos originally posted October 21st, 2012 here