What I Learned From My January ‘Wear’ Challenge

Outfit repeater indeed… As a little challenge to get myself through the gloomiest month of the year, I set myself a little challenge. You might have seen it on my Instagram Stories, as I was sharing each outfit I created. Here’s the gist: for the entire month of January, I put myself on a shopping ban, and decided that I was going to create a new outfit every single day. I would wear the heck out of my wardrobe (especially after so many months of not getting dressed thanks to the lockdown). It was tough at times, but it was also inspiring and very educational! Now that we’re in a new month, I’m reflecting on what I learned along the way…

I’m a firm believer that your wardrobe should bring you joy… but if you’re not wearing it- well, it can’t do it’s job! Having spend so much time at home lately, I can say, my wardrobe was rather neglected. Taking the time to rediscover it over the span of a month was pretty fun, and I tried out lots of new combinations! and taking the time to Now, there’s a caveat here: I’ve been doing all of my vintage shopping online. I guess lockdown is going to do that, but I’ve still picked up a trick or two! Places like Instagram are a great place to find vintage sellers and it’s helped me in turn find some great pieces in a bigger size. Now on to the pointers!

There are things in my wardrobe I can say goodbye to…

Sounds pretty simple but I’ve definitely been guilty of holding on to things for no real reason. Things I liked for a bit, but don’t do anything for me anymore. That’s just a part of life, isn’t it? We outgrow things but we keep them around for the what ifs. Well I decided to out some of these things aside, and I haven’t missed them. So it’s time to say goodbye!

I should look into repurposing pieces…

I have two items of clothing that don’t fit, but that I absolutely love. One is a jumpsuit with colourful dinosaurs on it. I bought it years ago from The Whitepepper, who are sadly no longer in business. It doesn’t fit anymore, but I’ve been thinking perhaps it could be repurposed into something else? Like a cute top? I also have a leopard print dress that I think would get a lot more wear if it was just a skirt. So I’ve decided I’m going to look into finding a tailor or someone with sewing skills to help me do just that! I upcycle furniture from time to time, why not an item of clothing?

Some bits of my wardrobe need expanding…

Don’t worry, I’m not going to suddenly do a whole Asos shopping spree! One thing I did realize is that I’d like a few more options to wear that aren’t just jeans. I have a few skirts I love wearing, and some dresses, but I’d like some more trouser options. So I’ve been keeping an eye on Depop in case I see things I like! having spent some time really wearing and assessing my wardrobe, it’s nice to be able to pinpoint what needs a little expanding!

I’ll tell you what, after spending a whole month being intentional with my wardrobe, I’m feeling pretty good about things. The slow fashion lifestyle is certainly the way forward for me. Being able to rewear things in so many different ways is pretty freeing!

Still, it’s definitely a marathon, not a sprint. Doing things like following my Three Outfit Rule or consciously putting outfits together for a month really helps me slow down and curb my clothing consumption. Plus, I feel like I have a much better idea of my personal style now than I did when I was actively engaging in fast fashion.

Funny how that works, isn’t it?