having a sustainable wardrobe no.4
the how to guides
Photo credit. Adrienne Leonard Unsplash
why your most valuable items are multi-use
If you really analyse your lifestyle, how much of your week is spent in casual wear, or lounge wear, or a work uniform, or jeans or in a suit? How many weddings do you attend, or formal dinners, or dirty gardening days or however you live your life?
Now take a look in your wardrobe. How many ‘occasion wear’ items do you own? How many old tracksuit bottoms for gardening? How many suits? While it is important to have the right clothes for the right occasions, getting a good balance for the life you live now, is key to saving you time, effort and money.
For example, if you have only been to one wedding in the last 10 years, you probably don’t need an assortment of ‘wedding’ outfits. However, if you are a community representative and attend lots of functions, then a couple of dozen formal outfits may not be enough.
If like many people, your life isn’t defined by any single criteria, and you spend most of your time within the smart casual range, then this is the area where you can get the best returns from your clothes. Clothes that can be made to look more formal with a few clever additions mean you don’t need to buy something different if you want to dress up a bit. For example, that lovely pair of navy trousers you have could be worn with a thick scarf, sweatshirt, and boots for a casual look, but with a silky shirt, metallic chain, high heels, and a wrap for a more formal occasion.
Looking at the things you already have with a different eye, and wearing them in some unexpected ways, will mean that you can get more use from the clothes you already own, and not be swayed into buying something new for the sake of it. When you are next tempted by something new, as well as having the cost-per-wear equation in your mind, can you think about the different ways you could wear it and the occasions that it might be suitable for? This exercise will become easier with practice, so don’t get too tied up with the minutiae, just take a moment to think about things before pressing “buy”.
Continues in No.5…
All rights reserved. Milly Churchill asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work.