#iamaconsumerwhore

It's been a few weeks and there are a few holes in my capsule wardrobe, quite literally. A fast fashion tank with a hole in it, a pair of shorts so worn that the zip no longer stays up and a dress with fabric that marks with the slightest contact with any form of grease. These pieces are starting to feel like a hindrance, so I've decided to initiate the 1 in 1 out rule to strengthen my wardrobe.

I found myself with an hour or so to kill at a shopping centre whilst waiting for my partner. It had been a while since I've been shopping, a strange realisation for someone who has always indulged in retail therapy and who had endless ways to justify it. "Oh it's been a hard week, treat yourself, you'll feel better" or "You really deserve it for working so hard lately and forgetting to look after yourself" or any excuse really, like "Well you haven't brought anything this week!". I craved the instant gratification that came with impulsive fast fashion purchases, but of course, this was short lived. In fact, if I didn't come home with as many shopping bags as I had anticipated, I was actually left feeling disappointed.

I knew what I needed: a washed out casual top, a summer dress and a staple pair of shorts. I've always found it hard and almost impossible when shopping for something specific and today was no different. 

I walked into Sportsgirl, an old time favourite. Within minutes, my arms were loaded with clothes, about 10 individual items, most of which weren't on my shopping list. I thought to myself "What's the harm in trying it on?!" as I made my way to the change rooms. I must give myself some credit though, I am normally pretty good during this process; putting aside ill fitting clothes, colour tones which make me look sick, fabrics that feel irritable or styles which quite frankly, made me look stupid. My 10 items quickly dwindled down to just one - the piece I had gotten the most excited about and this emotion is my downfall. It was an acid washed t-shirt dress with a skull and rose motive, it screamed my name, even though with boobs and booty, I've never been able to pull off a t-shirt dress... I was emotionally involved and I was determined!

It didn't fit well, "But let's try a different size" I told myself, not wanting to admit defeat. So off I went to collect the smaller size and the fit was worse then the first. Still determined to make this dress work for me, I held onto it tightly as I made another loop of the store. I then noticed one of the sales girls wearing a smilier dress that she had paired with a belt. Problem solved. I picked up 3 different types of belts and headed back to the change rooms. Mind you, I think it's been 10 years since I've even worn a belt as they do not suit me, nor have I had a need for one. Did I mention that I was determined? I put the dress back on and tried it with different belts, again and again and again, to no avail. A few months ago I would have said "Fuck it" and taken it to the register, but I begrudgingly set it aside and with utter disappointment, left the store empty handed. 

That's when I realised, I am a consumer whore. Willing to part ways with $60 because I had lusted over a dress that did not suit my body type and willing to part ways with an additional $20 for a belt that I would probably never wear as a means to justify the whole purchase because I had seen someone else pull it off. It's clear now that it's not going to be as simple as a wardrobe purge to cultivate my personal style, but this is a complete lifestyle {and attitude} change. I've now armed myself with this beautiful book called The Curated Closet and it's time to break these consumer habits!

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#nothingmoresatisfying

There is nothing more satisfying than a wardrobe purge!!! Seriously. Decluttering and reorganising the space around you has some amazing effects on your perspective - it creates calm and brings clarity. Who has ever gone to through their wardrobe, which is bursting at the seams, and exclaimed "I have nothing to wear?!" I think you'd be lying to yourself if you said you hadn't. Whilst many of us end up at the shops or online to try and fix this "problem", the answer isn't actually buying more, it's having less.

As I emptied out the entire contents of my wardrobe I was daunted - there was just so much. 220 individual items of clothing and accessories to be exact {the only thing I hadn't counted was my underwear, which honestly could have brought the final count to 300}.

I won't sugar coat it. It took me 4 hours to get through everything. My trash and purge piles grew with ease, and to my disgust. It seemed like such a waste; of recourses, energy, time and money, all precious, all wasted on stuff I didn't really want, let alone need, in my life. It felt good purging all the excess as I silently vowed to never let my wardrobe get to this state again.

The hardest part was reducing to 33 items from my love and maybe piles - but the restrictions I laid out for myself in my previous blog saved me and it kept me honest. My bed, which earlier was overflowing, suddenly looked empty in comparison. It was strangely deceptive, because to my surprise, the count came in at 33 but it felt like I had considerably more!

If I was to include the items I packed away for winter (x17), my work uniform (x5), my gym gear (x18) and my all-year-round lounge/sleepwear (x16), the total items left in my wardrobe amounted to 89, including shoes, bags and accessories. I was now left with 40% of my original wardrobe {honestly, I'll admit that I was a little disappointed at first as I was hoping to reduce it significantly more, but progress is still progress!} So for my first Project 333 Capsule Wardrobe I have: 3 x Bags {including my everyday bag which I hadn't included on counting!}, 1 x Hat, 1 x Rain Jacket, 4 x Dresses/Bodysuits, 3 x Skirts, 2 x Shorts, 8 x Tops and 6 x Jewellery items. Easy.

Putting these 89 items back in my wardrobe, I felt more in tune to myself than I did to begin with - and that was just simply by having less, not gaining more. All the white noise had been silenced and what remained was a clearer picture of who I am and how fashion adds value to my life, not as a consumable, but as an intentional extension of my sense of self... and there is seriously nothing more satisfying than feeling like yourself!!!

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#playingbymyownrules

For most of my life I have lived with a 5.5m3 walk-in-wardrobe - to the envy of my sisters and friends. For most of my life it has been full - of clothes, accessories, art supplies, keep sakes and really just a whole lot of shit that I never even use. In a week I’ll be saying goodbye to “my wardrobe" {again} and hello to “our wardrobe” as I move in with my partner.

Past experience and horror stories have taught me that it’s not always an easy transition when it comes to the battle of wardrobe real estate... but it can be! It’s the perfect opportunity for a good old fashioned purge, to declutter your wardrobe and cultivate you personal style, not to mention, saying no to letting trivial things get in the way of an otherwise exciting time.

In the 3 weeks leading up to this move, I’ve been house sitting with a trial capsule wardrobe inspired by Project 333*. I was using it as a transitional period and had never actually counted my items until I started writing this post, but I’ve been crushing it with only 31!

* For those unfamiliar, Project 333 is the minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months. 

For my on-going capsule wardrobe I'll be using Project 333 as a starting point, but I like to play by my own rules to create a more fluid process. I feel that too many restrictions can make you feel backed into a corner with no escape, but not enough can leave you lost in an open field without a sense of direction. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and in the end, you need to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed in what you set out to achieve. For me, it's to create a solid capsule wardrobe so I can spend more time doing the things that I love, without sacrificing the sense of self that I get from fashion. So here is how I’m planning to tackle my biggest wardrobe purge yet…


My Rules 

What will be included in my 33 items:

clothing, accessories, costume jewellery {all my excess jewellery and watches will be packed away for my first 3 months as trial separation}, outerwear and shoes.

What won’t be included in my 33 items:

jewellery I never take off, my everyday handbag {as I wouldn't be able to function without it} underwear, sleepwear, lounge wear, active wear, work uniform and my sunglasses and glasses {due to medical reasons}.


My Purge 

1  |  EMPTY  |  Empty everything out! The wardrobe and any other place accumulating clothes or accessories... 

To gain some perspective on how big my wardrobe currently is, I’ll be counting every last thing in an itemised list. Even the things that aren’t included in the 33 items, as I’m still planning on dramatically purging that portion of my wardrobe as well. 

2  |   SORT  |  Sort everything into 5 piles… 

• Love = items I cannot live without
• Maybe = items I don't hate, but don't love either
• Purge + Sell = items that could result in quick cash {3 weeks life line before they are donated}
• Purge + Donate = items of no value to me, but may have value to someone else
• Purge + Trash = items that have reached the end of the road

3  |  QUESTION  |  Question every item in the maybe pile...

• Have I worn this item in the last 6 months, or am I planning on wearing it in the next 6? No = Purge, Yes = Continue
• Is it in an acceptable and wearable condition? No = Purge + Trash, Yes = Continue
• Would I buy this item now if I saw it in the shops? No = Purge, Yes = It's time to try it on!
• Is this item comfortable to wear? No = Purge, Yes = Continue
• Does this item look good on me? Does it compliment my shape and complexion? No = Purge, Yes = Continue
• Does this item honestly reflect my personal style? No = Purge, Yes = This item is safe from the purge!

4  |  BUILD  |  Build a shortlist from both the love and maybe piles. If it doesn't make this short list, it's packed up for 3 months...

• Is this something I would happily wear every day? OR is this something for a special occasion? {It seems like cheating, but when you have a casual style, having a couple of go to outfits will stop yourself from having to buy a new outfit every time a formal event comes up - we'll see how this goes after 3 months!} Everyday = Shortlist, Occasionally = Pack
• Is this a sessional item? Summer = Shortlist, Winter = Pack

5  |  EDIT  |  Look at what items are on the shortlist and how well they co-ordinate with others... 

• Is each item able to be co-ordinated with at least 3 other items on the shortlist? Yes = Final Project 333 pile, No = Pack

6  |  COMPLETE  |  How many items are in the Project 333 pile?

• Below 33 = Purge and Pack completed! {Having less than 33 items will leave room for me to fill in any gaps in my wardrobe that might become obvious during the 3 months}
• Above 33 = Would I miss any of these items if they weren't in my life? No = Pack, Yes = Project 333 Pile {If I'm still not able to get down to 33 items, I'll include everything to start and re-evaluate 3 weeks in - I think it's important to not get too hung up on the number instead of what it is you are trying to achieve!}

7  |  REPEAT  |  Apply the same process to items not included in the 33 to further minimise my wardrobe food print... Once finished I'll complete another itemised count to see just how successful the purge has been.


All that's left now is to let the purging begin!!!

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"Is that all you brought with you?!"

"Is that all you brought with you?!" - That was the first time I realised that I was a light packer. I was at Sydney International Airport about to embark on a 2 week trip to New York City with 7 other girls. As I looked around, my suitcase was by far the smallest, and by almost half. In fact, up until that point, I actually thought that I had overpacked, cramming almost every item of winter clothing that I owned in preparation for December in NYC.

Travelling to NYC ignited a sense of wanderlust in me that had been laying dominant and it could not be silenced. It wasn't the first time I had travelled overseas and it wouldn't be the last, I was truly bitten by the travel bug. Within a few months of returning home, I had booked a 10 week around the world trip with my partner at the time. From the hot sandy beaches of Greece to the freezing cold winds of Iceland - there seemed to be a lot of things that I needed. I had given myself 108L of baggage and I strategically planned out my clothing choices - making sure every item of clothing that I packed co-ordinated with at least 3 other items and that they were practical both in terms of comfort and living out of a suitcase. I had enough clothes to last over a week without washing and enough underwear to last 2 (it's an incredible weakness of mine). My bags weren't quite full and for my first big adventure I learnt a lot about living out of a suitcase and what sort of things I really needed day to day.

Whilst my 4 trips overseas since have not been as long or had such extreme climate changes, I've become very proficient at living out of a suitcase - in fact on 3 of those trips I travelled for up to 3 weeks with nothing but my 38L carry on backpack. I'd like to think of myself as a bit of a pro for doing this so comfortably.

The last 6 months of 2016 saw a lot of changes for me, and with it, a lot of moving around. At the start of it, I packed up my 1 bedroom flat and sent myself back home to my parents. I travelled overseas for 3 weeks, spent 5.5 weeks working interstate on a project, house sat for 3 different people all over Sydney for a total of 5 weeks, spent 2 long weekends away with friends and most weekends at my partners place, plus the occasional weeknight. No more than 2.5 months were spent back in my old childhood room - it was a no wonder why I would wake up in my own bed and not know where I was!

I still have half my life in boxes and am pretty much still living out of a 38L backpack - with a few more luxuries like quick wardrobe changes. Recently I watched the Minimalism documentary on Netflix and I was drawn in. I can comfortably travel with a very small percentage of my possessions - why could that not be transferred over to my normal day to day life? The concept behind Project 333 in the documentary seemed like the perfect starting point. I am a massive fan of the regular wardrobe purge and always wanted to have a more simple wardrobe that wasn't full of shit but instead carefully selected basics and some key signature pieces that really spoke to my personal style. With a 3 week house sitting stint about to start, I thought that there was no time like the present to trial this concept...

I'm almost half way through and my little temporary wardrobe which would take up about 1/10 of my one at home has been doing the job! In fact, there are even some things I haven't worn yet and I'm not missing anything that I didn't bring with me. Having less clothes to choose from, and again well co-ordinated pieces, has made getting dressed quick and easy. Not once have I thought "I have nothing to wear" like I would if I was at home.

I'm really feeling this capsule wardrobe vibe!

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#anewbeginning

So bear with me... It's been a life time since I have attempted blogging, and since I'm a visual person by nature, I'm ultimately not very good at words, or grammar, or spelling... my apologies. I'm fast approaching 30 and have found that instead of celebrating it, I've been trying to justify why I am the person I am today, because I haven't "meet expectations". Expectations I've mostly put on myself, mostly influenced by society. It was a heart breaking realisation when I had always thought that I marched to the beat of my own drum and didn't care about what people thought about me and the life I live. I don't actually care, but somewhere along the line, these expectations for what I should have achieved by my 30th birthday have developed and they grew into anxieties. I've always known that what I wanted out of life was different from other people, but somewhere along the line I lost touch with myself and it's time for change.

When I think about it, I've always had minimalistic traits, yet they have always been at war with my eclectic self. Very recently, whilst drowning in social anxieties, I've felt enlightened by the idea of living a minimalist lifestyle and making more conscious and deliberate decisions about what adds value to my life. A way to unload all the social burdens and really set myself up for a completely adventurous and passionate life. So that's how we got here, a blog, to document my journey to a minimalist lifestyle in the hope of re-centering myself and finally allowing myself the freedom to live the life I want to live.

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