Weight Change Capsule Wardrobe Update
Since coming home from Germany and finding out my current weight, I’ve been reassessing my wardrobe and have decided some things will have to go. My blue men’s pants are officially way too big; even with a belt cinching them in, they look ridiculous. I’ve had a bit of a shift in how I see myself in my grey joggers. I no longer find them flattering, and I think part of the reason could be that they’re too big. Or else it’s because I’m wearing boots a lot and have gotten used to having some volume and weight at my feet and ankles. The way the joggers taper in at the ankle suddenly feels just not right, even when worn with my Adidas sneakers. This whole shift came from seeing myself in joggers in a shop window- I tend not to look at myself in the mirror before I leave the house, so I haven’t had an accurate view of them in a while. There are two pairs of those, so that puts me down 3 pairs of pants. I’m also surrendering my black Ann Taylor trousers that won’t stay up anymore, so it’s a total of 4 pairs altogether.
I still have my wide-leg linen pants, my grey men’s pants (which now require a belt) and two pairs of clearly-too-big black shorts. I’ve been trying to ride out the summer with them because it’s hard to find shorts I like when thrifting and it doesn’t seem worth buying new shorts when they probably won’t fit next year anyway. But then I was feeling desperate with only 2 pairs of pants to wear, one of which doesn’t work so well on hot days. So I broke down today and ordered a pair of linen blend pants from Old Navy. I’m wearing my current linen-blend pants almost every day, definitely favoring them over the shorts, even on the hottest days. I think in general I just like to feel more covered when I’m sweating, like there’s some fabric between me and public seating. So as long as the new pants fit, the shorts will be going soon.
As far as tops, my T-shirts are still going strong with one exception. My light blue DIY-ed Hanes tee is bothering me, and it’s definitely the V-neck. For some reason V-necks look terrible on me, so this purchase was a bit outside the norm. I liked that I found it at the thrift store (sustainability-wise), and then I liked the color of it after I bleached it, but now I can’t unsee the glaring V-neck. In terms of other tops, I put on one of my silky black camisoles today, hoping to wear it out to the cafe. It looked OK at first with a bralette underneath, but after packing my bag and putting sunblock on, the bralette had inched its way down and created a most unflattering “anti-cleavage” look. If the camisole fit me better, I think it would cover my chest enough that this wouldn’t be a problem. But if I’m honest with myself, the camis are officially too big as well. I’m down to 9 T-shirts, one silky blouse, and one striped tunic for tops. My 3 sweaters and 5 layers are all still good; I like oversized things anyway, so none of my jackets bother me, my hoodie and corduroy shirt included.
I’m still wearing the same pajamas and workout clothes, though my T-shirts are getting kind of wide at the neck- it’s only outside or at the gym that I notice it, so no one cares, myself included. I did pull out from storage a couple of sports bras that just about fit now, so that helps in terms of laundry going from 2 to 4 sports bras. And I find myself reaching for the black cotton underwear from storage (which got pulled out during the lost luggage crisis) over my old microfiber briefs. I only have 6 pairs of the cotton ones, so I’ll have to hang onto some old ones for backup- probably the 3 black ones. One advantage of the cotton underwear is that it’s not high-waisted, so it eliminates the sliding issue I was having with my Under Armour leggings. The leggings were falling down with the high-waisted, slippery, microfiber underwear underneath, but now they’re fine.
But as far as my capsule, I’m down to 23 items for the year. This is certainly no emergency for me- I have plenty of tops and just enough bottoms to get by (the two pairs of shorts soon to be replaced by the linen-blend pants). I’m just disappointed I won’t have my camisoles for the summer, and sad to let go of the pivotal blue men’s pants. They really changed my view of myself and my style and that was a significant moment. They inspired the purchase of boots and Adidas sneakers and a men’s leather belt, not to mention my current grey men’s pants. I’m starting to wonder how far this shift in style will go. I’m not looking to switch over to completely wearing men’s clothing. I still like certain women’s styles, especially in tops and jackets, because they fit me better. I’ve never found button-down Oxford shirts or men’s tees flattering on me, so I don’t see those coming into the mix. But I would like to explore more interesting shapes in women’s clothing- more modern, minimal pieces that don’t look traditionally feminine or masculine. Something different.