Why Are My Clothes So Boring?

in , ,
 

It’s not lost on me that my clothes are pretty boring. For a blog called Mood and Clothes, you’d think I’d have more OOTDs or fashion spreads. But if you hadn’t guessed by now, my real passion lies in the simplifying of my wardrobe and the refinement of my personal style.

My favorite blog ever has to be the now-defunct Dead Fleurette. She sought the “perfect” wardrobe, owned a shockingly small collection of pieces, and wrote of her deep consideration over what to buy and what to get rid of. I pored over her every word, every list of clothing items, every collage of possible purchases. I can only find a few archived blogs of hers online now, but Dead Fleurette is truly the inspiration for my own writing about clothes. So in that spirit, I’ve come up with a whole list of reasons for exactly why my clothes are what they are.

1. Minimalism. The fact of the matter is that I love having less. Fewer options mean fewer choices, which means less decision fatigue and less waste. I’d rather have a small, curated collection of items that I actually use than a vast array of things that get little use or attention. I love the efficiency of minimalism, the process of deliberating over choices, and the clarity and beauty of simple things.

2. I’m very picky. I have extremely specific preferences when it comes to clothes. I know what works for me and what doesn’t. I know that I don’t like dresses, blazers, ruffles, or V-necks. I know that I like neutral or muted, subdued colors. I know how I like a T-shirt to fit: wide and open at the neckline, slightly fitted through the bust, and boxy and relaxed through the body. I know these things from years of trial and error. I know I don’t like dresses because I’ve owned probably a hundred in my life and not one has made me feel good. I know I don’t like blazers the way I know I don’t like fuchsia. For whatever reason, on my body, it just never feels right. And after many years of trying, I’ve finally given myself permission to admit it.

3. Uniform Dressing. I don’t like spending a lot of time getting dressed. While I may love shopping and deliberating over cuts and colors, when I wake up and put clothes on, I want it to be simple. I want all my options to be good ones so I don’t have to think too much in the moment about what to wear. This means I tend to gravitate toward uniform dressing, I.e. wearing basically the same thing every day. The formula right now is: men’s pants+boots+T-shirt+sweater or else men’s jeans+sneakers+T-shirt+sweater.

4. No impulse shopping. I no longer buy things on a whim. I used to shop randomly, picking up anything that I simply “liked,” regardless of how it would fit (or not fit) into my wardrobe. I always ended up with a bunch of cocktail dresses, a wool cape, a headband, and a frilly top that made me look like a giant baby. And oh, yeah. Those 2 T-shirts that I actually wear. So now I know what I’m looking for and I stay focused. I’m realistic about what I’ll actually wear and only buy those things. This does mean, however, that I don’t have a colorful closet full of all those fun things I never wear.

5. They don’t have good colors. I always value fit over color. Choosing an item of clothing based on what color it is seems arbitrary and bizarre in my mind. So when I find the perfect fit, the right drape, the best material and construction and style, that’s always what I go for. But the color options are not always great. I like black, navy, and grey (that is apparent from a glance at my wardrobe). But I’m often limited to those colors not by my own choosing, but by the utter lack of acceptable alternatives. I love white, light blue, blush, camel, deep green, and even eggplant. Yet somehow the options are usually yellow, orange, neon pink, or tomato red. There might be a garish teal or chartreuse in the mix, but I just can’t stomach it. (And did you ever notice that those colors are always the ones on sale because they know the good colors are the neutrals? Why don’t they just make more neutrals?)

Conclusion: I don’t mean to be so boring. I really don’t. Just because I’m a minimalist doesn’t mean I don’t like color- I do. The good ones are just hard to find. I’d love to have a wardrobe more like that of A Small Wardrobe. She’s created a 34-item wardrobe that is full of lovely subdued colors: muted gold, mauve, pale pink, oatmeal, white, light blue, stone, deep red, eggplant, jade green, and yes, black, grey, and navy. Why can’t I do the same? Am I not investing enough time? Enough money? Probably both.

Here are a few items I’m obsessing over at the moment, in subtle colors, but colors all the same:

These two T-shirts are from Everlane, and I thought the pale pink hue might add some color I can get on board with. (FYI Everlane, a brand known for its ethical and sustainable practices, now has some slightly larger sizes.) The first one is the Air Oversized Crew Tee and the second one’s the Cotton Box-Cut Pocket Tee. The funny thing is, I apparently once ordered the Pocket Tee (right) in grey and hated it so I sold it on Ebay. So I guess that one’s out. I can’t remember what was so bad about it, but I know the purchase was the result of receiving a $25 promotional credit. I’ve been notified that I have another $25 credit there for “referring a friend” so I could potentially try the Air Tee for free.

This shirt is also from Everlane and is called the Japanese Oxford Square Shirt. They have a blue and white stripe, a light blue, and a bright white. I’m obsessed with the cut of this but am afraid it will be too long and look like a maternity top. The sizing is also a nightmare to try and figure out- some of the reviews say to size down by 2 sizes and some say it’s true to size. I also have no idea what size I am in general, and then I don’t know for how long it would still fit me if I lose weight. It’s also a little pricey at $68, so I’m finding it hard to commit.

And then there’s this white Short Sleeve Swing Tee from Vince that’s on sale for $30. I know the quality would be good- I’ve always had good luck reselling Vince T-shirts on Ebay, so they definitely have longevity. I also love my Vince sweaters. Tempting.