I don’t even know how many #moms30for30 challenges I have done. Maybe seven? And EVERY single time I find that need this lesson again:
contentment with my closet.
In this process of wearing 30 items of clothes for 30 days, I am reacquainted with my wardrobe and it helps me to really appreciate what I DO have, instead of ALL I WANT to have.
Here is how I’m reflecting on being content with what I do have this season….
ON MALLS
This past week my husband and I drove to the city, our friends babysat and we went to the mall (SOLO!). Because we don’t live near a mall, this is a novelty and it becomes so apparent to me that malls make me feel a certain way. They make me feel like I should burn my wardrobe and start over because I want ONE OF EVERYTHING!! And there used to be a time in my 20s (when I lived near malls) that I would buy one of everything…..in every colour.
As I started a mental list of all the items I was falling in love with, I had to reel it in and remember that I am only feeling this way because I am in a mall. A physical structure manufactured with marketing to make you want more and more.
ON SHOPPING
I have made this rule for myself in the past and it came to mind again when we were in the mall: don’t shop for the sake of shopping.
Shopping cannot be a ‘hobby’ for me because then I can’t manage it and I do it for the wrong reasons. But if shopping is intentional and I go in with a list, then I feel like I can do it effectively for my wallet, my closet, and my heart.
I went to the mall looking for a dress and I’ll tell you how hard this was for me to stick to this list. I found myself *almost* buying another dress, a shirt and two pairs of pants. I had them in my hands! I had justification for them! I just really wanted them. And I put them back.
I felt so proud of myself. It made me wonder if I should start a tally of all the money I save on items I am NOT letting myself buy these days. That sounds like a good way to bolster my sense of adulting.
ON CLOSET CONTENTMENT
So here I am, walking around suddenly feeling like my clothes are lame and I need all new stuff.
I don’t need this stuff. I have so much already. In fact, I’m halfway through the challenge and I have NOT worn all 30 of my items yet. Let me rephrase this, I am capable of making two weeks of outfits with the clothes I have that I DO like and still only wear a portion of my clothes.
Back when I decided to par down to a minimalist wardrobe, I found that if I counted the number of clothes I have, I could possibly wear a new shirt every day for months before I HAVE to repeat it. It felt needless to own so much. I realized I had to get picky.
Good closet contentment means being a minimalist with your choices. You need to choose what you love most (styles, fits, fabrics, etc) and let all the others fall to the side. (Here are some tips on finding your personal style).
Good closet contentment really means
knowing yourself,
being picky about what you bring into your closet,
remembering that you are enough and have enough,
and it also means spending the time to work with your clothes to make them into outfits.
So, these have been my week two realizations, here are my week two outfits (Saturday is for sweats so I don’t include it)….
Don’t forget to stop by Instagram and follow my co-host Pink Chai and all the other fab ladies joining us in this challenge, follow the hashtag #moms30for30