Avoid Suburban Wardrobe Homogeneity

February 13th, 2018 admin

One of the most common challenges that I encounter when editing a suburban mom’s wardrobe is the “I forgot I had that” syndrome. Typically past-expiration with tags attached, and often linked to “trend FOMO” and the greater “closet full of clothes, nothing to wear” conundrum, these pieces represent a reactive shopping pattern and reflect a greater wardrobe homogeneity epidemic that haunts the suburbs.

Digging a bit deeper, I find that clients with the highest percentage of unworn, ticketed items are struggling with defining their personal style, and as a result are over-indulging in trends as a short term fix. The struggle is even more egregious in more affluent suburbs, with higher ticket items hanging untouched, crammed into a closet with a slew of underappreciated counterparts. Not exactly money well spent.

The root cause of wardrobe homogeneity is mindless shopping, and if you haven’t yet reach a place where you can mindfully curate your wardrobe it’s time to detox. Here’s how :

Streamline your wardrobe:

Starting with a foundation of items that you connect with is key, and you can’t do that if your closet is full of items you didn’t know you had. You’ve binged, and now it is time to purge, and the more thorough you are at this stage, the better. If you purchased into a trend because it looks cute on an acquaintance but you don’t feel confident wearing the item, give it to her and move on.

Avoid the trend vortex:

If you feel particularly inspired by a trend and are excited to incorporate it into your repertoire, LOVE it. If you feel pressured to wear something because you feel like everyone else is, LEAVE it.

Avoid shopping as a pastime:

Mindless purchasing will rarely add value. It is financially and emotionally draining and will leave you feeling underwhelmed and uninspired. If you stumble upon something that sparks joy, indulge. Otherwise, research trends, brands, categories and pricepoints make informed, deliberate decisions. By all means, avoid shopping impulsively.

It stands to reason that if you don’t know what you own, you aren’t connecting with the pieces that you are purchasing, and the result is a wardrobe that doesn’t reflect your personal style. A preternaturally chic wardrobe does not happen accidentally and blindly adding more to the assortment is not the answer. Instead, establish your personal style by being selective and investing in items truly spark joy.