This past spring, I learned that climate institutes recommend consumers limit themselves to 5 new items per year to reach goals listed in the Paris Agreement. I set a goal to stick to those limits, despite having 2 new pieces in my closet and over 250 days in the year to go. It was surprisingly easy, despite some significant size fluctuations and moving to a different climate. My only miss was that I didn’t realize new shoes were included in the “new garment” tally. I thought I’d share a little “Closet Wrapped” with a recap of my rules for 2023, a overview of my purchases, and some adjustments I’m making for 2024.
My rules for 2023:
- Keep a shopping list. I’ll get more utilization out of clothes that meet an identified need in my closet vs. the ones I buy just because I like them. The clothes I “just like” may not fit a routine part of my lifestyle or may be duplicative of other things in my closet.
- Thrift everything you can. Most of those closet needs can be met with used clothing, especially with size privilege. (Everyone who’s an XL grew through a small, medium, and large and turned over those wardrobes). I set up saved searches in ThredUp and Poshmark to target certain types of products (like cashmere sweaters or wedding guest dresses from certain brands / in certain sizes). Patagonia Worn Wear, Arc’teryx ReGear, and REI Used make it easy to cover outdoor gear.
- No outlet clothes. Everything at an outlet brand is a lower quality garment inspired by the parent brand. Shopping secondhand, the pricing isn’t that different. And I can afford the difference if I need it new. (If you’re thrifting, outlet brands have dots / squares / diamonds under the brand name to tell them apart)
- No acrylic, no viscose, no rayon. These are low quality fiber types that use unhealthy chemicals. Garment workers and communities surrounding textile mills for these fibers tend to have elevated risks of several cancers. Acrylic sweaters pill terribly. Viscose and Rayon have poor structural integrity. They tend to shrink and skew in the wash so they lose their luster when they’re not brand new. Modal and Lyocell are more sustainable, more durable alternatives.
- Make the list while items are full priced, buy once they’re on sale. Don’t buy any sale items that weren’t considered at full price. This creates a huge cooling off period (~1-6 months). If it kept my interest during that waiting game, it’s likely that it’ll keep my attention in my closet. Likewise, sales create a lot of urgency. In-season sales are a limited time. Clearance sales are limited quantity. Sticking to this rule reduces a lot of impulse sale buys.
- Garments near my face (shirts, dresses, rompers) need to be my color. I’ve got warm-neutral undertones and moderate contrast. I do well in brights, neutrals, and “almost neutrals” like burgundy, navy, forest green, and plum.
- Stick to classics over trends in my least worn categories. I only wear “real clothes” (not outdoor, active, or athleisure) 4-5 days per month, so I’ll never put enough miles on trendy casual pieces before the trend is long gone. People describe classic straight-leg jeans or simple sweaters as “utilitarian” as if it’s a bad thing, but there are much worse things apparel could be than “useful.”
- Pay for shipping. Don’t talk myself into items I’m lukewarm on just to waive shipping charges. If a $10 ground shipping fee makes me second-guess a purchase, it’s probably a sign I don’t want or need it that badly.
What I bought: I bought 5-ish new garments (one was a REI Used purchase that showed up with tags; I wasn’t sure how to score it). I got 3 pairs of new shoes and bought 17 secondhand pieces. I went through my purchases and estimated whether I’m wearing them weekly (within the appropriate season), several times monthly, or less frequently. Stars denote pieces that were bought new.
Half of my pieces are being worn weekly while they’re in season. I had a lot of true wardrobe needs this year. I moved across the Cascades to a climate that’s much hotter in the summer, much colder in the winter, and very windy in the spring. I WFH starting at 6am and most of my outings are active (dog walks, gym, conditioning hikes, walking downtown for dinner). I bought and wore a lot of active-athleisure pieces and supportive, comfortable footwear.
My 1-2x per month pieces fell into 2 categories. Some are more casual pieces like a sweater and a romper. They’re not easy or comfortable enough to wear at home, but I reach for them when I’m dining out or packing for a trip. The second set are pieces that are a little big. My hormonal IUD caused a lot of water retention and took a toll on my energy levels, so my body changed a lot. I bought a pair of hiking pants and a Lululemon top with room to grow, but they just don’t fit right, especially since I’ve gotten the IUD out.
My duds really run the gamut. One shouldn’t count – it’s an occasion dress I wore to 2 weddings and I’m dying to wear it again. I found a hole in the leggings after thrifting them and haven’t mended them yet. The jeans are a fit issue – curvier with a tight waist and loose hips. And the black and white dress is a real regret. I have it in 2 other colors and a Poshmark offer for $10 came through. We were in the middle of moving and it was a busy week. I couldn’t decide if I wanted it so I ordered it “just in case.” I wore the other versions much more when I was going into an office every day; I really only bought it because of the cheap price.
I have 4 “TBDs.” I have a few new (or new to me) winter / ski pieces that haven’t had their chance to shine. Likewise, I bought a pair of shorts and a wind layer off-season that should come in handy this upcoming spring and summer. I’ll make a point to come back to these in 2024.
And while I’m pretty pleased with my 2023 wardrobe utilization, I think I can refine my shopping strategy for 2024 with a few new rules:
- Shoes count in my Rule of 5 tally.
- If more of my “archive” continues to fit, utilize that for some wardrobe novelty. Even in the 9 days since my IUD removal, I’ve been able to fit into older pieces that I’ve loved and missed. If that continues into 2024, I’m hoping to sift through old favorites rather than purchase as many items (new or used). And in that case, I’d limit overall purchases to 18.
- I’m in charge of “rehoming” for all non-basics bought in 2024. Whether items are new or used, I have to find the next owner, whether that’s through Poshmark, eBay, or giving to a friend. Everyone drops off Goodwill donations in hopes that they’re useful to someone else, but only 58% of clothes are resold (at least for Western WA Goodwills). The rest mostly get down-cycled into rags or insulation, which is 1 step removed from the landfill. I want to know my clothes stay in circulation. The only exceptions are my basics (plain black Ts, jeans) that I own for a long time and completely wear out. This rule will ideally push me towards durable brands that hold value.
- Be honest about my lifestyle and the clothes that match it. I wish I had more dressy or casual outings where I could wear fun clothes. And I have a lot of those “real clothes” from my days in a casual office that I love, but don’t utilize the same way anymore. My winners are pieces that fit my day-to-day: early mornings on Teams in pajama-adjacent pieces and getting outside and/or moving my body in the afternoon. So while I love a fair isle wool sweater, getting that design feature in a Kari Traa or Smartwool base layer will get a lot more use in my closet. Once I’ve satisfied a certain clothing need, kill off the saved ThredUp and Poshmark searches (you’ll be tempted by something cute that comes online).
- “If I like it, I’ll get grab it in another color” can be really wasteful. I have a few color dupes in my wardrobe from last year, including 2 Athleta wool-blend turtlenecks. I’ve owned and loved a black one for years, and added a teal one from clearance (before I committed to Rule of 5) and a navy secondhand. Navy and Black rarely sit in the drawer. Teal gets a bit of action, but I wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t have it. I need to sit with a few questions before adding color variations in my closet: Is the OG color constantly in use? Do I plan my laundry timing around the OG piece? Does a new color serve a starkly different purpose from an outfitting perspective? Is the new color even more versatile and wearable than the OG color?
- Find other dopamine treats. I have a theory that part of the fashion climate crisis has to do with affordability. All other products have gotten more expensive, but you can find a cute shirt for $20 like it’s still 1995. It’s one of the last categories where consumers can afford to “treat yo self.” But I want to swap into less impactful treats, like trying new kombuchas and probiotic sodas, upgrading to Tillamook in the cheese aisle, raiding my local library, and collecting a few candles (non-paraffin / non-petroleum, always) instead.
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