There is currently a seasonal capsule wardrobe movement afoot. All across the internet, bloggers are editing their clothes down to just 25 or 30 pieces and then sharing all the different outfits they can create with the pared down selection. It’s an exercise designed to create freedom through limitations and remind one that more isn’t always better.
I applaud those who are able to winnow down to two or three dozen items. In all honesty, I probably don’t wear much more than that on a regular basis, but there’s something about creating restrictions where none are necessary that makes me chafe. And so, this blog post isn’t about my decision to pare down. It is, however, about one small thing that I gleaned from all this capsule wardrobe reading I’ve been doing.
In a nutshell, one thing people are discussing is that an inevitable result of narrowing your available items of clothing is that more pressure is put on the garments that remain in rotation. The pieces you are wearing will need extra care. But that’s okay, because in the end you’ve still got less to tend for. That means there’s time for things like hand washing, overnight airing, and fuzz removal.
Now, like I said before, I’m not trying to do a capsule wardrobe. But the idea of spending just a little bit more time taking care of the things I have struck me. And so, I’ve been making a point of hand washing some sweaters that were long overdue. I’ve done a bit of mending (a pair of socks with a year old hole took three minutes to repair). And I’ve mercilessly tackled all the pills and fuzzies that dot my knits and woolens.
To that end, I bought myself a brand new fuzz shaver. I had a travel sized one years ago, but it was of limited utility. This new one is like a race car in comparison (though the fuzz collection space could be bigger). I’ve been shaving fuzz from everything within reach.
I groomed a beloved sweater I’ve had since college and it looks much revived. A new thrift store find got the treatment and now looks like it’s straight off the rack. And this morning, I didn’t let Scott leave for work until I ran my little fuzz shaver over the pills dotting the cotton zip-up he was wearing (it’s surprisingly effective on occupied items).
It’s the little things that please me most.
We have had such a mild winter here in the west that I have already started putting really cold weather items aside to be put away. You have reminded me that I should look for my shaver thingy and take care of this BEFORE I put them away. I haven’t heard of capsule wardrobe before but I have been trying the Marie Kondo idea of keeping things that inspire joy. I got rid of several items that I kept because they were too good to let go. They were usually things that I either seldom used/wore or never used/wore. I felt quite satisfied after trying this. I am going to try it on books and kitchen items next. We will see how far I get editing spoons, bowls and books, my personal weakness. ; )
I could really go for some springlike weather at this point! I’ve been reading a lot about the Marie Kondo method of purging and I am intrigued. The trouble for me is that I work out of my home and don’t have dedicated work space, so it’s a little harder to get rid of things in that manner.