Rebuilding my closet with intentionality

I didn't realize this until this year, but I hate getting dressed. Not because I hate clothes — I love clothes and fashion — but I hate having to pick something I like out of the closet I’ve built. So I'm rebuilding it.

Earth tones, not pastels. Baggy pants, not skinny jeans. Square collars, not V-necks. Basic tees primarily made out of spandex, not cotton. Platformed sneakers, not normal ones — and the list goes on. It's a list of all my clothing preferences, from shape to color. And this list is what I am reading from as I rebuild my closet this summer. So far, so good.

I made this list to finally tackle my dilemma of not knowing what to wear. It stemmed from the idea of a capsule wardrobe, where you make a wardrobe full of clothes that you can wear for a while. Clothes that you can mix and match with. This method has been bringing me lots of joy and relief for my fashion. It also helped me step into my personal aesthetic, if you will, a bit more.

Thankfully enough through this process, I realized I love basics and earth tones, so I've had the luxury of being able to find the pieces I want rather quickly, but I've run into the “fit” problem. I hate loose-fitted shirts that aren't three sizes larger than they are normally worn. It's just a principle of mine. If I'm wearing a shirt, it's either extremely big or fits me like a glove. Period. So that's been a hump in the road.

In brighter news, I've placed two orders so far of about 14 pieces in total. I have a clothes rack that I'm using to place all of my “new closet” on. It looks pretty good so far. I'm working on bottoms at the moment, as tops were rather easy to find. I only need two new pairs of shoes for this “new closet,” which should both be pretty affordable. The process has been extremely rewarding, as I give and get clothes as I go.

For anyone with the time and funds this summer, I recommend you to take a look in your closet and see what you wear. Notice the trends and build a closet from that. Donate anything else you don't wear, and enter a realm of fashion relief.