SIMPLICITY, PART 1: TRUTHS FROM YOUR HISTORY
For you to have a wardrobe that is so easy and so flattering that you love getting dressed every day.
After 30+ years doing what I do, I have finally articulated my mission statement. One of the things I discovered along the way is that simplicity may be the most difficult to achieve of all factors in life! It took me a very long time and a lot of looking inward and outward to come up with a truth for myself that works in all situations and guides all that I do in my business.
Looking from that point of view, this week we are going to take a look backward for some of your TRUTHS. The exercise is to determine just how much of your mental real estate, and closet real estate, is taken up with TRUTHS from your history with fashion, culture, family, and the stuff you make up when you are in a certain frame of mind. Here are some questions for you to ponder, write down answers if you wish, and peruse your closet with them in mind. The point is to notice what’s going on when you choose clothing to buy or put together an outfit. That’s the whole assignment this week. Next week there will be another set of questions on the path to simplicity.
- Where did you grow up? Farm, Small Town, City, Suburbs?
- What were the cultural norms on shopping and clothes?
- When did you first make a major clothing purchase and for what occasion?
- How did your mother, or other “influencer”, dress when she was the age you are now?
- What has been your guiding philosophy when buying clothes: (Use these examples and add your own thoughts on the matter).
- More is more, purge is a dirty word.
- Less is more, I purge all the time.
- Cheaper is better, I hate spending money on clothes.
- I buy on sale or not at all.
- I will “settle” if the price is right.
- Full price is the only way to go, I don’t like leftovers.
- First, I have to love it, price is secondary.
What relationships do you see between the first four questions and the fifth one? Have some fun with this one and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!
I enjoyed reading all your news letters. you have a very good points that help.
Thank you about the one on jewelry. it help me .
have a wonderful happy day.
Cristabell w
So happy you are enjoying the news letters. I appreciate you letting me know which ones help you the most!
Good questions! They really made me think. Being a former flower child, that wasn’t initially the norm where I grew up but became so with some of my friends and a lot of people my age group around the world. It was West Texas and you had the straight kids, the hippies and the cowboys. I sampled all styles then fell in love with the flower power movement.
My most memorable major purchase was going into the new Macy’s at the Galleria in Houston and buying 3 of the most beautiful dressy dresses in my life – a taupe silk with red lining that hit below the knee with a modified Nehru collar, a gorgeous white mohair dress with a small cape that wrapped in front. I realize I forgot what the 3rd dress was!
Lauren, what sweet memories, the dresses sound beautiful. Since I do know you, yes… I still see that influence and it fits your personality.
My mom died before I graduated from college so I have no idea how she would dress in her 70’s since she died at age 51. She was always very well dressed and she modeled so she was always very put together. My initial reaction was to go the other way and dress like a boy, with no makeup, etc. As I have gotten older I moved more toward the way my mom used to dress- mostly classic and beautiful. I don’t wear sweatshirts and lounge clothes ever. I do purge my stuff every season and I love to shop. Of course, I have to love the item and I love to get it on sale. I shop consignment stores in Florida as they have a great selection. Up North, I shop regular stores, as we don’t great consignment stores that cater to older women -just to teens. I love to shop-even if I don’t buy something. It’s kind of like going to see art – I can admire it and see what is trendy. I grew up in suburbia and large cities and we moved all the time.
Darcy, you are in consignment Heaven! As one of my friends said recently, it’s easier to purge and pass on when you shop consignment. You don’t have the guilt of passing on a full-price garment. Sometimes we do hold onto items JUST because we paid a healthy sum of money for it, even though it no longer fits or fits our current lifestyle. I love the art exhibit idea, it’s a great point of view for any of us to assume when shopping. You don’t ALWAYS have to buy something!