Written by writer, editor and FCS mother Silva Emerian, Style Session is about fashion trends, style and Emerian’s connection with God. Published since 2015, Style Session returns to The Feather after a year-long hiatus. Style Session will be published bi-monthly and Emerian’s previous works can be viewed on her Feather author page. Emerian also runs her own personal blog, On My Shoebox and can be reached via email.

Have you ever stood in front of (or inside) your closet, staring at the racks and shelves FULL of clothes, and thought to yourself, “I have NOTHING to wear!”? I have.

And isn’t it funny that, despite a closet packed with clothes, I often reach for the same handful of items and wear them over and over again? I’m currently wearing a gray sweater I’ve owned for about 7 years over a black DKNY top I’ve owned for more than 20 years. That’s 2-0 as in two decades. Meanwhile, there is a brand new knit dress with its tag still on it hanging in my closet.

It’s widely stated that the average American owns 7 pairs of jeans but only wears 4 of them. I counted my own jeans and, sure enough, there were 7! One dark wash, two skinny, one boot cut, one vintage, one black skinny and one white. I also own one pair of denim overalls. I actually wear 6 out of my 7 jeans pretty regularly.

If our closets and drawers are bursting at the seams, why do we (1) complain that we have nothing to wear, (2) always wear the same outfits and (3) continue to shop?

“I have nothing to wear!”

If you’re staring at a closet full of clothes and wondering why you have nothing to wear, the problem is not with your clothes – the problem is YOU. You might be uninspired at that moment. Or you may have a shopping problem! Perhaps your closet is full of trendy items and lacks those classic staples to anchor your wardrobe.

Maybe you’re holding on to bad fits. You may have lost or gained some weight and the clothes that used to fit you are just taking up valuable space. Or it could be that you have way too many clothes and you’re overwhelmed by the options and not sure how to put outfits together with the pieces. Possibly you gravitate toward the same looks when you shop so your closet is filled with too many of the same items. Or there are holes in your wardrobe, like too many tops and not enough pants and skirts.

If you can diagnose the problem, you can get to work on fixing it.

“I have to go shopping!”

Stop right there. The clothing industry is one of the most wasteful in the world. The fashion industry has become one of the biggest contributors to global pollution. Before you buy one more thing (that you probably don’t need) and add to the problem, take stock of what you already own.

Take an honest look at your closet and commit to paring down what you own. One way that works for me is removing about ten items from my closet at a time and laying them on my bed. I then go through each piece and ask myself the following questions:

1. Do I love and wear this item? (Yes – keep. No – donate.)
2. Does this item fit me properly? (Yes – keep. No – donate.)
3. Does this item have defects, flaws, holes, stains? (Yes – throw away.)
4. Does this item have sentimental value, even if it’s something I may not wear? (This one’s tricky. If it really means a lot and you have space, keep it. Otherwise, take a photo and donate it.)
5. Is this item outdated? (Yes – donate.)
6. Have I worn this item in the last 12 months? (No – donate.)

You might want to go through this process with a friend. I love helping my friends go through their closets because I have no emotional attachment to any of their clothes and I am ruthless about donating unused, unworn, outdated or ill-fitting items.

I cannot tell you the satisfaction you will feel when you see a closet with just the items that you love and that fit you properly. Get rid of the dead weight! It’ll not only help your closet look lighter, it will help you feel lighter.

Versatility and outfits

When you organize your closet, you may want to group things by outfit and not necessarily by types of items. Instead of sorting all of your pants, tops, dresses, etc., try grouping by outfits. This will make your rushed mornings much less stressful.

When you do go shopping, make sure what you purchase is versatile. Buy pieces that you can wear multiple ways and to multiple events. Can you wear that dress to church, an awards night, a baby shower and brunch with friends? SCORE! How about a suit that will work at formal, a job interview and a wedding? Done and done.

Think before you buy

Before you spend a penny on clothes, think for a second if it will work with your wardrobe. Can you wear it with other items you already own? Is it versatile? Can you wear it multiple places? Does it represent your personal style? Is it well made and will it last for several seasons? Do you LOVE it? (If you’re saying “meh” then put it back).

If an item is fun and trendy and you want to invest in it for the short term, that’s up to you. But I really recommend saving up and investing in high quality, classic items that will last you a long time and will never go out of style.

~ Silva

Silva Emerian is a city girl at heart, growing up in Boston before moving to California in 2001. With a long and varied background in fashion, she is a freelance writer and editor, a self-proclaimed word nerd, and mom to Silas (FCHS grade 9) and James (FCMS grade 6). Shoes and chocolate make her world go ‘round.

If you have questions or topics you’d like to see addressed in this blog, please email me at [email protected]. You can read more from me at www.onmyshoebox.com.

For Emerian’s previous blog post, check out BLOG: Style Session, No. 4, 2019-20 – Sunday Best.

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