How very scandalous of you to call out the insane overconsumption depicted on so many social media accounts. I think so many of us are feeling the same way. We went to wear what we have in new creative ways and shop vintage for an occasional pop of juxtaposition. We want closets that are curated and easy to navigate. Irene, you are helping us buy smarter and buy less. Your gentle readers and the planet thank you!
I so agree with this! I am inspired by what you wrote Irene! I look forward to falling in love with an occasional unique piece but my ideal state is what you describe. It’s a great place to be and with luck a critical mass of us might get there and bring the industry along.
Do you think we're moving in that direction? There does appear to be a shift in thinking on one end, but at the same time, an expansion on the other end as well.
Hi Diane, thank you for the kind comments, and for reading and supporting as always! It gives me so much satisfaction that I'm helping people shop smarter and get longevity from their clients, but I certainly can't take all the credit! Many writers and readers even just on Substack feel the same. I can't recall all of the names, but Tiia and Emmanuelle Marechel come to mind! When I come across those posts again, I'll share them here. xo
I love this. I’m so happy for you to be in this place which feels very Zen and maybe even more creative. You will always have value to offer and you always write with that in mind. It’s very clear. 😘
Thank you for kind words, Rachel! I wasn’t thinking what the result of this would be, but you’re right, I may come out of this with a different view point about styling! TBD…
I so appreciated your intro and honesty in it. I’ve gone through seasons where I was perfectly content with my wardrobe (and similarly I was uninspired by what everyone else was buying). I relish in those seasons because it can be a mental burden to always be shopping too!
As always I loved your outfits. You need to convince your sister to sell her handmade purse, I’ve loved it since you posted about it previously!
Feeling so similarly and really enjoying pieces I have had for years.
At this very moment I am wearing an asymmetrical poplin /denim dress that I have worn a couple of times in the last few weeks. And I have gotten so many compliments- one woman literally ran across a hospital lobby to ask where I purchased it and I had had to tell her sorry, I have had it for 22 years!
The raw silk striped Michael Kors trousers I plan to wear to an opening tomorrow night I also bought 20 ish years ago.
I have done a good job in culling out and conversely, saving the right things. Your Substack helped in the process!
Recently I did buy a couple of things from the Tibi sale and actually had buyers remorse- I still love the shoes ( the Raffia Woodward , always drawn to a weird shoe!) but I thought upon opening the box “ and what will I not wear to wear these?”
Ah…yes for those of us that have acquired wardrobes—-that is the true opportunity cost “what will I not wear to wear those.” So tough! Any lessons from culling but still managing to keep pieces even with extended periods of no-wear? When in culling mode there does seem to be that gravitational pull to purge the things you have not worn for some time.
Even if I have not not worn a piece for 10 years ( or possibly 20!), if something is of exceptional quality, is an amazing basic ( camel hair pencil skirt) or really interesting ( those striped Michael Kors Collection pants) , it stays. I review each season during the big closet switch.
But not if it is in a color that I know I won’t wear ( an example is the Max Mara portrait collar jacket I am currently selling on TRR - I saved it for its quality and cut but then knew ultimately I wouldn’t wear it for the color). I sold or mostly gave away about 120 pieces last year .
I also have an exceptional seamstress I have worked with for over 20 years. If I love something but not wearing it, we tweak it. A silk , fully lined backless red slip dress ( Calvin Klein Collection cerca late 90s/early 00s ) that was floor length is currently at Maria’s becoming tea length, a long sleeve denim dress is also with her becoming sleeveless.
I think this is a great starting point for an upcoming newsletter ;). I'll toss in that unless it's a deeply sentimental piece, if it's too small, it goes. Even if I love it. I accept that I'll never fit it into again - realistically, for here on in, I'm only going to gain, not lose.
Generally agree, however my weight has gone both directions by a couple of pounds over the years and my seamstress has actually added a couple of inches at the waist to a few pieces pretty creatively.
P.S. to below - I do not have one of those McMansion closets or houses!
And having made the transition from a corporate VP to an artist, I look to see how a suit can be taken apart, worn or possibly altered in a more creative relaxed fashion, if it can’t , out it goes.
I really appreciate your honesty and transparency in this post, Irene. Thank you for having the courage to speak to these issues! Though I don't feel I'm at the place you are in terms of feeling good and settled for now in my wardrobe, I am currently feeling worn out from buying more clothes and even having to think about what I want/need and what my gaps are, etc. And even the prospect of culling is feeling hard. For example, I have a number of pieces from Tibi that I bought while going down a Tibi wormhole in the last 1.5 years that I'm now asking myself, "What was I thinking? This no longer feels like me." But given the cost and the high quality, I hate to cull them. For some reason, this post of yours makes me now think, "Maybe I should just put them in a protected sheath and store them in a closet for a few seasons and see if they spark my fancy later." That somehow takes the pressure off of having to decide if now is the time to find them a new home given I had loved them not that long ago. Thank you for this peace of mind. And thanks also to others who posted here who talked about coming back to pieces after many years of dormancy.
Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing! I think putting them aside even for one season (or more if you wish) is a great idea! I’m going to think about writing a piece on this very idea as I think many people go through it. co
Honestly you’re one of the few fashion substacks I pay for precisely because you don’t encourage over consumption. You role model how it’s possible to keep playing with fashion by shopping your closet instead of just shopping. I’ve also learned so much from you about shopping intentionally - really thinking about true gaps in my wardrobe, being very specific about what works and what I’m looking for, and then waiting for the perfect piece. You’d be proud to know I finally hunted down that perfect waistcoat!
Lovely boutique with well made products. The fabric is thick enough and also somehow wrinkle free. I got it in cream - but was so tempted by the black too!!
I am on a self-imposed “five buy” this year and had allotted June as a month where I could buy something… but… I also feel “good.” I have found that the simplest clothes make me feel like myself and how many simple clothes do you even need? My closet is very small but it’s working for me in a way that it never has before. But BUT I have a creeping obsession with buying a Cartier watch? And I’ve Always been anti-Status Symbol items. So I’m confused! I need to write a substack about it to get to the bottom of this. I suspect it’s the Meg Stachan effect…. lol! Anywho.. TLDR and too many ellipses later, I loved this Substack issue and your outfits always look inspired and very you! Xoxo
lol, thank you Emily! I’d love to read that newsletter! I’ve thought about this too - I rarely if ever wear visible logos, but I also wear - to the knowing eye - pieces that are clearly a status symbol on some respect. What does this say about why I buy what I buy. Eg Loewe mini puzzle, prada ballerinas, Margiela tabis (all secondhand). They were stellar deals for sure, but would I have bought the exact same shoe item if it wasn’t associated with a brand and some clout? 🤔
Since reading your Substack and Hey Mrs Solomon and various others on instagram I’ve developed different approach to thinking about clothes, why we buy them. What I actually need and what I want to wear etc. This is really helpful. You don’t have to buy it all now. I’ve just moved to DC - a 4 season weather city - from tropical Indonesia. I’m in a position where I need to buy winter clothes - coat, boots … like, all of it!!! I’m really thinking through exactly what will work for my new life - being intentional - as I stalk TRR!
Indonesia to DC is definitely in the NEED bucket! Welcome to North America, and I'd be interested to hear how you're progressing with building your closet!
Love this Irene… for me I’m thinking about clothes in a deeper way thanks to your writing and the likes of tibi - including on how it aligns with my values.
In this time of recession, I’m wanting to support NZ designers more and buy less, not only for financial and economic reasons but also because I’m craving simplicity. Playing in my closet is also fuelling creativity in a time where I don’t have this through work.
It’s feeling good in so many ways to buy less. It’s feeling good to deep dive into my values and be more intentional.
The Bridgerton reference! Hahaha! Also, the Sézane you talked about during our conversation!
I think I relate to how you feel about not wanting to buy even when it pertains to your job. It might be cyclical, but I also suspect it is because fashion in general is less exciting for the wearers as of late. It's interesting you're turning to vintage and second-hand, too. These two categories are knowing a rise at the moment, and I suspect it is because clothes like I said earlier are not exciting anymore, bu also as you rightly said, quality is not there. I think we are coming to a point where marketing and storytelling aren't enough anymore, there needs to be substance. We live in our clothes so they need to respond to our needs rather than our wants. And I believe some brands have forgotten to focus on the former.
In my vintage newsletter, I wrote about how wearing all in-season makes me (not necessarily everyone else) feel a bit one-dimensional and prefer incorporating pieces from different years, countries, styles. Cheaper and better quality? Sign me up!
I would say they are a high end consignment shop and priced on the higher side at regular price, on the other hand, marks down quickly and therefore are always turning over inventory. I hope you have better luck next time!
Dear Lady Whistledown of the fashion "Ton",
How very scandalous of you to call out the insane overconsumption depicted on so many social media accounts. I think so many of us are feeling the same way. We went to wear what we have in new creative ways and shop vintage for an occasional pop of juxtaposition. We want closets that are curated and easy to navigate. Irene, you are helping us buy smarter and buy less. Your gentle readers and the planet thank you!
I so agree with this! I am inspired by what you wrote Irene! I look forward to falling in love with an occasional unique piece but my ideal state is what you describe. It’s a great place to be and with luck a critical mass of us might get there and bring the industry along.
Do you think we're moving in that direction? There does appear to be a shift in thinking on one end, but at the same time, an expansion on the other end as well.
Hi Diane, thank you for the kind comments, and for reading and supporting as always! It gives me so much satisfaction that I'm helping people shop smarter and get longevity from their clients, but I certainly can't take all the credit! Many writers and readers even just on Substack feel the same. I can't recall all of the names, but Tiia and Emmanuelle Marechel come to mind! When I come across those posts again, I'll share them here. xo
I love this. I’m so happy for you to be in this place which feels very Zen and maybe even more creative. You will always have value to offer and you always write with that in mind. It’s very clear. 😘
Thank you for kind words, Rachel! I wasn’t thinking what the result of this would be, but you’re right, I may come out of this with a different view point about styling! TBD…
I so appreciated your intro and honesty in it. I’ve gone through seasons where I was perfectly content with my wardrobe (and similarly I was uninspired by what everyone else was buying). I relish in those seasons because it can be a mental burden to always be shopping too!
As always I loved your outfits. You need to convince your sister to sell her handmade purse, I’ve loved it since you posted about it previously!
It absolute is a mental burden, I agree! I hadn’t thought of it that way!
It’s comforting that you can relate!!! I have tried to convince my sister but it’s not in the cards, sadly 😭.
Feeling so similarly and really enjoying pieces I have had for years.
At this very moment I am wearing an asymmetrical poplin /denim dress that I have worn a couple of times in the last few weeks. And I have gotten so many compliments- one woman literally ran across a hospital lobby to ask where I purchased it and I had had to tell her sorry, I have had it for 22 years!
The raw silk striped Michael Kors trousers I plan to wear to an opening tomorrow night I also bought 20 ish years ago.
I have done a good job in culling out and conversely, saving the right things. Your Substack helped in the process!
Recently I did buy a couple of things from the Tibi sale and actually had buyers remorse- I still love the shoes ( the Raffia Woodward , always drawn to a weird shoe!) but I thought upon opening the box “ and what will I not wear to wear these?”
Ah…yes for those of us that have acquired wardrobes—-that is the true opportunity cost “what will I not wear to wear those.” So tough! Any lessons from culling but still managing to keep pieces even with extended periods of no-wear? When in culling mode there does seem to be that gravitational pull to purge the things you have not worn for some time.
Even if I have not not worn a piece for 10 years ( or possibly 20!), if something is of exceptional quality, is an amazing basic ( camel hair pencil skirt) or really interesting ( those striped Michael Kors Collection pants) , it stays. I review each season during the big closet switch.
But not if it is in a color that I know I won’t wear ( an example is the Max Mara portrait collar jacket I am currently selling on TRR - I saved it for its quality and cut but then knew ultimately I wouldn’t wear it for the color). I sold or mostly gave away about 120 pieces last year .
I also have an exceptional seamstress I have worked with for over 20 years. If I love something but not wearing it, we tweak it. A silk , fully lined backless red slip dress ( Calvin Klein Collection cerca late 90s/early 00s ) that was floor length is currently at Maria’s becoming tea length, a long sleeve denim dress is also with her becoming sleeveless.
I also alter my shoes and jewelry on occasion🙃
I think this is a great starting point for an upcoming newsletter ;). I'll toss in that unless it's a deeply sentimental piece, if it's too small, it goes. Even if I love it. I accept that I'll never fit it into again - realistically, for here on in, I'm only going to gain, not lose.
Generally agree, however my weight has gone both directions by a couple of pounds over the years and my seamstress has actually added a couple of inches at the waist to a few pieces pretty creatively.
P.S. to below - I do not have one of those McMansion closets or houses!
And having made the transition from a corporate VP to an artist, I look to see how a suit can be taken apart, worn or possibly altered in a more creative relaxed fashion, if it can’t , out it goes.
I really appreciate your honesty and transparency in this post, Irene. Thank you for having the courage to speak to these issues! Though I don't feel I'm at the place you are in terms of feeling good and settled for now in my wardrobe, I am currently feeling worn out from buying more clothes and even having to think about what I want/need and what my gaps are, etc. And even the prospect of culling is feeling hard. For example, I have a number of pieces from Tibi that I bought while going down a Tibi wormhole in the last 1.5 years that I'm now asking myself, "What was I thinking? This no longer feels like me." But given the cost and the high quality, I hate to cull them. For some reason, this post of yours makes me now think, "Maybe I should just put them in a protected sheath and store them in a closet for a few seasons and see if they spark my fancy later." That somehow takes the pressure off of having to decide if now is the time to find them a new home given I had loved them not that long ago. Thank you for this peace of mind. And thanks also to others who posted here who talked about coming back to pieces after many years of dormancy.
Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing! I think putting them aside even for one season (or more if you wish) is a great idea! I’m going to think about writing a piece on this very idea as I think many people go through it. co
Honestly you’re one of the few fashion substacks I pay for precisely because you don’t encourage over consumption. You role model how it’s possible to keep playing with fashion by shopping your closet instead of just shopping. I’ve also learned so much from you about shopping intentionally - really thinking about true gaps in my wardrobe, being very specific about what works and what I’m looking for, and then waiting for the perfect piece. You’d be proud to know I finally hunted down that perfect waistcoat!
Ohhh, do tell about the waistcoat!! Link?
I’m honoured and grateful that you value my work and support it. Thank you!!
I found it while browsing stores in London - I’d forgotten how much fun it is to browse and try in stores! 🙈
https://glassworkslondon.com/products/black-tailored-suit-waistcoat-25801
Lovely boutique with well made products. The fabric is thick enough and also somehow wrinkle free. I got it in cream - but was so tempted by the black too!!
I’m really loving all your recent posts ❤️
Nice! Looks perfect for finance! Thank you for reading and supporting the newsletter, I'm so grateful :).
I am on a self-imposed “five buy” this year and had allotted June as a month where I could buy something… but… I also feel “good.” I have found that the simplest clothes make me feel like myself and how many simple clothes do you even need? My closet is very small but it’s working for me in a way that it never has before. But BUT I have a creeping obsession with buying a Cartier watch? And I’ve Always been anti-Status Symbol items. So I’m confused! I need to write a substack about it to get to the bottom of this. I suspect it’s the Meg Stachan effect…. lol! Anywho.. TLDR and too many ellipses later, I loved this Substack issue and your outfits always look inspired and very you! Xoxo
lol, thank you Emily! I’d love to read that newsletter! I’ve thought about this too - I rarely if ever wear visible logos, but I also wear - to the knowing eye - pieces that are clearly a status symbol on some respect. What does this say about why I buy what I buy. Eg Loewe mini puzzle, prada ballerinas, Margiela tabis (all secondhand). They were stellar deals for sure, but would I have bought the exact same shoe item if it wasn’t associated with a brand and some clout? 🤔
Since reading your Substack and Hey Mrs Solomon and various others on instagram I’ve developed different approach to thinking about clothes, why we buy them. What I actually need and what I want to wear etc. This is really helpful. You don’t have to buy it all now. I’ve just moved to DC - a 4 season weather city - from tropical Indonesia. I’m in a position where I need to buy winter clothes - coat, boots … like, all of it!!! I’m really thinking through exactly what will work for my new life - being intentional - as I stalk TRR!
Indonesia to DC is definitely in the NEED bucket! Welcome to North America, and I'd be interested to hear how you're progressing with building your closet!
Ha!! Thank you!! I’ve never lived or experienced snow - or any winter below 16 degrees c!
I cannot even fathom how warm and lovely your world must be. 😅 DC will be a BIG change!
Love this Irene… for me I’m thinking about clothes in a deeper way thanks to your writing and the likes of tibi - including on how it aligns with my values.
In this time of recession, I’m wanting to support NZ designers more and buy less, not only for financial and economic reasons but also because I’m craving simplicity. Playing in my closet is also fuelling creativity in a time where I don’t have this through work.
It’s feeling good in so many ways to buy less. It’s feeling good to deep dive into my values and be more intentional.
Thank you xx
Hi Jo, you’re very welcome and I’m honoured to have had even a small part in your thought process ☺️.
I so agree about closet playtime! I wrote about this in December after a crazy busy season of styling. It was so refreshing to just PLAY!
The Bridgerton reference! Hahaha! Also, the Sézane you talked about during our conversation!
I think I relate to how you feel about not wanting to buy even when it pertains to your job. It might be cyclical, but I also suspect it is because fashion in general is less exciting for the wearers as of late. It's interesting you're turning to vintage and second-hand, too. These two categories are knowing a rise at the moment, and I suspect it is because clothes like I said earlier are not exciting anymore, bu also as you rightly said, quality is not there. I think we are coming to a point where marketing and storytelling aren't enough anymore, there needs to be substance. We live in our clothes so they need to respond to our needs rather than our wants. And I believe some brands have forgotten to focus on the former.
Yes, the Sezane 😉.
In my vintage newsletter, I wrote about how wearing all in-season makes me (not necessarily everyone else) feel a bit one-dimensional and prefer incorporating pieces from different years, countries, styles. Cheaper and better quality? Sign me up!
Another great, thoughtful post, Irene! Thank you!
Thanks for reading, Michelle 😉.
Loved this, Irene! And totally agree.
Also, I liked VSP when I was in Toronto recently, but the prices…! 😭
Oh no! But aren't they in major sale season right now?
Oh I went in April!
I would say they are a high end consignment shop and priced on the higher side at regular price, on the other hand, marks down quickly and therefore are always turning over inventory. I hope you have better luck next time!
Oooh ok thanks! I’ll check next time I’m in Toronto 🙂