The Reality of Owning a Large Wardrobe
We’ve all seen those fashion icons with their big and extravagant wardrobes. Generally, we associate that having more options to choose from equals being more stylish. However, in reality, if you’re someone that doesn’t have a career in fashion or if you don’t get the opportunity to wear a wide variety of clothes often, then having a big wardrobe can work against you.
Using my own scenario as an example, I have about one hundred and twenty items for casual wear and going out, thirty items for work, and fifty items as loungewear or leisurewear. I work five days a week, which generally means I have two or three occasions per week to wear the items that I own the most, which are for casual occasions and going out. For me, style is a big interest of mine, which is why I own a relatively large amount of clothes. However, the reality is, owning a big wardrobe means that a lot of time, energy, and resources are spent on it. Below, I discuss some of the realities of owning a large wardrobe full of clothes.
1. The time spent maintaining and washing items
Although many of us do our washing via a washing machine, there are still some that hand wash their clothes (like myself). It helps to prolong the life of your clothes, as well as saving energy. Whilst handwashing is more environmentally friendly, it is usually time consuming, especially when you have a big load of washing to do.
Additionally, the time that is spent on maintaining a lot of items, whether it be through ironing, folding, hanging up, or repairing, could be spent on other worthwhile things, such as connecting with the people who are important to you, enjoying a hobby, starting a creative venture, or simply relaxing.
2. The constant experience of decision fatigue when putting together an outfit and feeling like we have nothing to wear
Having to make decisions on what to wear might be portrayed as a fun process to experience. Of course, style should be enjoyable, and so should the act of dressing up and pairing clothes together to create an outfit. However, when you need to get out the door to leave as quickly as possible, having to decide what to wear from a big wardrobe can create decision fatigue. This is because there are so many options available to you, which can turn the act of getting dressed into a nightmare, creating feelings of ‘I have nothing to wear’ or ‘does this go with this?’
I’d have to admit that at times, I still feel like I have nothing to wear, despite a fairly cohesively-built wardrobe of versatile pieces that go together. Much of this feeling may be due to the number of items I own.
So, whilst a large wardrobe can provide many options, it can also work against you by causing unnecessary stress and anxiety about choosing an outfit. Quite simply, with less options, the less time it takes to make a decision and get dressed. Additionally, it helps you to understand more about what outfits work and feel like your personal style.
3. The amount of space it takes up in your wardrobe and room
When you own many items of clothing, it requires a fair amount of space to store them. Additionally, you’ll need more hangers, racks, and shelves in order to properly store a large amount of clothes.
Whilst many items take up physical space, they also take up mental space. Feelings of being disorganised, cluttered, and overwhelmed can arise when you see your wardrobe stuffed with items.
4. Items get forgotten or unworn
If you have too many items crammed into a wardrobe space, it’s often the case that you may not be able to see everything that you’ve got inside your wardrobe. As a result, many pieces may simply be forgotten or left unworn as you cannot see them. As they say, out of sight, out of mind. If possible, it’s best to hang most pieces up or fold and place items where you can see them.
5. Less quality items
Depending on your budget, you may have thought that buying many items for the price of two or three higher quality item was logical, since it means you’ll have more choices to choose from. However, those items will last not as long usually, and will require numerous replacements throughout the year.
By intentionally wanting to have less pieces in your wardrobe, you can control the quality of each item that comes into your wardrobe, which you’ll need to ensure as you will be wearing each item frequently. This helps to ensure the pieces are high quality, and can stand the test of time, as they will be washed quite often.
These are some of the main lessons that I’ve learnt when owning a large wardrobe. By owning the essentials and controlling the flow of items coming in and out of your wardrobe, you are adopting the slow fashion mindset, which is beneficial for your bank account, physical space, and mindset towards fashion.
