Regretting a tiny wardrobe full of neutrals

[dropitlikeitsloth]

Has anyone else minimised their wardrobe and regretted it? At start of lockdown I went through a phase of chucking stuff out and got rid of almost 2/3 of my wardrobe.

I also watched a lot of YouTubers who have very neutral/capsule wardrobes and got rid of bold colours (I’d convinced myself colour = not classy) and patterned items (except stripes) and treated myself to some good quality basics and classic pieces to fill any gaps.

At first it seemed great. Everything went with everything, finding things to wear was easier but then I realised the trendy neutrals of the moment (beige, browns etc.) just wash me out and having dark hair and very pale skin, I suited all the jewel colours (the emerald green, royal blue, red) that I’d chucked (donated) and … I’m also bored!

Obviously I can bring more colour back into my wardrobe it’s not a big deal but I’m so annoyed with myself. I just swept along with what seemed like a good idea and now massively regret it!!

Such a time consuming and costly mistake! Has anyone else minimised or changed their wardrobe and regretted it.

Snug! Mine's a little snug. Not snog

Ah this is a refreshing thread. I think you are onto something. We are constantly told if you haven't worn it in 6 months/2 years then its out. But what if not wearing it is temporary?

Have a look at Your Colour Style by Jen Thoden on You Tube and Bright Cool Deep.

She does guides about combining colours. Kettlewell does some notes on Jewel Winters as well.

KW:

"True/Jewel Winter

This is the palette most of us visualise when we think of the Winter colours. Boldest scarlet, bright white and true black. These colours all play at the extremes of light, dark and bright.

True Winters are high contrast, bold and bright, and often have high contrast in their colouring, perhaps in the form of very dark hair with fair skin and blue/green eyes.

Your best colours as a True Winter are holly berry red, emerald green, cobalt blue and stark black and white, all worn in high contrast."

Hmm, I can appreciate your frustration.

I'm a clear? / bright? winter and suit jewel colours. Pastels wash me out completely. Also can't understand why people sees their kids in pastels, so impractical.

Maybe see it as a chance to shop? You can still keep the pastel stuff, just wear other stuff next to your face

I think identifying what colour palette and style suits you, and keeping aside staples/favourites will help with future wardrobe culls. Instead of looking at what’s on trend, look at what suits you and your lifestyle. These small tips will help you help you have a more manageable capsule wardrobe that isn’t a copy and paste of social media influencers and will also help prevent you from making hasty decisions that you’d later regret: be it buying items you don’t need or discarding or giving away things that you can’t then get back.

I hear you OP, I had a beautiful burgundy coat which I donated to charity 5 yrs ago bought it 1 size smaller as they didn't have my size, it didn't matter if I couldn't do up the buttons I immediately regretted it, anyway I saw a very similar coat recently and snapped it up.

I have a minimal and mainly monochrome wardrobe but I introduce colours in my coats, bags & wardrobes.

I've decided to minimise my wardrobe but through natural attrition - so I throw out worn out stuff and don't buy cheap fast fashion any more. So it will be a longer term project!

I'm also not sure what I will need, when I finally go back to the office after 2 years, so the smart stuff is unculled.

But there is a lot of stuff that is still ok and I might as well get use out of it. Even if it is just for wearing around the house. It's hard to know what the best way is!

I’m a winter and every time I see jewel colours, particularly fuschia and red, also burgundy, I think I should buy that! I’m in the wrong phase of life to be culling clothes, but would never go for all beige. The terracottas and muddy browns, yellows and oranges have around recently have been good in that it’s easy to talk myself out of something when the colour is so wrong for me (a good olive is different, or a nice camel you can pair with something, so you should get good use of your capsule wardrobe once you’ve brightened it up)

I've never done my colours before but just did a free online quiz. I'm a warm spring and have managed naturally to buy clothes in colours that are apparently my colours.

Bright snag tights as an easy pop of colour or scarfs/ jewellery? I have just got a bright pink hush jumper and I love it

Scarves are your friend to add a dash of colour during winter

This is why I never throw anything away much

I'm currently rediscovering my checked flannel
Uniqlo shirts which I'm thoroughly enjoying wearing now it's colder. Very soft, warm and comfy around the house and nice colour combinations.

My DD has been discovering and actually wearing old clothes of mine she's discovered in the loft. God knows why I kept them as they're tiny and I'd never fit into them again. They were just to cool to throw out much to DD delight

I'm also currently having a coat / jacket crisis so having never thrown any away unless they've had it, I have a good assortment to choose from before I decide on what new one I actually want or need.

I gravitate towards certain coats and jackets no matter what the weather so deciding I probably need to ignore coat threads for now and wear what I've got quite happily.

I get it! I still have regrets about items I ditched decades ago, particularly a beautiful pair of purple Oasis boots!

My wardrobe is spilling out and I'm currently decluttering in other areas, but holding fast on the wardrobe.

I did a bit of Kondo and got rid of some of my children's baby clothes, which I now regret also.

To add, I have also nearly completely white hair (am 48) and while I was always winter, those colours are even closer friends now!

This is a really interesting thread. I have a fairly small wardrobe with no items in storage (except for the beach dresses and shorts in the winter, and heavy jumpers in the summer). I used to keep everything but it made me...anxious? I felt I wore some stuff almost like out of duty, even if I had other things I liked better, just because they were there. But I think minimising your wardrobe can become an issue if you follow a set a formula instead of keeping what you actually like and wear! I'm fairly boring with my colour palette, but I do like pops of pink and red - so I have a lot of black, grey, white and khaki but also a few bright things - especially for the summer.
I think before you chuck stuff out or create a wardrobe influenced by YT or insta, it's important to see what you actually love and wear. I tracked my wardrobe for quite a while before I culled it. I think a minimal wardrobe doesn't have a rule book. I watched a bit of the Danish Use Less lady but even I found her dull! And it's important to know what you will look good in - I would look elephantine in an oversized blazer which is what they all recommend.

But I also don't really get attached to clothes... at one point I did store a lot in the loft but when I took it out it looked dated. Maybe take some comfort in knowing that sometimes we build things up to be better in our memories than what they actually were when we had them!

I never cull my wardrobe because I know I'll regret it. I've got stuff going back twenty years.

What I do do is try to operate on a "one in, one out" system, so every time I buy a new top, for example, I have to throw or donate an old one. It helps me decide what I really love and want to hang on to, and stops my wardrobe getting out of control.

Occasionally I've discovered I would rather hang on to my old stuff, so returned the new thing!

I also stash stuff in the loft that I'm not currently keen on, then revisit it later, and quite often fall in love with it again.

Yes @oneglassandpuzzled that picture just shuts the argument that everyone needs to go around with beiges and neutrals. Such boring colours do not suit all complexions. Can you imagine how washed out that beautiful lady would look with some mule grey top and beige saggy bottoms and a camel coloured coat on top? long live vibrant colours that warm the heart & soul. Adios Marie knondo

To be fair Kondo says keep what sparks joy. Which means no boring beige if you don't like that colour!

@QueenSue fair enough

@TeaAddict235

Yes *@oneglassandpuzzled* that picture just shuts the argument that everyone needs to go around with beiges and neutrals. Such boring colours do not suit all complexions. Can you imagine how washed out that beautiful lady would look with some mule grey top and beige saggy bottoms and a camel coloured coat on top? long live vibrant colours that warm the heart & soul. Adios Marie knondo

It arrived last night and it's a lovely vibrant colour. I also have a pair of silky dark-olive trousers that will go well with it. It's interesting that Sezane is just full of bright knitwear. I have to stop looking at the site now...

I have a pair of black Kookai flared trousers that I will never get rid of. I can’t believe how tiny they are. 19 yo dd tried them on the other day, because of course they are back in.
I felt a mixture of emotions seeing her in them.
She utterly dismissed my stefanal white wide legged trousers though

I could NOT do a capsule wardrobe, because I'd find it so dull wearing the same items on rotation. This was effectively how I had to dress when pregnant (because my stock of maternity items was limited), and oh, I couldn't WAIT to dive back into my enormous wardrobe after giving birth. I need variety.

I also fear the "Kondo Regret", but unfortunately this has led to a nasty case of hoarding. I have a huge and easily accessible loft, which is now stuffed with clothing. Occasionally I am vindicated when something comes back into fashion - I raided my midi skirt and mom jeans stocks a couple of years back, and now I'm wondering if there are any mini skirts in there now hemlines are going up again.

As for tasteful neutrals/classics.....well, they've never been my thing.

I've had my colours done three times down the years and have always been told I'm Warm Spring. My red hair now has grey streaks in but my skin tone is the same. I've always wanted to wear black and ice white or fashionable sludgy colours but look like death in them. Sadly, in winter, clothes in British shops are completely the wrong colour for me. I tend to keep clothes in my colour range until they fall apart because it's hard to find warm spring colours - particularly in autumn and winter.

Regret is a pointless unhelpful emotion - just think about one or 2 items in a colour that you love and that will go with all your neutrals and invest in them - buy less but buy carefully and buy good - think really hard before you spend the money, and maybe look in lots of charity and vintage shops - & when you get the 1 or 2 perfect items, look after them, cherish them, hand wash always and they will last for years, and no more regrets.