Towards A More Balanced Wardrobe: 2025 Update
In January 2024, I wrote a post outlining a couple of paths for my wardrobe building. Now, 12 months on, it’s time for an update.
The primary focus for 2024 was a wardrobe more in line with how my life is now. And while this is probably just as much about the journey as it is about the destination, there are definitely some lessons learned.
In 2024 I deliberately both added and removed a lot of garments to and from my wardrobe: I wanted a more relevant wardrobe and at the same time had some extra funds available for it. And while I qualitatively can justify most of my purchases (except for some of the outerwear from my Ebay bonanza), the sheer quantity isn’t something I am particularly proud of. I intent to shop in more moderation in 2025 - more on that in a minute.
But before I get to that, a few words on what I did add to my wardrobe. One key word is texture, another is structure. Texture in terms of fabric choices like tweed, heavy cotton, more knitwear than shirts and my first pair of cordovan shoes. Structure in terms of a more defined, and in some ways more narrow, core wardrobe with added versatility in terms of interchangeable garments. This is exemplified in two Drake’s chore jackets I added for spring/summer because they quite seamlessly can replace my tweed and wool jackets for autumn/winter with the rest of an outfit more or less unchanged.
One result of this exercise so far is a less formal wardrobe, as formal clothes are less needed in my life now than three or four years ago. The contents of my wardrobe now are more in line with what a typical week or month holds for me and what makes me feel comfortable and well-dressed. It works for my daily life, but has some shortcomings in terms of garments for more formal or festive occasions.
As mentioned before, I approach 2025 with the intent to shop with more moderation. First of all, I intend to balance what enters and what leaves my wardrobe, simply meaning that the number of new garments must not exceed the number of garments resold, given to charity or discarded. I had the same intent in 2024, but didn’t fully succeed.
Second, and perhaps a bit more interesting, I intend to buy no more than 15 garments, new or pre-owned, in 2025. 15 garments is still a lot, but it is a lot less than in 2024. For the record, I leave underwear and socks out of the equation, as I only change these when necessary (and darn my socks when possible).
15 garments in still more than the 5 garments per year that are often mentioned as the more sustainable way to buy and use clothes. I have no intentions of justifying what I do as sustainable. The most sustainable clothing is the stuff already in my wardrobe. But I do believe that I can make more considerate choices with functionality, versatility and durability in mind.
I am excited to see how it goes and how - if at all - it changes my approach to what I wear and how. I’ll keep you posted.
