She Strengthens

Reinventing My Wardrobe: A Journey of Self-Discovery

As I prepared for my trip to California, I found myself staring at my closet, wondering how I had accumulated so many clothes that no longer reflected my personal style. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks – it was time to take a hard look at my wardrobe and make some drastic changes.

The Disconnect Between Perception and Reality

In my mind, I was a chic, stylish entrepreneur living in NYC, but my wardrobe told a different story. The contents of my closet were a far cry from the image I wanted to project to the world. It was time to purge my closet of items that no longer served me and start fresh.

The Struggle with Shopping

To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of shopping. The process of trying on clothes, dealing with fitting room lighting, and leaving empty-handed can be exhausting. As a result, shopping had fallen to the bottom of my to-do list. But this mentality had led to a wardrobe that was lacking in style and flair.

Defining My Personal Style

I recently had a conversation with Chelsea about creating a “style story” to help identify the underlying concept behind our respective wardrobes. This exercise forced me to distill what I wanted to project to the world in a few key words. I also created a Pinterest board filled with reference images for outfit inspiration and styles I liked. This visual reminder helps me stay focused on what I like and how to style it.

The Purge

With my newfound clarity, I began purging my closet of items that no longer felt like me. I started by getting rid of clothes that were ill-fitting, worn out, or simply didn’t suit my skin tone or body type. The process was liberating, and I was excited to make room for new pieces that would help me achieve my style goals.

The Rejects

Some of the items that didn’t make the cut included:

• A ~fancy~ evening dress that looked awkward and ill-fitting
• A too-short sad beige floral dress that made my upper body look doughy and shapeless
• A dress that could pass for a tennis outfit (yes, it was that bad)
• A Stevie-Nicks-wannabe robe that was more fantasy than reality
• A patterned, out-of-character “work” dress that didn’t match anything else in my closet
• A dated-looking maxi dress that emphasized my arms
• Various 2007-esque crop tops that were flimsy and unflattering
• A floral-90s dress that was better suited for a themed party than everyday life

The Attempt to Sell

I attempted to sell these clothes to secondhand stores, but the experience was a humbling one. The stores were picky, and my clothes didn’t make the cut. I left feeling embarrassed and ashamed, but also relieved to be rid of the items that no longer served me.

The Takeaway

This experience taught me the importance of being intentional with my wardrobe choices. I’m excited to start fresh and build a wardrobe that truly reflects my personal style. Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll be sharing the items I do buy and how they fit into my new style story.