How to “En-light-en” Your Closet

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Packing for a trip, or for a vacation is always a challenge, but it’s a happy one. It lets us fantasize about the beautiful scenery we will encounter, imagine the relaxing, carefree days ahead, the delicious food, the people we might meet, and the wonderful places we will explore.

But as we all watched the heartbreaking video of hundreds of people desperately fleeing their homes in Ukraine, I kept thinking, “How did they decide what to stuff in those small rolling suitcases when there was urgency, their lives were on the line,and they didn’t know where they’d end up? And that pretty much everything they owned might be destroyed?”

It puts a very different perspective on needs vs wants.

And that inspired me to take a deeper look into what we wear and how we accumulate clothing. So let’s examine how a wardrobe serves all of our needs – from the most crucial, to the most practical, but also to the elevating.

The Greening of the Fashion Industry

As little as 70 years ago many women wore hand-made clothing that endured, and then often handed those items down to the next generation. The textiles and the workmanship ensured that longevity. But the same was true for store-bought clothing, for those who could afford it. Also, closets were a lot smaller then. So, clothing purchases were well-considered, and rarely frivolous.

But these days, with globalization and the outsourcing of manufacturing, we are able to grab fairly inexpensive and trendy fashions and we often pass them along to the local resale shop or donate them to a charity within a few years.

Photo by Rei Lecatompessy on Unsplash

The shocking reality is that 70% of those items end up in the landfill. More than a 100 billion items of clothing are manufactured each year, and of that shocking number, nearly 20% remain unsold. So they get buried, shredded or incinerated. And as many of the textiles these days contain “sustainable” micro fibers (read, plastics) they take a very long time to decompose.

The problem became so great that the industry had to re-invent itself, thankfully. So now, once again, consumers have become more thoughtful about what, and how much, they buy. And for a younger generation, many of whom are resigned to living in small apartments and not large homes, closets are, once again, small.

What Our Closets Say…and Should Say

You probably know by now that I am loath to use the word “should” when it comes to fashion. (I always tell my readers to “Train Your Eye, Trust Your Gut, Don’t Obsess.”) There is no room to breathe or experiment in “shoulds.”

Also, clothing doesn’t simply serve our practical needs. And it doesn’t just need to be considered safe for the environment, although those are important factors. It should also serve our emotional and psychological needs.

So, how do you select something new? Is it with intention, to fill in a need – the perfect top to go with those new pants, or a 3-season jacket for the local weather? Or do you just hope for the serendipity of finding something wonderful and unexpected?

In my own case, although I stay open to the possibility of a serendipitous find, I have noticed that, especially as I age, I’m mostly buying with intention, for what I really need. Also, in the back of my mind I think about how much actual usage I will get out of every single item.

And lately I look carefully at the fabric composition, opting almost exclusively for natural textiles. If a garment has more than 10% of a synthetic I tend to avoid it, no matter how great it is. I personally don’t like the feel of synthetics, and the idea of something ending up in a landfill with a half-life of 200 years makes my skin crawl.

That makes my choices a lot easier.

But still, regardless how practical and essential the purchase is, it has to bring me joy in some way. That goes for everything from socks and undies to a great leather jacket. Every time I wear an item I must feel happy. Is that based solely on my attitude? Well, maybe a little. But when something fits perfectly, when the color makes me look healthier, when the style speaks to who I am – intrinsically and authentically – and most importantly, when it’s comfortable, then, yeah, it brings me joy.

Sentiment vs Practicality

Can we still have a little fantasy in our fashion choices? Does that serve a purpose too? Most definitely. Dressing creatively and colorfully is a mood elevator. It awakens our spirit. It reminds us that creativity lives within us and outside of us, through the mind and hand of the person who created the item. And it makes us co-creatives by wearing that item.

I like to think that those Ukrainian refugees thought carefully and included at least some items in their suitcases that had no “practical” purpose but that were deeply meaningful or simply beautiful.

photo by Lauren Richmondon Unsplash

So, would you grab your 35-year-old wedding dress if you had to flee in a fire or disaster? Would you regret leaving the hand-knit sweater made for you by your aunt or grandmother? Would you pack the floral sandals that go with only a couple of items, but that bring you great joy and remind you of the beautiful things in life?

Having a closet full of items that are practical, beautiful, comfortable, and meaningful insures that anything we might have to grab at the last minute in a disaster scenario would still bring us joy. And maybe it might relieve a bit of the tension of the situation.

May you all never have to make those decisions.