This fascinating TED Talk explores one area of struggle for American women: clothes. Is your closet so full of clothes that they can’t breathe? Have you taken the time to stop and think about what kind of clothes best reflect you, and purchased accordingly? Or is your closet more a collection of clothing you’ve bought over the years, a sort of museum of past shopping excursions?
We all know the truism that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. While this may be typical, it suggests that we might take a second look at the other 80% of our wardrobe. What does it do all day?
The other popular notion is to donate or otherwise rid ourselves of anything we haven’t worn in the past year. Again, there may be practical exceptions to this rule, but it does lead us to look closely at what we own and why we own it.
The frustration we feel is real: what to wear? While we often think that our answer to “I have nothing to wear” is to buy more, in fact this TED Talk suggests the opposite. The key is planning: choose pieces that work together, and that fit your personality as well as your body. This means clothes that are comfortable, coordinated, and classic.
The stress of our lives can either be amplified by a closet that questions the very laws of physics, or it can be eased by a closet that reflects a comfortable order and purpose. The beauty of an organized, non-crammed closet is itself a worthy effort.
Many of us have no experience in buying clothes with purpose—part of the problem is that we don’t know how. Check out these resources below for further study—that’s the planning part—and keep us posted on your progress. You look great, by the way!
How to Buy Clothes (for the clueless)