Do you have items in your closet that you almost never wear?
Maybe it’s a ratty old T-shirt from a highschool volleyball tournament that you don’t have the heart to get rid of. Maybe it’s a tight pair of shorts that you hope to fit into someday. Maybe your style has simply changed over time, and a few ghostly remnants of your old self are still clinging to the hangers.
Or maybe, if you’re like me, you’ve collected a handful of clothing items that look really cool, but you just don’t have the guts to wear.
My closet is full of these pieces — funky sweaters and jackets, novelty T-shirts, pants and dresses with bold hemlines, the list goes on. Usually, these clothes are purchased with specific outfits in mind — outfits that, if I’m being honest, will likely never come to fruition. These looks are meant to be worn by who I aspire to be, not by who I am now. In reality, they are probably destined for nothing more than collecting dust in the back of my closet. Tragic.
But Lilly, you might be thinking, if it bothers you so much, why don’t you just suck it up and wear the damn clothes? Who cares what people think!
To that, I say: good point.
Last week, I vowed to bring some of these clothes out of hiding. I did so by wearing a variety of these aspirational outfits for three days in a row. Here’s how it went:
Day one
The look:
-A pair of white, wide leg jeans with a cropped hem
-A large, cheetah-print sweater in black-and-white
-An oversized blue puffer jacket
-A black newsboy cap
-A pair of classic Doc Martens
On the spectrum of Bratz doll to early 20th century dock worker, my first outfit sits somewhere in the middle. That morning, after frantically cornering my roommate and demanding she give me her honest opinion, I was graciously informed that I looked like a character from Clueless. Whether she meant it as a compliment or not, this was an extremely reassuring thing to hear, as it was pretty much exactly what I was going for.
Mixing a loud colour with such a bold pattern was a little out of my comfort zone, and the addition of the hat and shoes certainly didn’t help tone things down. That being said, I really enjoyed how the whole look came together and I received quite a few compliments. The only thing missing was a shoulder bag with a tiny dog peeking out of it. Next time!
Day two
The look:
-A pair of high-waisted, acid-wash jeans
-A fitted black turtleneck
-A huge faux-fur coat
-A black beanie
-A pair of brown Blundstones
I’ve always liked the look of mixing casual and formal items together, so I decided to pair this extravagant faux-fur coat with a laid back pair of jeans and a beanie. To me, this outfit looks like the aesthetic intersection of a fancy divorcee and her angsty teenage son, which, come to think of it, is exactly how I would describe my personality — how very fitting.
Wearing this outfit wasn’t nearly as nerve-wracking as wearing the first one, but I was still unsure as to whether I would be able to pull it off or not (jury’s still out, guys). Regardless, this look was the comfiest damn thing I wore all week, and it definitely kept me nice and warm.
Day three
The look:
-An ankle-length, navy-blue a-line dress with a floral pattern
-A long, cream-coloured sherpa peacoat
-A sparkly gold scrunchie
-That same pair of classic Doc Martens
This dress let me live out my ultimate Little House on the Prairie fantasy and for that, I am eternally grateful. To keep the outfit looking a little more snazzy and a little less scullery maid, I decided to edge things up by adding the boots.
As someone who rarely wears dresses, I really felt at ease in this look and it has inspired me to seek out more, similar items. Above all, I’d say that this outfit was my favourite out of the three!
What began as a harrowing and anxiety-inducing endeavour ended up being a lot of fun, and I was surprised to see how much the whole experience boosted my confidence. While I don’t think I can sustain dressing this extra every single day, I’ll definitely be experimenting more with my wardrobe from here on out.
Photos by Laurence B.D.
