Who says you can’t have too much of a good thing?!
When I was doing my first major clothing de-clutter, I found I had a lot of duplicates. For example, I actually had …
Readers of a nervous disposition, please turn away now!
5 pairs of black trousers!!
Now, if you had asked me, I would have said that they were all quite different – different styles, fabrics, details and therefore each one was essential. I found this viewpoint especially true when it came to denim.
In reality, I reached for one pair repeatedly, a fancier pair if I was going out and the others rarely.
The thing is, the one I reached for was obviously my favourite. So why not clear away the nonsense and the clutter and just wear that pair? I was already wearing them over and over again – but somehow I felt a comfort or a type of satisfaction when I opened my wardrobe and could see another 4 pairs hanging there. Why????
The other thing about duplicates is that they ‘split your wears’. You end up wearing them only half as much, if you have two items, quarter as much if you have four items – you get the idea. So, in essence, with five pairs of black trousers and only really wearing one, I was paying five times as much for that pair. Or at least, that’s how it felt after the purge, when the horror had set in at the sight of the de-cluttered pile.
I used to love that piece of advice that went along the lines of …. If you see something you like, buy it in a few different colours! What’s that now? No! Just no!
I try to avoid duplicates now because:
- I don’t want to split my wears
- I don’t want to waste my money
- It’s fuelled by fear-of-missing-out, not true necessity.
- I would rather invest in one good quality item, than many lesser quality items
- With a limited number of pieces in my capsule, variety is important and there’s no place for quantities of the same item.
- I begrudge giving up valuable wardrobe space to clothes I won’t wear often.
Anyone else ever fall foul of the dreaded duplicate scenario? Have a great week 🙂
I would get some duplicates of different colors (shoes too sometimes), but only if it fit well, because no matter my size, it’s hard to find clothes that fit right. I lose 3 lbs and hips are big, I gain 3 lbs and waist is tight, but hips are nice… Shoes, a big headache, narrow feet and skinny ankles. Hard to find no matter what type of shoes, so get 2 if something fits right so you don’t any for a long period of time. I hate shopping for clothes.
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Hi there, thanks for reading and commenting. I applaud your restraint in ensuring a good fit before purchasing. It sounds as though you are shopping in a very mindful way. My problem was that I seemed to accumulate duplicates for no good reason, except that there were tiny differences between them! However, I empathise with the shoe situation – I have awkward sized feet and it’s difficult to find a good fit sometimes. Lxx
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For me, too many duplicates the favorites get squished in the closet and make it harder to pull outfits together. Will less I love shopping in my closet to plan for events! Amazing what we can do with the favorites when we can see them! Great post.
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Thanks Laurel – it’s all about using the favourites as building blocks, Lxx
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Thanks for this, Lol. I don’t have lots of duplicates but sometimes I buy an item of clothing and then I don’t start wearing it for a long time, sometimes a year or so after I’ve bought it. Do you think this is normal behaviour or am I slightly odd?!
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Each of us has our system!
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Absolutely Laurel, it’s what works best for us, in the end! Lxx
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Hi Julie, I laughed at your comment – if you think you’re odd, what does that make me??!!! No, I think your way smacks of intentionality – even a year after a purchase, the item is right for you and you start to wear it. It’s just a bit of a slow burn! Thanks for reading, lovely, Lxx
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Brilliant – that made me laugh. “A slow burn”, yes I like that, that’s how I shall think of my slightly odd behaviour from now on.
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🙂 xxx
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Hi Julie, I laughed at your comment – if you think you’re odd, what does that make me??!!! No, I think your way smacks of intentionality – even a year after a purchase, the item is right for you and you start to wear it. It’s just a bit of a slow burn! Thanks for reading, lovely, Lxx
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