This October, I set out to document my OOTD every day. While I did miss a few days, I managed to get a photo of most of the outfits I wore. I finished out the month feeling kind of sad about the current state of my wardrobe, but also with more direction on what I want to start filling it with! Here’s what I learned:
I wear RTW more than I thought
I wore RTW clothing about 60% of the time. I don’t make jeans and don’t planning on ever making jeans, so I’m mainly talking about tops here. Three years ago, this 60% number probably would have disappointed me and led to me panic sew a bunch of tops. But I think I’m starting to be okay with this number. If I will re-wear an Everlane t-shirt for years, I’d rather have it in my closet than something I made myself that gets less wear. It is a good reminder for me to make sure that I’m buying secondhand when possible!
Working from home has changed my style
Before the pandemic, I went to an office every day and had fun dressing up for work each day. These days I work from home and find that a t-shirt and jeans is typically what I reach for. While it’s nice to have the freedom to dress how I want, it is a bit uninspiring and has led my closet to a lackluster place. I definitely don’t need as many fun outfits as I used to, but I need more than I currently have. This year, I‘ve made a few dresses for weddings, but my closet needs something in between wedding-wear and work-wear that will work date nights or drinks.
There are a few TNT patterns I will be making more of
The handmade tops I reached for the most were my Gilbert top, my Square Neck Top, and my Donny Shirt. I’ve already started making an another Gilbert top because it seems to be perfect for my casual day to day wear. I’ve also been researching other button up patterns since that seems to be my go-to. My plan is to try the Bella Loves Patterns Rosie Shirt, the Daughter Judy Genra Shirt, and the Paper Theory Olya Shirt.
Overall, this was a fun little experiment that helped me kickstart how I think about my wardrobe. I don’t want to invest time and energy into making things I won’t wear, so it was good to take stock and figure out my needs and wants first. I might try and make this an annual exercise!
