Do My Smaller Clothes Fit My New Style?
With only 23 items in my closet at this point, I’m wondering if it’s time to explore the storage bin again. The last time I opened it up was May 2nd, so it’s been well over two months and more than 10 pounds down. But before I dig into it, I thought I’d make an objective evaluation of whether or not those items will fit into my new, more masculine aesthetic. I did this for my current wardrobe and found it really interesting and helpful for choosing clothes going forward. I want to maintain my style as I continue to lose weight and not fall into the trap of wearing more revealing clothing “because I can.” I do not want my body size to dictate what I do or do not wear. To keep myself in check and stay true to my personal preferences, I rated each item on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least desirable and 10 the most. The criteria I took into consideration are the same as when I looked at my current capsule:
Is this item objectifying? (Bad)
Is this item revealing? (Also bad)
Is this item feminine? (Sometimes bad)
Is this item infantilizing? (A hard no)
Do I like how this item looks? (Usually a good thing)
Would I feel comfortable in this item at a social occasion or in public in general? (Also good)
Does this attract the wrong kind of attention? (Hard to explain, but a bad thing)
Is there a context to consider? (What do I wear it with?)
Does this item look like it’s men’s? (Usually good)
Here’s the list and pics of items with their scores, from high to low, with some explanation in parentheses:
Blue wide leg pants 10 (loose, minimal, could be men’s)
Cream wide leg pants 10 (loose, minimal, could be men’s)
Camel cashmere cardigan 10 (loose, could be men’s)
Cowboy studded belt 10 (wide, real leather, large buckle, is actually men’s)
Black Ponte swing top 10 (boxy shape, thick material, minimal)
Navy Ponte swing top 10 (boxy shape, thick material, minimal)
Two black tuxedo joggers 10 (loose, menswear-inspired)
Black asymmetric sweater 10 (oversized, modern high neckline)
Grey zip-up cardigan 10 (structured shoulders, heavy knit)
Floral wedding kimono 9 (loose, heavy fabric, modest)
Navy blouson blouse 9 (loose, long sleeve, high neckline)
Black blouson blouse 9 (loose, long sleeve, high neckline)
White open cardigan 9 (long sleeve, loose)
Blush boxy sweater 9 (boxy shape, loose)
Black boxy sweater 9 (boxy shape in body, tight arms)
Two black scoop neck tees 9 (loose, feminine neckline)
Two white scoop neck tees 9 (loose, feminine neckline)
Floral print tunic 9 (long, loose, not too feminine floral)
Grey pointelle cardigan 8 (pointelle pattern, loose, long sleeve)
Leather black belt 8 (wide, real leather, large buckle)
Grey banded hem tee 8 (loose, feminine neckline)
Green banded hem tee 8 (loose, feminine neckline)
Two white ballet neck tees 8 (loose, feminine neckline)
Two light blue ballet neck tees 8 (loose, feminine neckline)
Black cropped swing raincoat 7 (loose, feminine shape, cropped, high neckline)
Navy tulip-hem blouse 7 (high neckline, revealing hem at back)
Pink cashmere sweater 7 (high neckline, long sleeves, feminine color)
White pencil skirt 6 (modest length, tight, can be worn with sneakers and oversized top)
Black skinny jeans (size 12) 6 (slouchy fit, black color gives them edge)
Silk feather-print tank 6 (loose, sleeveless, edgy print)
Black utility shorts 6 (fairly revealing and short, loose, utilitarian)
Navy utility shorts 6 (fairly revealing and short, loose, utilitarian)
Black pencil skirt 6 (modest length, tight, can be worn with loose top)
Black skinny jeans (size 14W) 6 (slouchy fit, black color gives them edge)
Long white parka 5 (puffy, distinct hourglass shape, high collar, longline)
Two pairs skinny jeans (size 10) 5 (tapered ankle is more feminine, slouchy fit)
One pair skinny jeans (size 12) 5 (tapered ankle is more feminine, slouchy fit)
White sheer hi-lo tunic 4 (sheer, floaty, swing shape, hi-lo hem, very feminine)
Black silky cami 4 (revealing, loose)
Striped silky cami 4 (revealing, loose)
Skinny braided belt 4 (skinny width is more feminine, flimsy weight)
Cotton A-line cami 3 (semi-sheer, revealing, feminine cut, loose)
Green linen skirt 3 (short, revealing, loose)
Two long sleeve stretchy tees 3 (tight, stretchy, clingy, high neckline)
I think the hard cutoff number for me is a 5; anything 4 or lower is probably a sign to let the item go. From there, I guess it’s up to my instinct, or whether practicality and thrift override aesthetic considerations. This means the discard pile consists of: 2 long sleeve stretchy tees, a green linen skirt, a cotton A-line cami, a skinny braided belt, a striped silky cami, a black silky cami, and a white sheer hi-lo tunic. I’m sad to part with the camis and the green skirt, so I am considering the context of these pieces: The skirt with sneakers is revealing but less traditionally feminine, and the revealing camis might be balanced out when worn with long linen pants. Some items that score higher but are still probably going to go include the pink cashmere sweater (it’s just too pink), the shorts (too revealing), and the long white parka (too hourglass-shaped). Skinny jeans in general are being reconsidered and I’m having difficulty scoring them. The black ones feel a bit edgier than the blue, but even the blue are kind of slouchy and certainly not skintight. I’ll have to wait until these things actually fit to see what I really think.