I know you know what I mean when I say ‘save’. I am talking about the nice clothes you have in your closet that hang there waiting to fulfill their destiny but never do. To clarify, in this post I am not referring to super formal dresses or tuxes, as these are obviously meant to be worn at formal weddings or black tie events. I am referring to nice dresses, suits or other items of clothing you ‘save’ that are not extremely formal that can possibly transition to be worn in every day life…if you can see them in a new light.
So let’s continue.
You have likely in the past purchased an item of clothing that you wanted or needed to wear to a party or special event. When that special event is over (or maybe does not come to be), you may associate the thought of that item as ‘too nice’ to wear in other areas of your life other than how it was intended to be worn when purchased.
So you save it. And it sits in your closet (or hangs in your closet I should say), not to be touched, waiting for another special event. And then what happens? You never end up wearing it. It will eventually go out of style or yellow if it was white or cream or it will no longer fit. So if you think about it, it doesn’t really make sense then to save it because by saving it, you are not only relinquishing the benefits of wearing it, it is a waste not wearing something that you really like.
However, what if you were to change your mindset and see that item of clothing differently. What if you consider this item you thought could only be worn for special events and instead look for ways to wear it in every day life. Wouldn’t that be great? This would mean that if you did wear it in every day life, you may be dressed nicer than others. This is totally ok from my perspective, as you may know. Refer to my post “It Is Ok To Dress Nicer Than Others” and you will see that it is actually ok.
So I encourage you to look at the clothing you are saving and ‘re-position’ them in your mind. See the items in a new light, meaning, ways they can be worn other than the intended purchase purpose. In other words, take out the thought you initially had for the intended purpose and find another purpose.
For example, you may have purchased a really nice dress or shirt or suit that is nicer than other items you own. Why not wear it the next time you go to brunch, dinner or drinks at a restaurant or to a friends place for dinner. Or maybe to a birthday party, art show, cultural event, out shopping or on your birthday. Wear that sparkly top you bought for New Year’s with jeans or if you are a guy, that special shirt you bought with jeans and a great belt.
I encourage you to take those special occasion items and wear it somewhere. Anywhere. Why not? Who is stopping you? Dress nicer than others. Enjoy it. Look nice. Feel good. Treat yourself. Celebrate life. Be brave. By wearing these special pieces, you finally a) get to wear the item you love so much and b) you won’t feel bad or guilty about spending money on something you do not wear because now you are wearing it. It is a win win. I do this quite frequently. And it is actually quite liberating to wear something nice and not to concern yourself with what others may think.
When I was thinking of writing this post, I was thinking of what may hold you back and why we save clothes. Here are a few thoughts it could be, do they sound familiar? Perhaps overcome these thoughts and wear it anyway.
- you spent money on it (and maybe more than usual) and so you are worried that if you wear it, it will get ruined somehow. Although logically speaking isn’t the reason you bought it is to wear it? You wouldn’t buy something just to look at it from afar
- something will spill on it. Which is valid, so be extra careful and you should be fine
- you will ‘wear it out’ somehow. Logically though, how easily can we wear something out?
- something will happen in the wash or when it is dry cleaned. Again valid, so when in doubt dry clean it and go to a cleaner you trust
- it will lose it’s special quality. Maybe, however, the opposite of that is that how nice it will be to wear something you treasure
Final Thoughts
By wearing your nice clothes out in life, you will look great, and in turn, feel great and it can elevate your personal style and help improve your confidence. I do find that people actually enjoy seeing other people dressed nicely. So not only will it brighten your day, but others day too!
All the best and until next time…
