Can you believe it’s
been nearly a year already?
There are less than 3 weeks to go until the challenge is
over and so I keep finding myself answering the same 2 questions from people: What happens
next? And do I want clothes for my birthday?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the last post. In
the time between posts I’ve started a new job – which has given me the chance
to view the challenge through a fresh set of eyes.
It was really easy showing up at Contact a Family in
scruffy, and sometimes bizzare outfits as a result of poor planning on the old
washing schedule. Everyone there knew about the challenge and since it was for
the organisation we all worked for – I got a free pass for sometimes looking
like I’d slept in my clothes.
In my new job it's different. For starters it’s a fairly smart workplace. People show
up every day looking polished, and all of my clothes look a little – well –
crumpled. People are being very kind and accepting about it – but I’m really
looking forward to looking just a little bit less limp at work.
So once the challenge is over – I am going to be wearing
different clothes. But I’m not going to go mad with shopping – because actually
this year has been really good for me. I’ve put a bit of time into thinking about what happens next and have started going through the
clothes that I put away & writing a list of what I think I’ll need from May
until September.
When I began putting things back into the wardrobe I noticed
myself feeling a little bit nervous. I didn’t like how full my wardrobe was
beginning to look. I found myself remembering with horrible clarity the
mornings where I tried on one outfit after another, displacing my real
anxieties about wether the meeting I was going into was going to go well with
superficial concerns about wether my outfit worked. And what’s worse after
making myself late choosing an outfit – I’d inevitably decide I hated it by the
time I got to work.
That hasn’t happened to me this year. Yes there have been times
when I haven’t been 100% in love with what I’m wearing – but narrowing down my
choices has meant that I know from careful repetition which combination of
clothes work for which occasion. So I got my mornings back - & while I didn’t
use them for anything healthy like going for a run there has been a number of occasions
when the final reread of of a paper I’m sending off has resulted in real improvements because
of that extra time.
And the bad choices I made? The stuff that even though I had
a tiny wardrobe to choose from barely got worn? Well they taught me valuable stuff
about what doesn’t suit me that I’d never have learnt if I hadn’t have had to
sit with them for so long. Hopefully I’ll make less mistakes with what I choose
to wear over the summer. But if I do make bad choices? You can bet your bottom dollar I want to learn
from them.
So how do I stop myself from falling off the wagon in
spectacular style? By setting myself new rules as I transition into a challenge
free year. My plan is to put together a larger capsule of 40ish things to see
me from my birthday into Autumn - most of the stuff I'll already own - but where I spot a gap I'll give myself permission to buy something new. I’ve already started to put the wardrobe together &
I’ll let myself pick up bits and pieces until about a week after my birthday. And
then no shopping until it starts to get cold again. Hopefully there’ll also be no
sense of hardship cos I’ll still have more to wear in the next 4 months than
I’ve had for the whole of the last year.
And so clothes for my birthday? Not unless you’re really
confident that they’ll make it into the 40....
Honestly as I get older I need less and less. So I really don't mind not getting anything at all -in fact I'd rather that than people waste their money on stuff that goes unused.
But if you're determined to get me something then I'm always happiest with gifts that are handmade. Failing that if you are really after going shopping:
If you’re feeling super flush (or want to club together with
a load of mates) I’ve been after one of these deckchairs since I worked at habitat in the 90's, they are on sale at the mo for £45. We already
have gorgeous sun loungers at home (which I inevitably fall asleep on) but for
reading a book with a gin and tonic – what could be better?
Or a jar of Rhubarb and ginger jam. It makes me almost too happy.
(though not as happy as Nessie’s windfall jam – hint hint)
Or make my work day a little more pleasant with some more of these tea bags . My best mate got me some for
Christmas & I’m about to run out which is giving me the fear as they
basically sustain me through the working day. First thing I do when I get to
work is make a cuppa with one of these bags, and the same cup just gets topped
up with boiling water six or seven times a day. Which means that as expensive
as these teabags seem at first glance – they work out a bit of a bargain.
A big cylindrical crystal vase (and don’t you dare buy it new – they are ruinously expensive) but if you happen to see one in a charity shop, or gathering dust at the back of you cupboard – dibs.
Or you know – make that donation to Contact a Family you’d
been meaning to…….here.
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