Last week marked my ten year anniversary of living in Atlanta. I have some complicated feelings that I can’t articulate well surrounding the occasion, so instead of focusing on that, I’m choosing to obsess over my closet instead.
…Mostly because it is filled to the brim, and it’s turned the bench at the end of my bed into a catchall that contains most of the clothes I wear on a daily basis.
Something has to change, so it’s time for an extreme closet purge.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Emotional Attachments
Going through my closet is challenging for me, because I have an emotional attachment to most of my clothes. Not that everything I own is perfect, but I have always tried to take really good care of my things. If for no other reason than I spent my hard earned money on it, and so it was inherently valuable.
The Elusive ‘Skinny’ Jeans
Also, as a woman there is always the size fluctuation of the items in your closet. You know, your ‘fat’ and ‘skinny’ jeans, the ones that sit in your closet somewhere just in case you’re ever a certain size again? I admit I’m not wearing quite the same size I was going into the pandemic, and while I regularly struggle (like so many of us) with my relationship to my body, a lot of my 2019 pre-pandemic clothes taunt me from the side of the closet. I’m finally admitting that those clothes probably are not going to be worn again.
Going Out Tops
There is also the evolution of my wardrobe itself to consider. Trends that everyone was wearing and I had to have (I’m looking at you, peplum shirts and statement necklaces), tiny skirts and going out tops from the days where I could party all weekend with girlfriends, date night outfits that I hate to admit are just a little tainted with sour memories of past relationships — none of these really have a purpose in my closet or my life anymore.
ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE
Meg 2.0
So, as I begin my next decade of living in the south, I’m making space for the next iteration of Meg —- Meg 2.0 if you will. And I’m busy dreaming up possibilities for her life and her wardrobe. While I can invest in a few meaningful pieces, my new wardrobe still needs to be affordable, and everything has to really be reflective of my own personal style. I think I’m done with capitalizing on every trend, and I want to buy classic pieces that really work for me and withstand the test of time. Sweet, yet sophisticated styles with feminine details and flattering fits.
Join me on my shopping spree — For anyone reading this who is also feeling overdue for a wardrobe makeover, I’m sharing some of the pieces I’ve got my eye on, that are living in various virtual shopping carts across the internet, waiting to hit the ‘complete purchase’ button. I think they’ve got Meg 2.0 written all over them.
I hope I can soon find the words to share how I feel about celebrating ten years in this city, but in the meantime, I’m so hopeful for the future and I can’t wait to see what my next 10 years have in store for me (and in more ways than just my closet!)
