Welcome to mama eats, a twice-weekly newsletter inspired by a simple + seasonal home life. This week’s post, thrifting a wardrobe, is free to all readers. It also contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to use them. I try to provide as much free content as possible, however, this newsletter is a labor of love and I am a busy mother to three. If you have the means, and find value in what I share, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which also gives you access to the growing archive of posts older than a month.
outfits from the past month or so; everything you see here is thrifted except my LL Bean boat and tote and my Casio watch. Let me know if you’d like any brand names for any clothing items; often you can search and find the exact thing you’re looking for on Poshmark/Depop/Ebay or similar.
For the last few weeks or so on Instagram, I’ve been sharing a quick snap of my outfit for the day, and I’ve gotten lots of requests to share more here. Today’s newsletter will be a little bit of a more in-depth probe into how I approach my wardrobe.
My wardrobe is quite small, and about 90% thrifted/secondhand, it has been for maybe 6 or so years now- for the environment, for finances, for fun- and lots of you expressed interest in the how behind that. I really dislike shopping and thinking too much about clothes, but at the same time clothing is really important to how I feel. I am someone who loves to feel put together, comfortable, and presentable- it just sets the mood for me for the day.
I keep a small wardrobe for several reasons, but mainly because I generally like to wear the same things over and over and a large number of items feels extremely overwhelming to me. When I find something I really like, I stick with it (notice my white shorts, I wear them constantly). If I notice myself not wearing something often, I donate it.
my process for shopping: assess, think deeply, then shop
Here’s how clothes shopping plays out in real time for me. We are currently transitioning to autumn, and cooler season clothes are coming. First, I examine my cool weather wardrobe from last year, and find that I need just a few new pieces:
I finally wore out my boots last year, and they need to be replaced.
I need to repair some of my sweaters, so I’ll add that to my list of mending.
I need a new trench coat, my daughter borrowed mine last year and lost it.
I need new pants/jeans. I’ll think about what style/color I’m looking for, probably a wide leg corduroy of a dark brown, navy, or black and a more straight leg kind of denim.
I’ll figure out exactly what I need, then I add it to my list of items I’m on the look out for. I visit the thrift store briefly maybe once a week or once every two weeks- just to pop in and see if there’s anything on my “need” list, not only for clothes but for household items, too. When I’m looking to bring a piece into my wardrobe, I have a shopping hierarachy that I stick to:
get specific and personal to streamline shopping
I also have a few other criterion that are personal to me and my style. I think it’s well worth it to hone your personal style- what colors, cuts, and types of clothing you actually need and wear in your daily life, what you feel comfortable/happy/good in, and what you like. For so many years I would just buy clothes based on if it looked cute to me on the hanger or other people, but then dislike them when I actually wore them, which was frustrating and wasteful. To know what your own criterion are makes it so simple to go through the crowded racks at the thrift, or any store really. It’s an easy yes or no.
For me- I like things to match easily (don’t want to spend time thinking about what goes with what to get dressed each day), and like to feel classic and chic, not necessarily fashionable but more just comfortable and well-dressed. I also really dislike synthetic fibers- for environmental and sensory reasons, among others. So, for me, I:
stick primarily with colors that mix easily together and that I like wearing: black, all kinds of browns, whites and creams, red, dark green, plum, and navy, stripes, and a bit of leopard.
look for natural fibers, primarily cotton, linen, silk, wool, and hemp. They last longer, feel good on, regulate body heat, don’t shed microplastics, release stains better, and generally look nicer.
always look for dresses- to me a dress is ideal: it always looks nice, feels comfortable on, and is just one single item to choose and put on. I usually go for a fitted bodice and fuller skirt, about knee length or a little longer for ease of movement as I am always moving around and bending down- gardening, picking up children, squatting down, biking, cleaning etc.
cuts of clothing- dresses and bottoms that are fitted at the waist and looser around the hips, crew neck tops/sweaters, high waisted bottoms, low heeled or flat shoes.
stick to what my real life actually needs- it’s easy to get distracted by things that are cute, but not applicable to the clothes that are appropriate for your life right now. For example, I bike a lot and sit down on the ground alot with children, so short dresses and skirts aren’t practical for me.
I hope this post has been helpful, please let me know in the comments if you have any further questions or if you just want to share any tips you have.
This is so helpful! I'm recently postpartum and trying to figure out how to manage my wardrobe to address my regularly changing body and needs (i.e., so many dresses won't work with nursing!). Do you have any tips that made that transition easier for you?
I am in the middle of defining my style and actually have a post about my attempts to refine my personal aesthetic coming up as well. Thank you for sharing