We all have them. Those clothes I want to wear, but are in the back of the closet. The pieces we bought for a reason… loved in the dressing room… envisioned in some fabulous future scenario… and yet?
They haven’t made it out the door.
Quote of the day: “Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it.” George Bernard Shaw
Today I’m collaborating with Tresi, and she has the best name for these pieces. She calls them her “pet’s corner” items. Like a sweet little puppy waiting patiently in the corner, these clothes aren’t angry. They’re not judging. They’re just… waiting.
And maybe that’s exactly what some of our clothes are meant to do.
Let’s start here.
You didn’t randomly buy those items. You bought them because something sparked. Maybe. Or someone talked you into them (that’s my case).
We often hear advice that says, “Don’t buy for your future Lifestyle.”
“Only keep what you wear right now.”
“If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it.”
And while sometimes that’s wise. Sometimes we need those aspirational pieces in our closet. They remind us of who we’re growing into.
Style isn’t static. Neither are we.
My knitting group used to talk about how our yarn needed to marinate before we were ready to knit with it. Maybe the clothes we want to wear are somewhat like that?
There are items I’ve owned for years that didn’t make sense until they suddenly did.
It wasn’t because my body changed or because the trends changed.
The only thing that changed was my mindset.
Sometimes we’re not ready for the clothes we want to wear.
But that doesn’t mean we won’t be.
My belief is that it doesn’t always happen at the same time that you bought it.
You might need the right inspiration, like different ways to layer it or how it can fit into your lifestyle.
It was serendipitous when Tresi reached out with an idea about her “pet’s corner” pieces. Only because I had been thinking about a couple of my clothing pieces that I had been wearing lots lately, yet had been sitting in my closet for ages.
That’s when I figured it was a good time to share these clothes I want to wear, and how we finally styled them.
In Tresi’s words: “This green top, which is big and drapy. I Love the colour and the slightly Jedi vibe. It needs a bottom half to complement it, and I need to get away from just jeans/trousers.”
“I just put it on over my black jeans and wore it for a day.
The novelty of layers has definitely worn off, so it was great to wear a garment that covered the lot without looking like a blanket. I realised why I’d put off wearing it; it’s really complicated to put on – Finding the sleeves was a challenge!
I wanted to try something different as well – the short-sleeved dress picked up the colour, while the hoodie underneath added warmth – I could see myself wearing this outfit a lot. Adding long boots smartened it all up.”
I’ve talked about oversized sweaters in the past, and it’s always good to remember that you can tame down the material by transforming it.
The nice thing about Tresi’s sweater is the openness of the front part. Of course, you could turn that around to the back too…
Style tip: Notice that with the dress, she also wore a hoodie. Not super evident (probably more from the back view, which is just as important), but it can help with the warmth factor.
Not every layer has to be seen.
In Tresi’s words – “the pattern caught my fancy, and it fits really nicely, but the style is too girly, and there’s no room to layer under. The length is a bit ‘ not quite ‘ too ‘! I want to give it a bit more edge and definition.”
“I tried navy tights with ankle boots, long boots, and trainers with socks – nope!
Finally decided on my jeans jeggings, which made the dress length more intentional; I’d have liked to cuff them a bit more to show more sock, but they are skin tight! The pink scarf livened things up.
The cardigan is one I’ve upcycled – it was too long, with sleeves that reached my knees, and the ribbed neckline had catastrophically failed, but I like the pattern. Adding a belt to ‘ go ‘ with the cardi tied the two together.
The jumper with crochet detail was my fave but too long, so I scrunched it and tied on the scarf – no clips or bands, it just stayed put, hurrah!”
Style tip: Don’t forget that you can always “shorten” a dress like Tresi did in the past by belting and pulling it up to make it more of a tunic length.
So many options…so little time.
In Tresi’s words: “The brown skirt was a bargain price in a charity shop sale (£2), too long and too small, so I took out the lining and cut off the top half to make a shorter skirt and wider waist – I turned over a casing and elasticated. I’m looking for a styling I can wear for every day.”
“I had an idea about giving it a steam punk vibe, so I went with the tartan shirt, and tried it with a couple of brooches, but the collar is a tad too small, and they looked lost – enter my slippery scarf!
With the brooches on that and collar clips on the shirt, I got the ott that I needed.
Jury’s out on the boots – not sure if they needed tights, or whether I should fold the cuffs up, but the germ of a good ‘fit is there, and I can tinker.”
Oh yes. I have them too. And they both have a story to go with them.
I was talked into buying this turtleneck when I was thrifting with another influencer in Denver. She pulled it out and said, “This is you.”
For some strange reason, I felt obliged to buy it (since we were thrifting, it wasn’t expensive), and it sat in my closet for years because I didn’t get it.
The lace was a bit girly. And it showed off my bra in the middle since the lace came down so far in the front. The label is in Italian, so I’m sure it’s quality.
Once I figured out that I didn’t have to show all the lace…that I could layer over that part (I mean, duh, right?), it’s been a fun item to wear.
I feel like I’ve worn it more in the last couple of years, but these were the only 2 examples I could find for now.
Style tip: It’s a great option for crew neck sweaters because you get the lace sticking out at the collar and cuffs.
My mom knitted this scarf for me…it had to be about 25 years ago. Back when I was working as a dentist.
At that time, I didn’t wear scarves. I didn’t understand them. And this fuzzy piece did not fit my professional profile.
In fact, when I started knitting myself, I even had the idea to take it apart and use the yarn for something else. I tried, but I couldn’t unravel it. Maybe that’s a good thing.
Because I have found it so playful and fun lately.
I’ve used it under my sweater vest so be softer against my skin. And it’s such a fun way to add texture…to anything.
I also wrapped it around the handles of a purse…it made it easier to grab them since they were being held together by the scarf.
There are seasons in life when we crave comfort and invisibility.
And there are seasons when we crave expression and visibility.
Sometimes a piece doesn’t get worn because we’re in the wrong emotional season for it.
But when that season shifts? Suddenly, that item feels right.
That’s why I hesitate to tell people to purge every unworn item immediately.
Yes, clutter isn’t helpful.
Yes, we don’t want guilt hanging in our closet.
But aspirational style can be powerful.
When you open your closet and see pieces that represent Growth, creativity, and boldness. That in itself can inspire you.
Instead of asking:
“Why haven’t I worn this?”
Try asking:
“How else could I wear this?” Maybe it could be:
So often we bought it, imagining it as the star.
But maybe it’s meant to be the supporting cast.
Having clothes I want to wear but haven’t yet isn’t a failure. I would like to rationalize that these items might just need to marinate before they fit into your lifestyle.
Sometimes we buy ahead of ourselves.
And sometimes we catch up.
The challenge would be to push yourself and try styling those clothes…not in the same way you always do, but differently.
Need help? Feel free to reach out, as this is one of my superpowers.
The other challenge would be to let them continue to marinate. You don’t need to get rid of EVERYTHING you don’t wear in a year. Sometimes, they can act as inspiration just by being in your closet.
Before you automatically toss that piece into the donation pile, ask:
If the answer is yes… maybe it deserves to stay in your version of Tresi’s pets’ corner a little longer.
Not forever.
But long enough to see if you grow into it.
Here’s what I want you to remember:
Not EVERYTHING in your closet needs to be something you wear all the time.
Tresi’s green top, blue dress, and brown skirt didn’t suddenly become “right.”
She became ready.
My lace turtleneck and fuzzy scarf didn’t change.
I changed how I saw them.
And maybe that’s the real style lesson here.
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The post Clothes I Want to Wear: Growing Into Your Style appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
