Life is funny. I think it's the unexpected things that influence our life paths more than all the things we plan. Things like when I was placed in a French class (instead of my first choice of Spanish or second choice of Latin), or the chance timing of meeting someone and falling in love, or starting a new hobby. Sometimes change feels like a river whose path has shifted a little, and sometimes change is so dramatic that it creates a rupture, leaving behind only a Before and After.
I think about how my life's own Before and After as I stare into my closet and consider why I no longer wear certain outfits. Perhaps internal change is a lot like an iceberg whose only manifestation is the relatively small bit on the surface. We can grasp what's visible, but understanding its actual depth and nature is more difficult.
In my Before life, I would sometimes wear things I wasn't sure about, and my style choices were rather eclectic. My preferences have coalesced in my After life, and I try to wear only clothes I love and feel good in. When I've bought anything new (usually thrifted), I am extremely picky that it fits my current style standards and feels like the me I am now, not the me I used to be. It's sometimes hard when I see clothes the old me would have loved and worn, but I remind myself I can appreciate them momentarily and leave them behind because they no longer fit who I am.
However, many of the clothes from my Before life are still hanging in my closet. Some I still like but they no longer feel like they fit emotionally. Perhaps they are too tied to certain past memories. There might be a few of these clothes I can reclaim for my new life, but my first attempt at that wasn't so successful, so I suspect that most won't make the transition.
It seems the fortitude needed for Life 2.0 has impacted my sartorial choices. Maybe feeling physically ready for anything at any time (I can run or walk long distances in my boots!) helps me feel emotionally prepared for anything too?
Have you gone through some sort of life experience that has caused a
clear shift in what you choose to wear? Or have your preferences slowly
shifted over time? How do you approach implementing a change in your style? Do you cull your wardrobe all at once or in phases?
My wardrobe has slowly changed (and continues to slowly change) since my own Before and After, but not necessarily because of the emotions attached to any of the clothes. I gained weight after the divorce, which took awhile for me to make peace with, but I more or less have come to accept myself and my body for what it is now, which has meant having to make some wardrobe shifts to accommodate that. It was hard to be willing to buy new clothes at first, but I eventually got to the point, similar to you, where I decided I wanted clothes for who I am (and what my body is) now, not what it or I used to be. That made it easier to let go of things that no longer fit me or felt flattering, and I generally feel much more comfortable in the new things I've bought. So in its own way, my body kind of forced the wardrobe change, but I have been pretty pleased with the results. :)
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