We all have those items in our closet. They’re sentimental, were expensive, or took years to track down. And despite the fact that they seldom get worn, it’s just hard to fathom letting them go. It hangs in the closet unworn; a museum piece, if you will. I’ve encountered this a few times over the years, talking myself into keeping something because of the sheer effort involved in finding it. For the most part, I can usually keep my emotions and attachment out of the equation when it comes to decluttering. But, a handful of items in my closet have cast a bit of a spell on me, and always weasel their way back into my wardrobe.
Wearing Farrow broderie anglaise dress (also love this as an alternative); Zimmermann floral slingback flats (old but similar here); Celine trio; Missoma necklace; Reliquia earrings; Chupi signet ring
Case in point are these beautiful floral slingback flats from Zimmermann. I’d had my eye on them for months, but generally felt that the price tag was a little too rich for me. They’re far from what I’d consider an every day shoe. Fast forward 18 months, and I was still thinking about these shoes. I scoured eBay for them, and ultimately managed to stumble across them at the Zimmermann warehouse store for a good price.
At the time, my justification for adding such a feminine, floral flat to my closet was largely linked to the amount of time I’d desired them. But also, I felt they’d jazz up my simple, basic outfits. The pleated detail on them is divine. And, if you look up close you’ll see that care has been taken to mirror the pattern on both shoes; a good sign of the quality.
But, after owning them for close to a year now, I’ve worn them two, maybe three times? Which begs the question; is it worth hanging on to something you wanted for so long, if it’s just going to be a “museum” piece in your closet?
Part of the problem for me, is that I’m convinced the shoes fit a half size small. The slingback often slips off my foot, which makes these awkward to wear when walking long distances. While I love the way they look – especially when worn with white – practicality plays a huge role in how I dress day-to-day.
Usually, I’m very rational when it comes to purchases. I’m hyper aware when something isn’t working out; life’s too short to wear clothes that don’t reflect your personal style or make you feel your best version of yourself. As considered as I try to make my approach to my closet, sometimes the allure of ‘beautiful things’ wins out. Something that often causes internal debate between my acknowledgement of my imperfect self, and desire to chase the perfect wardrobe.
Logic would tell me it’s time to give up the shoes. Let them go to a new home. But my heart still wants to hang on to them, despite knowing I may not find another occasion to wear them.
How do you tackle the question of museum pieces in your wardrobe? Do they stay or do they go?
I definitely have quite a few museum pieces. Many because I don’t go to an office work work anymore so I don’t have as much occasion to wear them. But I feel like I can’t get rid of them in case I ever get back into that lifestyle. Plus I do wear them randomly, haha. Same goes for a few fancy dresses I keep around in case I have a party/wedding, but I have such a large number of them now it’s hard to rotate through.
I did just get rid of a few pieces like that, namely a really fun Phillip Lim skirt that I just didn’t wear. I wore it maybe 4 times in 5 or 6 years because it was such a bold shape. Finally let it go and it’s going to be sad to see someone buy it from The RealReal, ha ha.
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Hehe you do have a pretty generous wardrobe, but you’ve gotten some amazing finds over the years so I can totally appreciate that. I’ve found with most things I part with, I generally forget they were ever in my wardrobe to begin with! There’s a small handful I regret, and usually I end up spending years hunting it down again LOL xx
Each one of us encounters this in our life and especially when it comes to something in our wardrobe. Even though I have owned three pairs of shoes which i would have won probably twice or thrice but still can not let them go. So the answer is they stay 😛
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Hahaha! It’s a tricky one isn’t it? I can’t decide whether I should sell them to make room for a pair of shoes I would actually wear, or just keep them as they’re beautiful. They sit on a shelf right next to my desk so I’m reminded daily of how infrequently I reach for them!
Most of what I buy is impulse, but every now and then I wait/long for/covet something. I don’t own anything designer. As high end as I own is Ralph Lauren via ebay. All that to say I unload pretty much everything. I’m trying to curate more and think longer before I buy knowing that if I don’t it’s “next stop is the donate pile” I hang on to some stuff, yes, if I feel guilty about what it cost. I kept an ugly dress from anthropology for 5 years. The give always I regret are the ones that I force myself to donate just cuz “I have too many of that.” Or because I don’t wear it often enough. I had a pair of black wedges with a square toe that I called my barbie shoes. I hardly wore them…..but every once in awhile they were the perfect shoe. Part of me wants to be the girl with 5 pairs of shoes and part of me leand toward having a zillion really amazing pairs of shoes that are my signature thing. Rambling, but sorta on topic. Here’s the thing. I’m a person who has very few events or social occasions to wear beautiful clothes, but I love beautiful clothes (on the cheap!) So I buy them, and, yes, they are museum pieces. They are my art and I’ve come to terms with it.
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I used to do this a lot too, particularly in my early twenties – I would say I spent around 90% of my disposable income on fashion (most of it quite expensive given I wasn’t really earning that much!). And I had a closet full of things I had really only worn a handful of times. In the end, I chose to do a huge declutter and gave my closet a streamline, and it’s interesting to see how my wardrobe and style has progressed since (especially now that I put a lot more thought into what I’m buying – or at least I try to!). Ultimately, I believe fashion should be fun, and is something to be enjoyed. Everyone has a different approach to buying new things for themselves, and if it works for you and makes you happy, then that’s great. Fashion totally is art!! I’ve heard of some people even framing some fashion items which I think is a pretty cool idea 🙂