everything must go clothing style garance dore illustration

8 years ago by

As I write to you now, I’m sitting cross legged in the middle of my living room as the adorable teams from The Real Real and Crossroads are working around me. They’re about to take away pounds of clothes that I’ve finally managed to get rid of.
 
It feels SO good*.
 
My relationship with clothes is always evolving, and I really like the idea of reselling, donating, and giving a second life to things. More and more, I have a hard time with consumerism and waste. I don’t know, it’s like a bad meal. It makes me feel heavy without filling me up.
 
I still like seeing fashion photos and let me tell you, just like every September, it was quite a shock going to NY Fashion Week as I was still lovingly attached to my washed out summer clothes.
 
All those colors, all the sudden! Those clothes! Sublime, shiny, new, glossy!!! Pow, blop, wiiiizzz!!! Anna Dello Russo in a full body printjumpsuit! Woooowza! It left me totally stunned. Then the fashion wagon passed and before finding it again in Paris** next week, I decided to get organized a little bit. And with my recent move, the timing couldn’t be better.  
 
I spent the entire weekend sorting through my wardrobe, and the operative word was: No mercy. Everything must go. For some of my clothes, it was obvious, easy, hasta la vista muchachas. For others, it was actually painful. You get attached to these little things, no?
 
Here, I made you a little list.
You might even recognize some of the heroes in this story.
 
The Zara culottes-bermuda-skirt I wore so often when I was 20 that I kept it with me to this day even though I’ll NEVER wear it again.
This one is funny because really, there was absolutely nothing special about this culottes-bermuda-skirt, other than the weird fact that it’s a culottes-bermuda-skirt, which is kind of weird in and of itself. 
It’s just that I loved it so much, it followed me everywhere in my late 20s and separating from it would have been like kicking an old friend.
But you know what? This weekend, I did it – I kicked my old friend. I’ve had enough of putting so much value into burdensome things. Because when it comes to old friends, the real one, my friend Anne – she’s still alive and well, and by the way, I’D REALLY LIKE IT IF SHE’D ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN I CALL.
 
My Louis Vuitton Sofia Coppola bag. 
Ok, fine, I have two of them, and I decided to only get rid of one of them because, come on, let’s not overdo it. But it was hard. HARD! For me, this bag represented, well a crazy little mountain of cash, but also, and most of all, the incarnation of the girl I wanted to be at the time.
Sofia Coppola but me at the same time (???) — the chic, cool, no show off, practical, busy girl. A childish dream, I guess, all crystallized into one bag.
The dream is still intact, but let’s be honest – I haven’t used this bag in 1000 years. It was actually almost bothering me more to see my dream gathering dust in the corner. So, bag, goodbye for now!
 
My sublime vintage jeans, super mega-extra-bell bottom, so beautiful, but soooooo beautiful that I’ve had them for 5 years and have NEVER WORN them because bell bottoms, frankly, sure, I love the idea, but no, I don’t wear them. 
And here is THE anecdote:
I tried them on again for the thousandth time with a tear in my eye to confirm it was really time to get rid of them, and right then, destiny interfered, and the zipper broke, so I found myself stuck in the cursed jeans until Chris came back to the house (late) and could break the stupid zipper, and my ego along with it. (Just kidding, we thought it was hilarious)
Symbolic, I say.
 
My over-worn Céline skirt.
Also in the “it’s time to say goodbye” category: worn out clothes
Kind of like a relationship that started out amazing but turned sour without you even realizing it, there’s clothing that’s simply worn out. You loved it, you wore it, you washed it, it lost its sheen, you used it up. And if you take away the sentimental aspect, you soon realize: it looks like an old yellowed mop with a Céline tag on it.
And that’s when you have to say No. Time to say goodbye. If we’ve come this far, it means our relationship was full of love and well-lived, right?
 
My over-worn Sea raincoat.
In this case, it’s not even worn out, but on the other hand, I’ve worn this raincoat so much that, I don’t know, enough is enough, I guess. It’s one of those complicated things about a timeless wardrobe. SO HARD to get rid of timeless pieces, but the problem is, if you’re not careful, it’s easy to go from totally timeless to totally fuckless dressing the same way every day of the year for decades. Gotta be careful, ladies. Gotta be careful. Mireille Matthieu is watching us ALL.
 
Same with my brown Church’s. Out you go! No feelings whatsoever. I called that tired timeless.
 
My furs. Careful, I’m not making a statement here. I’m not anti-fur, but I feel less and less like wearing it. I like faux fur 100 times better, and I don’t really have a political explanation for that (I eat meat)(I wear leather)(I fish fish)(I was present for the cruel crushing of a spider the other day by the cruel Erik Melvin) but little by little, fur is disappearing from my life.
 
My “never worn” clothes
 
This sublime Peter Pilotto dress that I literally fell in love with at the show and bought telling myself it would be great to wear to a gala or something like that.
Yes, well, the gala never came, or I felt like wearing something else to that particular gala, and the dress, still just as sublime, has gone slightly out of style (the big problem with pieces from fashion shows) and I never, you hear me, never even wore it. Ugh, fashion.
 
Clothing that’s a “color that works only on Friday the 13th of a leap year”
This yellow Stella Mc Cartney coat I LOVE but frankly, I must have worn it three times. The reason? Bright acid yellow color. OK, sure, it’s gorgeous with gray and white, but it’s also like “Oh, yeah, the girl with the yellow coat? Yeah she went that way!”
 
Clothing “for when I have the body for it”.
We all have things like this, and the truth is: we’ll never have the body for it.
I’m not talking about losing weight, but just body shape. One of the secrets to style is knowing your proportions and recognizing that even though you may love certain things, when it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Goodbye, gorgeous oversize Isabel Marant jacket that makes me look like a football player!!!
 
In fact, now I’m thinking I should have taken photos to illustrate this post and help me remember all my old clothes and I could totally make a photo album for when I’m feeling like going down memory raod. Aaaaah, my culottes-bermuda-skirt. Aaaaaah, being 20…
Hey, I should even do an art show with these photos, with a super serious theme and a name like Recycle / Diagonal (a name no one understands, so it sounds arty) then I’ll call Gagosian Gallery, and…
 
But I’m still just sitting in the middle of my living room and MY CLOTHES ARE ALL LEEEAVIIINNNGG, come baaaaaackkk!!!
 
Argh.
 
Too late.
 
——————————
 
* Plus, it’s cool: anything that can’t be resold will go to the Red Cross. 
** With my book coming out next month, I’ve got way too much work to spend a month on the road.
 
Translated by Andrea Perdue

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71 comments

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  • Souffrance.
    Imagine-toi que je n’ai que ça dans mon placard et que ça m’empêche de dormir.
    J’en peux plus, je t’envie…

  • Haaa Garance tu me fais trop rire ! C’est absolument ça, on vit toutes ce moment ou il faut se séparer des fringues que l’on ne met plus, ou qu’on garde au cas ou ! Entre bonheur et désespoir.
    C’est aussi un bon moyen / excuse pour en racheter d’autres ! ;)

    Amélie
    https://charlesrayandcoco.com

  • Have you ever thought of bidding your give aways on your website, (know you are really busy) but I bet good money your followers would want to own some of Garance’s past treasures, you could also donate the proceeds to one of your favorite charities, honestly you have exquisite taste and I know if this was available I would bid on something. Just a thought…

  • I second that :)))) just put them on your shop site. I think you would gain more money from that and you could donate even more.

  • Excellent : j’ai fait pareil hier soir assise par terre dans ma chambre ! et j’ai bien rigolé en regardant mon mec essayer ses vieilleries importables (il était d’accord). Pas contre, moi aussi je veux bien que d’adorables petites mains se chargent des deux énormes sacs (à donner / à vendre) parce que là, j’ai utilisé toute mon énergie pour le tri !

  • I’ve enjoyed reading your site for some time. What I’m most excited to see now is how your blog evolves because of your criticism of consumer culture. I understand how difficult it can be to be socially conscious while still maintaining a love for fashion.

  • I couldn´t agree more, I love te way her style is evolving and I´ve noticed that she has this contradictions inside of her.

    http://guadalupeaguirremendoza.blogspot.com.ar/

  • Dear god, the Coppola bag. Too late to have you send it directly to me? (Or should I start stalking Real Real?)

  • Hahaha, ce doit être le nettoyage de rentrée, j’ai aussi fait le tri dans mon dressing.. (à vrai dire, il était temps, je n’arrivais plus à le fermer…). J’ai donné quelques vêtements mais dans la foulée j’en ai racheté d’autres : retour à la case départ …

  • Moi je ne revends jamais mes fringues. Par contre deux fois par an je fais un grand tri et là je donne tout. Je sais pas, l’idée que je n’en tirerai pas d’argent me fait réfléchir à deux fois avant d’acheter.
    Bon si j’avais un Vuitton Sophia Coppola je suis pas sûre que je le donnerai avec quand même ;-)

  • Pour ma part, je vends et je donne pas mal parce que j’ai un besoin permanent de renouveler ma garde-robe.
    Par contre, je n’ai pas de mal à me séparer de mes affaires. Si je ne porte plus un vêtement, je sais que je ne le reporterai plus, donc je n’ai aucun problème à m’en séparer!
    Et puis, la mode a beau être un éternel recommencement, les coupes et couleurs changent….
    Des bisous

    Petite and So What

  • I would like to be Sofia Coppola, too. I recently unloaded a hug pile of clothes from my closet, alas, mostly Zara, but it felt sooooo good. Now I love what I have even more.

    Analog House
    http://theanaloghouse.blogspot.com/

  • Nous sommes toutes passees par cette etape du : “je n’ai rien a me mettre, mais ma penderie est pleine a craquer!”
    A chaque demenagement, je me suis debarrassee non seulement de vetements mais aussi du reste : vaisselle, livres, objets inutiles, etc…..Je continue le tri regulierement pour (essayer) ne pas me laisser envahir ! :-)

  • NOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!!! Pas les Church’sssssssss!!!!! (soupir) Je les adore et je crois que jamais je ne pourrai m’en séparer. (On en reparle dans 4 ans ;-))

  • I get really harsh with getting rid of things too. And am trying to be really aware of what I buy. Have you watched “the true cost”? Everything gets referred to as “life-changing” but for me, I think this documentary really was.

  • For me too, the documentary was life changing. I buy very little now and only vintage. I could never give away my nice things though.
    I would so much appreciate if this blog talked a little more about vintage things.

  • I have always been one to get rid of my clothes that I don’t wear — I am constantly finding new things to get rid of and then buying new things that I like more. I feel like my style is always evolving and that I grow out of certain phases pretty easily

    http://hashtagliz.com

  • Once again! I so like this blog! I love the idea of re-selling and re-purposing clothes and Crossroads and the realreal are my very favorite destinations to do that and to acquire something unique. When I have more free time, I would add ebay to that mix and of course donating to Salvation Army, Cheers to All responsible Fashion Lovers !!!!

  • I like you am having a clear out I did it with a glass of wine for courage :-), so far I have done just one wardrobe (I have another to go and then the drawers and under the bed, I am afraid that the shoes and bags will be the very last!) and for the first time ever I was ruthless. I ended up with 3 sacks and I mean sacks of clothes to get rid of,. Now at this stage in my un-ruthless (is that a word) state I pull clothes out and put them back in my wardrobe just in case! Not this time the next morning before my courage failed me – I loaded my car and took them to the homeless charity if they cant use them they sell and use the proceeds to help fund the charity. No going back for me! Now I just have to pluck up courage to do the rest!

  • Garance, sorry pour le hors sujet (Quoique tu en parles brièvement à la fin du post;)..) j’ai tenté de pré-commandé ton livre, mais je m’aperçois que pour l’instant il n’y a que la version anglaise, ou bien je n’ai pas bien regardé… Peut-on pré-commandé la version française? Désolée peut-être avais-tu déjà répondu auparavant …merci pour ta réponse ;))

  • Hi Ghislaine,
    We will have the French version of the book available to pre-order in the next couple of weeks! It will be published November 25th and we will be sure to let you know once it’s available for pre-order!
    Thanks so much :)
    x Emily

  • Je lis tous tes posts depuis des annees et je te trouve toujours juste, touchante. Celui ci est très vrai. J’ai travaillé 7 ans dans la mode et avais accumulé tellement que je jour où j’ai quitté ma boîte j’ai fait un grand tri : vendu ce que je pouvais, donné ce qui était donnable :-)
    Et je me suis rendue compte des différentes femmes qui m’avaient accompagné mais que je n’étais pas vraiment (ou un jour par an! ).
    Et toute cette consommation m’a dégoûté…. quel gâchis, perte de temps…. néanmoins j’aime toujours la mode et je consomme aujourd’hui mais très différemment….plus de fast fashion! Ce que j’ai réussi à faire pour moi je l’ai fait pour des amies et les amies d’amies…. ce qui m’a permis d’ouvrir une boutique sur Ebay ou je revends ce qu’elles ne mettent plus…. Je suis entrain de mettre en place ma boîte de vide dressing personnalisé et ainsi les aider à mieux gérer leur placard!
    Merci de nous faire partager tes réflexions car elles nous font souvent rire parfois réfléchir… bref avancer :-)

  • Great idea!
    I am doing the same – but with ALL my stuff (usnig Marie Kondo’s method, but it works also without)
    it’s so relieving to let go, I feel lighter every day

  • bavarian_blue September, 23 2015, 11:32 / Reply

    I practice: for one in one out. It works perfectly since years (without spending afternoons reorganising my wardrobe).

  • I hang on to some beautiful suits from when I was a powerful boss and appeared on TV regularly and was beautiful. Now I work from home, not by choice. The clothes are dated after a decade, but the quality! I could never afford to buy such clothes now. I get rid of one now and then, but it’s like closing the coffin on my old life that I wish I had back.
    My mom, 90, has a coat from the ’50s that I lusted after. Totally Dior New Look, in impeccable shape because she grew out of it 55 years ago. Vintage. I asked for it for years. She agreed last year, but I’d hit menopause–it totally changes your body–and the coat no longer fit. She is in assisted living and we still haven’t emptied the house after two years, because she refuses to part with anything, not to give to family, not to sell, not to donate.

  • Ok Emily! Thank you so much for your feedback :)

  • I just did an end of the summer clothing purge. I gave myself until the end of the summer to wear everything in my closet (minus the winter clothes) and let me tell you it was so enlightening in which clothes are beautiful, but I just never EVER wear. I ended up consigning a lot and the ones they wouldn’t take I donated. I figure, if I can’t wear it, someone else may as well!!

  • So happy to read that you are getting rid of your furs! You are a bright example for others. Animals need our compassion , empathy and love. I’ve researched the fur industry and fur trapping and it is unspeakably agonizing and heartbreaking. A great option for getting rid of fur items is to donate them to animal shelters-nice for keeping animals warm and cozy. Thank you !:)

  • irene, thank you for posting this comment. i don’t know how anyone can be neutral about fur. with quality synthetic fur being incredibly beautiful and luxurious, wearing fur is anachronistic as well as brutally cruel. i think fashion sites need to take an outspoken position on this issue to advocate on behalf of the animals sacrificed. it’s an ethical issue, not an aesthetic one.

  • Bonjour Garance,
    tout a fait d’accord avec toi, on se sent tellement mieux avec une garde robe plus épurée, on peut enfin voir qu’on a en fait plein de choses a se mettre!
    Et pour le recyclage des belles pièces, je ne peux qu’etre d’accord … c’est ce que je fait sur mon site The Stylist Depot, revendre les beaux sacs et chaussures en excellent état des modeuses Parisiennes. Cela leur permet de rentabiliser les coups de coeur shopping …. et de pouvoir craquer a nouveau!
    xxx
    Melanie
    http://www.thestylistdepot.com/

  • Je donneTOUT à Emmaüs, même les meubles. Ils ont un camion pour venir chercher les dons encombrants…
    Les vêtements, je leur ai donné des dizaines de cartons de vêtements…

  • Débora Martins September, 23 2015, 1:32 / Reply

    I do this every year! not that I have so much to purge, but it helps me gain new love for my clothes and to really know what I need to buy/replace.
    But oh that Sofia Coppola bag… I’ve dreamed about that bag in that color (you had one in burgundy as far as I remember) since I saw it. Had a similar one in black that I wore until there was nothing left, but still dream of the one you had this day! Just send it my way, would you? :)

  • So funny! I feel the exact same way and sentimental over my clothes…they are like old friends who I hate to part with!! But when my closet is bursting, there is nothing more cathartic than trimming it down!! xo

    (=’.’=)
    -Lauren
    adorn la femme

  • Mais, Garance ! N’avais-tu pas il y a quelques mois de cela, reorganiser ton vestiaire ? Ou tu parlais deja, des kilos de fringues que l’on achete et ne mettons jamais ? Cela ceut dire que tu as continue a acheter, consommer et surconsommer ! Nous sommes toutes pareilles ! Mais pour ma part il s’est passe quelque chose de tres important : il y a 2 ans ma Maman nous a quittes et au moment de vider la maison,…… Sa garde-robe etait minimale a l’extreme : 1 veste Chanel, 1 impermeable burburry, un manteau Max Mara. 1 jeans noir et l’autre blanc, quelques chemisiers et tee shirt et 2 sacs : 1 Vuitton et peyit Agnes B. C’est tout ! Et toujours impeccable. Comme quoi les Old ladies !!!!!!

  • Superbe témoignage merci ! Ca donne à REFLECHIR …

  • Please adopt me, I will take your closet

    http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

  • Garance I just love your posts! And yours is the only blog I feel the urge to comment :) I’m with you on letting it all go. I do a closet cleanup every six month and every time there is a pile of clothes that I get rid of. It is strange to hear though about the Celine skirt. Feels like brands that are as expensive and well made as Celine should make clothes that are much more durable. Or maybe it is just the way I like to think about it. Anyway though, if it looks bad, it looks bad so yes it’s good you got rid of it :)

  • Please let us know when that Sofia Coppola bag hits the Real Real! I haven’t seen many of those for sale and trust me I’ve been stalking! =) Love yours and congratulations on letting go of the old.

  • une question qui n’a rien à voir avec ce post, mais le nouveau logo Galeries Lafayette ressemble énormément à votre style. avez-vous collaboré ?

  • Hello Garance !
    Vendrais-tu ton Coppola à une compatriote du sud qui en a toujours rêvé (on ne sait jamais) ?
    J’adore ton blog, mon petit rayon de soleil chaque jour. Des sujets légers, de vrais questionnements et toujours avec beaucoup d’humour !
    Bisous bisous
    Sab

  • Jane with the noisy terrier September, 23 2015, 3:21 / Reply

    I hear ya, sistah. I’ve been doing a MAJOR purge of all of my belongs, from clothes to tablecloths to linens. I’ve been going through every drawer, every storage nook (and believe me, I’ve got a surprising amount stuffed into this one-bedroom apartment. But I’ve realized that I only use a small percentage of what I actually own, I forget things that I’ve bought and love, and my belongings are taking way too much of my time in maintenance. I’ve tried on every stitch of clothing I own, underpinnings included, and gotten rid of a ton of stuff. The apartment is a wreck at the moment but slowly, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it feels good. After all, you can’t pick up something new if your hand are already full.

  • The Mireille Matthieu reference!!!! Priceless! :D

  • Bah moi je fais ça toutes les saisons parce que les fringues bah ce ne sont jamais que des fringues quoi ! Même les trucs que j’ai adoré porter durant 1 saison, je sais que la saison suivante l’histoire d’amour n’opère plus de la même façon. Et puis j’ai toujours envie de nouveaux trucs alors revendre mes fringues me permet d’en financer de nouvelles. Bien sur je ne change pas tout tous les ans. Mélanger le vieux et le neuf c’est aussi le secret d’un look personnel. Et puis parfois il faut redonner une seconde chance aux fringues que l’on a laissé végéter dans nos placards, il suffit qu’une nouvelle paire de shoes y entre pour qu’elles reprennent vie ! :-)
    http://www.mode9.fr

  • I’ve just been though a major wardrobe clean out. In the past I’ve donated my clothes to St Vincent de Paul, but this time I thought I’d be thrifty and sell them on eBay. No, no, no … this has made me realize that people are very demanding and a bit crazy! (Yes, the insole measurements ARE in the description!!) I’ve sold most of it, but this morning I’m taking what’s left, and more to St Vincent de Paul. I feel better knowing that the money is going to people who need help.

  • This consumerist era inflated by blogs and instagram and so on made us buy more and more (because, come on, clothes are so pretty and zara adds new items every week… ), but wear less. I don’t even have the time to wear all the things I buy and suddenly discover I don’t even like them anymore… they’re like sooo last year, right? So we have to let go one way or another, we cannot keep on collecting stuff we don’t need.

    -maria
    http://thestoryletters.com/

  • I haven’t purchased a new bag since April. I have completely streamlined my purchases. Tough but necessary. With that said, I call dibbs on the LV bag!

  • I SO absolutely love those brown Church’s!
    Shoes of my dreams!

  • On a eu le même week end! Je fais ça régulièrement.
    Et ça se termine toujours pareil :
    -le tas à donner
    -le tas Vestiaire Collective
    -le tas pour l’apéro Vide dressing où j’ai trois copines clients régulières qui ne s’habillent que dans mon placard (les vêtements sont de marque, toujours en bon état et à petit prix-en plus à la fin je leur en donne souvent)
    Ce qui est dur c’est de jeter des vêtements classiques que j’adore mais dont la qualité n’a pas tenu dans le temps

  • Ah je suis dans le même état d’esprit , je remplis des sacs . Je donne tout a Emmaüs . Et je vais racheter … Moins , je me le promets . Ce qui me questionne c’est tout ce que j’ai acheté et JAMAIS mis , trop juste , je vais perdre ces kilos , trop
    pas moi , achat trop rapide , et ce si bel ensemble en lin pour belle occasion , jamais l’occasion , comme si ma vie était une suite d’erreurs , p€&@&€ vraiment c’est plutôt flippant !

  • Quel merveilleux feeling que de faire le triage de nos vêtements!De temps en temps,il y a toujours une pièce,jamais portée plus difficle à se départir..

  • I know exactly how you feel!!! I use the RealReal all the time- I used to pack up my own items and send them. This past July- I was so in over my head with clothes- they did a home visit and took away so much!!!!! I felt great AND I felt immediately nostalgic about some pieces. But the mantra- Out with the old, and in with the new- is a good one!

  • Thank god its these churches. I love your brown oxfords. And discovered you through a street style photo with you in then. Please keep those. And grow old with those. Or sell them to me if you are a size 8.

    Glad you are giving your clothes some fresh life. Good for them.

    I will keep my eyes peeled on RealReel. Thanks for the heads up.

  • “Careful, I’m not making a statement here. I’m not anti-fur, but I feel less and less like wearing it.” Bravo to feeling less like wearing fur but less enthusiastic about statement “I’m not making a political statement”. Fur is not political it’s plain cruel. Surely you’ve seen the video clips by now and you now what goes on in the fur industry. You would’ve made many new fans if you HAD made a statement with your choice for a reason – “compassion” – a word that says lot more about a person than a piece of clothing ever can.

  • I really love how you think about fashion and consumerism and waste, it resonates with me because that is how I approach my wardrobe. So excited for your book, have pre-ordered it, please let your London readers know if/when you will be coming on a book tour through London!

  • Je fais régulièrement du tri dans mes vêtements que je donne à emmaus, ou autres associations qui de plus font de la réinsertion pour les personnes qui ont du mal à trouver un emploi. Il est bien de parler de surconsommation mais il serait bien aussi de faire un geste pour ceux qui en ont besoin et de donner plutôt que de vendre. Profiter de sa notoriété pour faire passer des messages ça peut équilibrer aussi la superficialité d’un blog mode.

  • Such a great, inspirational and funny post at the same time. I really enjoyed reading it- maybe it is time also for me to get rid of some of those old but so sweet items! Thank you!:)

  • Je compatis! En général je ne m’en suis jamais voulu d’avoir vendu / donné / jeté. Sauf une fois, un sac chanel vintage que j’ai vendu… J’aurais pas dû. Je l’avais payé un prix extrêmement raisonnable et je l’ai vendu “pour me faire des sous”, ben je m’en mors encore les doigts trois ans après! Grrr.! Ton post était très drôle sinon ;)

  • Plow! Bop! Wizzz! Love the gainsbourg reference-now I have to go find my old cd. i just did this and it is liberating! And so true about if it does not fit your frame. Well done!

  • Such a great great post! I once did it, preparing a saturday afternoon cocktail “thing” with my girlfriends and selling for 1 Euro per piece. Especially the girls in the twenties loved it, and I was so happy to see my clothes loved again. (But it was, nevertheless, painful to see my clothes go with all my memories)

  • LisefromNL September, 24 2015, 10:15 / Reply

    Moi je vaus bien to sac Sofia Coppola ;-))

  • OMG, that is someone I have planned 2 weeks ago and still didn’t find enough time to clean my closet :( and I really need to do this :(
    happy you managed this complicated relationship that every woman has with her clothes :)
    xo xo from Paris
    http://www.rosesinparis.com

  • I actually like the idea of photographing the things you get rid of. I wish I did that. Sometimes I remember something I got rid of later and start wishing I hadn’t, imagining it was better than it actually was. A photo would help remind me why it was less than perfect and totally reasonable to give up.

  • have you seen marie kondo’s method?

  • I totally get what you mean; )) this is incredible how we get attached to pieces of fabric. I do such “cleansing actions” in my wardrobe from time to time but never to the fullest. I don’t know why! ! Am I that weird? I always leave some clothes and tell to myself I’m not ready yet! Seriously?

    xo

    http://lifestylebyola.blogspot.com/2015/09/living-illusions.html

  • I read many articles about how the French build and maintain their wardrobe, and I really like that they invest in staples like the trench, the blazer, etc, and wear them in many different ways for many years !!! To me, their approach is very smart, economical and makes more sense. Maybe I am frugal like the French ! when it comes to clothes, I use lots of discretion and look at them as investments, it has helped me buying less and better and keeping most what I buy for longer periods of time.

  • C’est tellement vrai, je suis entièrement d’accord avec toi,et je sais de quoi je parle.
    Après avoir travaillé 15 ans pour une enseigne de grande distribution de prés à porter j’ai fait une overdose de fringues.
    C’est pourquoi maintenant j’achète autrement : des vêtements de deuxiéme main , je chine beaucoup en fripperie et autres…. et surtout je revends ou je donne. Ce qui m’a amené à créer avec une amie notre boutique de vêtements chinés et notre service de vide dressing https://loveanddress.fr.
    C’est une réelle satisfaction.

  • I know what you mean about only wearing classics. I went through my closet and tried to be super practical about buying well made clothing. It began to feel a bit joyless at some point (especially in the winter), so I eased up and I realized it was ok to get a little funkier.

    A great friend of mine travels for photography and has an alarmingly small amount of clothes, but they are all really flattering, wild clothes. They end up being out there enough that they don’t go out of style super easily. I try to channel her once in a while.

  • gensane maeva November, 4 2015, 5:52 / Reply

    Coucou, Garance et le studio. J’adore la manière dont vous avez de voir la vie, le monde, la mode… Et je voulais avoir votre avis ,s’il vous plait, sur ce documentaire qui m’a choqué. “The true cost” par Andrew morgan (disponible sur netflix) . Je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de pleurer à la fin et de revoir ma manière de voir la mode et les vêtements. Je ne sais pas comment réagir à cette immondicité car d’un côté je voudrai tellement faire quelque chose pour qu’on arrête d’être addict à l’achat. Mais d’un autre côté, malheureusement, je suis complètement formatée par notre société et j’aime la mode, j’aime acheter des habits et à quel prix vu le documentaire. Je me rends compte que le seul moyen que j’ai d’acheter des vetements sans faire de mal à la terre ou à des gens c’est d’acheter chez stella mccartney ce qui n’est pas possible en tant qu’étudiante de 21 ans sans salaire. Auriez vous une idée de ce que je pourrai faire et qu’est ce que vous en pensez de cet aspect de l’impact de la mode ?

  • melissa lee September, 26 2016, 11:07 / Reply

    I love letting items go.
    My 22 year old daughter and wear the same size and she comes twice a year and cherry picks items she want’s and that is how I let go.

    xox
    Melissa

  • Angelica DU April, 20 2020, 6:22 / Reply

    I went through my stuff during this covid19 lockdown and found magazines that needed to be carted away once covid 19 is gone and I saw this omega lifetime magazine and read through the articles . a short article on Garance Dore( what a unique name) was an instantaneous kind of admiration and fondness of the way you made a write up on deciding to get rid of your fabulous clothes collection . after reading the article , I went through google and enjoyed reading ‘Everything must go….’ it is refreshing and moved me to understand especially during this covid pandemic, that material things are not really that too important and wont even help make me feel good at all after experiencing these weeks in lockdown . to one and all I hope you keep safe and God bless our world !! cheers Ms. Dore from the Philippines!

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