Making it work: is it really worth it?

When to give up (or not) on pieces in your wardrobe

How do you know when it’s time to give up an a piece?

I’ve been asking myself this lately as I’ve become more discerning about what earns a place in my wardrobe. Even with careful planning, some pieces just… don’t click. But is that a sign to let go, or a signal to try harder?

As a certified over thinker, I find myself torn between equal parts not wanting to give up too quickly & contribute to more waste and wanting to cultivate a small, curated wardrobe filled with pieces that I love.

And while I’m all for removing pieces from your wardrobe that don’t feel good, I’m also here to ask - are we trying hard enough to make things work? And why is the idea that I have to Make It Work a bad thing?

When I found myself struggling to style a new piece I purchased earlier this year, I decided to test this - can I truly “make it work” without feeling like I’m settling? Or should I be trusting my gut feeling in the early day? Well, I’m here on the other side of this journey to share what I’ve learned and how it went.

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WHEN TO LET GO

So, what actually makes a piece worth keeping — or not? Here’s how I think about it now.

I’ll let a piece go immediately if:

1. It doesn’t fit or feel good on my body → this is non-negotiable. We’re no longer keeping items within sight that make us feel bad about our bodies. I refuse to let a piece of fabric ruin my day.

2. I actually just don’t like it → this sounds crazy, but I’d be willing to bet that most of us can recall a moment where we bought something to fit a specific event or aesthetic that just wasn’t true to our personal style (or it’s just me, in which case - congratulations to you!). Sometimes you can make it work - sometimes it’s a colour, cut, style, etc. that just doesn’t resonate.

*purge can also mean just putting it out of sight

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WHEN TO GIVE IT A CHANCE

On the flip side of that, I’m learning that sometimes styling a new piece doesn’t come easy RIGHT AWAY.

Imagine a piece that you love (in theory), that fits great, but just…always feels off.

Some signs that this is happening:

• You love it when you try it on in the dressing room, but procrastinate actually wearing & styling it

• You’ve worn it a couple times but it just never looks quite right

• You love it on it’s own, but it doesn’t exactly fit the vision when styled

All of these are essentially the same thing - you haven’t figured out how YOU like to style it. Yet.

If you’re immediately recoiling and internally screaming “BUT I JUST WANT TO GET RID OF IT, IT DOESN’T WORK FOR ME”…just hear me out! There’s always the option to re-home it later, but it costs nothing to try to make it work and if nothing else - in the process of trying to make it work we often learn valuable lessons about why it’s not working. This helps us make better decisions in the future, which is always the goal, right?

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AN EXAMPLE: THE SKIRT

I’ve talked a lot about how my approach to fashion and shopping has changed a lot since last summer. Fewer, more intentional purchases that I LOVE has become my new MO.

But what happens when, even after careful consideration, I buy something that I just…don’t love?

Let me walk you through one piece I really struggled with — and how I eventually figured it out.

Introducing…my Uniqlo maxi skirt:

Uniqlo Volume Skirt

Why I bought it:

1. I had been on the hunt for a maxi skirt for a while

2. I loved the fit - stretchy waistband and comfy without feeling sloppy

3. The silhouette is dramatic but not “too much”

4. Great price for what feels like good quality (and I generally have had good luck with Uniqlo quality)

5. I saw this photo and wanted to recreate it:

I bought this in January, and wore it a couple times:

Styling Attempt #1: Jan. ??

I don’t think I even left the house in this outfit. I tried recreating the inspo image above pretty literally and just felt like it was too oversized, too…casual? I liked the look but couldn’t imagine actually wearing this out in public (a little dramatic I know, but there we were.)

Rating: 2/5

Styling Attempt #2: Feb 1

Maybe the super oversized hoodie from the last attempt was the problem. I wanted to recreate the “edgy” elements of my inspiration photo - luckily my Doc Martens are my staple winter shoe, and I have plenty of casual tees and hoodies to pair with this. I wore this to work from the library, and just felt a bit…off.

Rating: 2.5/5 → not terrible, but I did not feel great in this or excited to wear it again.

Styling Attempt #3:

If the top/hoodie was too dark & masculine - maybe it’s a colour thing? Let’s try a lighter / white tee with the skirt.

Ignoring the wrinkles…yes, I think this is moving in the right direction. I wore this outfit a couple times both to work from home and out of the house. But still didn’t have that “OMG I LOVE IT” feeling.

Rating: 3/5

Styling Attempt #4: March

Ok, I’m starting to think that maybe the thing I’m drawn to with maxi skirts is the juxtaposition between masculine + feminine vibes. This skirt doesn’t actually read OVERLY feminine to me, so learning further masculine with the top, shoes, accessories pushes it too far in one direction. This outfit was actually a recreation from inspiration and…voila. A lightbulb went off in my brain.

While it’s not perfectly me, this actually feels like something I’d wear out in the wild and feel confident all day. The overly (for me!) feminine accessories and neutral sweater (not too small, not too big) balance the skirt in a way that I actually love.

Rating 4/5

Styling Attempt #5: May

Ok, I’m starting to understand this a little better. I need to keep some feminine elements, but maybe add back in a little bit of that edge or cool vibe that makes an outfit feel perfect for me. Also realizing after playing around that I actually prefer wearing this skirt a little lower on my waist. I think the longer length suits me a little better, but I also think that the way it changes the silhouette gives it a more casual vibe.

Ok, this is the formula. Smaller, white tee + lower on the waist = a little bit more feminine and a more interesting silhouette on my body. Add in some girlier elements like hair accessories or jewelry. Add in some edge with a belt (no, there are no belt loops but that won’t stop us!).

I wore this with my converse and…ta da! We did it. I’ve worn this outfit or some variation of it multiple times in the last month, and it’s official - I’m in love with this skirt!

Rating: 5/5

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WHAT I LEARNED:

1. Taking time to understand WHY something feels off is critical → realizing that I needed to balance masculine + feminine energy with this skirt was critical.

2. Play around with silhouette → it might sound silly but wearing the skirt slightly more low waisted was a game changer with this skirt. Taking time to try different ways of wearing a piece can help unlock a whole new level

3. Pair with “quintessentially you” pieces → adding my tried and true belt + shoes that I wear religiously made the outfit feel true to me and my personal style

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This whole thing reminded me that sometimes the magic is just on the other side of a little creative problem-solving. So maybe, next time before I give up on a piece I want to love, I might just trust the process and see what’s on the other side of a little bit of effort.