Imagine going an entire year without buying a single item of clothing. Impossible? Content creator, podcaster and financial behavioural expert Emma Edwards takes us inside her experience with The Wardrobe Project, and what it revealed about our spending habits, style, and self-discipline.
The Wardrobe Project is Emma Edwards’ unexpected 12-month journey of finding body acceptance, creative style and, (we could all get on this) – more money in her bank account.
Emma covers it all – the insatiable excitement upon receiving a notification of today’s parcel delivery, the animalistic shredding of a package (ah, the child in all of us still can’t resist bright, shiny new things), to the mediocrity of that bodycon dress we ordered simply because it looked fabulous on that model.
At first, Emma couldn’t figure out what on earth she had gotten herself into. She takes us through the vulnerability of temptation when a change of season comes around; when we start questioning what actually goes with jeans? The washes of warm chocolate browns and cool neutrals adorning mannequins for winter make us all question whether we have enough shades of that turtleneck jumper – because, heaven forbid, we repeat the same winter outfits. Whatever will the followers think?!
By the mid-year mark, it starts to feel as though Emma has been watching you in real time, naming each of the twenty excuses she identifies before buying that cute paisley summer wrap top. You know the one – you used store credit after returning something, so it was basically free. Or maybe you’re rewarding yourself for eating home-cooked meals four days in a row.
At the end of the day, Emma is a consumer like the rest of us. She realistically acknowledges the unfamiliar and uncomfortable feelings of not wanting to purchase clothing, in an economy primarily driven by fast fashion, the obsession with staying between sizes 6 to 10, and an inexplicable sense of urgency.
Emma also explores the ‘whipped cream’ approach – taking five to ten extra minutes to view your outfit and ask yourself ‘how can I add a little something on top?’ Maybe it’s a quick steam to your linen shirt, fishing out that scarf that was squished into a forgotten corner of the wardrobe or clipping on a brooch. The book doesn’t simply recount Emma’s journey up the sartorial Everest; her relatable, realistic and doable tips on self-discovery and newfound style keep you turning page after page.
I took a moment to reflect upon the money I’d thrown at clothes over many years, and realised the validity of Emma’s point that she touches on in several chapters; buying clothes brings temporary psychological relief from problems, however those feelings are misattributed to thinking we’ve found a solution. When those clothes do not meet our needs, we inadvertently are trapped in a cycle of buying more to feel better.
This book is like a friendly yet firm wake-up call – with several laugh-out-loud moments, a sprinkle of nostalgia and some deeply reflective elements.
Rating: 5/5
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