KRISSY TURNER
My vintage sweatshirt got the heave-ho purely because, in a fickle moment, I’d decided it counted as loungewear
Wardrobe clearouts have become A Thing over the past 18 months. I actually did one during each of the lockdowns in a bid to set myself up for the resumption of normality, and so I could take stock of what I already had before we could shop in real life again. How did I have so much stuff that a quarterly cull was necessary, you may ask? Well, dear reader, the short answer is that I didn’t.
Being on a budget combined with scant wardrobe space and one eye on how much I actually need, as opposed to what I’m lusting after, means I’ve developed a discerning eye. But I definitely still make mistakes. In each of those culls, I parted with something I shouldn’t have.
The first that brings a pang of sadness is The Perfect Camel Trench. It fell to just below the knee so I could wear it with all trousers and skirts. It was in a deep beige that was just lighter than my skin tone so it complemented it rather than blended in, and was in a thick fabric so it held its shape. I know, I know: if it was perfect then why did I part with it, right? Since I had so many coloured (read: more exciting) versions of the coat in my wardrobe, it was the one I had found myself wearing least over the years. So I sold it on ebay. It went to a woman in Kent who weeks later messaged to say she couldn’t believe I’d parted with it. I couldn’t either.
The second was a vintage cream Adidas sweatshirt. It featured a retro logo, and although it was quite sporty and slightly oversized, the pared-back colourway meant I could get away with wearing it with tailored trousers and loafers to work. It was given the heave-ho purely because – in an extremely fickle moment – I’d decided it counted as loungewear, which I’d become sick of. I’ve regretted it ever since.
A pair of Converse sneakers in a vibrant pepto-pink were culled in the first lockdown and still haunt me to this day.
They gave me chic off-duty Princess Diana vibes when I bought them almost a decade ago, but I only wore them a handful of times. In an annoying turn of events, I’ve found them to be the missing piece to quite a few outfit puzzles recently, as they’re that fun focal point that a simple look often needs.
Finally, a duck-egg longline leather shirt that I’d saved up for from Massimo Dutti, but booted out just before the July reopening date. I found it too warm to wear under a jacket, and there weren’t enough times where it was appropriate as a cover-up on its own. That’s until this dreary August began, mere weeks later, where a wipeclean, pastel overshirt is perhaps the best thing to be wearing over dresses and shirts. It’s only gone to my sister who lives 10 minutes away, so it might just find its way back into my wardrobe …
Four items that I regret kicking out of my wardrobe