A Spring/Summer 2024 Wardrobe Audit
Oh the things I wore! Oh the things I did not!
This week you’re free of one of my “corporate interest ruins culture” hot takes—it’s all about the outfits, folks! I’ll break down what I wore, what I didn’t, and “why” on both counts. For the purposes of this post, we’ll be looking at Spring/Summer by the agricultural calendar rather than the fashion calendar. I’ll be evaluating all the outfits I wore the Spring and Summer seasons of 2024, from March 19 to September 21, rather than evaluating the outfits I wore or prepared from January to June. Fashion is weird sometimes lol.
I promised a wardrobe audit, and I am a woman of my word…
Let the evaluation begin!!
Spring: What I wore & why
~March 19 - June 20.
I don’t even need Indyx’s wardrobe stats to look at these screenshots and know that a few pieces have come to the fore as absolute everyday MVP’s:
Lululemon’s “Align” bodysuits—in black and the apparently-discontinued velvet dust (pink) colors.
a black knit pullover (once again, seemingly discontinued) from Lululemon
a pair of pink Adidas (scooped up from Nordstrom Rack)
my lilac Crocs (I am an unapologetic Crocs stan!!) with Sailor Moon themed charms
the “everywhere belt bag” from, oh boy, Lululemon
and this Iris wrap skirt from Amour Linen.
A few other items were top performers, but these dominated the Spring months…
As to why, all of these pieces are just so easy to reach for. The Spring had me running around outside—probably more than the summer!—so I needed things that supported me very quickly getting around and feeling ready to go. All of these pieces are QUICK to put on.
I want to justify my Lululemon usage just a bit; it’s got a halfway-deserved reputation as an annoying brand that’s overpriced.
It is annoying, lol. Full stop. Very true. They’ve reached seeming-ubiquity here in the US and if you live anywhere even remotely urban you will see everyone wearing these belt bags. I’m OK with that! It’s functional stuff—does the job it needs, and apparently does that for a lot of folks.
It is not overpriced. It’s absolutely manufactured and sold at an absurd markup relative to what they compensate folks at the factory level (it’s exploitation all the way down in fashion at that scale); the quality of the pieces is actually aligned to the higher cost. I loved a recent breakdown from ShiftFashion on IG; literally deconstructing their leggings, for instance, to evaluate if they live up to the cost due to the craft and workmanship. They are also almost always multi-piece (and better fitting as a result) and include a gusset (for comfort!); which I see a lot of athleisure fail to include.
Spring: What I didn’t wear & why
Comfort and ease ruled the day this Spring, so this called for a few things being cut from my wardrobe entirely and a few things to be reconsidered for next Spring. I’ll focus on the goodbyes though!
The big cuts:
I re-evaluated how these items fit and decided I don’t like them! Nice and easy to cut; they just don’t let me feel like I’m ready to go and I clearly need that in my Spring wardrobe:
At left: a pair of Free People “Movement” pants. Oh I hate to see these go - I love the color and I’m a sucker for a drawstring waistband; but the length is just not right and the fabric is way more transparent than I thought in the dressing room lighting. I didn’t wear them once this Spring. Best of luck to the next owners! I’m sending these in to Thredup.
In middle: a pair of distressed American Eagle jean shorts. These I wore a few times and realized they were too small each time. They “fit” in the sense I could get them on, but boy howdy did they want to squeeze me out of them every time I sat up or down.
At right: a BP ruffled shirt. I never iron this and it always looks frumpy as a result. The armholes are also too tight—someone with a little more patience would be well served by it though; the ruffles are very fun! This was a tough cut because my dream-self would definitely iron it and wouldn’t need to lift her arms too much.
Summer: What I wore & why
~June 21 - September 21.
The Lululemon domination continued! But I saw some other pieces come to the fore (which was a relief lol, I can’t be an all Lulu girl…my fragile self identity can’t bear it):
a highlighter pink Pleats Please (Issey Miyake) dress—scored on significant markdown on Thredup!
a black short sleeve shirt also of the Pleats Please (Issey Miyake) variety—and also scored on Thredup.
a pair of Agolde shorts
and a thrifted cat-themed bag from the Japanese wholesaler Pottering Cat.
The name of the game was, of course, the same—quick, easy, comfy and breeeeezy (Virginia humidity is wild).
Polyester gets a (usually warranted) bad rap, but I make an exception for synthetics when they’re used for what they’re good for and constructed with care. The Pleats Please line is both: the poly fabric is used because it holds the pleats like craaaaazy and each item is constructed with really fine seaming and finishes. You just toss them in a net bag, and wash in cold water when you need to. Absolute game-changer for travel too: no more ironing!! I’m free! (And because they’re so easy to care for and hold the shape so well, you can always pick them up secondhand and trust they’ll look just as good as they did when they were made.)
Summer: What I didn’t wear & why
The Summer had some similar factors at play as Spring, so it had some similar cuts and keeps.
I’m saying goodbye to:
At left: a Trouvé t-shirt dress. This one is just waaaaaaay too small. I’m not sure how it survived the purge from my very first round of cuts. My mom always stole this from me when I lived at home, so it’s in a bag ready to return to her closet the next time I see her.
At middle: a white dress from Treasure & Bond. This rides up like no one’s business. Constantly pulling a knit dress down is like, my personal hell lol. I don’t need the extra pressure of “is my butt just full exposed” waiting for me every time I stand up. I should’ve done more sitting and standing when I tried this on in the dressing room.
At right: a pair of Outdoor Voices leggings. I looooove the color of these and I love the texture. They’re also lined well and aren’t transparent (bless). But! The length is super irritating. They just barely cover my knees, are always riding down at the waistband or scrunching weird at the end of the legs. Absolutely the wrong length on me. To Thredup you go!
What it all means…
I spoke in the past about how my “three words” or design philosophy were bold, colorful, and sculptural. In some regards, I’ve held true to this:
Although black was a dominant color throughout the past few seasons, I incorporated at least some color into almost every outfit. And! I loved all the colors I added. Nice.
“Sculptural” is reaching a bit on any of them though; I didn’t play with a lot of shape; opting instead for the bodycon, athleisure look that is oh-so-ever-present. I’m OK with that given the weather and my lifestyle; but I want to challenge myself to go bigger next year; really billowy and big shapes are actually better for thermal management, so I’m honestly kind of playing myself to keep wearing the Lulu’s so much outside of working out.
In essence, it means I did a B+ job of living my design philosophy (I have assigned this arbitrarily, but it feels right) and there’s plenty to consider for 2025. More to come there when we get there!
Looking ahead to Fall/Winter!
I’m looking low on color, so I’ll be amping that up. Layers make it easy to make different shapes though; so I’m pleased to see how many silhouettes I’ve played with in a few short weeks.
I also have some ~corporate travel (tm) to account for, which is always a fun excuse to get creative with new outfit compositions. Hotel mirror selfies are imminent.
If you read all the way down here, you’re a hero! Here’s an award: 😍. Back with more hot takes soon… brace yourself.